Pivot's new Switchblade is a true multi-purpose go-anywhere machine. Trail bikes have come a long way in the last few years, they're arguably one of the hardest categories of bikes to get right, since they have to be able to do so much, but Pivot's latest Switchblade looks to have nailed the formula. We'd forgive you for mistaking the update for simply a lick of fresh paint, but while the two bikes look extremely similar, Pivot have made some meaningful changes to the new bike, to make it even more well rounded.
The previous generation of Switchblade was a pretty well sorted bike, and as the saying goes, why fix what isn't broken? Rather than making any big changes to the layout of the bike, Pivot stuck with the vertical-shock DW Link layout for the latest Switchblade, with some tweaks to the kinematics, geometry and construction, to make their best bike even better. Still rolling on 29" wheels with 142/160mm of travel, the Switchblade is designed to excel on long days in the saddle, cruise through rowdy descents and even catch some air in the bike park, the new Switchblade promises to balance the best of most worlds, for a bike that can be at home anywhere.
What's New?
Suspension
Rocking the same 142mm of rear wheel travel and 160mm of front wheel travel, Pivot utilized a slightly longer lower link to increase small bump sensitivity, give better traction on climbs, and give better bottom-out resistance, for a truly bottomless feel.
Geometry
The new Switchblade checks all the geometry boxes - progressive yet versatile, fun and fast. Pivot have carefully balanced the geometry to make the bike slack and stable, while keeping it playful and easy to move around, like any good trail bike should be. As with before, there is a 2-position flip chip for adjusting the geometry. Leading the charge is the head angle, knocking almost a full degree off, putting it at 65.2/65.7º, and seat tube angle steepens by half a degree to 76º/76.5º, to keep that front wheel weighted while climbing.
New for the 2024 Switchblade is size-specific chainstays, sticking around 431mm in the smaller sizes and growing to 436mm in the XL, for a more balanced feel for taller riders. Reach grows by 10mm across the range for 470mm in a size Medium (high position), giving additional stability at speed. BB height drops by 2mm for just a touch more speed both in straight lines and in the corners.
Frame Details
Pivot have poured countless hours of engineering and design into the construction of the new Switchblade. Not content to make something 'good enough', the brand exudes a premium feel because of the inherent precision and attention to detail. The new bike combines tried and trusted features with new innovations to make a bike superbly refined. Rider favourites include a Super Boost 157mm rear wheel spacing for stiffness and tire clearance - it'll clear a 29 x 2.5" or 27.5 x 2.8" tire. It'll also run a 27.5 x 2.5" tire in a mullet setup by flipping the geometry into high mode.
In the spirit of refining the ride characteristics of the bike, the new Switchblade now features a tuned carbon layup that means each frame size has a similar stiffness profile, so that each bike should ride the same for every rider size. In terms of rider size, the Switchblade is available in size XS to XL, fitting riders 4'11" to 6'5" and up.
Other great features include a UDH hanger for Transmission compatibility, a tool mount on the underside of the down tube, and the underside of the top tube, and super clean cable routing. Pivot maintain that they do not use tube-in-tube routing since they can make the bike lighter and stiffer without it. Finally the new Switchblade features a longer insertion depth on the seat tube for longer travel dropper posts, something we think everyone can get behind.
Who Is the Switchblade For?
The Switchblade is for the rider who values a lightweight, manoeuvrable bike that can climb efficiently with plenty of traction. The Switchblade is a bike for those that enjoy climbing and see it as a part of their ride, rather than just something to be endured. While it excels at climbing however, it's a capable descender, and feels at home on anything from flow trails to bike park tech. While it might not be the bike for the person riding nothing but super gnarly double black trails every day, it can handle a little bit of everything.
While the Switchblade will work for most riders from beginner to advanced, for those that spend more time pedalling and riding less technical trails, the Trail 429 might be the ideal bike. For the advanced enduro rider or someone spending more time shuttling at at the bike park, the Firebird might be the better choice. For those looking for something electric, the Shuttle AM is essentially the full-power version of the Switchblade, and the Shuttle SL the lightweight mid-power version.
Build Kits
Available in sizes XS to XL, six build specs and in three colours, including Blue Neptune, Stealth Mojave, and a limited edition 'Talon' in pink, there are a lot of options to choose from. Starting with the Ride SLX/XT kit, the bike comes with a Fox Performance 36 fork and Float X shock and Performance Elite Transfer dropper, a Shimano SLX 12sp drivetrain with XT derailleur, and SLX brakes. Rolling on DT Swiss M1900 hoops, the Ride GX AXS Transmission build uses the same suspension and wheels but swaps the drivetrain for SRAM's GX Transmission, stopping with Code R brakes.
The Pro XT/XTR build comes with a Fox Factory 36 fork, Float X shock, and Transfer dropper, Shimano XT drivetrain and brakes with XTR derailleur, and rolls on DT Swiss XM1700 wheels, with an option to upgrade to XMC1501 carbon wheels. The Pro XO Transmission build comes with the same suspension and wheels, but uses SRAM's XO Transmission drivetrain, and Code RSC brakes.
Finally, the top spec Team XTR build comes with the same Factory suspension, a full XTR drivetrain and brakes, carbon Race Face Next R cranks and the DT Swiss XMC1501 carbon wheels. The Team XX Transmission build comes with the same suspension and wheels, but with an XX Transmission drivetrain, Code Ultimate Stealth brakes and Reverb AXS wireless dropper post.
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