I Just picked up a 5.5 and have been nothing but pleased. Not a ton of miles on this thing in just a bit over a month, but WOW, what a difference. I am climbing better than I ever have and all I have to do is point and shoot on the descents. No more picking my way through lines. I just go over obstacles. I will tell you that everything in this video is spot on with my personal conversations with Rich. BTW as an aside, if you ever have a chance to deal with him personally he will not steer you wrong, he knows his stuff. Now I just wish I would have had him throw in a few lessons when I chatted with him....lol. Nice video Rich!
Rich does an excellent job of explaining techniques and practices. He's the best instructor of all the mtb videos that I've seen! Even though I've ridden BMX for many years and now MTB for many years, I'm still not very good at jumping. This video has already given me more confidence and knowledge on how to improve in this area.
Not to mention they have strict quality control protocols to ensure a consistently amazing frame. Pivot is in my top 5, ok...top 3 faves! Definitely CC f/r...Nailed it down RIp Drew!
I've been doing some bike reviews on my channel and they've all been 29ers. I'm considering 27.5 though now, this and the Yeti sb140. Great work and video!
While I'm not nearly as good as a rider as Rich is, I have a 2019 Mach 5.5 with an X0 drivetrain, Fox Factory suspension, and Reynolds carbon/I-9 wheelset, and I absolutely love my bike! It's red and size Large. Love it!
@@richdrewtherideseries I've noticed that you ride several Pivot bikes. Which ones are your favorite? How do you think the Mach 5.5 compares to the Firebird 29? Do you think it would be good to have one of each?
On my Evil I run a ribbon coil and even tough the dampening doesn't feel as refined as fox or rockshox my hands never hurt and I love the extra grip from the coil fork
Thanks for pointing out majority of peeps that don’t ride races. Speed and passenger 29er or fun and in control 27.5? 27.5 is it! My times on my local trail was much faster on a 29 but I felt more like a passenger. I since reverted back to 27.5 because I can’t stop smiling down the trail.
Rich..Great informative video ! I am wondering about your thinking in regards to how you chose the Hydra Enduro S wheelset versus the 305 Enduro wheels on this bike ?
I'm a bit late to this party. I hear you mention the Firebird 29 and that might be your race choice (as of this video). In a long term sense, can you shed light on similarities and differences you noted riding the 'Bird and the 5.5? And, between the 2, if you could only keep one in the stable, which one stays? I know one major notable difference is the momentum of the larger hoops.
As far as I know the 5.5 hasn’t been updated. I dug it, super fun bike! I think the Fezzari has a little broader use case, at least for me and my type of riding. Either way, both awesome bikes!
@@richdrewtherideseries Thanks Drew, I appreciate you taking the time to respond, no doubt there's many asking for your attention. Just one question I guess, how's the fun factor of the 5.5 compared to others, especially while climbing and in tight curves?
Sorry Rich, I thought you were having fun with your name and were poking fun at how expensive mountain bikes are by pretending to be Wealthy as in "Rich" and that your first name was actually "Drew" because I used to work with a guy named Drew - lol I'm all screwed up 🤦♂️
Pros and minuses to both. 27.5" always gets credit for its fun and playfulness, but IMO one thing but discussed nearly enough, is rider size. Not every chick rides female models, and a lotta dudes 5'7 and under (myself included) doesn't like a 29" wheel.
Hey Rich - Great review. I'm thinking of getting the 5.5 or the Switchblade and I'm wondering why the 5.5 didn't get super boost plus spacing. I've rideen both and they are both fantastic! Thoughts?
Hey Babar! I just think the timing of the 5.5s engineering and the end goals for usage are why it didn't get the super boost spacing. Smaller wheel size comes into play as well. Tough call between those two bikes. Let me know what you decide.
@@richdrewtherideseries Hey Rich - Thanks for the reply. I ended up picking up a 2019 Switchblade on closeout from the LBS. Major savings! I'm now going to pick up some carbon 27.5+ wheels and have some fun. When the new 5.5 comes out in a year or two, I'll maybe sell this and get one then.
HI-I see CC has several versions of the 5.5 including the one with FOX LIVE, do you have any thoughts on that? Its over 2 grand off list that's why I would even consider it but still 7 grand though-I now have a 2018 Canyon Spectral 6.0 AL with 2019 Mavic XA carbon wheels and upgraded the seat to Fizik M-1.. The Spectral has won many awards and a youtube rider had one and ran the crap out of it and he was very impressed, need to say he gets a new bike from Canyon every season
@@richdrewtherideseries do you see yourself going back to a 27.5 any time soon? I did a demo on a competitors bike and made me hate getting back on my 29er sb5.5 and sb150.
Haha! In my defense, I said that BEFORE I spent time on this bike. I still love the SB, don't get me wrong, but this thing just feels like a big BMX bike to me.
@@richdrewtherideseries Having just read that, I think you've convinced me, I just hope I don't regret not going with the Ibis MOJO 4 which was my other option. I was also looking at the Yeti 140 but I don't think I want to have to keep that odd rear suspension maintained.
Who said 27.5 was dead? 90% of the bikes I see on the trails are 650b (27.5). And why does Pivot/Cocalis continue to route a cable/housing under the bottom bracket? I think they are the only manufacturer that continues to do that. They need a Manager of Cable routing...their website shows 10+ people employed as Warehouse Assistants, move one over to deal with the horrible cable routing. I love these bike reviews...each of them attempts to persuade us that the bike being reviewed is essentially a Jr DH bike, trail bikes amd everything in between. Unfortunately untrue. Even Pivot has a Mach 4, Mach 5 (not currently produced), Mach 5.5, Mach 6 and the Firebird (essentially a Mach 6.5), so obviously they don't think there is a Swiss Army knife in their product offering.
I love it, "Manager of Cable Routing." I'll see if I can convince Chris to do that. Thankfully I've never had an issue with those cables down low. I certainly wouldn't say this bike does everything great. A jr DH rig it isn't. I switched from the 5.5 to the FB 29 at the Big Sky BME because I just plain needed more stability. At the end of the day, these are my feelings on this bike. Pivot doesn't have any input in what you watched above, they probably won't even help expose it because of the MRP fork. I feel like it's my obligation to expose my usage of the bike and provide context for who I am as a rider. Thanks for the well thought out comment Dimitri!
@@richdrewtherideseries what's the word on the MRP? Sounds like it's coil vs air. I used to ride a Fox VAN back in the day up front. Is the MRP user serviceable? What advantages does the fork have over current Fox and RS offerings in your opinion? I'm very interested. Thanks for the reply.
Do you regularly replace chains and chainrings from bashing them against rocks? I don't. Never had a problem with under bb routing and rock tech is all I ride.
Hi Rich, I came across your channel and watched a couple of your training videos and subscribed. Just curious, though. Are you sponsored by Pivot in any way?
Hey Jeff! I was a factory Pivot rider for two years (2018-19) I chose to move on and make a presence reviewing every bike I can get my hands on. That being said, I'm extremely happy with the Pivot products and i'm currently drooling over the new Switchblade!
Geometry and travel. If you don't know which one you need, you'll probably want a 5.5 or Switchblade. Mach 6 isn't as good climbing but it's better downhill, so if you're into riding bike parks you'll wanna go with the 6.
@@topspot4834 Mach 6 has higher antisquat and same weight frame so you can make it into a great climber if you want. Can't speak for the 2021 version though.
I feel like the SB is the 29er version of the 5.5. I think the M6 is the best all around bike, pedals just as good as the 5.5 but has more travel on tap, you do sacrifice some liveliness and pop.
I know nothing about bikes but tell me WHY in hell is this thing $13,000 to me a bike like that for that price is insane someone tell me why it's so expensive
I Just picked up a 5.5 and have been nothing but pleased. Not a ton of miles on this thing in just a bit over a month, but WOW, what a difference. I am climbing better than I ever have and all I have to do is point and shoot on the descents. No more picking my way through lines. I just go over obstacles. I will tell you that everything in this video is spot on with my personal conversations with Rich. BTW as an aside, if you ever have a chance to deal with him personally he will not steer you wrong, he knows his stuff. Now I just wish I would have had him throw in a few lessons when I chatted with him....lol. Nice video Rich!
Dopest bike reviews around!
Thanks for putting in the work, doing the research, and bringing the best content to the growing MTB World!
Thanks Tim! Certainly helps to be in the epicenter of all things MTB!!
Rich does an excellent job of explaining techniques and practices. He's the best instructor of all the mtb videos that I've seen! Even though I've ridden BMX for many years and now MTB for many years, I'm still not very good at jumping. This video has already given me more confidence and knowledge on how to improve in this area.
Very well put together and great production quality! This is such a rad bike, it really does do it all! 🤘
Thanks Gerid! We're really trying man. It is a killer bike. Seems to work well everywhere.
Buying this bike has by far been my best mtb purchase. It's capable, really strong, and looks oooober sexy.
Gotta love Pivot! Great bikes!
I agree!!
It is a beauty a friend of mine has got one I rode it and it is amazing how the bike performs on any type of terrain.
Very fun bike!
Just ordered this! The Pro xt/xtr...before I even saw this review. Thank you for confirming. Excellent review and coverage. Subscribed...
Not to mention they have strict quality control protocols to ensure a consistently amazing frame. Pivot is in my top 5, ok...top 3 faves! Definitely CC f/r...Nailed it down RIp Drew!
who else is in your top 5?
I've been doing some bike reviews on my channel and they've all been 29ers. I'm considering 27.5 though now, this and the Yeti sb140. Great work and video!
While I'm not nearly as good as a rider as Rich is, I have a 2019 Mach 5.5 with an X0 drivetrain, Fox Factory suspension, and Reynolds carbon/I-9 wheelset, and I absolutely love my bike! It's red and size Large. Love it!
Joe H. Such an AWESOME package you have Joe! One of the most versatile bikes I’ve ever ridden!
@@richdrewtherideseries I've noticed that you ride several Pivot bikes. Which ones are your favorite? How do you think the Mach 5.5 compares to the Firebird 29? Do you think it would be good to have one of each?
You're so good at marketing this stuff... perhaps they should hire you full time! :) Love the video.
Haha, thank you Allison! That would be really cool to do this full time, ya never know I guess.
Right on! Love my Mach 5.5 (though that damn SB 130 is like a siren call). Stoked to hear how much you dig and have fun on it.
Great channel you have Rich. Quality video. Curious if you've ridden a Process 153 CR/DL 27.5
On my Evil I run a ribbon coil and even tough the dampening doesn't feel as refined as fox or rockshox my hands never hurt and I love the extra grip from the coil fork
awesome video and it helps me to choose mach 6 now.
awesome Rich! Love the content!
Thanks dude!!
Was wondering how this compares to a Santa Cruz Bronson. Haven't ridden either. Thanks.
I miss your blue Switchblade that thing was a beauty.
Thanks for pointing out majority of peeps that don’t ride races. Speed and passenger 29er or fun and in control 27.5? 27.5 is it! My times on my local trail was much faster on a 29 but I felt more like a passenger. I since reverted back to 27.5 because I can’t stop smiling down the trail.
Rich..Great informative video !
I am wondering about your thinking in regards to how you chose the Hydra Enduro S wheelset versus the 305 Enduro wheels on this bike ?
Thanks Grid! It was purely cost. I wanted to showcase that the steel chassis wheels were a great option!
Are you related to that stud Rob Drew?
Patricia Hohmann Fortunatley for me, yes I am 😉. You now obviously know where my rugged good looks come from 🤷🏻♂️
I'm a bit late to this party. I hear you mention the Firebird 29 and that might be your race choice (as of this video). In a long term sense, can you shed light on similarities and differences you noted riding the 'Bird and the 5.5? And, between the 2, if you could only keep one in the stable, which one stays? I know one major notable difference is the momentum of the larger hoops.
I wonder how you'd like your Fezzari compared with the newest 5.5? What do you expect Drew?
As far as I know the 5.5 hasn’t been updated. I dug it, super fun bike! I think the Fezzari has a little broader use case, at least for me and my type of riding. Either way, both awesome bikes!
@@richdrewtherideseries Thanks Drew, I appreciate you taking the time to respond, no doubt there's many asking for your attention.
Just one question I guess, how's the fun factor of the 5.5 compared to others, especially while climbing and in tight curves?
Sorry Rich, I thought you were having fun with your name and were poking fun at how expensive mountain bikes are by pretending to be Wealthy as in "Rich" and that your first name was actually "Drew" because I used to work with a guy named Drew - lol
I'm all screwed up 🤦♂️
"I've reverted back to this bike over and over again, and I think it comes back to one word"... two words... smaller wheels
Pros and minuses to both. 27.5" always gets credit for its fun and playfulness, but IMO one thing but discussed nearly enough, is rider size. Not every chick rides female models, and a lotta dudes 5'7 and under (myself included) doesn't like a 29" wheel.
@@topspot4834 *_Make that 5'8" !!!!!!!!!!_*
Well, I'm sold!! (or broke) o_0
Hey Rich - Great review. I'm thinking of getting the 5.5 or the Switchblade and I'm wondering why the 5.5 didn't get super boost plus spacing. I've rideen both and they are both fantastic! Thoughts?
Hey Babar! I just think the timing of the 5.5s engineering and the end goals for usage are why it didn't get the super boost spacing. Smaller wheel size comes into play as well. Tough call between those two bikes. Let me know what you decide.
@@richdrewtherideseries Hey Rich - Thanks for the reply. I ended up picking up a 2019 Switchblade on closeout from the LBS. Major savings! I'm now going to pick up some carbon 27.5+ wheels and have some fun. When the new 5.5 comes out in a year or two, I'll maybe sell this and get one then.
Man - you really should consider reviewing things or bikes ) !!!
HI-I see CC has several versions of the 5.5 including the one with FOX LIVE, do you have any thoughts on that? Its over 2 grand off list that's why I would even consider it but still 7 grand though-I now have a 2018 Canyon Spectral 6.0 AL with 2019 Mavic XA carbon wheels and upgraded the seat to Fizik M-1.. The Spectral has won many awards and a youtube rider had one and ran the crap out of it and he was very impressed, need to say he gets a new bike from Canyon every season
Hey Rich, simple question. How much do you weight? By the way, I take this video as a good commentary on the Pivot line and the 2.5 frame.
Hey there! Thanks for the positive input! The Pivot line really is awesome. I'm 185 pounds with all my gear.
Hey Rich, Would you classify this 5.5 as more or less a 2020/1 Switchblade in 27.5" boots - in terms of handling and climbing prowess?
Is this the bike you were riding last weekend?
Hey Derek! I haven't had this bike for quite some time. I've been on a Devinci Django for awhile now.
@@richdrewtherideseries cool. You were ripping on it for sure.
@@richdrewtherideseries do you see yourself going back to a 27.5 any time soon? I did a demo on a competitors bike and made me hate getting back on my 29er sb5.5 and sb150.
Did he say the same thing about switchblade 🤔
Exactly the same😂
Haha! In my defense, I said that BEFORE I spent time on this bike. I still love the SB, don't get me wrong, but this thing just feels like a big BMX bike to me.
@@richdrewtherideseries Having just read that, I think you've convinced me, I just hope I don't regret not going with the Ibis MOJO 4 which was my other option. I was also looking at the Yeti 140 but I don't think I want to have to keep that odd rear suspension maintained.
Do you use clipless with this bike?
What is BME?😬
Who said 27.5 was dead? 90% of the bikes I see on the trails are 650b (27.5). And why does Pivot/Cocalis continue to route a cable/housing under the bottom bracket? I think they are the only manufacturer that continues to do that. They need a Manager of Cable routing...their website shows 10+ people employed as Warehouse Assistants, move one over to deal with the horrible cable routing. I love these bike reviews...each of them attempts to persuade us that the bike being reviewed is essentially a Jr DH bike, trail bikes amd everything in between. Unfortunately untrue. Even Pivot has a Mach 4, Mach 5 (not currently produced), Mach 5.5, Mach 6 and the Firebird (essentially a Mach 6.5), so obviously they don't think there is a Swiss Army knife in their product offering.
I love it, "Manager of Cable Routing." I'll see if I can convince Chris to do that. Thankfully I've never had an issue with those cables down low. I certainly wouldn't say this bike does everything great. A jr DH rig it isn't. I switched from the 5.5 to the FB 29 at the Big Sky BME because I just plain needed more stability. At the end of the day, these are my feelings on this bike. Pivot doesn't have any input in what you watched above, they probably won't even help expose it because of the MRP fork. I feel like it's my obligation to expose my usage of the bike and provide context for who I am as a rider. Thanks for the well thought out comment Dimitri!
@@richdrewtherideseries what's the word on the MRP? Sounds like it's coil vs air. I used to ride a Fox VAN back in the day up front. Is the MRP user serviceable? What advantages does the fork have over current Fox and RS offerings in your opinion? I'm very interested. Thanks for the reply.
Do you regularly replace chains and chainrings from bashing them against rocks? I don't. Never had a problem with under bb routing and rock tech is all I ride.
Hi Rich, I came across your channel and watched a couple of your training videos and subscribed. Just curious, though. Are you sponsored by Pivot in any way?
Hey Jeff! I was a factory Pivot rider for two years (2018-19) I chose to move on and make a presence reviewing every bike I can get my hands on. That being said, I'm extremely happy with the Pivot products and i'm currently drooling over the new Switchblade!
Do you think much difference between this bike and Mach 6.
Geometry and travel. If you don't know which one you need, you'll probably want a 5.5 or Switchblade. Mach 6 isn't as good climbing but it's better downhill, so if you're into riding bike parks you'll wanna go with the 6.
@@topspot4834 Mach 6 has higher antisquat and same weight frame so you can make it into a great climber if you want. Can't speak for the 2021 version though.
how much is this thing? Im trying to stay under $10K but def need eagle XX1
12k for an xx1 build, before taxes
I feel like the SB is the 29er version of the 5.5. I think the M6 is the best all around bike, pedals just as good as the 5.5 but has more travel on tap, you do sacrifice some liveliness and pop.
I went with the Mach 6. It does everything this bike does. My build is 28.8lbs.
what song is that? no need to say anything about the video. Its Rich drew duh
With suspension and tires that heavy, should have gone with the Mach 6.
I know nothing about bikes but tell me WHY in hell is this thing $13,000 to me a bike like that for that price is insane someone tell me why it's so expensive
@ßrooks where can you get it for $4,700 ?
People drive $80k cars that do nothing but get them home from work.....
First 8 minutes is spec overview not a longterm review fyi wrong title
ashdiggity504 ok