First Impression: Pivot LES
Originally posted on March 27, 2013 at 12:25 pm
By Jon Pratt. Photos by Justin Steiner.
The LES is Pivot Cycles’ first entry into the hardtail 29er market. With a carbon frame, a slack 69.5-degree headtube angle, low 12.1” bottom bracket, short 17.1” chainstays, and weighing in at a scant 22.5 pounds, the LES is meant to be a high performance race bike that affords a smoother ride than its XC brethren. For our upcoming review we got our hands on a fully blinged-out carbon XTR build which came complete with a 100mm travel Kashima coated Fox Float 29 100mm CTD fork, XTR drivetrain and Trail brakes, 700mm carbon handlebar, and DT 240 wheels. Sexy.
On my initial outings this bike feels light, and fast. The wide 92mm press fit bottom bracket makes for a substantial bottom bracket junction which looks and feels like it will retain stiffness while putting the hammer down, and help transfer some of that energy from my legs to the gears. Matched with the Fox Float, and a stiff rear, climbing some of my favorite trails has been noticeably easier. The frame also feels pretty smooth when hitting some of the more chattery sections. All good signs for things to come.
One of the cool features on the LES is its ability to be run geared or singlespeed. While all the frames come with carbon dropouts, featuring a 142x12mm thru axel, post disc mounts, and a replaceable derailleur hanger, we also got our hands on Pivot’s Swinger Kit. The kit includes cold-forged aluminum dropouts, a front derailleur plate, and caps to cover all the geared cable locations. I’m interested just how easy it is to swap between the two. And because of its slackened head tube angle and short chainstays, I’m anxious to see how well the LES performs on some of the more technical lines.
Look for a full review in Issue #170 of Dirt Rag. Click here to subscribe.
Vital stats
- Country of Origin: Taiwan
- Warranty: 3 years
- Size: S, M (tested), L, XL
- Price: $6,700
- Website: www.pivotcycles.com