Currently on a Pivot Mach 429SL and was trying to decide between a new Epic or the Mach 4 SL. Rode the Epic and the Mach 4 SL on the same trail just different days. Quick impressions.
Epic was fast but man was it harsh. I was really hoping to like the Brain but the slight delay in suspension activation was enough of a deterrent that I decided to keep looking.
Mach 4 SL (Rode a Live Valve and Non Live Valve Version). Great bike for sure. I was at the demo just to make sure I went with the right size as I’d planned to order this bike the day of the demo. Post ride I just couldn’t justify spending the extra couple grand for a bike that would perform so close to my current ride. FWIW I preferred the non live valve version overall. I’ve had experience with similar live valve like tech in motorsports and know first hand that the initial iterations quickly get revised. The extra money you spend now doesn’t provide a realizable bang for your buck. It’s cool but live valve is the future and will evolve rapidly(sample rates, durability, connectivity(Bluetooth), tunability, etc) I think sitting back a bit will be the best bet unless you have money to burn and just want that cool tech.
Just my .02.
Really wish we had a Scott dealer within 4 hours of us. Would really like to try a Spark RC and get one ordered but need a little seat time first.
Which pod was that? I value Jonathan’s opinion (and listen to the MTB Pod whenever they post one) but he raves about the SB100 and I am not a fan of that bike…my point being: different strokes for different folks. IF the Mach 4 SL was designed around Live Valve though, that would be news to me. And the pros have been riding the non live-valve version in World Cups, etc…
I was looking at the Mach 4SL to buy and the reviews I have read and watched have said that the bike was designed to work with live valve as apposed to designing it and then retrofitting live valve which might make some slight compromises. Hopefully that makes sense.
@grenhall Super smart idea to get a cheaper version of your race bike, makes switching between them almost a non event. That’s ideally what I’d like to do, but it’s a pretty hard sell to the rest of the family.
I did the same thing for the 2018/2019-season but then with the BMC Fourstroke / Teamelite instead. I should probably convert the “cheaper” to SRAM as well so the switch isn’t evident at all and so that I can switch parts between the bikes but it’ll do for now.
I am on a non-live-valve Mach4SL and I love it. I tested the bike with and without live valve and found out that I prefer the standard lockout option. As good as live valve reacts it was one thing that annoyed me: it just reacts. What I do is constantly anticipating riding situations and adjusting my suspension to the task ahead. Live valve doesn’t look 50m ahead for you and preloads the suspension for you, etc. This really alters your riding style.
So I had narrowed this down to the Pivot Mach 4 SL (leaning that way with non-live valve) and the Scott Spark. I have agonized over this decision…
And then I found out yesterday that through my wife’s new job, I get a significant discount on Specialized and Trek. Now I am really torn! I am tempted to try out the Epic for a season and see if what people say about the Brain (which seems to be the main negative) is noticeable for me… I also looked at the new Top Fuel but IMHO they messed the specs up and it’s relatively heavy. SuperCaliber is interesting (good thread on here about it with lots of opinions) but apparently they are way backordered if I even wanted to consider it.
Sound like me a few weeks ago - agonizing over a decision. For me it came down to the Spark and the Orbea Oiz - both in the 120mm version. These bikes are simply spec’d better for the price. The Trek looks interesting but agree - for less $ I can get a lighter bike with much better specs. The Pivot looks nice but similar spec is way more $. I liked the Epic but one Specialized dealer steered me away and to the Pivot because of the Brain.
I have an Epic. I swapped out the Sid Brain fork for a Fox SC Factory 100 and like the Fox fork much better. It feels smoother and I like having control of the remote lockout. I would’ve swapped out the rear Brain shock for a Fox shock, but Specialized has their proprietary set up, so you can’t switch to the Fox.
Just picked up a new Epic Evo today. Front fork on the Evo models does not have brain and so far I’m really happy with it. I’ve got the rear brain set in the middle position and was cool with the way it worked today on an almost 3 hour ride.
I had an Epic years ago and found the brain to be really clunky, but the new one seems much smoother. That paired with a non-brain front fork makes for a nice setup for the kind of riding I do (XC and Marathon MTB distances)
I have been riding the Trek Top Fuel2020 9.8 and it has been incredible to ride. I came from a 2012 stumpjumper 29er and the difference was incredible (expected). I do a few mountain bike races every year, but my overall goal was to have one bike to do it all. It climbs extremely well and the lockout is super easy to use twist to lock. Its basically a short travel trail bike. I went back and forth from the epic, trek, niner, and pyga. I ended up going with the Trek, but my second pick would have been the Pyga (two bottles and a good price, especially if you have a nice set of wheels to throw on it) , Epic, then the niner.
It’s going to depend on the bikes you are comparing.
Some FS bikes lock out really firm but others don’t. Some FS bikes have a flexy rear end, but others are a lot stiffer. A good example is the original Jet 9 RDO, which had a fair bit of lateral flex. With the newer Niner RKT 9 RDO, Niner beefed things up a bit so it is a lot stiffer in the rear. That being said, it still doesn’t quite feel like the Niner Air 9 RDO which is super efficient climbing and has little to no flex in the rear when hammer up switchbacks out of the saddle. On the flats though the FS and HT Niners feel pretty similar.
Another factor is that the HT, assuming other things like components, type of frame material etc, are similar, is going to be lighter and that is going to impact how it feels, especially on climbs.
Last thing, if the FS has an efficient rear suspension, you may not want to lock it out completely the majority of the time. Usually there is an inbetween setting on the suspension that firms things up but still allows for absorbing some impacts from the trail. This may be the most efficient way to climb depending on the terrain.
I just got the Yeti SB100 with the new Shimano 12 speed group and its my new favorite bike. It handles the uphills like a hard tail but lets me go down the hill with ease. I’ll Plan to do some XC racing on it this year. I also have a S-Works Enduro in the shed for bigger mountains.
