2020 Pivot Switchblade Pro XT/XTR 29

(discontinued)

Vital MTB's 2016 Bike of the Year went to the previous Pivot Switchblade. How do you improve on that? Give it a few years and some fresh ideas. With 142mm of rear travel and 160mm up front, this all-new 2020 version one-ups its predecessor pretty much across the board. Join Vital MTB's Product Editor, Brandon Turman, in the video above for a look at everything that's been updated and his in-depth ride impressions.

Switchblade Highlights

• 29", 27.5+ and mullet wheel size compatibility
• 142mm (5.6-inches) rear travel // 160mm (6.3-inches) front
• dw-link suspension design
• 185x55mm trunnion shock with custom tune
• FOX Live Valve integration
• 44mm offset fork
• Adjustable geometry
• Size-specific carbon tubing
• Water bottle mount inside front triangle
• Internal and external lower headset cup option
• Full-length, internal cable routing
• Pressfit BB92 bottom bracket with ISCG05 mounts
• Low durometer frame protection
• 12x157mm Super Boost Plus rear axle
• 29x2.6" or 27.5x2.8" tire clearance
• Accessory mount for custom tool holder due out this spring
• Complete Weight: Starts at 29.0-pounds (13.2kg, size medium Team XTR build, no pedals)
• Frame Weight: Starts at 5.7-pounds (2.6kg)
• Colors: Horizon Blue and Treeline Green

"Cleans the impossible, threads the needle, and delivers the freedom to explore, with more travel, unrivaled versatility, and progressive geometry." - Pivot Cycles

Geometry

You're looking at 5-21mm longer reach values than the previous Switchblade across all sizes. In the 29-inch configuration most people will run, the bike has a 1.25-degree slacker head tube angle and is now at 66-degrees. This pairs with a short 44mm offset FOX 36 fork.

Pivot also made the effective seat tube angle three-quarters of a degree steeper, now at 75.5-degrees. In addition, the actual seat tube is now steeper and starts closer to the bottom bracket, meaning the real seat angle will be steeper for those with long legs.

After all of those updates, you're looking at very comparable top tube lengths to the previous Switchblade for a consistent seated feel while benefitting from the added reach and a few centimeters of extra wheelbase on the way down.

Like the Firebird 29, the bike now has adjustable geometry providing half a degree of head angle change and 6mm of bottom bracket height. Combined with the help of a geo-adjust headset cup, 27.5+ and 27.5 rear wheels are possible. This means going mullet style is an option if you'd like, which could be nice for added clearance on the smaller sizes.

As a result of the new shock orientation, it also has a super compact frame design. Pivot dropped standover heights up to 35mm across the size range, along with 30mm shorter seat tubes. This allows riders just 5-feet tall to hop aboard the size XS (above), which still fits a piggyback shock and a large water bottle.

Suspension Updates

For this update Pivot moved to a vertical shock layout on the dw-link suspension design. Thanks to the new upper link and the shock's orientation, the bike is more progressive than in the past. That extra progression, plus the fact that Pivot ditched the clevis, means this bad boy is coil shock compatible.

It's light on its feet and eager to rally. This easy-to-ride feel inspires you to go harder, for longer, and it charges in terrain where I've experienced other bikes getting bogged down.

You'll note bearings in the upper shock mount for supple suspension performance from the 185x55mm trunnion-style shock. Pivot also makes use of an exclusive and pretty surprising shock tune inside the FOX DPX2. It has an all-new base valve design and selector plate, which results in more support where it's needed while increasing oil flow and plushness on high-speed impacts. In practice, it feels pretty close to the best of both worlds.

The bike has a slightly more rearward axle path than the previous Switchblade, with longer suspension links and 3mm longer chainstays.

Build Kits, Pricing & Availability

Complete bikes are available now in a whopping 29 different configurations, ranging in price from $5,499 to $12,399 USD.

Frameset options are expected to be available this August. View complete specs and pricing.

What's The Bottom Line?

The new Pivot Switchblade climbs like a snappy short-travel trail bike but can hang with the enduro rigs on the way down. It's light on its feet and eager to rally. This easy-to-ride feel inspires you to go harder, for longer, and it charges in terrain where I've experienced other bikes getting bogged down.

Add in good geometry and improved visual aesthetics, plus dialed details throughout, and this is a ride our tester would love to own. Pivot has taken an already stellar platform and advanced it even further. Its versatile feel will suit a wide range of rides and the compact frame is great for a wide range of riders. It could be the one bike for a lot of people.

It's still way too early to call Bike of the Year, but Pivot has kicked off 2020 with one hell of a contender. It's rad to see their continual improvement and there is a lot to be excited about heading into the new year.

Visit www.pivotcycles.com for more details.

Vital MTB Rating: 5.0 Stars - Spectacular

About The Reviewer

Brandon Turman - Age: 33 // Years Riding: 18 // Height: 5'10" (1.78m) // Weight: 170-pounds (77.1kg)

"I like to have fun, pop off the bonus lines on the sides of the trail, get aggressive when I feel in tune with a bike, and really mash on the pedals and open it up when pointed downhill." Formerly a mechanical engineer and Pro downhill racer, Brandon brings a unique perspective to the testing game as Vital MTB's resident product guy. He has on-trail familiarity with nearly every innovation in our sport from the past several years and a really good feel for what’s what.

Photos by Cody Wethington // Video by John Reynolds and Brandon Turman