Designed to be the weapon of choice for Tour Divide competitors as well as cross-country and marathon racers, Pivot's new Les SL features new-school geometry and some seriously lightweight carbon dropouts; it's already claimed a victory at the Leadville 100

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Pivot's new race geometry focusses on longer reaches, slacker head angles, and shorter stems to designed to suit more demanding courses. Upfront there's a 69.5 degree head angle paired with a 410.3mm reach (on a medium frame), with a 72.5 degree effective seat tube angle, so it's reasonably progressive by the standards of most cross-country race machines.

Thanks to a new carbon layup using Hollow Core Moulding Technology and new carbon dropouts, Pivot has created their lightest frame yet. The brand claim that the Les SL has class-leading stiffness to weight ratio and power transfer, with a claimed 1,045g weight on a medium frame. 

With easy serviceability in mind, the Les SL features Pivot's own cable port system that promises a rattle-free ride that is compatible with all drivetrains and dropper posts.

The 100mm of squish is supplied by a 100mm Fox 32 Stepcast but the frame can run up to 130mm if that's what you fancy. The fork is fitted into an integrated headset, which Pivot says helps keep the weight low. As for the tyre clearance, the frame can fit up to a 2.3" tyre on 29" wheels.

The bike comes in four sizes, Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large, and comes in two colours, Blue or Stealth.

Prices start at £2,300 for the frame only and £3,900 for the Shimano XT Build. At the top of the range, for £7,300 the bike comes with Shimano XTR 12 speed and carbon wheels.

• www.pivotcycles.com

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