Pivot 429

Fox 29 fork, Fox RP23 rear shock, Large frame

Hmmmm, let me think about that

Only 4" of travel

Barton Creek Greenbelt

Everyone knows my bias against 29'ers. I have ridden 4 of them now, and none of them has captured by fancy. Mostly because my riding style has more starts and stops than most, so getting started on a 29er always seemed more difficult. It's probably the rider, not the bike.

I only took this bike for a short run, from the 360 lot, across the main trail, up the office park climb, and down again. True, that was not a perfect demo, but it told me enough to know that this bike was not in the cards for me.

I was looking for a 5" travel bike, and a 4" 29er is not the perfect replacement. Instead of being more plush, it is just a bigger version of what I am already riding.

The bike climbed surprisingly well, easily grinding up the office park climb with no issue. The downhill portion was equally good as it rolled over many of the obstacles that might have posed more of a challenge for 26" wheels.

The geometry was actually quite good for a 29er and it felt more like a 26" than most. The center of gravity was lower, which helped a great deal.

As 29ers go, if I was buying one, I would probably be considering this one at the top of my list (along with the Turner Sultan), but because my focus has been 26" bikes, I need to pass.

Climbing:  8 out of 10
Descending:  7 out of 10
Handling:  7 out of 10
Geometry:   7 out of 10
Weight:   8 out of 10
Overall:   74

Copyright 2009, John Fruehe