2018 Pivot Mach 5.5 Carbon Pro XT/XTR 1x

(discontinued)

Not sure how much I can add to Vital staff’s already stellar review of the Mach 5.5, but I thought I’d add in a layperson’s perspective and a somewhat long term review. I’ve been on this version of the Mach 5.5 for over a year now. I tried a few 29er’s but for the fun factor I keep going back to 27.5 as my main ride.

First let me just say that I really love this bike. It’s super fun and a ripper. It’s light enough to take on long rides and has enough brawn that the only thing holding me back on DH type trails are my bravery and skills. So if you’re considering this bike, let’s dive into the details.

The suspension: I really like Pivot’s execution of the DW Link. The 140mm feels like more that its numbers, and it’s not too firm. It doesn’t sit too high in the travel and settles in to feel really balanced between pedaling efficiency and traction. The stock DPS evol is pretty nice if you’re riding smooth flow trails and holds its own on tech as well. I like to ride a lot of tech in the PNW so I sent mine to Avalanche with fantastic results (but that’s for another review). If you’re wanting more of an enduro chunder blasting machine and don’t go the custom mod route, I’d opt for the X2. I just picked up one that I’ll try out just for kicks as I like to tinker with setups (I know, I know, the grass is greener…). The Fox 36 is a great match for this bike and doesn’t feel unbalanced at all. It’s a fantastic fork.

Frame details: The Mach 5.5 has room for two water bottle mounts, but I don’t use the underside location. So hip pack users you’re covered. Contrary to my initial feelings about the exposed cable routing under the bottom bracket, I haven’t had a single issue ever. It seems wildly impractical still, but so far so good. It’s quiet too. No cable rattling at all. If you’re switching shocks the mounts are a little finicky and not as quick to do as other frames, but that’s a minor annoyance. The DI2 compartments are cool, but I’m not throwing down the extra $$$ for that so it’s not a selling feature for me. I have the matte red finish and it looks even better in person, imo. In addition, it’s a super durable finish and has held up with no chips in the usual spots (downtube, chainstays). I hope they keep this finish for future frames. There’s no clearance concerns/issues between the chain and chainstays and chain slap is not an issue. There’s also ample tire clearance for mud even with a 2.6” rubber, which brings me to the tires.

Tires: Everyone has their preferences about tire size, but I think Pivot made a solid choice with the DHF and Rekons for this frame. I was prepared to hate and immediately remove the 2.6’s but to my surprise I like them. My only real issue is that the Rekons are not a great tire for winter and rain so I switched to the 2.4” DHR 2. But I’m still keeping the 2.6 DHF up front. For me this is a great combo for the Mach 5.5. It’s also drops the Bottom bracket height a little (down to 13.2”) which makes this bike a cornering beast.

Geometry: Regarding the rest of the geometry, after riding the stock 66.5* HA for 8 months, I threw on a Works -1.5* angleset. Love this setup. I initially felt a little front end wandering, but I adjusted quickly and no longer feel the sensation. The gains are worth it for me as the performance in the steeps have improved greatly. But honestly the 66.5 never held me back, I just feel more confident now. At 73.5 or the newly measured 74.25, the seat angle could be a little steeper but I’m not going to complain. It works fine. I have short legs and on a small frame so if you’re tall it might be a different situation. The chainstays are short and snappy and the reach is right in the middle for a modern bike.

Wheels – I didn’t get along with the stock DT1700’s. They rode heavy and made the bike feel sluggish so I upgraded to some NOBL hoops. A huge improvement in my opinion.

The Ride: This is a fun and versatile bike. It maintains a nice balance of maneuverability with the ability to handle bigger lines than its 140mm of travel would suggest. At my current setup it’s sitting at 30.4lbs. It could easily lose another 2lbs with lighter tires and cranks, but I’m happy where it’s at. It climbs as well as you would expect for a 30lb bike. It’s not going to beat a dedicated XC bike up, but it holds its own and in my experience is around the top of its class with regards to climbing. The Mach 5.5’s DW Link doesn’t sap your energy but it’s also not the firmest iteration of it. If you’re looking for maximum output, you can up the low speed compression or hit the climb switch. I prefer to keep my settings open. Descending is a ripping good time as you would expect. The suspension works very good in the chop and with a low bottom bracket is an amazing cornering bike.

Improvements: Not much. I could see Pivot extending the reach a little and steepening the seat angle in the next iteration. Maybe dropping ¼ or ½ a lb of frame weight as they tweak carbon layup. But as-is, I think it’s a fantastic frame.

Conclusion: No doubt this is an expensive bike, and there are now more options than ever to get a great ride at a lower cost. But if you want one of the best 27.5 trail/AM bikes out there imho, (and especially If you can pick up a very lightly used demo like I did) it should absolutely be on your short list.