SOC15: Pivot adds XL Mach 4 27.5 – plus pro bike checks!

Pivot’s bikes ride really well, but they keep getting uglier.

@Quickie. Pivot’s look amazing. What brands do you think look better? And yes they ride great. which is why I have 3 of them.

“There’s something prototype on his bike….” – That rocker link on Bernard’s bike looks much bigger than the standard version

I’ve ridden a handful of Pivot’s over the years and dig them, but ugh, the bendy and swoopy tubes these days are getting so bad! Like Ellsworth bad.

Cable routing on the Mach 6 was definitely an afterthought of the the design. It is horrible, and Pivot learned quickly how vocal dealers could be about something they thought as not much of an issue.

That is most likely why you see the refocus on cable routing with the introduction of the Mach 4C and the Mach 429SL.

Routing is simple and elegant with these two new bikes, and the cable port options make running whatever you need clean and secure.

However, on Bernard’s up there, he’s running end to end full housing, which is why it’s zip tied on the rear triangle, instead of being ran through the cable guides.

I have been waiting for a while now for them to put out a new 27.5 Mach 5.7c. It is an insult that they are trying to sell their current 5.7 with a 27.5 adapter kit as opposed to selling a bike that was made specifically for the wheel size. They should be a little embarrassed by that and know it is hurting a brand that has built up a lot of respect over the years. I know that they are waiting to sell out of their current 5.7s but I am not going to wait much longer. Pivot, do the right thing and release the new Mach 5.7c 27.5.

Dave, good question. If I were leading Pivot, I would have evaluated the situation and tried to come up with a solution that met the core values of the Company. I would have hoped that would have led them to a couple of decision points including 1) is the old technology a sunk cost, 2) is holding back new technology from the customers we serve so that we can sell more of the outdated technology the right thing to do and does it support our core values, 3) is selling a conversion kit that is not the new technology and inherently won’t be as good as the new 5.7 version detrimental to the brand and are we serving our customers as well as if we had released the new version, 4) can we offer the old technology at a different price point in order to limit and/or recoup costs – is there a segment of customers that are price sensitive and are willing to accept the older technology, 5) by holding back the new technology are we putting an economic proposition ahead of our market leadership and core values, and 6) how do we best serve our customers.