Is a $12,000 Mountain Bike Worth It? We Put the Pivot Mach 4 SL With Fox Live Valve to the Test!
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- čas přidán 29. 01. 2023
- Is a high end mountain bike worth the extra cost for an average rider. Can You Really Feel the Difference with a $12,000 Mountain Bike? In this video we test the high tech Pivot Mach 4 SL With Fox Live Valve Electronic Suspension. Is there really a benefit to all this tech or would you be better off with a cheaper mountain bike.
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Does buying an expensive bike make the experience better? What do you think?
Oooohh man. Where do i start ? So short answer. YES a higher end bike WILL make you faster, in the long race. Because hauling less weight will increase your longevity. If weight didnt matter, there wouldnt be weight limits in racing Period. I think you got robbed of a proper test ride not having the carbon wheelset. Thats the biggest improvement you can make on any bike. Yes thats a Sik bike, but for 12k ? Im more about value than paying top $ for nice components.
@Radical911 appreciate the insight Randy! Totally agree. Over the long haul I'm sure I could get really fast on it. If I were racing this would be ideal. I'm sure we could build a similar rig for less though.
Great evaluation of the product. Thanks for sharing! Hopefully you recovered from that fall.
Thanks! Luckily just a bruised ego.
I imagine the most painful part of that crash was thinking about how much that thing is worth.
😄 It was the first thought.
@@AdrenalineIsLife Possibly second and third as well 😆
@David Perry Pretty much. Lucky for me that bike had already seen quite a bit of action. I assume someone already had trashed (or stolen) the stock carbon wheels before I got it 😄😄
Thanks for sharing. I was thinking about buying that bike but I am reconsidering now.
Glad to be of help! 🙂
I test rode the carbon fiber Trail 429. At just under $8k, it was definitely better than my aluminum hard tail. Just not sure it was 4 times better. I can't imagine what another $4k would bring to the table. Law of diminishing returns, I guess.
Definitely law of dimishing returns.
I would love to ride one of these super fancy bikes to get a sense of the difference. But based on reading and videos I've consumed, my sense is that the marginal benefit might be worth it for hardcore, highly skilled racers who are looking for that slight edge and have the skills to exploit the lighter weight etc. For someone like me, who is def. not skilled and just likes riding for fun, I don't even have to think about it: I am very happy with my 2K aluminium hardtail and don't see a need to upgrade.
Great review!
Thanks Paul!
I forgot to thank you earlier for posting on the insane deal on the Nukeproof Horizon wheels a few months back. So thank you!
You're welcome!
I have a like new 2018? Pivot 429 Mach 4 carbon. 34 Pike, XX cranks, XO1 rear, DT Swiss XR 1501 wheels with all the carbon bits, bar, saddle and rigid post. I prefer it to my friends 2023 Specialized Epic Evo Pro but that's my opinion. Pivot bikes are cutting edge top shelf.
Pivot makes some very nice bikes for sure. Sweet setup. Enjoy!
That bike is a cheddar-scallion biscuit where the majority of riders will be just fine with a just a grilled cheese sandwich.
For sure.
A cheddar-scallion biscuit with truffles and caviar. ;)
Well done! Great review. Top of the berm to ya sir. How the heck did you go back to your heavy bikes? I bet you still had a smile on your face the whole time you were riding that thing, even WITH a fat lip.....
Thanks Rico! It was a definitely made to slay a place like Palos. Didn't really think much about the weight. I'm sure I'd notice more if I had to push myself like in a race situation.
"As far as fun factor goes, all I'll say is: The best bike is the one you are riding."
Been riding 25 years. Lots of bikes in that time but Ill tell you the main factor, the rider. When I was less experienced I had great bikes I thought felt like crap because I couldnt push them hard enough. I'd say in general XC/trail conditions, if you cant maintain a 10 MPH pace or above, the bike just isnt being ridden hard enough to show its abilities. Bikes like this only shine to real capability level when operated by above average riders.
I couldn't agree more. I was averaging less than that, and I was not happy with myself. This year, I've made a commitment to getting more fit and better at XC. I decided to race more, and I'm doing it on a bike that costs a fraction of this one. Seeing gains every ride.
@@AdrenalineIsLife another benefit of experience is knowing how to dial it in. After all this time, it still takes me a few months to perfect a new FS bike. couple of lbs of air or clicks of rebound can be difference between a rattlecan or magic carpet ride. Tweak your stuff one thing at a time. Play with bars and stems and cleat placement. Contact points matter a great deal.
@paul muad' dib I'm definitely seeing the effects of setup more acutely on the race course. Thank you very much for the tips. They are greatly appreciated.
My favorite color is ham
As you said you can basically get the same bike for a fraction. A lot of people wouldn't notice a difference and are often overbiked anyway. Basically you're paying extra for premium upgrades that you don't need, like all that electronic stuff, carbon, etc. I like nice bikes and high end tech, so go ahead if you can afford it and enjoy it but don't feel bad because you don't have high end gear. Watch Sam Pilgrim ride a bed frame and tell me it's the bike..
Definitely. It's nice to have but the tech will be lost on all but the most advanced riders. You can find enjoyment with just about any bike.
Man, nice bike but geo is everything for me and usually good geo doesn't cost anything extra. Then again I've ridden a Norco fluid with good geo but with bad suspension. With that said, I'll take a bike with the geo I like and with a decent suspension.
Good geo and fit for sure.
$12,000?!?!?! That's like 5x what I paid for my very first car.
Haha. Same here.
"Can you feel the difference with a $12,000 Mountain bike?" Absolutely, your wallet is much lighter.
So that's how they shave all that weight. 🤔😄😄
Setting 5 might be nice for smooth climbs, but, it will beat the poop out of you most everywhere else as demonstrated
It was cool to test it in 5. It definitely highlights flaws in the skillset which I appreciate. Simple things like line choice. 4 seemed to be a sweet spot for me.
It's a shame you didn't have the carbon wheels on there. That's probably the most noticeable weight savings area. Rotating Mass. So is it still twelve thousand bucks with the non-carbon wheels? Without those Wheels, it's not nearly as much of an elite race bike.
I was disappointed to find it didn't have the carbon wheels. It does come with Reynolds carbon wheels if you buy one. They may have swapped them out to preserve them. They're very pricey wheels and that bike had seen a good bit of use.
You can get a high end consumer direct e enduro for 6-8 grand. Way better then this thing. But it is a personal choice
Different tools for different jobs. Fortunately, there are some great direct to consumer deals out there in every category.
@@AdrenalineIsLifeyes agreed
I BOUGHT ONE OF THESE HAD A SLIGHT CRASH, THE FRAME WAS SCREWED, COMPANY WOULD NOT COME TO THE PARTY. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE, BOUGHT A MUCH CHEAPER ALLOY FRAME MTN BIKE NOT AS LIGHT BUT IT DOES EVERYTHING THIS ONE DOES PLUS PIECE OF MIND IN A CRASH.
Those ultra lightweight XC bikes are certainly going to be more flimsy. Aluminum is a safe bet especially if you are riding for fun.
Generally speaking, the only difference between a $5k bike and a $12k bike is weight. The $5k bike will work just as well, it just weighs 1-2 lbs more. Not worth the money. You'd be far better off losing the weight at your wasteline...
Money definitely buys weight savings. A lot of people don't realize that. It's always best to slim down the physique. The benefits go well beyond cycling alone.
I"ve owned very expensive ($10K+), custom MTB's and I've owned low and mid-grade. There is no point paying that much for a MTB unless you are a professional OR are sponsored. Beyond a certain point, it's all ego-driven.
I can't argue with that. There's a point of diminising benefit for most people as the price goes past a certain point.
"Is a high-end mountain bike worth the extra cost for an AVERAGE rider?" The answer is NO, not for average riders. For pro-level or high-level riders, probably.
It’s not a 12k bike without the carbon wheels. Don’t skate over that. And did you really blame the bike for your pedal strike? It seemed like you did.
@AdrenalinelsLife
Look closer at those wheels. They are carbon. Best of the best. Dt Swiss xrc 1200 Retail $3000
Weight 1400g
Renolds black labels are awesome too but don’t have bladed spokes
This is an older bike 2020-2021 with the stock carbon DT Swiss xrc 1200 wheelset.
The newer model comes with Renolds. Do more research before posting this. Looks bad on you and Pivot Cycles.
I zoomed into one of my photos of the bike, and you're right. Idk if I was having a bad day, but the bike didn't feel like it had carbon wheels. Maybe they were running tubes. The bike was tested in 2022 and handed to me by the Pivot rep.
@@AdrenalineIsLife imo it’s the live valve that made it feel stiffer. Hence why I believe you thought the wheels were non carbon. Pivot cycles did good by eliminating the live valve all together on the newer bikes.
@t_mtb4671 That is highly likely. I rode the lastest version in September w/o the live valve. It did feel noticeably softer.
$12k is very very expensive but of course you’re going to get diminishing returns if you’re paying for the absolute top end frame and components.