A demo made me buy it. 2024 Pivot Mach 4 SL

[@brucehumphries6889]

I had the version before this one and now I want this one!!

[@Miguel-ex5vf]

I have a hand full of rides on my new Mach 4 sl and I couldn’t be happier! Best pedaling bike I’ve ever owned and I’ve owned a lot of bikes! I’m running mine at 106mm rear travel and it’s a rocket! We’re roughly the same height. I’m 5”6. Since you built yours what length cranks did you go with? The stock 175mm crank arms feel to long to me. Lots of knee flex at the top of pedal stroke I feel.

[@elroobike]

@Miguel-ex5vf - I agree completely - The Mach 4 is a pedaling rocket ship. Some days I swear there's a motor in the darn thing. We are the same height, I went with 170mm cranks, I'm pretty happy with them, next bike build I do want to try a set of 165mm cranks. Did you go with a small or medium frame?

[@Miguel-ex5vf]

@@elroobike I’ve ran 165 cranks on DH bikes and 170 on all other bikes. Never have ran 175 before. I think I will try the Race face Era 165mm cranks on my Mach 4. The 175 arms that came stock are causing me some hip discomfort. For frame size I went with a medium and a 50mm stem with the stock carbon bar. I wanted the longer wheel base as my go to most ridden trail is a big up hill pedal then a long fast flow single track. No very technical, but it is fast so wanted the extra stability of the longer wheel base. The medium even with the short stem pedals great up steep hills. No front wheel wondering as long as a balance my weight forward bit.

[@elroobike]

@Miguel-ex5vf - The medium with a shorter stem is a sweet set-up. I went with the small and a longer (70mm) stem. Mine is a super nimble and tight handling bike. If I didn't have the trail bike, I would have gone the same route you did. Let me know what you think of the cranks when you get them, curious how you like them.

[@Miguel-ex5vf]

@@elroobike Will do. This Dr. J Mtb, video made me want to try the 165 cranks in the Mach 4. He’s a mountain biker and a physical therapist at 5’8” and he found that he liked 155mm cranks. Any what. It’s an interesting video if you’re interested in crank arm length. kzbin.info/www/bejne/moeQqaitarB5gJIsi=NO1lTakG5dPCXMzm

[@blaketoner1126]

Tryin to decide on size for mine. I’m 5,4. How tall are you and do you feel the small was a good choice ? Thanks man and absolutely love the bike

[@elroobike]

@blaketoner1126 - I'm 5'6" The right size for this bike really depends on a couple things, how your height is distributed between your torso and inseam, and then how you want the bike to handle. I have a short inseam and a longer torso. This bike favors folks with a longer inseam relative to their torso. I had to add a 70mm stem to my size small. I wanted a quick handling race bike. So I was willing to sacrifice a bit of stability from a slightly longer wheelbase. Long story short, I love this bike. Check out the vid I did comparing the T429 and the M4.

[@doncarroll1070]

Glad to see you are happy with your semi spur of the moment purchase. That is probably the bike I'll get if I'm able to get a Pivot bike. I'll probably even get the same color. I love black and dark gray or matte black bikes. And I'm very happy to hear it is so fast and has so little rolling resistance. That is exactly what I was hoping you would say. And wow you went up that steep hill pretty darn fast in the 2nd half of the video. Looking forward to your T429 comparison video as well. Oh and when you do the compairson are you going to do a route on one bike and then the same route on the other bike? If so then you can compare your overall time for the route and see which bike wins. Maybe do one bike one day and the other bike the next day so you are rested up for both bikes. I guess. Just an interesting expirement you could do possibly.

[@elroobike]

@doncarroll1070 - Hey Don! You bring up a good points for the T429 and M4 comparison. I think I have a route in mind for the tests. I have to tell ya, I have the new bike in the kitchen, and everytime I go in their to eat I get to stare at the new bike and it makes me smile, can't wait to ride it again!

[@doncarroll1070]

@@elroobike - wow, putting your bike in the kitchen is an excellent idea. I might have to copy that. Or shmaybe I'll mount it to the wall in my office instead since that is where I spend most of my time in the house since I work from home.

[@elroobike]

@@doncarroll1070 - On the office wall is the perfect place to hang a bike! love it!

[@doncarroll1070]

@@elroobike- Don't forget to try flipping the chip to change the rear suspension to 106 and see if that is as good as others say it is.

[@Bike4adventure]

LOL I wrapped my bike this year. This is the 5th bike i have wrapped, ive got the hang on it now. but the first time i did it made me kinda grumpy lol. Nice Bike!

[@elroobike]

Thanks! Good to know wrapping gets easier over time. Definitely the hardest part if this build!

[@Miguel-ex5vf]

Curious what frame bag you’re using on the top tube up against the seat tube? Do you like it?

[@elroobike]

@Miguel-ex5vf - It's from the company Revelate and it's called the Jerrycan - it's a sweet little bag, works on the road bike and mtb. Here's a link - www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Cockpit/Jerrycan

[@troyesch6203]

Nice video Grant! I’m always so confused when it comes to buying a bike. So many options and variables. I bought my 429 impulsively a year ago because it was 20% off. Was it a mistake? Ya, sort of. I just haven’t really gotten along with the 29 inch wheels. I’ve tried to sell it but looks like I’ll have to take a big loss if that’s gonna happen. So here’s the question: what would the 429 feel like with 27.5” Berd wheels? Here’s the kicker; gotta go 2.6” if I do that. Ohh. Btw I wrapped it with ride wraps 70% coverage. Very easy and covers everything I’d want to cover. I’d definitely go that route again.

[@elroobike]

Troy! Good to hear from ya. Sorry to hear you’re not getting along with your new bike. What about the 29’s are giving you trouble? I thought about turning my T429 into a mullet, but changed my mind after hearing from someone the ride would be super harsh. If you have the kit to convert it, might be worth trying.

[@troyesch6203]

@@elroobike I demoed a shadowcat and liked it a lot more mostly because of the smaller wheels. I guess I just prefer maneuverability, handling and jumping over better roll over and high speed stability. The 29’s make me apprehensive to jump and throw into sharp turns like I can easily with the 27.5’s. it just feels like too big of a bike with the bigger wheels to me. So I’m thinking of light weight 27.5’s but what makes me nervous is having to go to 2.6” tires (which pivot says is required to maintain geometry) Just wondering if those wider tires will take those light wheels and make them feel slow

[@troyesch6203]

@@elroobike all ya need as far as “kit to convert it” is a head set cup. I’ve never heard it was harsh to mullet it. Wish I could hear from more people that have gone to full 27.5”

[@elroobike]

@@troyesch6203 I have a great shop in my area that works on and sells a lot of Pivot bikes. I can give you their info so you can chat with them if you want to more insight on what you're hoping to accomplish by going with the 27.5" They also do Berd wheels too.

[@herr_rossi69]

Have you ever tried the high setting? Overall, I like this setting better. Except perhaps on very steep terrain. But it's much better around tight bends. The bike becomes more agile overall. Otherwise, I wouldn't do a conversion. Most of the time you end up paying twice because you're not 100% satisfied. Especially if you have another bike in mind.

[@SWFlowseeker]

Congrats on a sick bike. I bought the WC version…love it 👍🏼

[@elroobike]

Thanks! I bet your WC version is even faster. Love the bike combo you’ve got. An ebike is in my future. They are so much fun!

[@SWFlowseeker]

@@elroobike Yes they are. Love my levo

[@rolandovera5935]

Forgive me if I missed this in the video. But whats your height to run the small frame? I'm thinking of buying one. I'm 67 in and usually between sizes. I saw when you demoed you tried a medium. Thoughts on sizing ?

[@elroobike]

@rolandovera5935 - Great question - the newest version of the Mach 4SL is a tad tricky to size. I am 5'6" with shorter legs and a longer torso. This is relevant with this bike because it has a short reach compared to the stand over height. I went with the small so I didn't have to swap to a sub 125mm dropper. I switched out the 60mm stem that came with the bike for a 70mm to add some reach. So far I have been pleased with how playful the smaller bike has been. Hope this helps!

[@rolandovera5935]

@@elroobike thanks for insights. I actually went to a local shop that had a mach 4 in a medium and I really liked it. I ended up ordering a medium.

[@johnjeffries2148]

@@rolandovera5935what is your height and inseam?

[@keithchugg5604]

Did you spend $12K to find out that Rekon Race tires roll a lot faster than Dissectors? When you do your T429 comparison, it would be interesting to swap the wheels/tires between the bikes to see the difference. Tires make a big difference. You can also tune your T429 suspension to be on the race side to get a similar feel, but not exactly. Both are awesome bikes - enjoy and stay safe!

[@GaryMetzker]

I just bought the Trail 429, swapped out the rear tire for Rekon. It does roll super fast on clean trails. I got hung up on a few steep hills where I lost traction and had to bail. I’ll have to try it on a few more trails but I might switch back to the Disector. I agree with this dude though, the Trail 429/Mach is a weird combo. Are you planning on trading your Trail 429 for a SwitchBlade?

[@elroobike]

@GaryMetzker - I also went with Rekons, both front and rear on my T429. I have been pretty happy with them so far. Tires will always be a game of what's important to you most of the time, and then make a bit of compromise to get it. I agree the T429 and Mach 4 are too close to keep both - I used to ride a longer travel (160mm) bike, might be worth looking at a bigger bike now. Any suggestions?

[@GaryMetzker]

@@elroobikeFor myself, I’m thinking of Trail429, and then a mid travel e-bike. Or perhaps the Mach as my pedal bike, and a mid travel ebike

[@elroobike]

@@GaryMetzker - What about the ebike is most appealing to you? I'm pretty new to them, only rode one so far.

[@GaryMetzker]

@@elroobike I’ve had one of the original e-bikes from Haibike since 2016. As far as appeal, a few key things not many people talk about: - Boring sections are fun. If you on a boring green trail without many features, bump it up to turbo and pedal as fast as you can. Doing this a boring section can still put a smile on your face. - speed through crappy sections. Loose gravel, baby heads. Forget that. Just speed though - Laps, and more laps, and a free shuttle. I have a few trails with some big boring fire road climbs. I can get in several laps on what would normally be one run. And still get home with energy to spare - Scouting: ever find your self exploring new trails and you find you went down the wrong fork, and it ruined your day. On an e-bike, forget that nonsense, turbo your way out of that and go scout the rest. Come back on your acoustic bike. Once you know your favorites routes. Saved me a lot of headache in the hot dessert Sun for sure.