Mountain Bike Action dropped in on Pivot Cycles in Phoenix to pick up a pair (yes, a pair) of Pivot Mach 429 Carbon bikes. One (the one we rode today) is built up for trail riding while the other one is a no-holds-barred cross-country race bike. We will be riding the bikes over the next months for a magazine feature later this spring (we don't rate them until we have really ridden them). We couldn't just pick the bikes up and head back to Cali without taking in some local scenery. 


Pivot's Ian Moore coming back from the Arizona Trail ride. No, we didn't make it to Mexico although the trail does go there.


Pivot's head honcho, Chris Cocalis. You'd be smiling too if you were riding a Pivot Mach 429 Carbon.


Yes, we understand this a somewhat of a tease, but one ride does not make for a test. We already know that Pivot has done a great job of hiding the size of the 29-inch wheels with short chainstays and a dialed head-tube angle. This is a nimble bike with big-rolling performance.


January near Phoenix, Arizona. The scenery off the Arizona Trail is spectacular.


Chris Cocalis and Erik Addison (right) make last-minute checks of the Mach 429 Carbon test bike.