2024 Pivot Trail 429 Impressions

Words and cover photo by Charlie Kohlmeier

(Credit Tom Jeanne)

A big bike feel that’s calm enough for long days.

I tend to do a mix of overbiking and underbiking. Both have their merits, but sometimes you  really just want a bike that will cover everything you plan to throw at it that day. Something that descends hard, but pedals harder. Something that makes you remember why you like biking in the first place. Welcome to the Trail429. A bike you can confidently grab and know that you will be covered whatever the ride — assuming it is a more MTB focused ride.

First Ride:

For the first adventure aboard the Trail 429, I decided to take it on a long mixed ride that included a ton of loose singletrack, countless views, steep exposed descents, grueling climbs, and a few miles of tarmac & gravel connectors.

Right out of the gate we climbed for a couple hours. A mix of riding and hiking. The Trail 429 wants to pedal hard, and the low stand over and long dropper make getting off to push easy and less nerve-wracking when you’re on steep, exposed hillsides. My only complaint in the climbing department is the stock 32 tooth chainring. In these parts I would always go for a 30 or better yet a 28.

Our first descent included a ton of awkward off camber exposed corners, loose surface conditions, and terrible sightlines. Usually this would be a nightmare on a bike unfamiliar to me, but on board the Pivot things felt very natural. Body positioning was easy to get right, and the short chainstays make for an incredibly maneuverable and exciting ride. It’s really easy to pop over things like shabby water bars and other trail obstacles, even at lower speeds.

On the road sections this bike feels as efficient as a hardtail, but more comfortable. Very little effort is taken away as you push into the bike. The bike encourages you to stand up and mash.

The Route:

We lucked out with a section of almost 25 miles descending. Starting out on the steeps, when this bike finds traction the cornering is immediate and it wants to pop off everything. Pull on a roller and you’ll find yourself halfway down the next switchback. The rear end is supportive, and it deals with all the smaller bumps quite well. On bigger hit and square edges it let’s you know that you’re reaching your limits. Which can be a good thing when you’re 25 miles from the car. Once the pitch mellowed out and you could mash the pedals this bike came alive. It felt so good to stand up and push hard. The bike wanted more and you could give it everything without losing too much steam. Pumping the terrain it would generate an insane amount of speed.

After our glorious descent we were faced with a long grind back to the car through over forest roads. The Trail 429 felt at home, and with a click of the Float X climb switch, you get even more efficiency on the climbs. I left fully stoked on my decision to bring the Trail 429 out for the day. I would’ve been much more beat up had I ridden my hardtail, and I would have been just as fatigued from pedaling effort.

 

Pros:

Excellent Pedalling efficiency

This is especially noticeable on rolling terrain and flats. When the climbs get steep it has less of an advantage compared to the newer crop of enduros with steep seat angles.

Modest but effective geometry
This isn’t the most progressive geometry, but honestly that’s a big plus. Means that it is better in more places than something toward the extreme ends of the spectrum.

Smart Design
It doesn’t have frame storage, which is a bummer for the price. BUT, it does come with really smart cable routing with clamps that are rattle free, a mount for a bottle and a tool wrap, a flip chip, a long straight seatpost that can fit long droppers (my large came with a 200mm!!), and it doesn’t force you to route the cables through your headset or use an electronic shifter!

Cons:
Superboost
I get the advantages and all, but I would never buy a bike with another hub standard as I like swapping around wheels and parts too much.

Price
Pivots are generally on the higher end of the price spectrum. Like Transition they are fighting against other carbon offerings with in frame storage, lifetime warranties, and newer tech.

Considerations:
Shorter Chainstays
Some folks love shorter rear ends, some folks hate them. If you know what you are this might be a dealbreaker for you. Their chainstays are 430mm across the size range.

Capability
This bike is billed as a do-it-all, which it could very well be depending on your riding style. If your ideal ride is as heavy on the pedaling as it is on the descending, this could very well be your quiver killer. If you regularly make trips to bike parks, or rowdy downhill spots, you might want to have this AND a bigger bike ☺

Comparison:
I have ridden a few bikes similar to the Trail 429. Most recently spending a year on board a Reeb SST, and a Ripley AF. All bikes having very similar geo numbers and intentions to the 429. All bikes within ±5mm on front and rear lengths, and similar seat and head angles (in the same size). The Reeb feels much more plush, wanting to eat up bigger features and gnarlier terrain. It is active when pedaling and substantially less efficient than both the Trail 429 and Ripley AF. On board the SST, I would regularly reach for the climb switch with my suspensions settings dialed in the way I liked for descending. The Ripley AF was eager to blow through its travel, and I bottomed it out often. On the Ripley, I had to run the rear with more pressure than I wanted in order to avoid harsh bottom outs. The Trail 429 is more of a precision instrument. It can hold its own when you need to hang on through a rough section, but it is much more fun and eager to play around.  You’ll want to make use of the swift handling by taking every possible opportunity to get airborne. Where the Reeb felt bottomless on big hits with both coil & air in the rear, the Trail 429 is in a bit more of a hurry to get deeper into its travel. If I was to be riding the 429 any longer I would look into some extra volume spacers, and possibly playing around with dialing in more pressure in the rear for days where bigger features are on the menu. Where the 429 really shines is in the pedaling platform. This thing is quick. You can really feel it on milder rolling terrain. It just wants to get up and go as soon as you mash on the pedals. Similar to the Ripley, but I would give the nod to the Trail 429 overall. I found the Ripley AF to be a regular noise factory, where the Reeb was damp and absolutely silent (once I figured out chainstay protection). The Trail 429 falls somewhere between the two.

Wrap:
I loved my time aboard the Trail 429. If your days in the saddle are long, and include rolling terrain, big climbs, and long descents this may be an ideal candidate. If your rides usually involve slow climbs winching up fireroads just to plummet back down this may not be your ideal ride. That being said, I am confident that this bike would absolutely rip the vast majority of riding areas available to us here in Portland. You would have a blast riding this at Rocky Point, Sandy, Post, Blackrock, Cold Creek, and more!