My experience seems to be different from that of others. I’ve been happy enough with the dropper that came on my 9.8 that I haven’t replaced it yet. Has been bomber so far.
- freewheeling makes a bit of a noise a bit like a loud hub.
This might be a deal breaker. Are we talking Industry Nine hub loud, or something more like a DT Swiss star ratchet hub? I'll take the soft whir and gentle rattle of an EP8 anyday over the angry bees scream of an I9.
"The three Rise’s pretty much lead the pace all day (we did all have range extenders on) and finished the day with more battery left than the full fats."
I'm trying to wrap my head around this. Aren't you just riding what is effectively a full fat with a motor limited to 60nm at that point?
The level of confidence and control the extra 10mm of rear travel provides is notable. Pivot's decision is puzzling in an industry that seems to be converging on 140 for trail bikes.
132mm is a bit of a disappointment, although I'd half expect a redesigned, longer travel (maybe FF) Shuttle variant that would allow Pivot a factory presence in the EWS-E series.