Pivot

Mach 6 Carbon XT/XTR PRO Complete Mountain Bike

Given the bountiful crop of 27.5in mountain bikes available with proven suspension designs, mid-size wheels are no longer a standout. Now that the dust's settling, what actually matters are hard numbers -- and you'll find Pivot's Mach 6 Carbon comfortably ahead in the geometry game.

Well-appointed with an XT/XTR PRO Complete Mountain Bike Build, including FOX and DT Swiss goodies, the 155mm-travel Mach 6 features a top tube that's an inch to three-quarters of an inch longer than traditional all-mountain bikes. This is offset by a chainstay length that's short.

So stubby, in fact, it's a half inch or more shorter than a comparably sized 26in-wheeled all-mountain bike. A larger wheel fits a frame with shorter chainstays ... how? We'll go there in a bit; let's stay geo-focused for now. Pivot went with a 66-degree headtube angle, optimized the standover height, and gave the Mach 6 a 13.6in bottom bracket height -- low, again, for 26in standards.

This places the BB below the axles and settles the Mach 6's center of gravity within the rolling stock (like 29ers) and not on top (like 26ers). The long top tube, low center of gravity, and short stays perfectly balance high-speed stability with the liveliness that new-school riders crave.

With geometry sorted, Pivot naturally went with the venerable DW-Link suspension design, but this is not your father's DW. We will spare you the anti-squat, climbs like a goat, descends with authority rhetoric and dive into what makes this DW-Link better than previous generations. And, coincidentally allows for those class-leading sub-17in chainstays.

The new Mach 6 upper linkage eliminates the rear shock bushing. A quick-wearing maintenance headache and source of not only stiction, but slop too. Instead Pivot replaced it with two large Enduro max cartridge bearings and a clevis.

The use of a clevis opened up the opportunity to work around seat-tube interference problems that haunt other multi-link designs and permitted those cockle-warming, stubby stays. The design isn't going to limit shock options either, as it's not proprietary. Yet, you'll be relieved that a custom-tuned FLOAT X CTD guarantees the Mach 6's two carbon triangles play nicely together for fuss-free handling out of the box.

It'd be a shame to cover all these Mach 6 merits and ignore the carbon magic Pivot placed into this frame -- and it's the reason this bike easily weighs in under the 29-pound mark. From the Mach 429, to the 5.7, to the LES, Pivot's been leading mountain bikes into the carbon realm. And, given the stack of journalism accolades along with numerous wins in competition, it's clear they're onto something.

That's due to not only to finite element analysis, but also real-world testing. The result is a compact carbon fiber frame that optimizes the ratio of strength vs. weight without compromising stiffness. Add to the picture every drool-worthy standard to date and you've got a winner. This includes BB92 with ISCG05 tabs, post-mount disc brakes, a tapered headtube, and a 12x142mm thru-axle.

Riding on that axle, and the 15QR found on the 150mm travel 34 FLOAT CTD at the front of this Mach 6, is a DT Swiss 350 Spline One XM tubeless wheelset with Kenda Nevegal and Honey Badger rubber. Stopping the wheels are a set of XT discs, and twisting the rear wheel is a two-by-ten XT drivetrain with an XTR rear derailleur to top it off. A Phoenix carbon handlebar, FSA SL-K carbon seatpost, and WTB Vigo Race saddle complete the build.

The Pivot Mach 6 Carbon XT/XTR PRO Complete Mountain Bike comes in three colors; Stealth Carbon, Matte Black/Green, and Electric Blue. Sizes range from X-Small through X-Large.