Pivot

Mach 429 SLX Complete Mountain Bike

Paired with FOX suspension, DT Swiss rolling stock, and Shimano SLX, this Mach 429 Complete Mountain Bike hits a price point that's ideal for established riders wanting to cash in on latest technology. And where you'll find a heaping of that tech, is in Pivot's twenty-nine-inch-specific, 100mm-travel alloy frame.

It's versatile enough to line up in a local crosscountry event, or to simply carry you down singletrack faster and farther than ever before. That's due a thorough reworking of the lauded Mach geometry that's specific to the needs of larger wheels, and the use of the best manufacturing standards that the industry has to offer. This includes the PressFit BB92 bottom bracket, a tapered head tube, and a 12x142mm thru-axle.

All these add stiffness for excellent tracking precision that's only enhanced by forks like the FOX 32 29in CTD OC included in this build. It has 120mm of travel that places the 429's head tube slightly over 69 degrees which, combined with a low-stack headset, places the 429 in a position that keeps its center of gravity low while keeping rider position in a powerful place.

Pivot builds the Mach 429 frame from hydroformed 6000 series aluminum tubing and 3D hollow aluminum forgings. The production processes for these raw materials both helps to align and strengthen the grain structure of the alloy. There are a few other details that emphasize the efforts towards optimizing frame stiffness and one of those, as stated earlier, is the BB92 PressFit style bottom bracket.

The extra width in the shell does two things. First, it allows engineers to spread the forged lower seat tube yoke, and to increase the width of the lower DW-Link in order to increase both stiffness and resistance to torsional flex in the link. Second, it also provides better support for the bottom bracket bearings. Continuing that stiffness theme is an upper-link that's made of carbon fiber for strength and a low weight.

And since it sees less stress than its lower counterpart, Pivot relies on four bearings here and eight in the CNC machined aluminum lower-link. This keeps the suspension operating smoothly, while allowing the lightly dampened FOX FLOAT CTD KASHIMA to control the DW-Link suspension. This way, it delivers the respected smoothness over trail irregularities, awesome climbing traction, and firm out of the saddle pedaling it's known for.

Shimano SLX compromises the front derailleur and shifters, with an XT Shadow keeping shifts crisp and fast at the rear. The front cranks are Shimano's M625 with two 24/38t rings. These spin an HG62 11-36t 10-speed cassette that's mounted to a DT SPLINE X1900 Tubeless-Ready wheelset. The wheels are cased in Kenda Slant 6 tires, and stopping them are Shimano Deore hydraulic disc brakes. Finishing the SLX build is a FSA XC255 seatpost, a WTB Volt saddle,  a FSA OS stem, and a 740mm-wide FSA Comet handlebar.

The Pivot Mach 429 SLX Complete Mountain Bike is available in four sizes from Small to X-Large and and in the colors Anodized Blue, Anodized Black, and White.