Pivot Switchblade Review

Photo: mtbiking.com.au

Overview:

Pivot released their newest Switchblade early in 2020, marketing it as the do it all machine. Search the internet, and you’ll find this bike tackling everything from steep climbs, to EWS tracks, and even fast and rough bike park laps. The bike comes with 29 inch wheels and 142 mm of rear travel, which I would say puts it into the aggressive trail bike category.

Climbing:

Although I climbed this bike at high altitude, I was still able to notice how much of a machine it was. Sure, it may not have been as fast as other bikes with similar travel numbers, but it could definitely handle anything you threw at it, no matter how steep, rough, or long the climb.

Descending:

Having 142 mm of travel definitely gives the Pivot a much more lively feel than some of the more aggressive enduro bikes I’ve ridden. It gets airborne surprisingly easily, and corners almost as well as the rocky mountain altitude. But wait, there’s more: the Pivot is an extremely fast descender, so much so that you constantly have to remind yourself you only have 142 mm of travel before charging into a rock garden or bottoming out.

Verdict:

The Pivot Switchblade really is a do it all bike, made for the average trail rider, but also the fast enduro racer. However, it is important to note that a bike of this travel does have certain limits, and I would not recommend the Switchblade to a downhiller or anyone who constantly tests the limits of themselves and their bike.