2014 Pivot Mach 6 - Layman’s Review

It’s a story that can fit into any heroic tale: the underdog prevails against fierce competition, and wins the heart of many. In this case, the analogy is reserved for Pivot Cycles, a small bike company out of Phoenix, Arizona that’s been gaining clout after the launch of their Mach 6 Carbon all-mountain bike, the latest installment in the Mach lineup.

Curious about the excitement surrounding this bike, I managed to take it for a week-long test spin around my stomping grounds of Park City, Utah. The 6.1” travel Mach 6 Carbon (a medium frame for my 5’7” stature, and kitted with an XT Pro build) accompanied me throughout buffed, high desert track and swoopy aspen trails. It didn’t take long, though, to realize that—while flowing single track was a fun and playful test environment—the Mach 6 is fully equipped to take on much more challenging terrain.

At the heart of the Mach 6 design is the DW-link, a proprietary rear triangle pivot point that the company proudly touts as a system designed to prevent the bike from squatting under power. Meaning, theoretically, any bumps and hiccups on the trail won’t interrupt your pedaling cadence or energy output. Set the Fox Float X in Trail (my preference) or Climb mode, and the pedaling efficiency ramps up even more. The Mach 6 coasted up and over the contours of Park City’s climbs—like the aptly named Puke Hill, which occasional results in hike-a-bikes—in a personal record time without hesitation.

From a geometric standpoint, the DW-link allows Pivot to shorten the bottom bracket height, keeping your center of gravity in a stable, compact package. Never once did I flinch about limited clearance or jamming a pedal into a rock. In fact, the whole frame design is extraordinarily nimble and compact, whipping and cornering without any sluggish drag from the back end. It’s got phenomenal handling for a 27.5” rig, overruling any notions that a bigger wheel size is necessarily more clunky than the 26'ers they're rapidly replacing.

Chalk it up to a shorter wheelbase, with dimensions similar to a 26'er (44.85” from wheel to wheel, to be exact), and a 16.95” chain stay that contributes to the snappy turning and precise tracking that I needed when descending tight aspen sections, high-speed rollers, and sudden switchbacks.

With a slack, 66-degree head angle on the medium frame, the Mach 6 sways toward the personality of a DH bike, and it didn’t take much to rev it into its natural element and engage its gravity-consuming prowess. During testing, whatever was in its path, the Mach 6 consistently reacted the same way: point it, lean back and let the bike handle all the rugged stuff. The faster I went, the more capable it felt – boosting my confidence over a loose scree section that normally has me bouncing off the chunky terrain.

As Pivot founder Chris Cocalis informed me later, the bike is designed to ride a larger category, meaning it can nearly handle a full downhill race course but pedals like an XC bike. It’s common rhetoric that I’ve heard from bike companies with an all-mountain/trail/Enduro bike somewhere in their lineup, but in this case, the Mach 6 really does mach, both up and down.

BOTTOM LINE

The Mach 6 Carbon is an expert-level ride with a bottomless feel, stiff frame design and the capacity to rip anywhere you take it. Between its horsepower, torque and aesthetics, it’s hard to discern this carbon mountain bike from a high-end sports car (aside from the obvious). 

But while a hot rod is better left for mid-life crises, the Mach 6 fills the wet dreams of any mountain bike fanatic—regardless of age. 

But while a hot rod is better left for mid-life crises, the Mach 6 fills the wet dreams of any mountain bike fanatic—regardless of age. Come in hot into a berm and the bike accelerates like it’s ready to pick up a few RPMs. Open up the throttle and it will hold its own line through hairy terrain. And, of course, its sleek, curvy design is outright sexy.

SPECS

With seven different build options, the Mach 6 fits a range of budgets. As tested, the Mach 6 Carbon XT Pro build was spec’d with stock DT Swiss wheels, Maxxis High Roller II 2.3-inch tubeless tires, Shimano Deore XT 2x10 drivetrain and (amazing) XT brakes, a Fox Float X CTD shock and Fox 34 27.5” FIT CTD fork, 180mm rotors, internal cable routing and a KS LEV Integra dropper post.

It’s quite an impressive setup straight out of the box, and I’m stumped to find any stock part that needs to be swapped out or upgraded—other than a more contoured bike seat for my lady bits. The only co-ed caveat would be splurging for a carbon wheelset, if you’ve got the cash–because if you’re gonna own a dream bike, you may as well finish it off with a dream build. Check out more on Pivot's website.

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stash member Stephanie Nitsch

Freelance writer. Currently roaming Canada in search of new adventures.