2024 Pivot

TRAIL 429 Brunch Ride

Have Pivot's recent updates to its popular Switchblade trail bike done enough to warrant its superbike pricing?

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With a versatile and adaptable frame like the Trail 429, we could see potential for riders looking for “one bike to rule them all.”

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Boasting low weight and impressive climbing efficiency, the Pivot Trail 429 Pro XT/XTR is a 110/130mm 29er built for trail riding. This is the top-spec model, which features Fox Live Valve system and carbon handlebars. Best mountain bikes; the ultimate trail, enduro and XC bikes Need to know: 110mm frame travel, 130mm front 29er wheels Asymmetric inserts give ‘Low’ and ‘Lower’ ride height adjustments 157mm Superboost axle spacing Pivot signature grips and carbon bar Fox Live Valve system Even though the Pivot Trail 429 was launched just over two years ago, features like the SuperBoost 157mm rear axle spacing and battery mounts for Fox’s Live Valve automatic suspension feel like they’re from a different era. The 157mm hub spacing allows for a 29×2.6in or 27.5×2.8in tyre compatibility, while keeping the chainstay length short and you can also use the Live Valve mounts for Pivot’s range of Topeak collaboration tools when running regular suspension, which helps offsets the lack of internal storage. Features from the future then? Only time will tell. Pivot’s Hollow Core carbon fibre frame has an impressively low claimed weight of 2.7kg for a medium with shock, and the layups are size specific, so everyone gets the same ride vibe. Lots of rubber protection and individual cable/hose inserts keep the ride very quiet, apart from the standard Shimano XT brake pads rattle. So overall the Trail 429 is a really clean, meticulously engineered bike. Unlike Yeti and Santa Cruz the warranty only covers manufacturing defects though and while there’s a rubber flap to stop crap getting crunched between the lower link and the frame, it’s a serious mud collection point. That – like the press fit bottom bracket – matters on a bike that’s likely to see a lot of miles. Suspension Pivot has employed Dave Weagle’s DW-link suspension for years, and the Trail 429 squeezes an extra volume Fox Float DPS shock between the two signature short links. To make set up easier, the shock comes with a neat clip on sag metre. Handy, given how much time we’d end up fettling with the rear suspension. The problem? With the correct sag the bike bottomed too easily so maybe a smaller volume air-can would be the easiest fix. Cue spending a lot of time with a bag of spacers and all sorts of pressure setting. A long winded process that revealed the best end stroke performance came from running zero spacers and 7.5% sag. Now, that’s a long way from the blue and red ‘optimal zone’ of the sag metre, and unsurprisingly kills most of the suppleness and comfort. It also lifts the bike up in its travel, which activates the precarious cornering feel of the high bottom bracket which is normally hidden in the sag. The high BB is further compounded by the fact that while Pivot claims 120mm of travel, we only achieved 110mm of vertical wheel travel when measured. On the plus side, the shock is trunnion mounted and all of the pivot bearings …Continue reading »

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The Pivot Trail 429 was updated with a new geometry, more mounts, and a different linkage design. Find our review after trail riding and bikepacking here…

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It’s always exciting when a new test bike spices up the ride on my favorite trails—and lately it seems that mid-travel bikes have added the most spice, due largely to their maneuverability and point-and-shoot control. So, from the moment I hopped aboard the new Pivot Trail 429—the Arizona-based company’s third-generation version of its best-selling model—it was clear this bike was going to have a real kick to its performance. The new Trail 429 was redesigned to be a lightweight climb assassin that descends with agility and precision, with 29-inch wheels and 120 millimeters of rear-wheel travel. It comes with two travel options in the front—130 or 140 millimeters—and given the renowned steepness of many of Bellingham, Washington’s trails, Pivot wisely sent us the 140-millimeter Pro Enduro version to put through its paces. Its climbing credentials were validated from the first few pedal strokes uphill. The ultra-lightweight bike (the frame and shock weigh only 5.9 pounds) gets up to speed quickly, and the tried-and-true DW Link rear-suspension platform allows for efficient use of all 120 millimeters of the Fox Factory Float DPX2 shock’s travel without the slightest hint of pedal bob. This was true when pedaling both in and out of the saddle, which is a rare trait when a rider of my size is standing and stomping on the pedals. The ultra-progressive leverage curve provides suppleness off the top while still enjoying a near-bottomless end stroke, and I was able to maintain traction through rough terrain without paying the price in speed-stifling bottom-outs.

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