Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission review

The Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle Transmission is the third iteration of Pivot's all-mountain machine. Refusing to be pigeonholed, Pivot set out to refine the latest Switchblade as an all-mountain steed.

From carving lines in the bike park to cutting laps in the backcountry, the new Switchblade is Pivot’s go-to bike if you’re interested in everything.

The carbon fibre chassis rolls on 29in wheels and delivers 142mm of DW-Link controlled rear suspension. This is matched with a capable 160mm fork and geometry to suit the rowdy riding it's designed for.

I got this bike a month or so ahead of its release and have been putting it through its paces around the UK’s south west.

Laps of bike parks and trail centres, and hand-cut natural off-piste have given me a diverse trail network to build up a thorough picture of where the new Switchblade thrives – and where it doesn't.

One thing’s for sure, this is a serious bike for hard-charging riders. Pilot it with gusto and you’ll have a blast. Set it on cruise control and it might run you wild.

Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission frame and suspension

Pivot has set out to widen the Switchblade’s capability threshold, while aiming to keep the poppy and playful nature it was known for.

Taking hints from the Pivot Firebird enduro bike, the Switchblade features new kinematics. It gets Pivot’s size-specific carbon layout, and sensible features to balance weight and user functionality.

The Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission Is built from carbon fibre. This has enabled Pivot to create tailored layups for every frame size, ranging from XS to XL.

The aim is to consistently uphold the desired stiffness and ride character on the trail, irrespective of variations in rider size. This is done by refining tube-profile dimensions, and fibre layup and orientation.

Pivot has kept the Switchblade's vertical shock layout, enabling it to produce a compact frame that’s stiff and light. It also works with the updated kinematics. As a bonus, this shape gives plenty of standover height, while maintaining capacity for a full-size water bottle.

As for features, Pivot has forgone sleeved internal cable routing and frame storage in favour of weight savings and simplicity. Instead, it has partnered with Topeak to offer a tool dock under the tube.

Pivot was silent on the details of its updated DW-Link kinematics, which use two co-rotating links to attach the solid rear triangle to the main frame. However, it says the links were lengthened and pivot locations moved to give a more rearward axle path and compliant suspension.

Even with the changes to the kinematics, the Switchblade's custom shock tunes have remained the same.

While the bike rolls on 29in wheels, the flip chip enables you to use a 27.5in rear wheel. Or you can choose to run the bike in its high or low position, depending on your preference.

Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission geometry

The Switchblade has undergone the longer, lower, slacker treatment. I tested a size-medium frame, with 29in wheels in the low frame setting.

This features a reasonably lengthy 465mm reach and tall 638mm stack height.

The head tube angle has been slackened to a trail-friendly 65.2 degrees, and the effective seat tube angle is somewhat slack for modern trail bikes at 76 degrees.

These figures result in a lengthy 634mm effective top tube.

The back of the bike features a compact 431mm chainstay length, and it sports a middling 344mm bottom bracket height, which should bring an active ride feel to the bike.

The seat tubes are short at 395mm for the medium frame. The Switchblade features a straight seat tube, so it can accommodate long dropper posts.

Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission specifications

Priced at £9,000 / $8,699 / €9,299, it’s not surprising to see plenty of cool kit bolted to the fancy carbon frame of the Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission.

As you can probably tell, it’s specced with SRAM’s X0 Eagle AXS Transmission drivetrain.

Also from SRAM are the Code RSC brakes, with 200mm front and 180mm rear rotors.

Fox Factory-level, 160mm-travel 36 forks and Float X shock take care of the suspension duties, along with a Fox Transfer Factory dropper post.

My test bike, and international models, are fitted with reliable DT Swiss XM 1700 wheels, although the same bike sold in Europe comes with Newmen Evolution AL A.30 wheels.

These are wrapped in Maxxis Minion DHF 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ and Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ 29x2.4in tyres.

The cockpit combines Pivot’s Phoenix Team Low-Rise carbon handlebar, Phoenix enduro/trail stem and Phoenix Factory lock-on grips. The build is completed by a WTB Volt Pro saddle.

This build for a medium frame tips the scales at 14.59kg (without pedals).

Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission ride impressions

I’ve had the Switchblade for a month or so and have had plenty of chances to ride it over some of the UK’s most suitable trails.

From laps of the bike park, taking in flow trails and jump lines, to rough and steep hand-cut tracks, and plenty of mellow and sharp climbs in between, conditions have varied from grippy bike-park gravel to slick off-piste mud.

The setup was simple enough. I ran the Fox 36 Factory forks with 82psi and opened both the high- and low-speed compression dials fully to help maximise sensitivity.

The low- and high-speed rebound were left fully open.

I set the shock to 165psi, which gave me 30 per cent, as shown with Pivot’s shock sag maker for my 75kg.

I ran the low-speed compression adjuster fully open and set the rebound dial to nine clicks of 13 from closed.

Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission climbing performance

For a bike intended to do everything well, the Switchblade has a tall mountain to climb (pun intended). The first thing that jumps out when pedalling is the bike's stretched-out seated position.

This is especially noticeable compared to other medium-sized bikes such as a YT Jeffsy that sports a 593mm effective top tube – 4cm shorter.

This makes the handlebar feel fairly far away and it takes a conscious effort to weight the bar on steep climbs and twisty, awkward sections of more mellow cross-country trails.

Here, I had to concentrate more to keep the front end tracking where I wanted it to go. This is exacerbated by the frame's short 431mm chainstays, which deliver a more rearward weight bias.

On smooth fireroad climbs, the position feels sporty, even with the tall stack, yet comfortable enough for long rides spent in the saddle.

The chunky Maxxis tyres and 160mm fork make Pivot's intentions clear. This is not meant to be a speedy mountain climber. Still, it gets to the top of most trails without exhausting energy reserves.

The suspension is supple and tracks more technical climbs well. Still, it's stable enough to ride with the shock open if needed, and doesn’t wallow excessively once settled to its sag point.

However, on smooth climbs, I mostly reached for the shock's climb switch to deliver some additional support and get as much pedalling efficiency as I could.

Overall, the Switchblade is a proficient climber considering its all-mountain ambitions. It just takes some conscious thought to get the most out of it in certain situations.

Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission descending performance

Point this bike down a hill and it seeks to be thrashed. The updates to the DW-Links and new frame kinematics deliver a bike that can swallow bumps impressively well for its 142mm of travel.

The supple beginning stroke means there is plenty of traction on offer and it smooths out small bumps admirably. This helps give the bike a calm demeanour and encourages you to push it harder.

Support builds smoothly through the mid-stroke, and there’s still a stable platform to push and pump against to help maintain speed when changing smoother float lines and jump trails.

However, the bike is better at taking the sting out of small and mid-sized square-edge hits, such as root spreads and trail-centre rocks, than being used to generate speed on smooth trails.

Deeper in the travel, the progression builds without a harsh spike or noticeable ramp-up. Bigger drops and hard landings are handled without fuss or unsettling the stable ride.

This composure doesn't match that of longer-travel enduro bikes, but it is impressive for a bike of this weight and style. It’s one of the reasons the Switchblade is such a hard charger. Push it and it’ll reward you. Relax and the suspension will do its thing unhindered.

However, this isn’t the case with the handling. Even though the 465mm reach is long for a medium frame, it isn’t excessive. My first few rides on the Switchblade were marred by understeer and difficulty getting it to feel as accurate as I wanted.

The handlebar height was too tall as a result of not wanting to feel stretched-out when seated. This prevented me from getting enough weight through the front tyre on the descents. I dropped the bars to one 10mm spacer and things improved.

Still, to get into corners and not let the front wheel drift, I needed to ride with commitment. This is again an issue with the very short rear-centre and relatively long, tall front end.

Ride the Switchblade with authority, and it will reward you with a fun and engaging experience. There’s plenty of performance to be had from the sturdy chassis and snappy rear end.

However, it takes an experienced rider to get the most from the bike. Sit up and relax and it can be a chore to keep it as precise as you'd like.

As for the kit, the low-rise bar is a good option to help keep weight lower, and the parts worked flawlessly throughout testing.

SRAM’s Transmission was smooth and accurate, and the brakes powerful enough to build plenty of confidence in the bike.

The Maxxis tyres balanced out grip, protection and rolling resistance.

How does the Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission compare to the Atherton AM.130.1?

Both bikes are high-end pieces of kit, pushing the capabilities of shorter-travel mountain bikes.

The Pivot uses the original DW-Link, while the Atherton gets the DW6, a more complicated six-bar design.

The shorter-travel Atherton holds its own in the suspension department, and both are evenly matched at taking the sting out of nasty trails.

The ceiling for speed is higher on the Pivot, with its burlier fork and deeper travel, but it requires a more confident rider to get the most from it. The Atherton opens up plenty of capability, and is a little easier to ride and more versatile.

Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission bottom line

The Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission is a high-performance bike with plenty of appetite and capability for speed.

However, it’s better suited to experienced mountain bikers who want to ride aggressively than newcomers looking for bling.

The rear suspension is the bike's highlight, thriving in the rough and performing well on smoother trails.

It’ll cover whatever ground you put beneath its wheels competently and is a great bike for most UK destinations.