What do you think of the new Switchblade? You can get even more details and see some photos here: www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/Bikes,3/Pivot/Switchblade-Pro-XT-XTR,28978#product-reviews/3765/expand
This bike is the real deal. I've never been a 29er guy, but this bike has made me a believer. I currently ride a second gen Bronson with an X2 coil and love the playful nature of a versatile 27.5. After watching this review, I demo'd the 2020 Switchblade for two days and I can honestly say, it freakin' rocks! It pops every bit as much as my beloved SC but eats up the bumps better. Most 29ers I've ridden have felt very planted and plow through rougher terrain; the downside for me being they are usually harder to hop over obstacles and feel tank-ish. Not this bad boy. My next bike. Great review.
*I'd like to see you review the 27.5" Switchblade vs SB-140 vs Revel Rail vs 27.5" Transition Scout vs New Ibis Mojo IV* - for those of us who do not like 29", and we are many!
Excellent video, you were thorough and clear without sounding overly subjective. Thank you for all the details such as your height and weight. Much appreciated.
Looks like a blast. I prefer a lively feeling bike as well. The old switchblade was one of my favorite bikes, and this one looks even better. I'm excited to try one out. Excellent review!
Great review Vitalmtb!! this looks like a proper superbike that will be benchmark for full suspension bikes for at LEAST a couple years, which is truly phenomenal, given the rapid pace of mtb design/developments. I think its a fantastic arguement for getting very high value, despite the high cost. As long as Pivot continues to design and develop bikes of this caliber, buyers will continue to realize good value that is worth the price for riders willing to invest. An amazing achievement for Pivot.
I rode the last switchblade on a handful of occasions and I absolutely loved that bike. Heck, I'd still buy one if my Niner dropped dead on me today. However, this revised switchblade, especially in green, has me dreaming.
I much prefer the straighter tubes of this versus the old swoopy ones. I've always digged Pivot's attention to detail. Looks like about the pinnacle of trail bikes right now. Great review too - I really feel like I know the bike and how it rides now.
@@Kovacs-sf1hi I'm hoping to do some enduro racing in the PNW with one. I'm definitely on the fence about buying one though as the build I want is the Pro X01 and it's $8k. lmao
Too similar to my Firebird 29 to make the switch (pun intended) .... seriously glad to see the downtube got straightened... looks great with better geometry... great start to Pivot2020
Oooh Scotty likey. I really want to take this bad boy out on the trails. Looks like I will he saving up for what I feel is 97% sure to be my new trail bike I so desperately need.
Bike Industry are becoming the tech industry, they change the design and looks every year but with minimal benefits for the average weekend rider. I've stopped upgrading 3 years ago since the experience with different shocks and pivot designs doesn't change the fact that we all ride for happiness while our bank account is getting thin. From then On, I realized, I will just change components if they are no longer working and will try to upgrade maybe after 5 or more years by buying a 1 or 2 yrs old second hand frame.
Kind of like the smart phone industry. I still run my iPhone 6 plus and can't get myself to pay over a grand for a new phone: oh its slimmer, faster, sleeker, better colors... Whatever... I think Pivot is getting too greedy.
Yup. Same with ties. They get thinner, then wider, then thinner, wider, etc etc .... But it's just business, and your assessment and gameplan is a smart one. I bought the new Mach 6 and realize in 2-3 years it'll probably be out of favor with the latest geometry, but it's still the same bike, and I'll just replace parts as needed just like you. I don't blame bike manufacturers, or Apple or any other business trying to make a buck. It's more of a society issue always trying to keep up with the latest trends. I paid good money for my Pivot just like a paid good money for my iPhone, and I'd never let societal pressure dictate when those items become obsolete.
JAFO Honestly I would , but I’m 14 years old and my parents can’t afford that type of stuff , so I’ll just wait until I get a job , if I’m still interested in bikes
Bike manufacturers are going insane with pricing! Starting at 9kaud are you serious! Bicycles just don’t have the same engineering as motorcycles yet are 80-95% of the cost. The reality is that pivot and countless others engineer frames!. Engineered to work with items purchased that other companies have engineered that simply bolt on, viola were at 9k. Seriously we all stop buying them for 6-12 months then they’ll drop like hot cakes!
Looks like a winner, but I gotta say... With nearly identical dimensions and weight to a Firebird 29, but a degree steeper HT and 20mm less travel, I don't see any reason to get this over the FB29. Oh, and good to see Brandon rocking the full-face Stage for trail riding; preserving your teeth is the wave of the future.
We're big fans of the Stage! Among others, there's a big difference between this and the Firebird in terms of general ease of pedaling. The Switchblade has similar uphill traction levels but feels much lighter on its feet.
I need to be a Dentist to get me one of these. Kidding, I have a yeti sb130 clr and I'm now looking for my second bike and like the pivot switchblade vs ibis ripmo v2.
It's interesting you mentioned the option to go Mullet. I asked about converting my Firebird to Mullet and they said it would void the warranty. Might want to check that.
Just placed my order for one of these beauties. My bank has a gaping hole, and that hole will remain till it’s filled with trail fun when I receive it in a months time.
No brainier. This. I'm in PA and have a Mach 6 and hardtail for both local trail riding and bike parks, but if I could only have one bike it'd definitely be the Switchblade. It's Pivots most versatile option, and it's perfect for the rocky Northeast.
Does anyone who isn't a factory sponsored rider actually care about Fox Live? And why does Pivot insist on Superboost spacing? Looks like a nice bike but way too expensive. Hard pass.
Pat Couser yes but regular boost spacing works just fine. My Ripley clears 29" x 2.6 without any problems. Plus, a lot of people (like me), have other wheelset(s) with boost spacing that I couldn't use on a bike like this without buying expensive hubs and then having to get them re-laced.
@@nafnaf0 I own both now. :) The Switchblade handles technical root & rock climbs better. Plus, I feel the DW-Link is still a better pedaling suspension than Yeti SI. The Yeti's seat angle does put you in a great position to put down more power though. - EDventure.
Start building frames in USA again. Hopefully thats what they use the building for. The carbon layup is getting more and more efficient. Burma can't have huge infrastructure. I don't think the cost to make the frames in the USA would be that much more. If Pivot starts making the frames in the USA, sign me up for one.
I am an intermediate rider in Vancouver Canada and I am considering either the Pivot Switchblade or the Scott genius for my next bike. What matters to me most is being able to do technical claims. Can you comment on the Pivot versus the Scott Genius?
Hey man,is that a 29er???what if we choose to go for 27.5 tires,would that be better fr 27.5?we bout to go fr the xx1 fox live...Reply would be appreciated...TY.
Pretty much coz Santa Cruz, yeti are inferior in design sophistication. You could make a case for ibis making pivot look over priced, which I might agree if not for the fact that the ibis frame has hardly changed over the past 4 iterations
@@87togabito you don’t know what you’re talking about I think... Santa and yeti both have better made frames, guided internal routing, that it’s a must have unlike pivot that thought it was not needed since they’re so cheap, and better warranty, let alone Santa also has lifetime warranty for bearings, where is pivot superior? Nowhere. Just in price which is absolutely not justified, oh, and you wanna talk about that STA in the switchblade? Ibis was far ahead already, it’s pivot that still has to catch up..
nice looking frame but the price is just too much , and geo too conservative .. Its great bike I have no doubt, just not for me as I already have something simmilar already for half price.
17 Geometry? Or do you mean $5500 and it is not even an enduro bike? Specialized and SC both start at $4200 and go up to over $10k without the Fox Live Valve, with the 2020 SB at $5500 to $10k(no LV) pricing is right with competitors(yes I know they have a $1k less starting price). If you want Enduro geometry go Firebird 29, however in reports the 2020 SB climb better than either the Sworks Enduro and Firebird 29 with the so called 2019 geometry.
If you have to put a price on joy and because of a thousand bucks you're gonna pass on what might just be the best ride on earth right now, then you need either a better job or a better perspective, remember zer0bama printed so much money that $12,000 today is only about $6,000 10yrs ago.
Something new inbetween the pivot and the firebird? wtf man you need to tell me, i wan't to buy the firebird, but not if there's something new on the way. Unless it's a Dh bike.
Mechanic tip: Carbon bikes are noisy. The nature of metal and plastic/epoxy matchup. And the lack of material flexibility means noise when torqued. But if cable is rattling on steer tube just make them longer so they bow out more and clear better.
Yeah I agree, I think they are taking a risk asking so much for this, boarder line greedy. I mean, I know there is a cost for outsourcing for it to be made in Berma but Santa Cruz, Yeti, Ibis, Revel, and other "Boutique" brands are made outside the US, and they don't charge this much. Not even Yeti is this expensive.
This is an awesome review, but the bike industry is ripping its own people off not all of us are rich and I guess the rich can buy these $12,000 bikes but come on $12,000 you can get a motorcycle and there's way more equipment and parts in r&d and those than there is in a mountain bike
I paid less for my motorcycle when i bought it than that 12k mark for something i gotta pedal. Thats absurd. Unless you are a professional or ride for a living, thats just too much. I ride on weekends and take a trip maybe once a year and park my bike in the winter. Anything over 2k is too much.
Looks like a sweet bike, but some pretty big issues for me. 66 degree head angle isn't bad, honestly it's refreshing to see bikes that aren't super crazy slack. 75.5 seat angle isn't very great, plus it doesn't look that steep. Geo chart has the point of the seat well below the stem, almost looks like a lowered seat position for the measurement. With Superboost, press fit BB, and only pricey Carbon builds, it's a definite hard pass.
Hmmmm, health insurance or a bike? Can’t afford either anymore. I’ll wait for some doctor to sell his in about three years and I’ll pick a bike up on eBay. Fucking bike manufacturers are smoking too much dope.
12,000GRAND HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHhahahahHahhahah HA. My friend just got a decent car for 450. I love mtb and having a nice bike but these more than used car prices are insane 🤪
@@femiceo328 built by who? I worked in a shop that didn't sell a whole lot of high end bikes and we had scores of people bringing brand new department store bikes that needed a complete rebuild...the same person building it is probably building the grills in aisle 12...i would never recommend a Hyper for anyone legitimately wanting to get into mountain biking.
Remember, this is a piece of engineering genius designed to carry you at neck-breaking speeds through twisty gnarly trails safely and only weigh 30lbs while doing it. There are plenty of cheaper bikes out there so it's certain that not everyone will be enjoying the trail as much as those of us willing and able to pay the price for the best. And there's a certain pride in knowing you didn't skimp on yourself but treated yourself to the *best.*
