New Pivot Switchblade promises plusher ride with longer geometry and revised suspension

Changes to Switchblade’s geometry and suspension kinematics make it more capable in challenging terrain

By Robin Weaver

Published: Tuesday, 06 February 2024 at 08:00 AM

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

Super-short seat tubes enable the use of longer-travel dropper posts. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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

Pivot Switchblade full suspension mountain bike
While Pivot says the new Switchblade remains lively and fun to ride, changes to the suspension kinematics should help with comfort and traction in rough terrain. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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.

Pivot Switchblade full suspension mountain bike
Pivot is offering Ride, Pro and Team builds, each with the option of SRAM or Shimano drivetrains. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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

Pivot Switchblade full suspension mountain bike
The low-slung top tube, short seat tube and use of a long-travel dropper post mean there’s plenty of standover height available. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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 29×2.5in or 27.5×2.8in tyres, and while the cables are routed internally, they’re not through the headset. Is that cheering I can hear?

Pivot Switchblade geometry details

Pivot Switchblade full suspension mountain bike
Pivot has left the amount of travel unchanged, but altered the suspension kinematics. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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.

Pivot Switchblade full suspension mountain bike
A flip chip enables the Switchblade’s geometry to be altered and means you can swap to a 27.5in rear wheel if you wish. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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.

Pivot Switchblade full suspension mountain bike
Cables are routed internally, but these don’t thread down through the headset. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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.

XSSMLXL
Seat tube angle (degrees)7676767676.5
Head tube angle (degrees)65.265.265.265.265.2
Chainstay (mm)431431431432436
Seat tube (mm)343368394432470
Top tube (mm)569606634650663
Head tube (mm)85100112117130
Bottom bracket drop (mm)2929292929
Bottom bracket height (mm)344344344344344
Wheelbase (mm)11571193112312421271
Standover (mm)651667690701702
Stack (mm)614627638643655
Reach (mm)410440465480500
Edit Table

Size-specific chainstays

Pivot Switchblade full suspension mountain bike
Pivot now offers size-specific chainstay lengths across the five frame sizes. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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.

Pivot Switchblade full suspension mountain bike
Altering the lower-link mounting point has enabled Pivot to change the effective chainstay length of the Switchblade. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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 Switchblade full suspension mountain bike
Each of the three-tier build options gets a choice of SRAM or Shimano drivetrains, depending on your preference. – Scott Windsor / Our Media

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

Pack shot of the SB Ride XT full suspension mountain bike
The Switchblade Ride SLX/XT is the cheapest full build available. – Pivot Cycles

Pivot Switchblade Ride GX Eagle AXS Transmission

Pack shot of the SB Ride GX full suspension mountain bike
There’s a SRAM GX option available in the Ride build, too. – Pivot Cycles

Pivot Switchblade Pro XT/XTR

Pack shot of the SB Pro XT full suspension mountain bike
Jumping up to the Pro build gets you Fox Factory suspension at both ends. – Pivot Cycles

Pivot Switchblade Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission

Pack shot of the SB Pro X0 full suspension mountain bike
Along with pricier suspension, brakes on the Pro models include Shimano’s XT four-piston stoppers or SRAM’s Code RSCs. – Pivot Cycles

Pivot Switchblade Team XTR

Pack shot of the SB Team XTR full suspension mountain bike
Both Team builds are big money, and it’s worth noting that not all global regions will stock these as options. – Pivot Cycles

Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle AXS Transmission

Pack shot of the SB Team XX full suspension mountain bike
The Team XX build includes SRAM’s Code Stealth Ultimate brakes and carbon wheels from Newmen (not pictured). – Pivot Cycles

Pivot Switchblade Talon Pro XT/XTR

Pack shot of the SB Talon Pro XT full suspension mountain bike
Only 300 of these special-edition bikes will be made and Pivot is only offering them in the Pro or Team builds. – Pivot Cycles

Pivot Switchblade Talon Pro X0 Eagle AXS Transmission

Pack shot of the SB Talon Pro X0 full suspension mountain bike
The Switchblade Talon special edition celebrates the first mountain bike that Pivot founder Chris Cocalis made, the Sun Eagle Bicycle Works Talon. – Pivot Cycles

Pivot Switchblade Talon Team XTR

Pack shot of the SB Talon Team XTR full suspension mountain bike
You’ll not only need to be quick to get one, you’ll also need deep pockets. – Pivot Cycles

Pivot Switchblade Talon Team XX Eagle AXS Transmission

Pack shot of the SB Talon Team XX full suspension mountain bike
The special neon pink paintwork includes a host of detail on closer inspection and will certainly get you noticed on the trail. – Pivot Cycles