Pivot Mach 5

Fox Talas 140 fork, Fox RP23, medium frame

Geometry of a 4" bike, with 5" of travel, very stiff handling

After a full day of riding, my back was sore, more complex linkages

Barton Creek Greenbelt

For 90% of my ride, if you had blindfolded me, I couldn't tell you whether I was on the Pivot Mach 5 or my Hammerhead 100X. Obviously, from a learning curve perspective that would have been a great transition, but when thinking about the future, the past is not necessarily the best indicator of where to go.

The Mach 5 is designed by the same folks that brought you the older Titus bikes, so the feel is very familiar. It did well in climbing, tracking well to the terrain. Even the steep climbs were no challenge for the suspension, which stayed firmly on the ground. However, the geometry made the bike feel a bit like I was "pushing" it up the hill. Not that I was pushing hard, but just not perfectly balanced on the climbs.

Descending felt much more like a 4" bike, but having that extra inch of travel allowed me to consume obstacles with less impact on the steering.

Handling is where this bike really exceeds. The tight geometry and frame makes it feel like a BMW in the turns and in the descents. That tightness, however, can transfer to the body, and after my ride I was about as sore as a normal ride on my Hammerhead. Haven't decided if that was the bike or the sizing (I could have been riding the wrong size all these years. Neither the Turner nor the Knolly had this post-ride fatigue (and the Turner had 40 total miles logged on 2 consecutive days.)

If you like a nice tight ride that is under control at all times, the Mach 5 is the bike for you.

Climbing:  8 out of 10
Descending:  8 out of 10
Handling:  9 out of 10
Geometry:   7 out of 10
Weight:   7 out of 10
Overall:   76

Copyright 2009, John Fruehe