120 mm of rear travel, 66 degree HTA and 75 STA, 27-29lbs kits, and the ability to fit 29"x2.6" or 27.5"x3" tires, this trail bike is ready for those long haul, technical rides in the rowdiest terrain.

As one of our personal rides we've spent a lot of miles on the latest Pivot Trail 429 (XTR/XT build). The Trail 429 is a superbly adaptable bike.

Pros of the 429:

• A lightweight trail bike compared to rivals that can climb the most technical routes. We've made it up sketchy mountainside trails over step-ups, it feels like cheating.
• DW-Link suspension is very supportive and feels deeper than the 120mm rear travel.
• Ability to run 27.5x3" plus tires or roll over anything 29x2.6" and keep geometry with an adjustment + headcup. Fat tires equal a bike that can climb and descend more technical terrain with lower pressures and roll fast with a simple increase in pressure.
• Can be used as the all around trail/XC/bikepacking rig for a lot of terrain.
• Will get you back down any mountain, although not as fast as a Switchblade or Firebird.
• Lots of package variety, not many brands lets you go either SRAM or Shimano for every level.
• This is the bike we kept reaching for on those big days on trails we were riding for the first time.

Cons of the 429:

• It's a premium bike with premium pricing, no real budget friendly version, you would need to get a frame and build from there.
• We're not fans of the Maxxis Dissector in the loose Rockies. They don't do anything well, loose, rough, or hardpack. We left the back one on for the first season but will be replacing it with a grippier AND faster rolling Specialized Eliminator or the older Maxxis Aggressor.
• For steeper terrain you will want to up-size at least the front brake rotor to a 200/203mm rotor.
• For rough terrain it's still not a quiver killer for us, the Switchblade would be a better option. Not really a con since we expected that from a 120mm bike.