HEAD-TO-HEAD BIKETEST HIGH PIVOT VS LOW PIVOT

We pitch two bikes with very different suspension designs against each other to see what difference it makes on the trail

- ALEX EVANS

MEET THE TESTER

ALEX EVANS

BIKERADAR TECH EDITOR Alex started racing DH at the tender age of 11 and moved to Morzine, France, at 19 to pursue a career as a bike bum. Riding alpine tracks for eight years, he broke innumerable bikes, so he knows how to test machines to their limits.

The increase in popularity and availability of high-pivot bikes is no coincidence, with recent successes on the Downhill World Cup circuit serving to highlight the benefits of their more rearward axle path - including improved grip and better bump absorption for all to see. Alongside these big rigs, brands have been developing high-pivot trail, enduro and freeride bikes for everyday riders. However, questions linger about the suitability of this suspension design outside of the DH setting. To find out whether it lives up to the hype, we've pitted one of the latest high-pivot bikes against a more traditional low-pivot machine.

Our two bikes may appear a bit 'Jekyll and Hyde' at first glance. On one hand, we have the Orange Alpine Evo - a reworked version of one of the British brand's most popular models, dating back over 10 years. There's no fancy suspension wizardry here, just a straightforward single-pivot swingarm, doling out 155mm of rear wheel travel. It's not a thoroughbred race bike, but Orange's Enduro World Series team did compete aboard the Alpine Evo at certain 2021 events, and its geometry figures wouldn't look out of place on a bike with significantly more travel.