Pivot has updated its Switchblade trail bike, with the latest Switchblade iteration seeing the geometry and kinematics receiving a welcome refresh. There is also a very bright limited edition colorway to commemorate the Sun Eagle Talon that started it all 35 years ago.
The Switchblade was always billed as a trail bike with enduro aspirations although since its last update back in 2020, geometry has moved on a bit across the industry. The "all new Pivot Switchblade" looks to bring the bike back in line with its originally rowdy trail intentions.
The 2020 Pivot Switchblade was a radical update for the trail bike, switching to the vertical shock position that is now used throughout Pivot's lineup. The new Switchblade uses the same DW (Dave Weagle) suspension system but longer, lower linkages have tweaked the kinematic to give better traction when climbing and cornering plus more bottom-out resistance. Pivot has also added a flip-chip to fine-tune geometry as well as cater to mullet rear wheel configurations.
Geometry has also been updated to bring it in line with other trail bikes. In its low setting, the head angle has been slackened by 0.8 degrees to 65.2 and the seat tube has been steepened to 76 degrees. The bottom bracket has been dropped to 34.4mm which should help improve cornering performance. Chainstays are now size-specific in the larger sizes, with XS to Medium having a 431mm length and increasing to 432mm (yes, just 1mm longer) on the large and 436 on the XL. Reach has increased by 10mm on all but the XS frame, giving the medium a 465mm reach. Slacker head angles and longer reach also see the wheelbase grow across all bike sizes.
Pivot was one of the few brands that featured builds using Fox's Live Valve, but the new 2024 bikes seem to have dropped the electronic-controlled suspension system. This could be due to a lack of previous demand, although it may also hint that the new Fox Active Valve system is on its way but isn't quite ready yet – something we speculated to be coming in our 2024 MTB predictions.
Pivot continues its partnership with Topeak to provide the tooling for Pivot's Dock Tool System. There are a few different configurations featuring tools, CO2, or tube storage which can be bolted to the underside of the top tube.
As part of the release, Pivot is launching a limited edition Pink Neon colorway to celebrate the Sun Eagle Talon – the first bike designed by Pivot founder Chris Cocalis 35 years ago. The Sun Eagle Talon's striking frame came in an equally eye-catching colorway, which has been commemorated with a limited run of 2024 Switchblades.
The Switchblade will also come in Blue Neptune and Stealth Mojave options.
Pivot is offering 10 build options split between its Ride, Pro, and Team setups. Ride builds feature Fox Performance suspension, while the Pro and Team builds feature Fox Factory suspension. Team XX build features SRAM’s new XX transmission, SRAM Code Ultimate Stealth brakes, carbon wheels, and all Fox factory suspension. Team XTR build features Shimano’s ultra-reliable XTR derailleur and shifter, Shimano XTR brakes, carbon wheels, and all Fox factory suspension.
Pricing starts at $6,399 / €6,599 for the Ride SLX/XT build, Pro XT/XTR starts at $7,799 / €8,299 / £8,000, and the Team XTR model starts at $9,899 / €9,899 / £N/A.
For full details, head over to Pivotcycles.com
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