First route: 2021 Pivot Trail 429

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The new Trail 429 has more suspension than before, although it provides plenty of space to insert a bottle of water into the front triangle. There are five sizes, from the XS to the XL, with the XS adjustable pilots up to 4’11 “and the XL serving pilots up to 6’7”.

All models are carbon and there are several construction kits available at the Race, Team or Pro levels. Each level has the option of a Shimano or SRAM kit. Prices range from $ 5,599 for the Race XT race to $ 12,499 for the Fox Live Team Team XX1 AXS valve with Reynolds / Industry Nine carbon wheels.

Frame details

The Trail 429 carries many upgrades seen elsewhere in the Pivot line and loses a lot of weight compared to the previous Trail 429, tipping the scales at 5.9 pounds, almost 3/4 pounds lighter than before at an average size. All frames are ready for the Fox Live valve, there is internal cable routing and everyone has a full size water bottle. There are also two bolts at the bottom of the top tube that can hold a tool, such as the Pivot itself or other accessories. There is integrated frame protection on the frames and the bottom tube.

The 157+ Super7 Boost space stays in place, in line with Pivot’s other more aggressive bikes. Drivers can mount a 29 x 2.6 “or 27.5 x 2.8” tire with free space. The pivot remains firm in this space, claiming that it allows them to build a better, stiffer frame with more play on the rear tires, along with greater wheel stiffness. The BB is the PF92 that was a pioneer and while there are detractors, in our experience it has been shown to be completely reliable.

For the derailleur hanger, the Trail 429 uses SRAM’s UDH, a welcome addition to all frames at this time. There is Live Valve support in all frames, and while there is a Di2 battery port, there is no hole between the front triangle and the rocker arm for Di2 routing. Pilots can run the cable externally, but not with the same integration as the other Pivot frames.

All frames use a specific tube diameter and specific size arrangement that correlates with the frame size. The pivot does this to maintain driving characteristics similar to bicycles, so a tall rider has the same experience and frame feel as a lower rider. If we look at the tube, the large one has a diameter similar to the Switchblade, while the medium and small frames avoid a bit of weight compared to the previous iteration of the Trail 429.

Last but not least, they mention and applaud that Pivot has removed the Pivloc handlebar and grip system and designed a new grip that doesn’t require cutting your sleek carbon handlebar. The new “Phoenix Factory Lock-On Grip” is designed at Pivot. It is specific to the left and right and has a conical core that fits snugly into the bar. The ergonomic grip is reduced from 30 mm to 32 mm and has a soft rubber compound designed to dampen vibrations.

Suspension

The tilting shuttle of the Trail 429 has been turned upside down, but the amount of travel remains the same at 120 mm. The shock is a metric hat style, 165 mm long with a 45 mm stroke. The suspension has become more progressive and the shock is kept higher in its travel to keep pedaling fast and to prevent the lower height of the BB from causing too many pedal strokes.

While the Switchblade can be run with a coil shock, the Trail 429 cannot; even if the shock has a separate background control, this does not provide enough progression for the frame, according to Pivot.

The bike is available with a DPS or DPX2 shock absorber, depending on the construction. The more aggressive “Enduro” version uses the DPX2 along with a 140mm Fox 36 fork compared to the standard version which has a 130mm Float 34.

Geometry
The geometry undergoes a steeper and looser standard treatment along with more range, though keep in mind that we’re still talking about a 120mm trail bike. For a medium size, in the lower configuration, the Trail 429 now has a 66 degree HTA (1.3 slacker), a 75 degree STA (1 more steep), a range of 455 mm (15 mm longer) and 432 mm (2 mm longer) chains. The addition of the 140mm fork to the Enduro package will reduce the head angle by approximately 0.5 degrees.

The bike is capable of running 27.5-inch wheels with the addition of a lower headphone jack that slightly alters the numbers. Riders can also choose to run the bike in a “low” setting that reinforces everything a little more by using the flip-chip. The chip can be rotated simply by loosening the bolts and turning it, which means that there is no has parts to lose the way.

Walking impressions
I’ve only had the new Trail 429 for a few days right now, but I’ve spent a considerable amount of time on the previous Trail 429 and still have a Switchblade in the fleet, which helps make some comparisons.

Takeaway food is the increased efficiency of the Trail 429 over the previous model. The older bike was efficient in the grand scheme of things, but I found it a little too rebuilt, especially when faced with the last crop of bikes for shorter trails. The new bike is light, agile and fast. The reduced weight is noticeable and the suspension increases in its travel and with much more life.

The bike is easy to navigate up and down messy trail tracks while maintaining a line and stays planted when facing bumps outside the chamber, the suspension stays smooth and flexible throughout the ride. In larger compressions, I had a hard time finding the bottom of the trip, which doesn’t always happen on shorter travel bikes that offer good traction at the top. The increased flexibility along with greater progression make the new bike much more intuitive and easy to ride.

I will continue to ride my bike for the next few months, hopefully I will be recording more miles as spring arrives and the roads thaw. My first impressions of the Trail 429 or, as I have begun to call it, the “mini-Switchblade” are positive and I am looking forward to seeing if this trend continues once I can test it properly. For many riders, the new Trail 429 will be a more versatile version of the Switchblade, friendlier on climbs and easier to maneuver in tight quarters.