Detroit wrote: ↑Tue Aug 06, 2019 8:58 am
My dad actually owns both. He describes the difference as:
The Trance feels like a truck compared to the Pivot as a sports car.
However
The Trance is much better hammering gnarly stuff, he said it feels more durable and takes anything you throw at it. I absolutely love the Trance personally. As a linebacker, it's the only bike I've ridden that feels bother agile and indestructible.
Maybe he can provide some input then. I'm looking for something that is playful first and foremost. Easy to get airborne, easy to chuck into corners, easy to loft the front end over things, etc. Some bikes I've ridden that have been no doubt excellent machines but missing that playful aspect include the Specialized Stumpjumper 29er (way too planted, too hard to loft it), Pivot Mach 6 (enduro sled that doesn't have much maneuverability), and the Santa Cruz Hightower (not at all playful, hard to control at low speeds).
Aside from that I want something that's a couch. So 2.6" wide tires would be ideal. And 27.5" wheel size.
The Pivot felt very plush, tracked straight as an arrow, and felt quick. Not sluggish handling, despite weighing a lot. It was playful enough for me, easy enough to take a jump line or rail a corner. The Giant Anthem was actually more chuckable but since I was using all the travel at Nockamixon.... I'd be getting hammered around in the Wiss. So its not enough travel. Same thing holding me back from the Santa Cruz 5010 (that and poor pedaling performance).
The Trance should fit that bill I think.
The Mach 6 has me wondering though. That bike climbed like a goat, it was phenomenal. Much better than the Mach 5.5... I think it has a longer rear end. Maybe I'd learn to be maneuverable on something like that?
Anyway. $5500-6500 ish for the Pivot is retard money for a bike that I'll send off ledges intentionally. Around 3k would be most ideal. Especially since I'm not bringing in any money right now. And the 5.5 can't even fit a normal sized bottle in the frame so meh.