You've probably run into the use of words like "versatile" and "quiver killer" when hunting for a new bike, and while some of that might be accurate, we think these terms are often overused, which lessens their credibility. Where these words are tossed around we often find bikes that are just-okay at everything --okay at going downhill, okay at ascending, okay at handling rocks and roots, but at the cost of never being truly great in any one category. The 2018 Pivot Mach 429SL Carbon 29 Pro XT/XTR 1x Complete Mountain Bike is comfortable being categorized, and isn't one of the "just-okay" bikes on the market. It is, instead, an XC race machine designed to dominate rolling singletrack and ascend long climbs with power and precision. It might not descend like the all-mountain trail beasts, but it knows how to use it's 100-millimeters of supple DW-link suspension to soak up roots and small rock gardens, and rolls quickly to show you that it's most at home covering as many miles as possible on cross-country singletrack, and tackling long backcountry adventures. Creating a bike that transitions from singletrack to backcountry doesn't come overnight, Pivot's engineers put time and effort into creating new-school racing geometry that allows for quick handling with a supple suspension that soaks up blows. To achieve both of these features, the bike uses both a steep head-tube angle and seat-tube angle, and 100mm of DW-link suspension that allows us to float through rocks and roots. A 72. 9-degree seat tube angle keeps you centered in the cockpit to maximize your power output, while the 70. 3-degree head tube angle keeps you on top of your front wheel for total control actuating turns, enhancing the agility and responsiveness of the bike. The bike uses a short top tube, and is paired with a longer XC-friendly stem length to keep your bike lively and acting fast with every movement you make. It's only appropriate to combine solid suspension design with a solid shock, so ...