CTD - SJ EVO vs Remedy vs Pivot 5.7

[james_95]

After spending hours and hours of research I’ve narrowed down my top 3 (maybe 4) bikes and I’d like to get some “ratings” on them from those who’ve tried them. Give them a 1-5 rating, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best, in 3 categories – Climbing/Trail riding/Technical descending. Only rate them against each other…not against other bikes.

2013 - Pivot 5.7c
2013 - Remedy 9.9
2013 - Stumpjumper EVO Expert Carbon

2013 - Santa Cruz Blur LT (maybe)

Thanks for the help!

[smithrider]

I have ridden a friends Remedy extensively and rode a SJ Evo for a very short parking lot ride (some dirt in there). After this very limited time on the SJ, it would be easy for me to say I would take it over the Remedy. Short stays, low BB, it all just felt confidence inspiring and playful. Can't comment on the Blur LT or Pivot.

My friend also went through three Remedy's in just over a year before they upgraded him to the Scratch so he would stop warrantying his bike.

[SummitSurfer]

Pivot 5.7 all the way baby! Out in Moab i rented one and after a 27 mile ride threw Gemini Bridges then Mag 7.... I wanted to ride the bike back into Moab on the roadit was so comfortable, efficient yet a few clicks on the suspension and i was hitting and dropping everything! BUT DONT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT!! You owe it to yourself to just go test drive the Pivot 5.7....... Ibet you buy it! Plus its a beautiful bike just to look at!

[tryinghardrider]

My friend also went through three Remedy's in just over a year before they upgraded him to the Scratch so he would stop warrantying his bike.

What did he do to his three Remedy bikes that they broke? What year model were these?

[smithrider]

Not sure what model year it was; 09 or 10. The first was orange, the next two were raw in color. Ovalized the bearing sockets on upper pivot on one, cracked the frame on the other two. Trek took the frames back as part of the warranty process. He ended up selling the scratch as it was too much bike for his needs. He is now riding a scott carbon with no issues.

[ebeer]

The SJ EVO is a rockin good bike and here is why. The geo is spot on (at least for me). The move toward lower and slacker with slight travel increase makes this a trail eating machine. It carves corners, handles rough trail, and is very stable in the air. It climbs very well...note FSR is a different feel than DW (I'm not saying better or worse, just different - but it's a feel I prefer) but it climbs great for a bike in this class. It's light, comes with a good build (including killer Roval wheels), and is pretty damn sexy.

The Pivot Mach 5.7 is a rockin good bike here is why. It climbs...and by climbs I mean this thing dances up hills. I was shocked at how this bike went up. It's light, comes with at good build, and is one beautiful rig. The suspension is a great implementation of DW, it really does feel pretty endless in it's travel. For me personally I thought it was bit slow to engage (not so compliant at early stages in its travel). I found the bike not quite so confidence inspiring on the downs as the SJ Evo, however the DW Link might take more tuning and it's possible with more customization I would have found it more appealing.

The Santa Cruz Blur LTc is a rockin good bike and here's why. Climbs on par with SJ Evo, and descends with confidence (I felt as good as the Pivot but maybe not as good as SJ Evo IMO). Solid components and another drool worthy frame. Here's where the Blur shines though, this rig is positively playful. By that I mean more than any bike I've ridden I felt inspired to pop off lips, hammer out of corners, and find a way kick and thrash around as much as I possibly could (read great big grin, without a doubt).

Had I ridden only one of these bikes I would have been thrilled to buy it. But in the end the confidence inspiring descending capability of the SJ Evo along with its stable feel in the air, solid build, and light overall weight pushed me over the edge. But I can't stress enough, any of these will make you a happy rider.

Sorry no experience with Remedy.

[mnigro]

Looks like you're planning on dropping some serious coin here. You know that all those bikes on your list are the tits. Why ask for opinions here. Go lay down the few hundred it'll take to do a proper demo of each of them. Then make your decision. No way would I lay down that kind of money without some saddle time.

Everyone has their own preference. I like my El Guapo with Horst link over my old Nomad with VPP gen 1. Other people would prefer the VPP. Are either one better than the other? Would most riders by lucky to own either? You need to make this decision on your own. Everyone else has their own opinion.

[james_95]

Thanks for the great breakdown and your evaluation on these bikes. I am in the process of getting my hands on these bikes from different shops in the area but many of the shops don’t have demos of these models. I did get a chance to demo the SJ EVO Expert the other day and I have to agree with ebeer on all counts. I’m not a fan of the SRAM/Avid stuff or how Spec does their “proprietary” parts but after riding it I may have to look past those things…I would have to change out those terrible brakes.
I found a Pivot 5.7c for demo but its 1 size too small but I might still try it anyways to get a feeling for the suspension.
I haven’t been able to find a Remedy or SC demo in my area yet.

[jds2835]

I built up a sj evo frame last winter and love it. Shimano brakes and drivetrain with a lyric up front. The bb is super low and it rails corners but I do tend to stuff my pedals into the ground when I'm in race mode.

[Isildur]

Someone asked a similar question on the Pivot forum the other day. They were asking about the SJ Evo v Mach 5.7C. Note that I've not ridden the Blur, but my response regarding the SJ Evo v Pivot is quoted below for you.

I also demo'd the Remedy while I was searching for which bike to buy, and I wasn't impressed with it (2012 model with DRCV front and back). I couldn't get the suspension on the Remedy setup at all - to make it pedal well enough it ended up not using anywhere near it's travel. To set it up to use all of it travel, it would blow through very easily. I've had a pretty good time setting up many other bikes in my time and often help friends with their setups. On the Remedy I just couldn't find the right balance. I've also heard of other people having the same problems.

Perhaps they've Remedied (sorry, I know ) the problem for 2013, and if so it will be a contender.

Note: The only SJ Evo I've ridden was L (I generally ride a M frame, and ride a M 5.7C).

As far as agility goes, I love my 5.7C. It's super playful between corners, super fun in the air and I haven't had any issue lifting the front end when I've needed to (i.e. just before 2/3ft drops to flat, on tech descents, etc). As far as wheelies go, I've never really been good at doing them, always too chicken (about going over the back!)

The only time I had issues jumping the bike was when I first got it, and went out to my local FR area (well built, 1 - 3 meter gaps, huge berms, not overly rough). I usually ride my Phoenix here BTW. On that day it felt like the bike kept kicking me forward, but that was due to two things - rebound settings (set relatively fast compared to my Phoenix) and super low, flat bars keeping my weight further forward. As soon as I'd slowed the rebound down, the 5.7C started to behave really well On my normal trails for the 5.7C (from super fast flowy XC loops, to techy sandstone meccas), it's as agile as a hummingbird

The SJ EVO I've ridden is a mate bike, and it's not an apples to apples comparison as he's 10kg heavier than me and his bike is a L size. The Evo felt quite "tall" to me, whereas the 5.7C felt right in the cockpit. Even with the extra shock pressure (due to his weight), the bike didn't feel quite as responsive. That said, it wasn't as if it felt bad to pedal, but it just didn't feel quite as responsive to pedal input at the 5.7C. It also (mainly due to the extra pressure again) didn't feel anywhere near as plush as my bike that day.

My mates Evo also didn't feel quite as nimble as the 5.7C, but this could have been due to the longer ETT & reach on the Evo.

But, there are two things that you need to be aware of with the 5.7C that I've noticed. The first, which is mainly due to the way the DW-Link works, is that pedalling through rough chop (i.e. fields of grapefruit & melon sized rocks) can feel a bit stiff. I gather that this is due happening as the DW stiffens up a little already when pedalling, and add some small baby heads to that and it doesn't feel overly plush. Since riding Mach style bikes, if I know about a rough choppy section, I make sure I get a lot of momentum up beforehand, and try and get through it before pedalling. Riding through these sections is plush as, but when pedalling, not so much.

The other is that I've found the 5.7C really LOVES to be caned. As long as you're putting the effort in, you'll be rewarded with super fun times. The downside of that is that if you start to get lazy, it starts to feel a bit flat. This could be due to the amount on travel, but not having ridden anything with this much travel before (this is my first bike over 4") I don't have anything to compare to.

So, all of that said, personally I would pick th 5.7C over the Evo any day of the week But, of course, I already have!

I hope that helps!

[5power]

I tested the pivot and stumpy evo. For me the stumpy was more playful a rocket out of the corners, around berms and when things pointed down. The short rear stays and low bb made it very easy to manual and jump. I also thought it climb great.

The pivot didn't fit the way I ride, was dull and didn't take big jumps well. I think it's a great XC bike with trail characteristics.

Some video's of what the EVO is about if you ride like these guys I think the Evo is for you.
These Are The Days - Dylan Dunkerton on Vimeo
2013 Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon EVO 26 & 29. Which is Faster? - YouTube

[JMac47]

Some video's of what the EVO is about if you ride like these guys I think the Evo is for you.
These Are The Days - Dylan Dunkerton on Vimeo
2013 Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon EVO 26 & 29. Which is Faster? - YouTube

That tanktop he was wearing all day had to be pretty rank by the end of the shoot(s)! Fun stuff right out the cabin's back door too!