A new era of carbon bikes has arrived with the all-new Mach 5.7 Carbon. Our hollow box, high-compression internal molding technology allows us to optimize the critical internal dimensions, unlike other carbon bikes. Greater compaction and smoother internal walls with greater consistency allows us to deliver a lighter, stronger, highly optimized frame design. The result is the best stiffness to weight ratio in the class. Combine this with the ride quality and performance of the award winning Mach 5.7 and we’ve just set a whole new bar for carbon mountain bikes.
dw-link suspension with position sensitive anti-squat provides stable handling and the increased cornering benefits of a lower bottom bracket with more travel - all with better pedaling efficiency and a plusher feel.
New Fox RP23 Kashima shock with custom tuned rebound and Propedal settings for increased rider tunability and incredible small bump sensitivity.
142mm rear spacing with 12mm through axle and 160mm post mount dropouts for maximum frame stiffness.
Under top tube cable guide includes routing for dropper seat post.
Rubberized leather chainstay, inner seat stay, and down tube protectors for a quiet ride and higher impact resistance.
Direct mount front derailleur design accommodates Shimano and SRAM systems. The direct mount design, eases set up, and provides a more rigid mount for the most efficient front shifting possible.
145mm (5.7”) of rear travel with 140mm or 150mm fork compatibility (150mm standard).
Press Fit 92mm wide bb shell allows for wider pivots and better bearing support for increased frame strength and stiffness, while maintaining better control over chain-line.
Strengths: Climbing in or out of saddle, rear wheel traction, small bump compliance, ability to ride through rough terrain at speed while seated and in a higher gear than any other bike I've ever been on. Feeling of total braking and handling control while descending. DW Link rear suspension is awesome it lives up to all the hype and more. Rigid frame, drives like on rails.
Weaknesses: Kenda tires are quite heavy, my XTR build was 26.0 lbs after changing the rear tire to a Racing Ralph and changing the grips the bike weighed in at 25.0 lbs yesterday. Although the digital scales were different I believe both were accurate.
Bottom Line:
I've rode the 5.7 Carbon in Moab and British Columbia, Canada on very technical trails. The bike just plain makes you a better rider, my friend says my technical ability has tripled. It is a beautiful thing when the bike just goes where you want with little or no complaints. My wife asked me after a week what I thought of the bike and I just smiled and said "Stellar". If you are a person who wants the best all mountain bike on the market this should be one of your top choices. Believe the reviews they are true this bike makes a really good rider do great things. It flies down hills where before I thought my old bike was going to fall apart the Pivot feels solid and true to the line I pick. Often I just ride over the rocks while still seated where before I had to pick my way through them. Bottom Line "Awesome Bike".
Strengths: The bike is really light. Power transfer feels just about right and the suspension keeps the bike nice and planted. I feel really comfortable on this bike and can't wait to get more aggressive with it.
Weaknesses: 6'-0" tall and I'm on a large. I have wide shoulders so I put a wider bar and not it feels perfect. I also changed out the grips because they felt cheap and the sat was too narrow for my backside. Overall just 3 minor adjustments and now it's perfect.
Bottom Line:
Was originally interested in a Santa Cruz Carbon Blur but stumbled upon these at a demo. This bike felt more nimble than the blur and the stumpjumper and just seemed more fun. Couldn't pass up the 15% off discount either. Great bike and a lot of fun!
Submitted by
Sokchon Yi
a All Mountain Rider
from Seoul, Korea
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2012
Strengths: Give 6++++ not 5, Frame is excellent with down tube design, carbon finishing, handling, head angle with 150mm folk. Specially I'm very impressed for down tube design. It gives to me a sense of stability when I'm riding. Excellent finishing of carbon frame with printings and eggshell than I thought with pictures before I got. Handling is perfect.nobody can complain for this handling.
Weaknesses: - cable route around seat post : sometimes the cable hit my leg when I have pedaling. of course I fix this problem with cable tie temporary but need get permanent solution.
- No badge in head tube. I need a badge for my bored head tube such as al. 5.7.
Bottom Line:
Finally I got the Pivot Mach 5.7 Carbon. This means that if the frame is not good to me, I can't say that, but this frame is excellent to me, I can say that because I had to waited for this frame during 6 monthes. This frame is giving to me a confidence for better descent and uphill in Korea Mountains.
Bike Setup: Fox talas 150, Magura MT-8 brake, Crank brothers wheelset, XTR crank with shifters and derailers
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
belgae1970
a All Mountain Rider
from Newbury Park, Ca, USA
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2012
Strengths: This bike is light (27.5 lbs), but not that much lighter than my Motolite (28lbs). Slack headtube angle. Very active suspension. DW link works once it is set up correctly in tandem with the fork pressure.
Weaknesses: Front end too light? Coming off an El Guapo with the heavier 160mm Talas fork the bike feels like a toy in comparison. Only time will tell how this bike holds up in the gnarlier sections. This is the only part where I have held off so far, otherwise the bike excels.
Bottom Line:
I've been riding MTBs for the last 8 years now and have owned a number of full suspension bicycles. Over the years I've put in the time and pain to become a better rider always pushing the envelope to see what I can get away with. That ended 2 years ago when I tore my AC joint and at 40 cannot as easily recover from my stupidity. At that point I was riding my 2009 Motolite, but my riding style required a bike that had a little more margin of error. So when I demoed the 6 inch Titus El Guapo at the beginning of last year, I had to have one. In over a year of riding I only had one fall in a season of aggressive riding. Never the less at 32.5 lbs the bike although a champion climber is not as flickable as I would like.
Last December, just like Dj who put in the first review, I demoed the 5.7 Carbon as a lark with 2 friends in SoCal, not intending to buy anything, but knew instantly that this bike could be a lot of fun. Even though I had just built a new bike at the beginning of the year and I try to go at least 3 seasons before getting a new one I was encouraged by my beautiful wife to order a new frame (I'm twice lucky).
I now have 5 rides on it in a little over a week. I built it by transferring all my motolite parts, so essentially although the bike is light, it is not significantly lighter than the motolite. It could be stiffer than the motolite, but I've never been a good judge on any succinct differences responsible. For me differences show up in what the bike lets me get away with and there the 5.7 really shines. I essentially wanted a lighter El Guapo and that I got in spades. The margin of error is the same, so that I can push this bike to extremes. 3, 4 and 5 foot drops are a pleasure and don't have to be executed with perfection so there is room to go higher without fearing a crash. It took me 5 rides to perfect the set up (fork pressure, shock pressure, stem length) but I now have it where it rides uphill very well (something that the EG with CCDB even with the additional weight excels at as well). The DW link difference is there as well. I tend to mash the pedals and the motolite under heavy pressure tended to cause a lot of bobbing that is absent in the 5.7, rocky sections are now a pleasure and don't sap my strength.
Having ridden the EG for the last year the only issue I have going back to the 5.7 is how light the front end is in comparison. Going through rock gardens at speed with the suppler 150mm fork will need getting used to, but it is so much more agile that it those circumstances a change in direction is altogether possible.
Like Dj, I want to give kudos to the Pivot demo team. Dj covered most of what I could say as well. I will add that the addition of a female with riding experience was a definite plus for those women that might enjoy the sport. I happened to see the Specialized Demo that was held on Sunday the19th in Newbury Park and although they had as many bikes, no women were to be seen to assist with bike fittings.
Ultimately, these toys of ours are not cheap and a luxury. As such they are nice to have but not essential. A level of guilt at my extravangance is ever present especially in the times we live in. Therefore, when building a new bike I always feel pressure that it ultimately be worth it, that the end result is a bike whose qualities are a noticeable improvement, not an emptier wallet. From my perspective, even after only a week of riding, the Pivot 5.7 Carbon is indeed worth it to me.
Similar Products Used: Titus Motolite 2006 and 2009. Titus El Guapo 2010. Gary Fisher Cake1 DLX. Gary Fisher Hifi. Specialized Stumpjumper.
Bike Setup: Shimano XT Brakset. I9/DTSwissEX5.1 rear, ZTR Arch/Hope front. Fox Talas RLC 150 Fork. Chris King Inset Headset. Thomson Stem 110 mm. Gravity Carbon 710mm Handlebar. Ergon GA1 Clamp on Grips. Shimano XTR 10 speed Rear Derailleur w/ XT 10 speed shifters, XT Front derailleur (bolt on). Shimano XT 10 Speed Cassette. XTR Pedals. WTB Bronson Race Rear, WTB Mutanoraptor 2.24 Front TCS Tires. WTB Rocket V Saddle with Ti Rails. Thomson SeatPost with Thomson seatpost clamp.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dj
a Cross Country Rider
from Southern California
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2012
Strengths: Light - 5 pound frame weight in size small. Fast with efficient pedaling dynamics and Smooth - active/plush suspension due to DW-Link. Fox RP23 rear shox with tuning options and Kashima Coating. Stiff and very stiff. Looks - I like the matte carbon finish - I have the frame with the blue accents. Climbs like a goat, just as well as my Mach 4 but better than my Titanium hardtail. Descents are fun on this thing - I look for the roughest ugliest lines because it just plows through without hesitation - point and shoot - this bike will cause accelerated erosion to rock gardens. Wheels stay planted - eats up rough terrain climbing and descending while holding its line. Can hit tight corners and switch backs well with good stability, control and traction.
Weaknesses: Expensive, but price is similar or less compared to other bike companies carbon trail bike offerings. A lot of blogs and forums mention different opinions about the graphics - love it or hate it - but blogs and forums can be a lot of BS. First off, the frame looks way better in person vs. pictures seen on online, catalogs, magazines, etc. Pictures don't do justice of how the bike looks in person. The graphics are ok, but I don't mind the graphics because I don't plan on entering my bike in a beauty contest, bike show, nor use it to pick up chicks - my wife likes that one, and nor do I care about turning heads on the trail. I do think the Pivot name on the bike is a bit over stated (I counted 10 times). I would personally prefer a simple minimalistic look of a plan matte carbon finish with just a white outline Pivot name/logo on the down tube, head tube badge logo and of course you gotta include Dave Weagles DW-Link logo somewhere on the frame. I can't think of any performance weakness.
Bottom Line:
I was coming off the 2011 Pivot Mach 4 which is a good xc/trail bike which I used for 8 months, but I wanted more travel, more plush suspension, slacker head tube, i also wanted a light weight carbon trail bike that pedaled well. When Pivot came up with the Mach 5.7 Carbon I was anxious to try it. Pivot had 2 Demos on Nov/December 2011 in Southern California, I went to both of them and test rode the Mach 5.7 Carbon. After the 1st demo I was totally sold, so I ordered one on November 2011 and waited up till early February 2012 to finally get my hands on it, I built it up myself, moved all the components from my Mach 4.
This bike is light. I mean you can flick it, whip it, jump it, throw it around - I mean its pretty quick, responsive and nimble. It accelerates fast. Minimal to no Pedal bob. The suspension is plush and buttery smooth through its travel most likely because of the Kashima coating, DW- Link design, and Fox RP23 shock. This bike can handle steep rough rocky climbs without the front end lifting off and no front end wandering. Awesome front end and rear end traction. With the 5.7 Carbon, I was able to easily ride through rough technical terrain that I used to sometimes put my foot down or hike a bike when I rode the above mentioned XC/trial bikes. Descends with confidence. Active suspension with good small to big bump compliance. Tracks the trail well no matter how twisty or technical. Carbon helps dampen the trail chatter, carbon is stiffer/lighter, and the ride of a carbon bike is less fatigue on my body vs. my aluminum Mach 4.
This is my first Trail Bike that has more than 4 inches of travel. Im used to bikes that are XC oriented - 4 inch suspension, hardtails, steep head angle, light weight, etc. So Im used to bikes that are fast, quick handling, climb well, pedal efficient and light weight - the Pivot Mach 5.7 Carbon has all of those ride characteristics plus a lot more making it a more versatile trail bike capable of handling a variety of terrain.
Pivot Customer Service is A+: everything from the phone calls, emails and demo rides (the Pivot guys at the demos rides were very helpful to a lot of experienced mtn bikers who wanted to test ride the bikes, but what I thought was more awesome was how they helped and treated a lot of novice mtb riders and even some roadies who wanted to try out the mtn bikes - many of whom were not sure what type of bike to try). Pivot even gave away T-shirts at the demos if you test rode a bike. Pivot answered all my emails in a timely manner. Even the man himself, Chris Cocalis emailed me back re: my concern about the integrated in molded post mounts for the rear disc brakes. When I was in the middle of building up my bike w/ grease n dirt on my hand some of which got smothered over my iphone, Pivot was able to answer my questions about building/setting up my bike. Thanks Pivot, Keep up the good work and keep making awesome bikes. It wont surprise me when they come up with a Carbon Mach 4, 429 or maybe 529, and Firebird - The DW-Link w/ eccentric pivots looks interesting.
Favorite Trail: Laguna Beach/Aliso Viejo - Rock It Trail
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2599.00
Purchased At: From an online retailer
Similar Products Used: Pivot Mach 4 2011. Titus X. Titus Racer X. Turner Flux. Everti Titanium Hardtail. GT I-Drive XC. Gary Fisher Sugar 1. Specialized FSR. GT Zaskar Hardtail. Demoed Santa Cruz Blur Carbon XC and Blut LT Carbon. I've ridden hardtails, single pivot bikes, FSR suspension, GT IDrives, and demoed VPP bikes. DW - Link works best for what I want out of a ride - pedal efficiency with active/plush suspension.
Bike Setup: Formula The One Disc Brakes 2011. Mavic CrossMax ST Wheelset 2012. Fox Fork RLC 140. Chris King Inset Headset. Race Face Turbine Stem 100 mm. Easton Carbon Riser Handlebar. Ergon GA1 Clamp on Grips. Shimano XTR 10 speed Rear Derailleur w/ XT 10 speed shifter and SRAM XO Front Derailleur w/ XO Shifter ( I couldn't decide between XTR or SRAM XO so I use both because I roll and shift like that). Shimano XT 10 Speed Cassette. Crankbrothers Candy SL Pedals. Specialized Captain Tubeless Tires. WTB Rocket V Saddle with Ti Rails. Thomson SeatPost with Thomson seatpost clamp.
