The new Pivot Switchblade is designed to build on the impressive ride characteristics of the previous model and, with tweaks to the geometry and evolved suspension kinematics, be even more capable and well-rounded than ever.
Pivot launched the first Switchblade back in 2016, updating it in 2020. The latest Switchblade features a slew of changes, including a slacker head angle, longer reach, steeper seat angle and size-specific chainstay lengths.
While the amount of rear-wheel suspension travel remains unchanged, Pivot has altered how it’s delivered in a bid to make it plusher and handle everything “from singletrack to bike park, flow to chunk, from pain cave climb to ragged-edge, full-gas descent”.
Luke Marshall has been putting the new Switchblade through its paces and you can read his review here.
Five things you need to know about the new Pivot Switchblade
- Reach grows by 10mm across S-XL frame sizes (but is unchanged on the XS)
- Head tube angle is now nearly 1 degree slacker at 65.2 degrees (low setting)
- Seat tube angles increase to 76 degrees (though the XL frame’s is 76.5 degrees)
- Chainstay varies, but not by much – XS-M frames feature a 431mm chainstay, while the L is 432mm and XL 436mm
- It’ll be available in the Ride, Pro and Team builds, each with a Shimano or SRAM drivetrain option, along with a special-edition, retro-inspired Switchblade Talon. This will come in various build options, though only 300 frames will be available
Pivot Switchblade frame and suspension details
The new Switchblade is constructed from carbon fibre (there’s no alloy option) and comes with 29in wheels as standard, though thanks to the geometry-adjusting flip chip, can accept a smaller 27.5in rear wheel.
Using carbon enables Pivot to tune the stiffness of the frame, and as a result, each frame size uses a slightly different carbon layup to ensure every rider gets the same ride characteristics, no matter their size.
Same travel but with a more forgiving feel
While the guys at Pivot were quick to point out how much they loved the lively, poppy feel of the existing Switchblade, they knew that with some changes to the suspension kinematics and geometry, it could be even more capable.
The Switchblade continues to offer up 142mm of rear-wheel travel with the shock mounted vertically. The stiff, compact frame is fairly light and has space for a water bottle.
Just as before, the travel is delivered via the DW-link system, which uses two short co-rotating links to connect the front and rear triangles together. It’s still designed around a 160mm-travel fork up front.
For 2024, Pivot says by lengthening the lower of the two links, it has been able to create a plusher feel to that 142mm of travel, moving it somewhat closer to the brand's 170mm enduro bike, the Firebird.
Despite these changes, Pivot says the Switchblade continues to feel lively and agile, as well as suitably progressive so it can take the bigger hits in its stride.
Could this be a quest to create the ‘one bike to rule them all’? Possibly. As ever, the proof will be in the pudding.
When quizzed on leverage-curve specifics, Pivot declined to share any information.
Longer dropper posts and tool storage
Other important frame improvements include increased insertion depth for dropper posts.
That means riders can slot in longer posts to maximise the stumpy seat tube lengths, enabling them to get even lower on the bike when tackling tricky terrain.
There are also mounts under the top tube to fix your tools in place. This is called the Pivot Dock Tool System and was created in collaboration with Topeak.
Pivot offers various tool options (Dock Ninja C02, Dock Ninja Tool Box T16+, Dock Ninja Trifecta or Dock Ninja Tool Box Mini 20 Pro), which are packaged neatly and ready to bolt in place.
Additional details worth noting include the rear-axle spacing, which is 12x157mm, rather than the 12x148mm found on most trail bikes. Pivot has long been a fan of the Super Boost standard and has stuck with it here.
There’s clearance for 29x2.5in or 27.5x2.8in tyres, and while the cables are routed internally, they’re not through the headset. Is that cheering I can hear?
Pivot Switchblade geometry details
Just like its predecessor, this latest Switchblade comes with a flip chip, located in the highest pivot within the upper link.
Switching this between the ‘high’ and ‘low’ settings enables riders to alter the Switchblade's geometry and tweak how the bike rides.
And while Pivot doesn’t sell the Switchblade with a smaller 27.5in rear wheel, it's possible to fit one, should you wish, thanks to the flip chip.
The available adjustment isn’t massive, but should be enough to make a difference. Head and seat tube angles can be altered by 0.5 degrees, while bottom brackets change by 6mm.
Changing the flip chip will also alter the reach by around 5mm and the chainstay length by 2mm.
To boost stability, in the lowest setting, the Switchblade now boasts a head angle of 65.2 degrees. That’s nearly a degree slacker than the old bike.
The seat tube angle has been steepened to help improve the seated climbing position and now sits at 76 degrees in the low setting (76.5 degrees on the XL frame), an increase of 0.5 degrees.
Reach has been extended, too, to help keep the Switchblade calm at speed. According to the geometry charts, with the exception of the XS, which remains the same, all frame sizes have grown by 10mm.
That means, in the low setting, you can expect the medium frame to sport a reach of 465mm, which is decently roomy even by today’s standards.
| | XS | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube angle (degrees) | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76.5 |
| Head tube angle (degrees) | 65.2 | 65.2 | 65.2 | 65.2 | 65.2 |
| Chainstay (mm) | 431 | 431 | 431 | 432 | 436 |
| Seat tube (mm) | 343 | 368 | 394 | 432 | 470 |
| Top tube (mm) | 569 | 606 | 634 | 650 | 663 |
| Head tube (mm) | 85 | 100 | 112 | 117 | 130 |
| Bottom bracket drop (mm) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Bottom bracket height (mm) | 344 | 344 | 344 | 344 | 344 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1157 | 1193 | 1123 | 1242 | 1271 |
| Standover (mm) | 651 | 667 | 690 | 701 | 702 |
| Stack (mm) | 614 | 627 | 638 | 643 | 655 |
| Reach (mm) | 410 | 440 | 465 | 480 | 500 |
Size-specific chainstays
One thing the new Switchblade has, that the previous model didn’t, is size-specific chainstays.
However, these don’t change all that much. In fact, for the extra-small, small and medium frames, they are identical at 431mm (low setting).
Even for the size-large bike, Pivot has only increased the chainstay length by 1mm, to 432mm.
There’s more of a difference if you step up to the extra-large frame, which boasts the longest of all five frame sizes at 436mm.
These changes have been made, not by physically altering the length of the chainstay (which would be very costly), but by altering the effective chainstay measurement (taken from the centre of the bottom bracket axle to the centre of the rear wheel axle).
Pivot achieved these changes by moving the location of the lower-link mounting point.
Range overview
Pivot is offering the new Switchblade in its Ride, Pro and Team builds. Each then has options around SRAM or Shimano drivetrains and brakes, depending on your preference.
If you’re in the market for something a little more special, there will also be 300 special-edition Switchblade Talon bikes, offered with the Pro and Team-level builds.
The Switchblade Talon has been created to celebrate the first mountain bike that Chris Cocalis, Pivot founder and owner, made – the Sun Eagle Bicycle Works Talon, 35 years ago.
All Pro build options can be upgraded with Newmen Carbon Advanced SL A.30 wheels for $1,200 / €1,200 / £1,200. These come as standard on the Team builds.
Not all build options are available globally, though.
Pivot Switchblade Ride SLX/XT
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Performance 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Performance Float X
- Drivetrain: Shimano XT derailleur, SLX cassette, shifter and chain with Race Face Ride crankset
- Wheels: Newmen Performance
- Brakes: Shimano SLX four-piston
- Price: $6,399 / €6,599 / £NA
Pivot Switchblade Ride GX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Performance 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Performance Float X
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX AXS
- Wheels: Newmen Performance
- Brakes: SRAM Code R
- Price: $6,999 / €7,399 / £NA
Pivot Switchblade Pro XT/XTR
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: Shimano XTR derailleur, XT shifter, chain and cassette with Race Face Aeffect crankset
- Wheels: Newmen Evolution SL A.30
- Brakes: Shimano XT four-piston
- Price: $7,799 / €8,299 / £8,000
Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission
- Wheels: Newmen Evolution SL A.30
- Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
- Price: $8,699 / €9,299 / £9,000
Pivot Switchblade Team XTR
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: Shimano XTR
- Wheels: Newman Carbon Advanced SL A.30
- Brakes: Shimano XTR four-piston
- Price: $9,899 / €9,899 / £NA
Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Wheels: Newman Carbon Advanced SL A.30
- Brakes: SRAM Code Ultimate Stealth
- Price: $11,399 / €12,199 / £NA
Pivot Switchblade Talon Pro XT/XTR
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: Shimano XTR derailleur, XT shifter, chain and cassette with Race Face Aeffect crankset
- Wheels: Newmen Carbon Advanced SL A.30
- Brakes: Shimano XT four-piston
- Price: $9,199 / €9,749 / £NA
Pivot Switchblade Talon Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission
- Wheels: Newmen Carbon Advanced SL A.30
- Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
- Price: $10,099 / €10,479 / £NA
Pivot Switchblade Talon Team XTR
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: Shimano XTR
- Wheels: Newmen Carbon Advanced SL A.30
- Brakes: Shimano XTR four-piston
- Price: $10,099 / €10,149 / £NA
Pivot Switchblade Talon Team XX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Frame: Carbon, 142mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory 36, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Wheels: Newmen Carbon Advanced SL A.30
- Brakes: SRAM Code Ultimate Stealth
- Price: $11,599 / €12,499 / £NA
