Pivot release the all-new Mach 4 SL

The Pivot Mach 4 SL has been a flagship cross-country, marathon and general go-fast bike for riders all over the world. Jason English rode one to countless 24 hr National and World titles, and the popular full-suspension bike won over fans around the world. But the rate of change in cross-country bikes has been just as fast as in every other niche. Just about every major brand have overhaulled their 100mm(ish) 29ers to make changes like travel increases, geometry updates, suspension kinematic refinements, and adding greater stiffness to handle what bike racers need. The new Mach 4 SL has two guises and it follows suite – but with some distinct Pivot style.

Here's what Colin thought of the Pivot Mach 4 SL in 2019.

The new Mach 4 SL at a glance

There are a number of changes and some things remain the same, so here's a cheat sheet for the bikes.

– Two variants are on offer, World Cup and Team, Pro and Ride.
– The World Cup has 95/103mm via a flip chip and 100mm travel fork
– The Team, Pro and Ride have 106/115mm travel, with a 120mm travel fork
– The frame weight lops 300-400g of the previous frame
– The DW-link remains, with excellent pedalling AND great suspension performance
– In general, the reach is longer with a slightly slacker head tube
– Rear centre lengths are the same on all bikes
– XS and S frames have their own shock tunes for small riders
– The bike is 29" only, with Boost spacing and clearance for 2.4" tyres
– The frame can take 180mm rotors with an adaptor – or 160mm as is
– A small frame with Fox DPS 190x40mm shock weighs 1930g
– The bikes come in XS-XL
– M-XL frames can fit two bottles in the main triangle
– There is tool dock mounting and room for a cage on the underside
– Frames are 1x only with a 36t maximum chain ring size (so don't expect Mathieu van der Poel to switch to Pivot anytime soon)

The suspension and flip chip

So the DW-link remains, as you might expect that to go to trim weight and get racey. But no, this is integral to how Pivots ride, offering very stable pedalling dynamics and excellent support in rough terrain, along with supple suspension for gobs of traction. More traction makes for better accelleration, braking, and cornering – so you go faster.

The flip chip is in the rocker link. On one setting on the World Cup you get 95mm, or a 103mm in the other, matched to the 44mm offset Fox 32 SC with 3 position remote lock out. Pivot use the new Fox DPS in a 190x40mm size.

On the Team, Pro and Ride models a new 190x45mm Fox Float rear shock gives either 106mm or 115mm of travel, paired with a 44mm offset Fox 34 SC fork at 120mm of travel – operated by a 2 position lock out lever.

Geometry on the Pivot Mach 4 SL

There are no wild changes or anything out of the blue here, just continual refinement. The mainframe and swing arms are the same between the two variants, it is just the fork travel and shock stroke that changes, and this means the World Cup has a slightly longer reach and steeper seat angle and head angle than the other models.

I'm surprised that the reach isn't a little longer – it's good in the 100mm setting but seems a little short (on paper) for the 120mm. I would also say the same for the seat angle and head angle. I would have expected perhaps a little bit slacker – maybe half a degree – in the head angle and about the same steeper in the seat angle.

And while I understand the constraints of the DW-Link – having the same rear centre length on such a wide size range feels a little out of touch, although many brands still do it. Pivot state they have managed the carbon layups so each size rides accordingly, but I'd be interested to see how the bikes ride, having spent many years riding frames with size specific rear centres, not having them seems weird.

What's looking good on the new Mach 4 SL?

For the most part, and globally reknowned suspension platform from a manufacturer known for putting ride quality at the top of the must-have list. The weight savings on the frame means you can have that, and a total bike as low as 10.4kg.

I also like that medium and larger frames can fit two bottles. It makes a big difference in training, and also does in marathons and stage races.

I also like the size range, to suit a wider variety of riders. Pivot have always been great with this, whereas some brands even stop at 3 sizes if they can't make their suspension layout work for a larger range. Kudos to Pivot on this front.

How does it ride though? No idea, but it would be great to do a full bike review on one in the future. The Team, Pro and Ride builds should be a great for for riders who want a high quality bike to suit marathons, stage races, and fast trail rides. They'll be a high quality bike built do go the distance.

Mach 4 SL in Australia

Here's a quick run down of the models in Australia.

Mach 4 SL World Cup XTR – $16,499.00
Mach 4 SL World Cup XX Eagle Transmission – $18,499.00
Mach 4 SL Team XTR – $16,499.00
Mach 4 SL Team XX Eagle Transmission – $19,499.00
Mach 4 SL Pro X0 Eagle Transmission – $14,499.00
Mach 4 SL Pro XT/XTR – $12,999.00
Mach 4 SL Ride GX/X01 – $10,999.00
Mach 4 SL Ride SLX/XT – $10,499.00

For full details, head to the Pivot website.