Pivot has been around for a long time - main man Chris Cocalis started with early innovators Titus and set up Pivot in 2007 - and it has have always been at the front end of the crowded high-end off-road market. It currently offers four mountain bikes in its full-suspension 29er range. The Switchblade, with its 142mm of rear wheel travel, is the trail and light enduro option and sits between the shorter-travel Mach 4 SL and Trail 429 platforms and the hard-hitting 165mm Firebird big mountain enduro beast.
Pivot suggested that the Switchblade it could “Do everything, and do it better” when it was launched earlier this year as part of the brand's 35th anniversary, which is a bold claim. Pivot says the Switchblade has the pedaling response and agility of the Trail 429 but with the big terrain suspension and handling characteristics of its Firebird, which means it has a lot to live up to as both have proven to be great bikes in their own right. So, does the Switchblade live up to the hype and has Pivot possibly created one of the best trail mountain bikes out there?
