From World Cup podiums to trails around the world, the new Pique range is proving that speed and capability don’t have to live in separate lanes. Following its launch late last year, cycling media have put both the Pique Advanced SL and Pique X Advanced SL to the test, with reviewers praising their lightweight performance, responsive handling, and confidence across technical terrain.
Born from the same Pique legacy, the two series are purpose-built for different ways of riding. The Pique Advanced SL puts XC speed and efficiency first, with 120 mm of front and rear travel and an ultra-light chassis developed for the demands of modern cross-country racing. And it’s already proving itself at the highest levels of competition, carrying Liv athletes to multiple UCI World Cup podiums, the U.S. XCM National Championship title, and most recently, victory at the Leadville Trail 100 MTB.
For riders who blur the line between XC and trail, the Pique X Advanced SL pairs 130 mm of front travel with burlier components and integrated down tube storage, delivering more capability for technical climbs, fast descents, and everything in between.
From race results to real-world ride reviews, the verdict across the new Pique range is clear: fast, lightweight, confidence-inspiring, and ready for more.
“An Absolute Blast”
The Loam Wolf’s Emma Wooldridge took the Pique X Advanced SL 0 onto the varied, technical trails of Vallromanes, Spain, where its blend of climbing efficiency and descending capability quickly stood out.
“Climbing the Pique X Advanced SL was an effortless activity,” Wooldridge wrote, crediting its low weight and efficient power transfer with making 2,000 feet of elevation feel surprisingly manageable.
Pointing the bike downhill only added to the experience.
“I had an absolute blast ripping this bike down some of Spain’s singletrack trails,” she wrote. “The bike felt a tad less skittish, more stable, and gave me more confidence to tackle the tech.”
Wooldridge ultimately praised the Pique X Advanced SL for delivering the extra capability she had wanted from the previous Pique platform.
Read the full review HERE.
“The Pique Flies!”
Bikers Edge reviewer Aliseea Harbertson also found plenty to love about the Pique X Advanced SL, calling it “light, fast, and capable” and praising its ability to balance XC efficiency with a more playful trail-bike personality.
Despite describing herself as decidedly “not a climber,” Harbertson found the Pique X transformed the uphill experience.
“The Pique flies!” she wrote. “I got up steep hills I had no business climbing.”
On descents, its lightweight chassis, responsive handling, and additional travel made an equally strong impression. Harbertson praised how easily the bike could be maneuvered, unweighted, and adjusted through technical terrain, describing it as “sporty, responsive, and surprisingly fast.”
Her takeaway captured exactly where the Pique X fits: “It’s a do-it-all machine for riders who want one bike that never really feels out of place.”
Read the full review HERE.
“Undeniably Fast”
Over on the race-focused Pique Advanced SL, Singletrack’s Heather tested the flagship Pique Advanced SL 0 for two months and discovered a bike that delivered race-level speed without demanding a racer’s résumé.
Initially apprehensive that a pure XC bike might feel too twitchy, she quickly found the opposite.
“The Pique Advanced SL 0 is undeniably fast, but is so responsive and easy to manoeuvre that I connected with it quickly,” she wrote.
Across everything from rutted sand and slippery rock gardens to technical descents on her home trails, the Pique inspired confidence. Heather reported “PBs across the board” and praised the bike’s combination of low weight, control, and comfort, even noting that she trusted it on drops she would normally avoid.
Despite its race-first intentions, she found the Pique Advanced SL equally rewarding beyond the tape, with enough comfort and capability for longer days on the trail.
Read the full review HERE.
“Fast Uphill and Fast Downhill. What Could Be Better?”
BikeX mountain bike editor Katharina Binzenhöfer put the Pique Advanced SL through its paces at the launch in Barcelona, where its lightweight efficiency immediately made an impression.
“The Pique climbs willingly and nimbly,” she wrote, praising its ability to tackle technical uphill sections while maintaining traction and predictable handling.
But it was the bike’s descending performance that challenged expectations of what a lightweight XC race bike could deliver. Binzenhöfer highlighted its planted feel and confidence on fast, rough terrain, concluding that the Pique isn’t reserved for riders lining up between the tape.
“Even those not on the starting line will find it a very fun and fast bike for their local trails.”
Her summary of the new generation was even simpler: “Fast uphill and fast downhill. What could be better?”
From chasing seconds on the racecourse to finding the fun in every section of trail, the new Pique range gives riders two distinct ways to go faster and push harder.
Read the full review HERE.
For more details on the full Pique range, click here.