Pivot Mach 4 – first look

Pivot Mach 4 – first look

Now with 27.5in wheels and Di2 routing

Now in its fourth iteration, the new Pivot Mach 4 gets 27.5in wheels and a new carbon frame design

Courtesy

Josh Patterson

Published: June 18, 2014 at 11:28 pm
Now in its fourth iteration, the new Pivot Mach 4 gets 27.5in wheels and a new carbon frame design - Courtesy
The geometry of the Mach 4 bridges the gap between the cross-country and trail categories - Courtesy
Integrated frame covers mask the ports for internally routed cables. These ports also allow for compatibility with electronic mountain groupsets - Courtesy
There's a port for a battery built into the downtube of the Mach 4 - Courtesy
The Mach 4 has 115mm of rear suspension travel - Courtesy
The Mach 4 has a low-slung frame with ample stand-over clearance - Courtesy

The Mach 4 was the first bike Pivot Cycles introduced when Chris Cocalis launched the company back in 2007. Now in its fourth generation, the Mach 4 sheds 26in wheels for 27.5in hoops and gets a new carbon frame design.

The Mach 4 bridges the gap between cross-country and trail, offering the rider 115mm of rear wheel travel paired with a 120mm suspension fork.

Now in its fourth iteration, the new pivot mach 4 gets 27.5in wheels and a new carbon frame design: now in its fourth iteration, the new pivot mach 4 gets 27.5in wheels and a new carbon frame design - Courtesy

Like all Pivots, the Mach 4 uses the dw-link suspension. Cocalis made a point of including a sag meter on the Fox CTD shock that lists the sag points for a firmer, cross-country suspension feel, as well as a softer, more trail-oriented ride.

The Mach 4 features full length internal cable routing. The frame uses a cable port system that is also compatible with Shimano Di2. As such, Pivot also saw fit to design a Di2 battery port into the frame. A plate on the bottom of the downtube houses the Di2 battery. This port also aids in feeding the line for an internally routed seatpost through the frame.

There's a port for a battery built into the downtube of the mach 4: there's a port for a battery built into the downtube of the mach 4 - Courtesy

Pivot prides itself on building bikes that fit large as well as very small riders. Standover clearance on the Mach 4 is incredible low, thanks to the use of a curved top tube and seat tube brace.

The geometry of the mach 4 bridges the gap between the cross-country and trail categories: the geometry of the mach 4 bridges the gap between the cross-country and trail categories - Courtesy

Pivot claims its extra-small frame has the lowest stand-over clearance of any 27.5in full-suspension bike currently on the market

A medium Mach 4 frame has a claimed weight of 5.1lb / 2.3kg, making it the lightest full suspension model Pivot has ever produced. The top-end complete bike has a claimed weight of 22lb / 10kg.

Pivot offers the Mach 4 in 11 different kits, ranging from the US$8,999 Shimano XTR Di2 bike to the US$4,999 Shimano XT and SRAM X1 builds. The frame with shock retails for US$2,899. Pivot also offers the Mach 4 has a frame kit, which includes the frame, shock, 120mm Fox F120 fork, headset and BB92 bottom bracket for US$3,799. (UK pricing TBD.)

Josh Patterson

Contributor

Josh Patterson is a BikeRadar contributor and former technical editor. He has spent most of his career working in the cycling industry as an athlete, mechanic and journalist. He holds a master's degree in journalism and has more than 20 years of experience as a cyclist and 12 years of experience riding and writing for BikeRadar, Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Dirt Rag, RoadBikeReview and Outside Magazine. A native of the Flint Hills of Kansas, Josh was a pioneer in the gravel cycling movement, having raced the first Unbound 200 and many other gravel events around the globe. He considers himself a cycling generalist and enjoys road, gravel and mountain biking in equal measure. When not traveling for work, he can be found exploring the singletrack and lonely gravel roads that surround his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to his love of cycling, Josh is an enthusiastic supporter of brunch, voting rights and the right to repair movement.
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