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2020 Pivot Switchblade Pro XT/XTR 29
Vital Review
Overall Review
Vital MTB's 2016 Bike of the Year went to the previous Pivot Switchblade. How do you improve on that? Give it a few years and some fresh ideas. With 142mm of rear travel and 160mm up front, this all-new 2020 version one-ups its predecessor pretty much across the board. Join Vital MTB's Product Editor, Brandon Turman, in the video above for a look at everything that's been updated and his in-depth ride impressions. Strengths Weaknesses Direct, snappy attitude at the cranks Excellent traction Custom shock tune improves support without hindering high-speed bump absorption Great manners on...
Posted by bturman on 2/3/2020 3:47pm
2016 Santa Cruz Hightower Carbon CC X01 29
The Good

~ Easily over-forked, to 150-160mm ~ Climbs stepped, rock faces like a Boss ~ Sends five foot drops to flat, without issue ~ Potential to build 26-pound Trail rocket ~ One of the toughest carbon fiber frames in the industry ~ Begs to be ridden fast and hard

The Bad

~ Your skills will need to catch up

Overall Review
I have tested a whole gaggle of bikes: 1) Specialized S-Works Enduro 29 2) Yeti SB95c 3) Ibis Ripley v.4 4) Pivot Mach 429 Trail 5) Trek Remedy 9.9 6) Cannondale Jekyll Carbon 1 7) Transition Scout 8) Kona Process 134 9) Rocky Mountain Slayer MSL When the smoke cleared.... only the Santa Cruz emerged. This long, low and slack beast will wake up the inner child in you. I actually sold-off the pricey, SRAM XX1 bits and replaced them with Shimano Deore XT gruppo. I traded the stock Easton/Race Face ARC 29er wheels for a lighter set of DT Swiss M1700 i25 Boost wheels and the snappy acceleration...
Posted by Zachariah on 11/5/2019 8:19am
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2019 Pivot Trail 429 Pro XT/XTR 1X
Vital Review
Overall Review
Pivot's Mach 429 Trail was born from cross-country roots with a hint of some big bike influence. During a previous Vital MTB Test Sessions it wowed us with its incredible sense of efficiency and playful, spritely, rocket ship feel, but it often fell behind when trail conditions got hairy. New for 2019, Pivot has redesigned the frame with a ground-up approach and a clear focus on making the bike more capable. They've tweaked the name as well, and it's now simply referred to as the Trail 429. So, what's different? What's better? We break down the details and give our impressions from an...
Posted by bturman on 5/16/2018 6:20pm
2017 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol Race with Pistola Setup
The Good

Geometry; Suspension kinematics; High quality, USA made aluminum frame

The Bad

The small spacer used for the top bolt on the ISCG tabs; Cockpit feels short at first, but only when seated

Overall Review
I just can't believe how much fun I have had on this bike! The Trail Pistol climbs really well, making easy work of ascents. The steep seat tube angle puts you over the pedals making it easy to climb incredibly steep pitches. Seated, there is no noticeable pedal bob, and the heavily damped Deluxe rear shock keeps bob to a minimum during out of the saddle assaults. Initially, I found the steeper seat tube angle in combination to feel very strange and foreign, but not uncomfortable. After having spent more time on the TP, I am unsure how we used to pedal bikes with slacker seat tubes. Descending...
Posted by benthandlebars on 4/6/2017 1:13pm
2017 Santa Cruz Hightower Carbon C S 29
Vital Review
Overall Review
Santa Cruz’s Hightower was just released a year ago, benefiting from the company's continued refinement of the VPP suspension system. It combines 135mm of travel with 29-inch or 27.5+ wheels to create a bike that can take on a wide variety of terrain while keeping up speed and staying as efficient as possible. With the most travel of any 29/27.5+ bike in their lineup, the Hightower is more than just an efficiency sled with some travel – it is truly a do-it-all bike. Santa Cruz has some of the most trusted carbon frames in the business and relatively affordable pricing on some models as well...
Posted by bturman on 4/6/2017 12:27pm
2017 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol Race with Pistola Setup
Overall Review
"Why does the guerrilla fighter fight? We must come to the inevitable conclusion that the guerrilla fighter is a social reformer, that he takes up arms responding to the angry protest of the people against their oppressors, and that he fights in order to change the social system that keeps all his unarmed brothers in ignominy and misery." - Che Guevara Debatably the tactics of guerrilla warfare were originally penned by Sun Tzu in The Art of War around 600 B.C. At its heart it is a series of tactics that a small army employs to fight against a much larger army. Guerrilla warfare is an agent of...
Posted by bturman on 3/1/2017 10:33pm
2017 Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Expert 6Fattie E-Bike
The Good

Want to ride like an EPO junkie that lives at 10000' elevation racing at sea level, this is the bike.

The Bad

Lots of diehard MTBrs hate electric bikes.

Overall Review
Federal law defines ebikes with a CONTINUES max power output of 750 watts,and 20MPH top speed with NO PEDALING with a 170# rider input as a bicycle. See 15 U.S. Code 2085 Low-Speed Electric Bicycles (B) for exact definition details. So in consulting with my attorney/friend, his professional opinion is ebikes with these limited power parameters are allowed to go anywhere a bicycle can go and are bound by the same rules of the road that bicycles are. The Turbo Levo is way under the power parameters set by the feds, first it won't do anything under its own power, needs human pedal input, 2nd, its...
Posted by dirk.diggsbabs on 11/8/2016 7:30am