Switchblade Carbon 27.5+ XT Pro 1x Mountain Bike - 2017
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Shop Similar ProductsOff-road romance.
At this point in the industry's love affair with plus-size tires, we've seen pretty much every possible take on the platform. It's a classic story of Boost meets tire girth, the two retire to a bed of expanded frame clearance, and a squishy little 3in bundle of joy is born. With Pivot's Switchblade Carbon 27.5+ XT Pro 1x Complete Mountain Bike, that classic model of knobby tire romance is pushed in new, lascivious directions.
There's a lot going on with this bike, and we'll get to that, but the real naughty element lies in the introduction of what Pivot is calling Super Boost Plus 157, a new rear axle standard that adds an additional 9mm to the rear axle and 12 fecund millimeters to tire clearance. Given the implications of a frame with such titillating clearance, we're a little surprised—even disappointed—that Pivot didn't call the new standard a sexle. Whatever the case, it essentially combines a DH chainline with a typical 5in bike's Q factor and heel clearance. The introduction of a gravity-sized rear axle has serious implications for an aggressive enduro rig, and these implications go well beyond the increased rear wheel stiffness of the more acute spoke angle.
The key effect of the sexle—err, Super Boost rear hub is that the Switchblade enjoys the clearance to run traditional 29ers or, as is the case here, add an additional element of forgiving, save-your-ass squish with 27.5+ wheels and tires. Either way, the extra-wide spacing allowed Pivot to get freaky with chainstay lengths, chopping them down to 16.85in by moving the rear wheel up towards the seat tube. That's a dimension that makes standard Boost axles blush, and it pairs with a Phoenix-inspired, double wishbone rear triangle to stiffen both the pedaling interface and the linkage design. Increased efficiency and decreased pivot bearing wear—what more could you ask for in an off-road partner?
The rest of the geometry is similarly capable. Where the concise back end makes for a sharp knife while dicing rooty sections, the enduro-minded head tube and bottom bracket height make for a slack, low chassis that complements the 2.8in tires with a devil-may-care, flippant promiscuity in the face of questionable lines. The Switchblade provides a platform of stability when a series of poor life choices on the trail has you confronting big hits and roll overs at impolitic speeds. Despite the frame's big-line parachute qualities, its seat tube sits relatively steep, keeping you forward and on top of the pedal stroke while climbing. That's a little slacker than the Mach 4, but—when the grade flips and the rocks rise to meet you—the Switchblade will leave any XC race whip for dead.
Pivot prides itself on build kit specs, and the Pro build on this bike is no exception. The primary feature is Shimano's XT M8000 group, which is essentially a more street-savvy version of XTR. If XTR is a city boy on a weekend rafting trip with its city-boy friends, then XT is on a cabin porch somewhere playing the banjo. Scrappy, familiar names like Race Face and DT Swiss round the build out, and a KS LEV Integra dropper tailors saddle height to whatever ups and downs you happen to encounter on the trail.
Details
- An aggro trail bike with unprecedentedly stubby chainstays
- 135mm of DW-Link suspension maintains pedaling throughout travel
- Long, slack geometry bails you out on bigger than expected lines
- Gravity-inspired Super Boost rear axle for added tire clearance
- Elements of the DH Phoenix reinforce the rear linkage
- Plus-sized tires add cush and traction
- Full carbon construction is light and efficient
- Item #PIV0036
- Frame Material
- carbon fiber
- Suspension
- DW-Link
- Rear Shock
- FOX Float Factory DPS EVOL Kashima
- Rear Travel
- 135 mm
- Fork
- FOX Factory 36 Float Kashima
- Front Travel
- 150 mm
- Headset
- Pivot Precision Sealed Bearing
- Shifters
- Shimano XT M8000 (right only)
- Front Derailleur
- n/a
- Rear Derailleur
- Shimano XTR M9000
- ISCG Tabs
- yes, ISCG 05
- Crankset
- 30 t Race Face Affect SL
- Bottom Bracket
- PressFit 92
- Cassette
- 11 - 42 t Shimano XT M8000
- Brakeset
- Shimano XT M8000
- Brake Type
- hydraulic disc
- Handlebar
- Phoenix carbon riser
- Handlebar Width
- 740 mm
- Grips
- Phoenix lock-on
- Stem
- Phoenix Trail Enduro
- Saddle
- [sizes medium, large, x-large] WTB Vigo Race, [sizes x-small, small] WTB Hightail
- Seatpost
- KS LEV Integra dropper
- Wheelset
- DT Swiss XM
- Hubs
- DT Swiss Star Ratchet freehub
- Front Axle
- 15 x 110mm Boost thru-axle
- Rear Axle
- 12 x 157 Super Boost Plus 157 thru-axle
- Tires
- Maxxis Recon
- Tire Size
- 27.5 x 2.8 in
- Pedals
- not included
- Recommended Use
- trail, all-mountain
- Manufacturer Warranty
- 3 years on frame
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