Trail and All-Mountain Bikes
Pivot Mach 429 Trail
Aaron’s first ride around the block aboard the Mach 429 Trail was a little ole 35-mile loop with 7,000 feet of elevation gain, so ya, he kind of has a feel for the Trail (pun intended). With a Boost rear triangle and fork, the 429 Trail can be set up with 29″ or 27.5+ wheels and rubbers and, unlike most of our 27.5+ compatible reviews, Aaron was able to test the bike with both. Equipped with 116/130mm rear/front travel supported by a full Fox suspension package and a DW Link platform, the Mach 429 proved to be as comfortable and confident going up as it did down.
After spending a couple months on the Pivot 429 Trail, I found it to be a very easy bike to live with. It ticks all the right boxes in climbing, descending, and handling. One of its best traits, in my opinion, is that it’s fun to ride all the time. Some bikes shine on the descents, but can be a bear on the climbs. Other bikes climb like coked-up spider monkeys but are nervous when it’s time to come down. Not so with the Trail–it’s very balanced. On long rides or quick post-work rips, I always had a good time aboard the Pivot.
-Aaron Chamberlain
Read Aaron’s full review of the Pivot Mach 429 Trai, including never-before-seen photos of Sasquatch on the loose!
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Fezzari Timp Peak
Never mind its lean and stable climbing prowess, its confidence and balance on the nastiest of descents, and its ability to shrug off whatever the trail could dig up, the carbon Timp Peak comes dressed in full XTR, Fox Float, a Race Face cockpit, dropper, and carbon hoops, for $6,200 (consumer direct)! A bike like this shouldn’t cost so little, proving that the good folks at Fezzari are doing something truly special for riders. And maybe it’s the Pisgah backdrop, but according to this author, the Timp Peak definitely competes as one of the best-looking bikes we threw a leg over in 2016.
The Timp Peak felt balanced, and the suspension was superbly weighted over the mix of hardpack flow trail, which was interrupted by rocks and roots. Again, the weight reinforced how well balanced this bike is overall, and leaning the bike into corners and weaving in and out of trees was effortless. Unexpected drops and kickers were no problem, and the Fezzari soaked up everything I threw at it with excellent damping and rebound. The bike was easy to pump and clear sections of rocks or roots, and maneuverable in the air.
-Michael Paul
Read more about Michael’s experience riding the Fezzari Timp Peak and his first time in Pisgah in the full review.
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Staran FSM-140
The cliche “confidence-inspiring” is one that is used ad nauseam in mountain biking reviews, and one from which I’ve tried to steer away, but when Jeff set three downhill PRs on a bike he’s barely had time to dial in the fork, at nighttime no less, I think it shines a new light on the old term. Staran, builds one bike (the FSM-140), in one color, with one build kit. While this may sound mundane, what the new Canadian bike company doesn’t do is waste your time or your money with chintzy-ass, in-house cockpit parts. In fact, for $3,599 CAD ($2,750 USD) the FSM-140 comes stock with a Race Face bar (carbon), stem, and cranks; the new 29.3mm-wide (internal) Stans ZTR Arch MK3 with 2.4″ tires, and XT brakes, weighing in at just under 29lbs. It’s lean, it’s green, it’s a Staran.
I was able to absolutely rail the FSM-140 on my local flow trails where the wide bars, aggressive geometry, and supple suspension practically begged to get airborne. But where the FSM-140 truly shined was on the Jake Mountain side of Bull Mountain, where the bike devoured the rolling, flowing trail like a tape measure reeling its flapping tape back home. This was easily the fastest, most in-control I’ve felt riding any bike on this section of trail.
-Jeff Barber
Read more about how to ride like a tape measure and see Jeff in a full face in his full review of the Staran FSM-140.
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Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol
Unlike some of our tests with bikes accommodating both 29″ and 27.5+ wheels where we were limited to one size, Michael put the new Trail Pistol from Guerrilla Gravity through its paces utilizing both. Add to this the Plush-Crush geometry-adjusting chip, and it was really like riding four different bikes. While you may think it a gimmick, the differences between toggling through wheel sizes and subtle changes in head tube angle and bottom bracket yielded surprisingly significant results on the trail, making the Trail Pistol one of the most versatile trail bikes of 2016.
I could not believe the speed it kept through rough and rocky sections that are usually reserved for longer-travel bikes, like the Enchanted Forest and Apex trail, but this bike was faster than any bike I’ve ever ridden through that section. Faster than the Nomad. Faster than the Bronson. Faster than the Mach 6. Faster even than the Megatrail. That is impressive.
-Michael Paul
Read Michael crush, plush, and gush on the Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol in his full review.
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