Bike Test - Pivot Cycles

BikeTest
m i d -t r av e l F u l l S u S p e n S i o n
£1,999-7,000
( F r a m e o n ly )
(Full bike)
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BIKE TEST
big money, top
Speed trail
blaSterS
Words Guy Kesteven Pics Russell Burton
the
teSter
Guy Kesteven
Even for a tester as
prolific as Guy, the
Interbike Dirt Demo
is a feeding frenzy
of dusk till dawn
riding on the latest
and greatest
mountain bikes.
W
hether it’s cars,
buildings, burgers or
self-opinion,
Americans have
always had to have
the biggest of
everything. That means it was
no surprise when we started
seeing bigger than average
wheels on the Nevada desert
test trails a few years back.
While we’ve taken longer to
jump on the bandwagon than
they normally do to join a World
War, the smooth rolling,
high-speed confidence of 29ers
has caught on globally like the
biking equivalent of a Big Mac.
With every booth now offering
a selection of wheel sizes – or
not even bothering to bring
26in wheeled bikes, Dirt Demo
was the perfect chance to find
out what’s happening with
some of our favourite 29er
rides for 2013.
THE LINE-UP
DEVINCI ATLAS CARBON
£1,999 (FRAME ONLY)
TURNER SULTAN
£2,199 (FRAME ONLY)
PIVOT 429C PRO
£4,950 (FULL BIKE)
SPECIALIZED S-WORKS
STUMPJUMPER FSR
CARBON £7,000
(FULL BIKE)
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BikeTest
m i d -t r av e l F u l l S u S
big WheelS
£1,999-7,000
( F r a m e o n ly )
Big wheels are
obviously a big part of
the Sultan’s control
and composure and
they don’t get better
than ENVE carbons.
(Full bike)
iScg mountS
ISCG tabs are waiting
behind the triple
chainset if you’d rather
run fewer rings and
more retaining rollers.
dW link
The asymmetric DW
Link rear end gets a
142x12mm rear axle to
increase stiffness.
turner Sultan
£2,199 (frame only) Delicious detailing and warmly honest ride from an iconic alloy alchemist
SO GOOD
Confident handling
on fast open trails
US handbuilt,
detail-laden alloy
frameset
Neutral DW Link
suspension
125mm travel,
slacker angles, long
fork compatibility
and ISCG mounts
NO GOOD
Weight/stiffness
ratio can’t match
similarly priced
carbon fibre frames
Small batch hand
building means a
price premium over
mass produced
alloy bikes
jargon buSter
Floodgate
RockShox’s name for
their externally
engaged low-speed
compression
damping switch.
D
ave Turner’s Sultan was one of
the first full suspension 29ers.
This updated version is a
beautifully made and
immaculately conceived
frameset that harks back to old glories,
but is still a confidence-boosting,
technical trail cruiser if you prefer
hand-built alloy art over carbon fibre
clarity and woven weight loss.
model was loaded with SRAM’s
carbon-rich X.0 stop-and-go gear.
SRAM also supplied the Truvativ bars,
stem and seatpost, which are fine for
cross-country work, but we’d definitely
stick on a wider bar and shorter stem
for technical singletrack.
Apart from the cost, we’ve zero
complaints about the ENVE-rimmed,
Maxxis-shod wheels.
The frame
The ride
The Sultan frame was extensively
updated last year. The 44mm head
tube is compatible with tapered forks,
and there are ISCG mounting tabs
around the bottom bracket shell.
There are still gussets – rather than
hydroformed tubes – reinforcing the
down tube and bridging the steeplysloped top tube to the seatpost.
Rear end detailing includes cableand brake-hose routing through the
stays, replaceable thread barrels for
the rear brake mount and a super neat
combined end cap/rear mech mount
for the 142x12mm screw-through rear
axle. Giants will love the rare XXL size.
The kit
Full bikes from Silverfish are likely to
be Shimano-based, but our demo
Slipping the best wheels you can onto
a demo bike is a very wise move, and
there’s no doubting that the Sultan
was getting a serious boost from the
ENVE carbon wheels.
As soon as we passed the ‘Walk,
don’t ride’ line of the demo compound,
the Sultan spun up to speed with an
insolent ease that belies the hefty
frame weight. Despite the raised
asymmetric chainstays, cantilevered
dropouts and relatively slim boxsection alloy swingarm there’s no
obvious loss of power between pedal
and trail either.
The combination of the DW Link
and the Monarch rear shock means
minimal movement in the big ring.
Whether you’re spinning the pedals on
smooth hardpack or chopping out
desperate one-at-a-time revs trying to
get to the far side of a gravel trap, it
always remains impressively stable
and solid underfoot.
The only time we flicked the
Floodgate compression damping on
was when long, slow, small-ring climbs
snaked up the canyon sides ahead of
us, and a noticeable pulse from the
rear end began to match that
hammering in heat-shrunk helmets.
The combination of long chainstays
and stable pedalling is a great platform
for tackling technical climbs on too.
There was less loose terrain spin from
the Ardents than the other DW bikes
here when we were sessioning steep
sections for head to head comparison.
The long back-end also offsets the fact
the Sultan had the longest fork,
shortest top tube and slackest head
angle of the quartet, keeping the front
tyre in consistent contact with
crumbling desert corners.
That same long and lazy front end
syncs with the controlled but not
over-active 125mm (4.9in) of rear
wheel travel to provide an equally easy
ride back down. When buddying up for
twin shots on the opening spread of
this feature, it was no drama to push
the front wheel right into the roost of
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ST
ThIS IS a claSSIc ThaT’ll BE a
SupEr confIdEnT and capaBlE
companIon for yEarS To comE
Alex or Doddy in front. When we were
totally blinded by dust, but still tipping
into the backlit turn smoothly, the
Sultan soothes what should be
screaming nerves. While the big
wheels dampen the sense of speed,
there’s no denying the fact that the
brakes need to be dabbed to stop the
Sultan rear-ending whoever is
dropping down in front.
There are inevitably limits to be
found. The low-slung alloy tubes do
start to sway and twist if you really
drive it hard through corners, but it’s a
grip growing, tyre growling compliance
rather than loading up and letting go.
There’s a bit more stiction in the
bushings than the bearings of the
other DW Link bikes on high-speed
hits, but the extra travel helps off
bigger drops. Hard anchoring definitely
slams the Revelation through its travel
too easily. That long back -end means
you’ll be taking some liberties with the
outside edges of corners to get it
round tight switchbacks too and the
jacked up bottom bracket can feel a bit
tippy at stalling speed.
The Sultan rarely loses its sense of
Regal composure though – it just
suggests that you’re about to overstep
the mark, like a true friend would. It
might not be light, but this is a classic
that’ll be a super confident and
capable companion for tackling
technical trails for years to come.
Not the lightest or stiffest but an impeccably
neutral, lazily confident and beautifully made
technical trail cruiser
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BIKE TEST
inertia valve
No BRainer
Damping on the Fox
rear shock is remote
controlled through an
inertia valve actuated
BRAIN chamber.
The Fox Kashima fork
has TALAS travel
adjust for climbing and
CTD damping rather
than anything BRAIN
related.
own-brand kit
Specialized carbon
crankarms save weight
and the carbon wheels
are own-brand too.
Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper FSR Carbon
£7,000
SO GOOD
Excellent handling
balance
Seamless
adjustable auto
lockout BRAIN
suspension control
Full tamed chain,
ISCG mounts and
dropper post
Top Shimano and
own-brand kit
Impressively light
complete bike
NO GOOD
Not the lightest or
stiffest 130mm
travel 29er chassis
£7,000 is a huge
amount of money
Jargon buster
BRAIN Fade
The adjustable spring
tension in a BRAIN
shock. The more you
add the bigger the
force needed to open
the shock and the
faster it closes when
things smooth out.
Specialized’s flagship is a truly innovative, but massively fun super bike
S
pecialized have rolled out all
their chassis, suspension,
transmission and wheel
innovations for the S-Works
Stumpy. It all syncs to create an
easy-to-ride yet capable machine.
The frame
Specialized’s highest grade FACT 11m
carbon fibre brings the S-Works frame
and shock in at 2.69kg (5.94lb).
Routing the cable/hose under the
down tube provides protection from
rocks, and there’s an ISCG mount on
the press-fit bottom bracket and
142x12mm screw-through dropouts.
Specialized’s evergreen FSR/
four-bar/Horst Link chainstay pivot
suspension is also slaved to their
unique BRAIN shock actuation
chamber just ahead of the rear brake
rotor. This uses an adjustable
spring-loaded inertia valve (floating
weight) to lock and unlock the shock in
response to vertical impacts or sudden
compression loads. The shock also has
Specialized’s proprietary AutoSag
feature for simple pressure set-up.
The kit
The top-of-the-range, Kashima-coated,
travel adjustable FOX TALAS fork gets
a normal CTD compression damping
circuit rather than a Terra Logic inertia
valve version. XTR Trail clutch gears
and fin-cooled brakes are similarly
superb top of the range equipment for
hard riders.
Apart from the super light Syntace
stem, the rest of the kit is all top
drawer Specialized own-brand
equipment. This includes the super
light FACT PF30 carbon crank arms,
Dangler under-chainstay chainguide,
lightweight carbon-rimmed wheels, fat
and light Purgatory and Ground
Control 2.3in tyres, and 720mm
low-rise carbon bars. Even the
fast-returning, testical-threatening
125mm (4.9in) travel Command Post
dropper under the titanium railed
Specialized saddle is their own design.
Unsurprisingly this carnival of
carbon means a super high complete
bike price but it also makes it seriously
light for a 29er with 130mm (5.1in) of
travel. In fact the complete bike is only
368g heavier than the 26in version.
The ride
Thanks to the auto lockout from the
BRAIN there’s certainly nothing to
betray the extra travel in the way the
Stumpjumper pedals and the cranks
transfer power well. The lightweight
carbon wheels with DT Swiss Star
Ratchet freehub pick up speed very
easily for a big-wheeler too.
The TALAS fork can be slammed
down to 105mm (4.1in) travel for really
steep climbs, although we never
actually bothered because the overall
balance of the bike was excellent in
both the L and XL sizes we tested.
Despite super short chainstays, the
saddle is still centred rather than
cantilevered over the rear axle, which
means reliable steering contact even
on the steepest climbs. The fat and
tough dual-compound Specialized
tyres meant we never wanted for grip
or cushioning, however gravelly or
sharp and rocky the Nevada desert
trails got. The combination of
chain-bounce reducing clutch rear
mech, chainstay chain roller and
carbon chainguide on the outer
chainring meant the transmission
never skipped a beat, however much
we chucked it around or rattled it
through rock gardens either.
The low weight dropper post, long
front end and short back end, make
the FSR a bike that you can’t help
taking liberties with. It’s a testament to
its totally sorted geometry that we
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m i d -t r av e l F u l l S u S
£1,999-7,000
( F r a m e o n ly )
(Full bike)
wE had no TrouBlE ThrowIng around,
maKIng ShapES In ThE SKy or JuST lETTIng
ThE BIg whEElS TaKE carE of TraIl carnagE
had no trouble throwing it around,
making shapes in the sky or just letting
the big wheels and impressively
controlled suspension take care of trail
carnage with minimal input from us.
We expected benchmark
composure and damping accuracy
from the Fox Kashima fork, but the
smooth control from the back end
surprised us. It takes a bit of riding to
find the level of BRAIN Fade that suits
your riding style, but there’s no
obvious composure-threatening
transition from locked to open. It
swallows big hits and sustains speed
through ragged, rocky terrain well too.
But while the 32-spoked wheels are
stiff enough, there is a pliable feel to
the whole frame, and the fork if you
really start to twist it between tight,
rutted lines or warp it through a corner
on the grippy tyres. It’s just slightly
feedback dampening rather than
line-losingly loose though, and in many
cases this friendly flex will actually help
you swim through the line of least
resistance rather than slamming and
slicing off random rocks.
So although it’s not the stiffest or
lightest long-travel 29er frame, the
S-Works Stumpy doesn’t shy away
from any challenge. All the proprietary
technology it’s loaded with genuinely
helps you concentrate on enjoying the
ride rather than nursing gears or
flicking shock levers.
Loaded with technology and technical terrain
mastery, the S-Works Stumpy is an enjoyable,
responsive and efficient all-rounder
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BIKE TEST
carbon frame
Devinci’s carbon
mainframe saves
significant weight
but still comes with
a lifetime warranty
at a cracking price.
wheels’ limit
The confident lowslung handling of the
Atlas took the Easton
wheels to their
tracking limit on the
technical desert trails.
careful set-up
The Atlas also uses a
Dave Weagle design
but the more sensitive
DW Split Pivot needs
slightly more careful
set up than DW Link
machines.
Devinci Atlas Carbon
£1,999 (frame only)
SO GOOD
Impressively light
carbon mainframe
Lifetime warranty
Monarch shock
works with the Split
Pivot suspension
Naturally agile
handling
Excellent value
NO GOOD
Needs more careful
pressure tuning
than ‘basic’ DW
bikes
Not as stiff as some
carbon frames
Flexy wheels
Jargon buster
Clevis pivot
A stiffness boosting
double-sided pivot
joint pinned through
the centre by an axle.
A lighter, updated version of one of 2011’s best big wheel introductions
D
evinci’s alloy Atlas was already
near the top of our 29er charts,
and the new semi-carbon
version is significantly lighter
for not much more money,
making it a high-performance bargain.
The frame
The new carbon mainframe follows the
existing alloy Atlas template but loses
nearly 290g in mass, despite claimed
stiffness gains and 140mm (5.5in)
travel fork compatability.
There are dropper post cable hose
guides on the top tube as well, while
the rest of the routing on top of the
down tube is pragmatic if not
necessarily pretty. The bottom corner
has two wing gussets to support the
shock, while the rocker pivots are two
separate carbon fibre triangles that
rely on a cross-brace on the doubleheaded Clevis pivot ‘seat’ stays to keep
them working together.
The rear end is the same
asymmetric alloy structure as the
original Atlas with Offset pivot inserts
allowing a very subtle change (0.6
degrees) in overall geometry in the
high or low settings.
Dave Weagle’s Split Pivot design
puts the rear pivot concentric to the
rear wheel, with a 142x12mm throughaxle pinning everything together.
Despite the low frame weight and
very competitive price, the bike is still
covered by Devinci’s lifetime warranty
scheme, which is very rare for a carbon
fibre bike.
The kit
Our Dirt Demo sample ride was US
spec with an upgraded Kashima fork.
UK bikes will have an Evo fork but
SRAM X9 transmission, Easton EA90
cockpit and Formula RX brakes
upgrades for a bargain £3,399.99.
There’s also a RockShox Reverb
dropper post option.
The ride
Despite the fact our demo bike had the
most down-to-earth spec of any of the
bikes here, it’s still the lightest
complete machine. It needs more
tuning time than the other bikes here,
but the reward for patience with a
shock pump is well worth it.
While mid-weight wheels in the
larger 29er diameter inevitably take
some of the sharpness off acceleration
through the first few pedal strokes, the
low overall weight is definitely
apparent on extended altitude gain
sections. There’s plenty of length in the
top tube to fill your lungs up with
hunching, and there’d still be spare
breathing space with a short stem on
to lighten up the steering character.
The Split Pivot design is definitely
more tolerant of torque in the big ring
than the small ring though. To be
precise, there’s an obvious bounce in
its lower gear pedalling stride unless
you flick the Floodgate compression
damping on or spend a while fettling
the shock pressure into its fairly
narrow sweet spot. Once you’ve got it
dialled though, it tracks the ground
beautifully wherever you are in the
power stroke, and there’s less need to
feather your muscle flex in response to
trail surface changes compared to
simpler swingarm set-ups.
It’s a tribute to how smoothly the
Split Pivot design operates that the
110mm (4.3in) of rear travel and
Monarch shock synced really well with
the class leading Kashima-coated fork.
This was particularly noticeable in
terms of soaking up chatter and rock
ripples, whether we were cruising or
clattering into pre-corner braking
bumps. The Monarch also holds the
back end of the bike up better than Fox
damper-equipped alloy Atlases
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m i d -t r av e l F u l l S u S
£1,999-7,000
( F r a m e o n ly )
(Full bike)
wE wErE happy lETTIng go of ThE
BraKES and lETTIng IT run Through
morE SaVagE SEcTIonS of TraIlS
we’ve ridden when we were really
squeezing it hard into berms and
compressions. It doesn’t push as far
through its travel on moderate hits
either, although that can be remedied
on Fox bikes anyway by fitting an
internal volume reducer.
29ers definitely roll over rocky trails
better than smaller wheels too, with
the overall feel and control of the Atlas
definitely more in the 120 to 130mm
(4.7 to 5.1in) conventional bike camp.
Kenda Slant Six 2.2in tyres add useful
cushioning without cramping mud
clearance and we were happy letting
go of the brakes and letting it run
through the more savage sections of
the Bootleg trails. Even when we had to
rein it in, the short back end and steep
angles meant it snapped round tight
lines and turns without the usual big
wheel delay. It whips and flares better
than most big wheelers if you get some
air under the wheels.
Pushing it hard does accentuate the
flex of the 24-spoked Easton wheels,
but frame flex is within acceptable
limits for its race-ready weight.
The low cost of the Atlas is backed
by a lifetime warranty that makes it a
proper bargain too. It’s impressively
light, responsive and tight-turning, and
its neutral suspension response and
through-axle future-proofing give us
confidence well beyond normal
cross-country expectations.
Devinci’s 29er trail tamer is impressively
light, super smooth and immediately
responsive, at a bargain price
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m i d -t r av e l f u l l s u s
fork choices
£1,999-7,000
( f r a m e o n ly )
The 429 frame only
delivers 100mm of
travel, but it’s
designed to run a
120mm fork.
(full bike)
Riot gear
ISCG mounts and
dropper post cable
guides built into the
frame prove the Pivot
is ready to riot as well
as race.
stiff chassis
It’s another 142x12mm
bolt through axle at
the back, but the
overall chassis
stiffness of the Pivot is
outstanding compared
to other bikes.
Pivot Mach 429C
£4,950 Pivot’s new carbon framed trail bike is as tight and tough as they come
SO GOOD
Stiff full carbon
frameset
Well balanced,
neutral suspension
120mm travel fork
plus reinforcing
panels equal trail
toughness
ISCG and dropper
post mounts give
all-mountain
versatility
NO GOOD
On the heavy side
for a 100mm travel
carbon chassis
Top quality costs
top money
Jargon buster
DW Link
Twin linkage system
developed by
suspension guru Dave
Weagle, who liked it
so much he gave his
initials to it.
D
oddy’s burly but super stiff
Pivot 429 long-termer was the
bike that switched him onto the
benefits of big wheels. Pivot’s
new 429 carbon version still
isn’t a featherweight but it’s a
shockingly stiff and properly tough
piece for pushing your fast techy trail
riding to whole new limits.
The frame
Pivot only claim a 15 per cent bottom
bracket and 12 per cent head tube
increase in stiffness over the alloy bike,
but compared to the other bikes here it
feels as though it’s hewn from granite.
Pivot have also used the strength
and stiffness gains of the material for
practical benefits. Standover clearance
is increased by 1.5 to 0.5in depending
on frame size. The chainstays are also
8mm shorter than the alloy bike while
still giving triple chainset and
142x12mm screw-through axle
clearance. The DW Links are super
short too, with the lower one swinging
inside pockets that are sunk into the
massive base of the seat tube.
While 2.61kg (5.75lb) is slightly
heavy for a 100mm (3.9in) travel
cross-country bike, Pivot provide ISCG
tabs on the press-fit bottom bracket,
and there are dropper post cable
guides. There are big ‘armour’ patches
on the down tube belly, chainstays and
inner face of the dropout too.
The gear cables are routed internally
through the mainframe and there are
also up and under bottle cage mounts.
The kit
We tested the Pivot in complete XT Pro
format, and the Shimano XT stop and
go kit (with XTR rear mech highlight) is
an excellent match for such a tough
and capable bike.
The 120mm (4.7in) travel Fox
Kashima fork is the default too despite
the Fox CTD can out back only having
100mm (3.9in) travel.
We like the KS seatpost, with its neat
collar-mounted cable stopping paint
scuffing. Thankfully the style cramping
FSA bar and stem will be replaced by a
more ‘power assisted’ trail friendly
cockpit on UK build kits.
The ride
There’s no doubt that one word
outweighed all others during our test
time on the 429C.
Whoever was riding it attached
every possible superlative (and a fair
amount of swearing) to the basic
bottom line of ‘stiff’. Load the pedals
into a corner, shove the inboard tip of
the bar towards the trail, flare the back
end broadside and slam land it
sideways. Whatever we did with it, the
frame didn’t flinch an inch.
Add a low bottom bracket and super
smooth Fox Kashima fork and shock
action, and this translates into
phenomenal cornering accuracy and
tenacity on the trail. Whatever lines the
other bikes were holding through
corners, the Pivot consistently carved
inside them with an aggression that
stretched our trust in the tyres to the
limit. Despite the uptight crosscountry cockpit, the slack angles made
for easy high-speed confidence, which
its smoothly controlled reaction to
rocky sections did nothing to
undermine. The super short back end
still means you can whip it through
tight stuff very smartly, and it transfers
power outstandingly well.
Unfortunately this super aggressive
cornering character had dire
implications for the rear wheel, which
barely wobbled past the frame stays
by the time we’d finished with it. It was
stiff until it started to warp and
dismantle itself though, and it was one
of three wheels that Alex destroyed in
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ST
the slack angles made for easy high-speed
confidence, which its controlled reaction to
rocky sections did nothing to undermine
just two days, so the end result is more
a sign of the abuse it was getting
rather than any specific weakness.
The stiffness also affects shock
set-up, in that we had to drop the
shock and fork pressures to take the
inherent sharp sting of the frame out
of the ride. Once we’d done that
though we never really thought about
the suspension again.
Set the CTD shock in the middle
Trail mode and there’s certainly very
little trace of rear wheel movement
through the pedals, whether you’re
spinning from the seat or standing up
and stomping. Just consistent ground
connection and rich traction that you’ll
soon learn to trust whatever the
surface underneath. It sucks up drops
and square edges well enough for the
100mm (3.9in) of rear wheel
movement to feel totally in sync with
the 120mm (4.7in) up front as well,
making it totally suitable for fitting up
with a chain device and dropper post
for fast, technical trail-blasting.
This carbon speed machine has
taken a smoothly neutral suspension
design and bolted it into one of the
stiffest 29er frames we’ve ever ridden.
When you add a full all-mountain/
future-proofing feature list that
includes extensive frame armouring,
the result is a super precise, trail
tough, high velocity weapon that
aggressive riders will love.
Phenomenally stiff and sharp handling
from a smooth riding, trail tough,
race-light 29er
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m i d -t r av e l F u l l S u S
£1,999-7,000
( F r a m e o n ly )
(Full bike)
the Spec deck
turner
Sultan
devinci atlaS
carbon rc
Specialized S-WorkS
Stumpjumper FSr
carbon
pivot
429c Xt pro
PRICE
£2,199 (frame only)
£1,999 (frame only)
£7,000 (full bike)
£4,950 (full bike, £2,350 frame
only)
DISTRIBUTOR
www.silverfish-uk.com
www.havendistribution.co.uk
www.specialized.com
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
WEIGHT
12.65kg (27.9lb) no pedals
12.16kg (26.8lb) no pedals
12.29kg (27.1lb) no pedals
12.84kg (28.3lb) no pedals
FRAME
Zen alu
DeVinci Carbon mainframe, alu
rear
FACT carbon
Pivot hollow box carbon
SIZES (*TESTED)
M, L*, XL, XXL
S, M, L*
S, M, L, XL*
S, M, L*
FORK
RockShox Revelation, 140mm
(5.5in) travel
Fox 32 F29 CTD TA Kashima,
tapered, 100mm (3.9in) travel
Fox TALAS, CTD Factory Kashima
tapered, 105-130mm (4.1-5.1in)
travel
Fox 32 F29 CTD TA, Kashima,
tapered, 120mm (4.7in) travel
SHOCK
RockShox Monarch, 125mm
(4.9in) travel
RockShox Monarch RT3, 110mm
(4.3in) travel.
Fox Remote BRAIN Autosag
Kashima shock, 130mm (5.1in)
travel
Fox Float CTD TA shock, 100mm
(3.9in) travel
HEADSET
Cane Creek 40
Cane Creek 40
1.125in and 1.5in threadless
Pivot Integrated
WHEELS
Hubs: Chris King ISO disc 15mm,
142x12mm
Rims: ENVE XC29 Carbon
Spokes: Sapim CX Ray
Wheel weight: F: 1.86kg, R: 2.13kg
Hubs: Easton EA70 XCT disc
Rims: Easton EA70 XCT
Spokes: Easton double-butted
Wheel weight:F: 1.76kg, R: 2.03kg
Hubs: Roval Control Trail SL 29
15mm front, 142x12mm rear
Rims: Roval Control Trail SL
Carbon 29
Spokes: 32 DT Swiss Super Comp
triple-butted
Wheel weight: F: 1.76kg, R: 2.07kg
Hubs: Pivot/DT Swiss disc 15mm
front, 142x12mm rear
Rims: DT Swiss XR 400
Spokes: Black DT Swiss
Supercomp double-butted
Wheel weight: F: 1.95kg, R: 2.18kg
TYRES
Maxxis Ardent, 29x2.25in
Kenda Slant Six DTC, 29x2.2in
Specialized Purgatory Control
2Bliss front Ground Control 2Bliss
rear 29x2.3in
Kenda Slant Six DTC, 29x2.2in
CRANKSET/
BOTTOM BRACKET
SRAM X0/28-34T/SRAM GXP
SRAM S1400 36/22T/SRAM PF92
Specialized XC Trail OS carbon
Bash/36/22/SRAM PF30
Shimano XT 24-38T/PF92
DERAILLEURS
SRAM X.0
F: SRAM X7, R: SRAM X9
Shimano XTR
F: Shimano XT, R: Shimano XTR
Shadow Plus
SHIFTERS
SRAM X.0
SRAM X9
Shimano XTR
Shimano XT
CASSETTE/CHAIN
SRAM 1080, 10-speed 11/36T/
SRAM PC1080
SRAM 1050 10-speed 11/36T/
SRAM 1050
Shimano XTR M980 10-speed
11/36T/Shimano XTR M980
Shimano XT, M770 10-speed
11/36T/Shimano HG82
BRAKES
Avid X.0 hydraulic disc
180/160mm rotors
Formula RX
XTR Trail 203/180mm rotors
Shimano XT hydraulic disc
180/160mm rotors
BAR/STEM/GRIPS
Truvativ Noir T40 carbon low riser
700mm/Truvativ AKA, 70mm/
lock-on
Devinci Skipper flat bar 700mm/
Truvativ Stylo T20,100mm/Devinci
Performance lock-on
Specialized XC Mini-Riser Carbon,
720mm/Syntace F109, 90mm/
Specialized Sip Grip lock-on
FSA SL-K carbon flats 685mm/
FSA SL-K, 100mm/Pivot lock-on
SADDLE/
SEATPOST
WTB Rocket V/Truvativ Stylo T30
Selle Italia Q-Bik XC/Truvativ Stylo
T20
Specialized BodyGeometry Henge
Expert Ti/Specialized Command
Post BlackLite, adjustable height
WTB Volt Race/KS dropper post
Standover 800mm
Standover 745mm
Standover 764mm
DIMENSIONS
450mm
330 mm
1,097mm
mm
682
mm
508
430mm
387 mm
1,095mm
FRAME ANGLES
mm
523
mm
mm
520
483
462mm
Standover 752mm
mm
648
mm
620
mm
599
448mm
335 mm
1,203mm
330 mm
1,142mm
Head 69.5° Seat 73°
Head 70.6° Seat 72.2°
Head 69.8° Seat 74.5°
Head 69.3° Seat 71.9°
Not the lightest or stiffest but a
neutral, confident and beautifully
made technical trail cruiser
Loaded with technology, the
S-Works Stumpy is a responsive and
efficient all-rounder
Devinci’s 29er trail tamer is
impressively light, super smooth
and responsive, at a bargain price
Phenomenally stiff and sharp
handling from a smooth riding, trail
tough, race-light 29er
VERDICT
WHAT OUR SCORES MEAN: We give each bike one overall score to sum up how it performs and its value for money. If a bike gets a score of five, it really is the best you can get in terms of both
MBK284.biketest.indd 132
11/1/12 10:20 AM
BIKE TEST
WINNER
pivot
429c Xt pro
Final verdict
A
lloy construction
inevitably makes the
Sultan heavier than the
carbon bikes on test
here. It rides with a
superb warmth though, and
you’re never going to look at a
mass produced bike and
marvel at how beautifully made
it is like you will with a Turner.
That’s not to say the carbon
bikes are ugly though, and
Devinci’s Atlas is particularly
pleasing on the eyes, the scales
and the pocket. It offers
NEXT MONTH
masses of technical trail
control at a racer weight once
you’ve set it up right, and it
comes at a bargain price.
A simple set-up process is
also a surprising benefit of the
techology-loaded Specialized
S-Works Stumpjumper.
And we love the fact that all
their unique innovation creates
a bike that’s just an absolute
blast to ride whether you’re
racing up, whipping along or
blasting down the most
technical trails you dare.
All bikes on this test score
highly, but if we had to pick a
favourite frame from the
foursome though it would have
to be Pivot’s new 429 Carbon.
It’s not heavy, but it’s perfect
proof that weight isn’t
everything when you’re trading
it for proper trail toughness
and jaw dropping stiffness.
Add super controlled
suspension and a spot-on
handling balance and you’ve
got a bike that’ll properly reset
your flat-out riding limits.
wEEKEnd warrIor full SuS BIKES on SalE 14 dEcEmBEr
Mountain Biking uk 133
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