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Mach 4 SL

Gravity Defying Cross Country Rocket Ship

The all-new Mach 4 SL is designed to let World Cup level athletes capitalize on every inch of increasingly technical courses and generate speed where others hesitate. Our engineers have pushed the boundaries in every conceivable metric of cross country performance. It’s the lightest, fastest 100mm travel XC race bike we’ve ever developed. Go ahead, turn yourself inside out and leave it all out on the race course because the new Mach 4 SL leaves nothing on the table.

Rear Travel
100mm

Rear Travel

Wheel Size
29"

Wheel Size

Material
Carbon

Material

Weighty Goals

Cross country racers know that every gram counts. Pivot’s engineers didn’t set out to cut a few grams – they insisted on slashing hundreds. Starting at 1845 grams, the Mach 4 SL takes a front row seat in the ultralight full suspension category and has the best stiffness to weight ratios we've ever created. The new Mach 4SL is over 300 grams lighter than its feathery predecessor, the Mach 429 SL - that’s 3/4 of a pound! Optimized tube shapes, a more compact frame design, exotic hi-mod materials, and a dual upright, reinforced swingarm push strength and stiffness while allowing weight to be shaved everywhere. More weight evaporates with an integrated headset and race-proven carbon suspension bearing pockets that leave almost no metal in the frame. Steep climbs and sharp accelerations never felt so good – or fast.

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Short or Tall, it Fits Them All

Proper fit is critical to maximizing our body’s output, so we made sure the Mach 4 SL fits the widest range of riders and all genders without compromise. The extra-small size fits riders down to 4”10” with a lower standover height than even our Mach 4 Carbon with 27.5” wheels, and the extra-large size fits riders up to 6’7” tall. A shorter stack, longer reach, and steeper seat angle put you in a powerful position to churn out the watts mile after mile. Size-specific carbon layups and shock tunes make sure all riders experience the same cutting edge performance and ride across the size range.

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Quality Craftsmanship

We strive to build the best-performing cycling products in the world.

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Geometry & Sizing

We strive to build the best-performing cycling products in the world.

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REVIEWS

Read the latest on the Mach 4 SL.

Engineer's Corner

Get everything you need to know about the bikename.

Frame weight starting at 1845 grams (4.0 lb.) and 20.9 lb. (9.4kg) complete - (size medium with XTR World Cup Build)

100mm of renowned dw-link® suspension tuned for XC race and trail performance

Designed to work with 100-120mm travel forks

Full Fox Live Valve integration

World Cup caliber full carbon frame featuring leading edge materials and Pivot’s proprietary Hollow Core Internal Molding Technology

Progressive XC geometry for the most demanding World Cup courses

29-inch wheels for the fastest laps and superior rollover in technical terrain

Full length internal cable routing via Pivot’s exclusive, easy-to-maintain Cable Port System

Internal dropper post compatible

Large water bottle fits inside all size frames – even XS – XL frame fits 2 bottles inside the front triangle

Lightweight, cold forged alloy linkages with Enduro Max Cartridge Bearings

Fox Kashima Factory shock, custom-tuned specifically for the Mach 4 SL

Highly durable frame and swingarm protection

Boost™ 12 x 148mm rear spacing

Available in sizes XS, S, M, L, XL for riders between 4'10" and 6'7"

Small Parts Schematic Save tech spec
Dropper Fit Guide Save tech spec
Suspension Setup Guide Save tech spec

To ensure the best sizing, we recommend that you visit your local Pivot dealer to get a professional fit and refer to our geometry chart to check your measurements. However, we can provide a rough guideline:

X-Small: 4’10” – 5’4”

Small: 5'4" – 5’8” 

Medium: 5'8" – 5’11” 

Large: 5'11" – 6’2” 

X-Large: 6’2” - 6’7”

We make it easy to get the best ride out of your Pivot bike with a simple sag indicator already installed on your bike, and this follow-along video featuring our own Bernard Kerr: 

https://www.vimeo.com/pivotcycles/sag

The Mach 4 SL uses the Boost 148mm X 12mm hub/wheel spacing. 

The Mach 4 SL is compatible with 29er wheels only.

The Mach 4 SL fits 29” tires up to 2.35”.  You may be able to go slightly wider depending on tire brand but generally 2.35” is plenty wide for an XC bike.

Yes, the Mach 4 SL was designed to clear a large water bottle on top of the down tube in all sizes – even the extra small!  The XL can fit 2 medium sized bottles on top of the down tube. 

For the Mach 4 SL, we use an integrated style headset. The upper bearing measures 1-1/8" with 45°/45° ACB & has an OD of 41.8mm. The lower bearing measures 1-1/2" with 45°/45° ACB & has an OD of 51.9mm.

The Mach 4 SL frame uses a 30.9mm seatpost.

The Mach 4 SL frame uses a 34.9mm or 35mm (as some manufacturers call it) seatpost clamp.

XS - 265mm

S - 275mm

M - 300mm

L - 340mm

XL - 380mm

*Please check seat post measurements carefully before installing the post.

The Mach 4 SL is designed for an internal routing dropper post, so any internally routed dropper post is compatible.

The Mach 4 SL will accept all cranks designed for the BOOST system and compatible with a press fit 92mm bottom bracket. BOOST system means that the rear hub spacing is 148mm and the chain rings have been shifted out approximately 3mm from where a tradition crank designed for a 142mm rear hub would be so that the chainrings will line up properly with the new position of the cassette on the 148mm rear hub.  Any crank with a 51-52mm chainline should be compatible.  

In some cases you can run a conventional non-BOOST 1x crank. The Race Face NEXT 1x and other Cinch system 1x cranks are dual compatible between standard 142mm and 148mm Boost rear ends. Some smaller chainring combinations - 1x (30 and 32T) Shimano XT and XTR 11 - may also work. 

No, the Mach 4 SL is only 1x drivetrain compatible. To achieve the stiffness goals that make this a class leading cross country race bike we designed a new wider lower link and double upright support on the swingarm leaving no room for a front derailleur. Our build kits offer gearing with enough range for most riders. Wider ratio options are available aftermarket for those who need more.

The maximum size chain ring that will clear on the Mach 4 SL is a 36-tooth.

Yes, the frame has two tabs for a 1x chainguide without a bashring. 

No, the Mach 4 SL is not  Shimano Di2 compatible. It has a Di2 battery port and Pivot’s Cable Port System for simple routing but it is missing the holes in between the front triangle and swingarm. Pivot does not endorse drilling holes in your frame. It is possible to externally route the wire to the rear derailleur, but it will not have the same level of integration as some of our other models. If you want electronic shifting, the Mach 4SL is SRAM Eagle AXS compatible (which we offer in our XX1 Team and World Cup XC builds).

The Mach 4 SL frame weights start at 1845 grams (4.0lbs) and our complete team XTR World Cup build comes in at under 9.4kg (20.9lbs).  Pivot bicycles are among the lightest available, but the weight is only one of many factors that make a great bicycle. Other aspects such as frame stiffness, strength, durability, and ride quality are just as important as weight to our engineers when designing our Hollow Core Carbon and aluminum frames. Instead of comparing grams online, we suggest you visit your local Pivot dealer and see our attention to detail, smart, high value spec, and class leading features. Bring a scale if you’d like, but take just one demo ride and you’ll feel why Pivot Cycles are the most well-rounded, highest performing bicycles on the market and in many cases, yes, it’s the lightest as well.

The Mach 4 SL will clear either a 160mm or 180mm rotor.

No brake adapter is needed for a 160mm rotor. However, if you prefer a 180mm rotor, you will need a 160mm to 180mm post mount adapter.

The Mach 4 SL was designed for either a 100mm or 120mm fork. We use a 120mm fork in all our standard complete bike builds and 100mm on our World Cup builds. The maximum travel length that can be used on the Mach 4 SL is 120mm travel.

44mm

Eye to eye: 190mm

Stroke: 40mm

The Mach 4 SL shock uses M8 through-bolt hardware on both the top and bottom. Shock spacer dimensions are 30mm wide on both ends. The frame is designed around a standard sized air can volume and we typically run medium to Firm valving (for XC racing) on the compression side (depending on rider weight) and light to medium rebound damping.

You cannot run a coil-over on your Mach 4 SL. The Mach 4 SL was designed to work with the progressiveness of an air spring. A coil-over shock (even one with separate bottoming control) does not offer the progressive spring curve that the Mach 4 SL requires. Running a coil-over shock on the Mach 4 SL will result in hard bottoming and damage to the frame that will not be covered under the warranty policy.

Pivot uses a 1.5 thread pitch on the rear thru axle. You can order one through our online store.

A detailed PDF of the torque specs can be found under Tech Specs.

Have some questions about using Fox Live Valve on your Mach 4SL Carbon? We are here to help.

You set sag just as you would on regular suspension, but with the Live Valve system turned off so you get accurate readings. We make it easy to get the best ride out of your Pivot bike with a simple sag indicator already installed on your bike, and this follow-along video featuring our own Bernard Kerr:

https://vimeo.com/pivotcycles/sag

Battery life is highly dependent on Live Valve settings and terrain. Average life ranges between 16 and 20 hours. For most riders, that covers several weeks of riding.

Charge times range between 1.5-2 hours depending on the power source. If you forget to charge the system before a ride it only takes 15 minutes to get enough power for a 2-hour ride.

When the system detects a low battery it goes into open mode and shuts down.

Yes. Riding Live Valve powered off is just like riding your bike with the suspension in the open mode. Pivot’s awesome dw-link suspension always offers class-leading performance with the system on or off.

1) Have the bike fully built and in a “ready to ride” condition

2) Place the bike on level ground and gently lean the bike against a wall so it is perpendicular to the ground, both front-to-back and side-to-side.

3) Press the power button on the controller to turn the system on.

4) Hold the settings selector button down for 15 seconds. After 15 seconds a green LED will illuminate.

5) Once the green LED illuminates, press the power button once. Five LEDs will flash green three times to indicate that the calibration is complete.

 

The system only needs to be calibrated once, unless you are changing accelerometers or changing fork lengths as this will affect the orientation of the pitch detection sensor and it may no longer be level to the ground.

No, the Live Valve system requires an accelerometer integrated near the rear axle, system mounting, and suspension tuning specific to the bike design.

Yes, within reason. Things like washing your bike, riding in the rain or normal puddles and small water crossings are fine. We do not recommend total submersion or a direct blast of water from a pressure washer – both could push water past seals and compromise the electronic system.

The Live battery can be charged on or off the bike and is charged using a standard micro-USB cable.

If you forget to turn the system off, Live Valve shuts off automatically if motion is not sensed for 1.5 hours. However, it is best to turn it off manually for battery charge preservation.

Yes, all Mach 4 SL frames are fully compatible, and Fox offers a complete preprogrammed system that is specific to the Mach 4 SL. However, the system would need to replace your current Fork and Shock and is far more cost effective when purchased as part of a Mach 4SL complete bike.  Please see your authorized Pivot dealer for information.  

Larger volume spacers will resist bottoming, allow the bike to ride higher in the stroke and generally make the bike feel more “poppy”. If a rider is not getting full stroke or they feel that the bike is riding too high in its stroke, even with sag set properly, then they should go to a smaller volume spacer.

The Mach 4 SL with a Float DPS shock comes with no volume spacers installed. The Mach 4 SL’s DPS will fit volume spacers from none - 0.4cu in. For a more progressive feel, a .2 or a.4 cu in volume spacer can be installed.  Please see the chart below for spacer P/N’s.  

 

P/N           Description

233-00-350Float DPS 0.20in^3 Plastic, Pink

233-00-351Float DS 0.40in^3 Plastic, Green

 

The Mach 4 SL LIVE shock uses a 1.02 cu in volume spacer. This is the maximum size volume spacer for this shock. The shock can handle smaller spacer for a more linear feel. Please see the chart below for spacer P/N’s. 

 

P/N                Description

233-00-341Float DPX2 0.40in^3 Plastic, Grey

233-00-342Float DPX2 0.60in^3 Plastic, Light Blue 

233-00-343Float DPX2 0.86in^3 Plastic, Medium Blue

The FOX 34 120mm fork comes stock with 2 spacers and can handle a maximum of 4 spacers.

 

P/N                Description

234-04-953Float 34 10cc Green

 

The FOX 32 100mm fork comes stock with 2 spacers and can handle a maximum of 4 spacers.

 

P/N                Description

234-04-811Float 32 8cc Blue