Do you dream of riding a Pivot bike? Are you planning to upgrade to a Pivot mountain bike or gifting your loved one with a nice and sleek Pivot MTB?
Pivot is one of the newest bike brands in the market. The company has managed to rank amongst the industrial giants, which only explains how great their race bikes are.
In this Pivot bike review, we will discuss every bike in detail to let you know what to look for.
Best Pivot Mountain Bikes for 2022
1. Pivot Point
Specs:
- Fork: 100 mm travel
- Wheel Size: 26”
- Frame Size: S
- Frame Material: Steel
- MTB Type: Hardtail Dirt Jump Bike
Pivot is a US-based company that sponsors racers across all MTB racing disciplines, including dirt jumping.
You would expect them to have a dirt jumping model, and sure they do, the Pivot Point. Point is an excellent toy of interest if you love doing those jumps.
The agile bike fits 26” wheels, and it’s much suitable for the pump track, races, and Crankworx competitions.
The most exciting thing about the Pivot Point is the steel material which is slightly heavier than aluminum but makes the bike extremely tough and hard-hitting.
It also features a roomy cockpit to give the rider enough space to perform their tricks mid-air. The Point has a short chainstay to make it easier to throw it around seconds before hitting the ground.
The Pivot Point comes as a frame only which you can build the way up. You need to source some components and put your bike-building skills to work.
The fantastic thing about it is that you choose which components to use, including the drivetrain and the forks.
The bike is available in a Gloss Blue color. This is the frame to buy if you are an aspiring or professional dirt jumper.
2. Pivot LES Fat
Specs:
- Fork: 100 mm travel
- Wheel Size: 26”/27.5”/29”
- Frame Size: S, M, L
- Frame Material: Carbon
- MTB Type: Hardtail Fat Bike
Pivot has a fat bike dedicated model known as the LES Fat, and I must admit, they don’t come cheap.
All LES Fats are made of carbon and are lightweight. You expect their prices to shoot through the roof.
Fat bikes are incredible, but LES Fat is among the best you can ever find. It transverses through snow, mud, sand, ice, and even on sharp rocks.
The bike is not as fast as a road bike, but it’s the most versatile. It’s compatible with 26” 27.5” and 29” wheels. However, the standard bike comes with 27.5” x 3.8” Maxxis Minion tires.
The color of the bike is Cement. You have two LES Fat options. One comes with rigid carbon forks, and the other comes with a 100 mm travel Manitou Suspension Fork. Both options cost around 6,000.
Whatever version you’ll go with, you get a Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain and disk brakes. If you have been looking for a fat bike that can make all the difference and give you a reason to ride regardless of the season, Pivot LES Fat is the bike to have.
LES Fat is the most suitable bike for those who want to keep riding even during winter. It’s also for those riders that want to explore the world around them regardless of what nature lays on their way. LES Fat bike is a great model that I have tried, and I know what it’s capable of doing.
3. Vital LES Singlespeed
Specs:
- Fork: 100 mm Travel
- Wheel Size: 29”
- Frame Size: S, M, L, XL
- Frame Material: Carbon
- MTB Type: Hardtail XC Bike
You probably got tired of looking for a single-speed 29er. It seemed like none existed, and all that has been available was “what 1×12 drivetrain does it have?”
Well, Pivot heard your plea, and you can now get a single-speed MTB that rides so beautifully. I was used to bikes with gears system, and I was curious when trying the Pivot LES Singlespeed.
With the exclusion of the derailleurs, cassette, and gear shifter, the bike is lighter than life. Also, the maintenance is kept to a minimum.
In the front, you get 100 mm of travel. It’s the first single-speed bike that I’ve seen come with Fox shocks.
The model is available is Factory Blue color, which is an excellent color in my view. You get to decide whether to purchase a whole bike or the frame only, but I must tell you the carbon frame doesn’t come cheap.
The complete build includes the Fox Factory forks, Shimano XT brakes, and Race face crankset, which costs over 6,000. You can also get the frameset that comes with the forks alone.
This is the bike to buy if you don’t mind spending on a single-speed model. Otherwise, you can get a drivetrain system bike with a carbon frame and Fox suspension forks for the same amount.
Nevertheless, it’s an excellent bike for XC riding and racing and also super light.
4. Pivot LES
Specs:
- Fork: 100 mm Travel
- Wheel Size: 29”/27.5”
- Frame Size: S, M, L, XL
- Frame Material: Carbon/Aluminum
- MTB Type: Hardtail XC Bike
If you love riding cross country, the best rig for the job is the Pivot LES. LES comes in two versions, namely the LES 27.5 and LES SL, which feature 29-inch wheels.
Both models got a boost from 2018 and now come with Boost axle spacing. They also receive size-specific layups.
Unfortunately, there’s no single-speed version with 27.5 wheels, but maybe Pivot will make it available next time.
The Pivot LES models were built to hit the XC terrain hard, so they are stiff but light in weight. For the 29er, it gives riders more advantage rolling over obstacles. The 27.5er comes with better handling.
The LES SL comes with Fox Performance forks and Shimano XT 1×12 groups for the cheapest model.
The most expensive one features the highly hyped and out-of-the-world SRAM XX! Eagle AXS groupset and Fox Factory forks, which make it one of the most expensive hardtails in the market.
However, the most expensive LES SL doesn’t beat the 25.7” LES Team XX1 in terms of cost. Team remains one of the most expensive 27.5” hardtails in the market.
Pivot LES is the bike to buy if you are an XC racer and want to showcase your handling skills in the next race.
It’s also your kind of bike if you want a high-end hardtail bike and you aren’t afraid to chop some money for that.
It’s the most fantastic climber you’ll ever own. However, it’s not as great on descents and most critical technical and bumpy trails.
5. Pivot Mach
Specs:
- Fork: 100 mm/120mm /130 mm/160 mm
- Shock: 100 mm/ 115 mm/140 mm
- Wheel Size: 29”/27.5”
- Frame Size: XS, S, M, XL
- Frame Material: Carbon
- MTB Type: Full Suspension XC, Trail, Enduro Bikes
Pivot Mach must be the widest niche I’ve ever come across. There are different models spread across three disciplines, namely cross country, trail, and enduro racing. We will try to review each separately to avoid any confusion.
The Pivot Mach 4 SL is a 29er full sus XC bike with 100 mm travel forks and rear suspension. The race-ready bike comes with a carbon frame and can carry two water bottles in the triangle. 4This is the bike to buy if you ride cross country and looking for a bike that climbs well.
Pivot Mach 4 Carbon is an XC/trail bike with 27.5 wheels and a carbon frame. It features 130 mm and 155 mm travel front and rear, respectively.
The bike is ideal for short riders. It’s forgiving on descents and climbs well.
Pivot Mach 5.5, too, has 27.5-inch wheels and a carbon frame, but it’s a trail/enduro bike. It features a 160 mm front and 140 mm rear travel.
It’s the most suitable bike for you if you are looking for a capable and forgiving bike on the descents.
The last of the Mach models is the Mach 6. Also featuring the 27.5-inch wheels, the model comes in either carbon or aluminum frame but features 160 mm front and 155 mm rear travel.
The Mach 6 is slacker than Mach 5.5. It’s the bike to get if you want a long-travel trail bike or to race enduro.
6. Pivot Switchable
Specs:
- Fork: 160 mm travel
- Shock: 142 mm travel
- Wheel Size: 29”/27.5”+
- Frame Size: S, M, L, XL
- Frame Material: Carbon
- MTB Type: Full Suspension Trail Bike
As always, we review every bike maker’s quiver killer. Pivots version of quiver killer is the Switchable.
The bike is such an effective climber aided by the DW-link suspension, and surprisingly, it’s also a rocket downhill.
Many consider the Switchable an enduro bike, and who I’m I to argue? The model is gifted for both trail and enduro, and there’s undoubtedly no bike as great as the Switchable.
I’ve been a lover of the bike because of how it jumps over things and runs over others. The feeling of riding the bike is heavenly.
Switchable manages to provide excellent climbing traction so that you can beat every other racer on your way up. Besides, you can decide to run 27.5”+ tires, and the bike will ride just fine.
With the agility of a trail bike and the guts of an enduro one, yet ridable almost anywhere, I can confidently say that the Switchable is an all-mountain and one of my favorite quiver killers.
The robust carbon frame and weight-saving are just some of the outstanding features that come with Switchable.
This is the bike to buy if you are looking for a game-changer. It’s also a bike that you can switch the wheels, so the name Switchable. It’s the bike you can hit the bike park with and explore the woods the next day.
7. Pivot Trail 429
Specs:
- Fork: 130 mm Travel
- Shock: 120 mm Travel
- Wheel Size: 29”/27.5”+
- Frame Size: S, M, L, XL
- Frame Material: Carbon
- MTB Type: Full Suspension XC/Trail Bike
The Trail 429 is the most fantastic trail bike I’ve come across. Pivot did it justice geometry and component-wise.
Of course, the DW link design is one of the main features of the 429 that makes it ridable. Paired with the 120 mm travel suspension, the DW link gives the rider the balance they need to descending and climbing.
The stable and capable Trail is also efficient, playful, and lighter than most XC and trail bikes. It’s another do-it-all bike. Shift to 27.5-inch plus wheels, and the feel changes completely.
The bike rides so well around corners and gives you more confidence not to pull that brake pad even though you are cruising at high speeds.
If you appreciate a bike that climbs a hill like a tank and descends like a jet, Trail 429 is the bike for you. It’s also a bike that will not limit your riding style, and you can hit whatever trail that catches your eye.
8. Pivot Firebird
Specs:
- Fork: 170 mm travel
- Shock: 162 mm travel
- Wheel Size: 29”
- Frame Size: S, M, L, XL
- Frame Material: Carbon
- MTB Type: Full Suspension Enduro Bike
Adjustable geometry though the flip-chip button is the selling point of this able enduro bike. The Pivot Firebird is a monster with its bragging rights, and with its slack geometry, you can’t help but ride that enduro track with so much joy.
The bike also lets you switch to 27.5”+ wheels if you want to. Firebird is also DH-oriented, meaning you don’t need to buy another bike to ride downhill but grab your FB and point it towards the finish line.
Firebird comes with Fox Performance or Factory forks, depending on the model you’ll want to take home.
The geometry switch, the flip-chip, allows you to balance the geometry so that you can ride uphill just as effectively as you would ride downhill.
The bike is more suitable for those riders looking to prove their riding skills in an enduro race and those who aren’t afraid to ride downhill.
Firebird is the bike to buy if you like a super forgiving bike on the descends and versatile.
9. Pivot Phoenix
Specs:
- Fork: 203 mm Travel
- Shock: 204 mm/190 mm Travel
- Wheel Size: 27.5/29”
- Frame Size: S, M, L, XL
- Frame Material: Carbon
- MTB Type: Full Suspension Downhill Bike
While many bike makers chose to build a single downhill bike that can run 29-inch or 27.5-inch wheels or a mix of both, Pivot decided to make two separate models, the Phoenix, running the 27.5” wheels, and the Phoenix 29, which runs 29er wheels.
The Phoenix model was named after the city where Pivot is based, and that tells how personal the model is to them.
This is the right DH bike for you if gravity is your best friend. If you can descend faster than the wind and hardly engages your breaks to slow down, it would be advisable that you get either of the Phoenix models ASAP.
The bike comes with a 10-speed Shimano saint groupset, and depending on which bike you choose, you get a RockShox Boxxer or Fox Factory suspension.
Pivot Warranty
Pivot Cycles offers a limited warranty on bikes, bike parts, and accessories bought from the company.
Carbon frames bought after June 2017 and have defects are covered for ten years from the purchase date. Paint, finish, including the coat, decals, and the anodized finish, and bearings, get a one-year cover since the date of purchase.
During the warranty period, Pivot will repair or replace the parts for free. However, you must fill the Warranty Registration Form after purchasing a bike as the warranty only applies to the original owner and is non-transferable.
The warranty is not inclusive of normal wear and tear. The owner will cater for the transportation charges associated with their bike’s repair.
After-Sale Service
Pivot has a team of customer care representatives on social media and Pivot’s main page ready to listen to your queries. Alternatively, you can consult the Pivot’s dealer where you bought the bike if you have any concerns.
History of Pivot Cycles
Pivot bike company was founded in 2007, which is technically about 15 years now. The founder, Chris Cocalis, worked at the Titus bike company before going solo. He partnered with Dave Wagle, who owned the DW-Link suspension technology.
The technology automatically became Pivot’s, and the company began developing bikes. Since then, Pivot Cycles has been a pioneer in innovation, and its bikes have been some of the fastest-selling rigs in the market.
Pivot Cycles builds quality mountain bikes for racing and fun, and they also include budget models in their catalog.
The Phoenix, Arizona-based company launched the Mach 4 model as their first bike. It excelled well in the market and still has some good reviews.
The bike company has been successful with Chris investing his skills and experience in developing these rigs. Besides, Pivot sponsors athletes that ride its bikes.
Wrapping Up
Pivot has great bikes that you’ll love, especially if you have never attempted them. They are classy and Phoenix’s pride. If you need guidance with choosing your next bike, we can help.
