First Ride: The 2024 Pivot Switchblade Gets Updated, Not Overhauled

Geometry

I’d classify the new Switchblade as more modern than the last, but still quite conservative relative to the broader market. Certain elements, like reach, bottom bracket drop, and stack heights are in line with other all-mountain bikes, but on other fronts the Switchblade is still reserved. For the sake of simplicity, I’m solely talking about the bike in the Low flip chip position; things are about 0.5° steeper in the high, along with the increased BB height.

The 65.2° head angle makes for a sharp handling characteristic, biased a bit towards confidence in corners as opposed to the steepest and gnarliest features. A little slacker might strike a happy balance, but the current figure does suit the overall bike’s package well. The seat tube angle is a bit more of a compromise in my eyes, landing at 76° in every size’s nominal saddle height. This just means that it strikes somewhere around that 76° mark where more average Small, Large, etc. riders would typically run their saddle. It’s half a degree steeper than the outgoing model, but still a good bit slacker than most bikes in this travel bracket. Plenty of people will be catered to here, but I prefer a steeper seat angle for technical and graded climbing alike.

Pivot did opt for size-specific chainstays for the new bike, though the changes per size are comically small. Extra Small through Medium get 431mm stays, Large bumps up 1 millimeter to 432mm, and Extra Large gets a 436mm rear center. The overall stay length difference between XS and XL is more in line with the difference brands will apply between two consecutive sizes.

Frame Features

Pivot’s carbon frames are renowned for quality, both in material construction and the small details that make a bike easier to live with. In line with those ideals, the Switchblade has all the niceties a mechanic loves to see, like full length internally-guided cable routing, excellent bearing alignment, and plenty of well-executed gizmos to keep the bike quiet and rattle free.

They’re still absent from the In-Frame Storage Club meetings, but the team in Tempe doesn’t feel too left out. They did provide a second set of bottle mounts on the underside of the downtube, and have partnered with Topeak to create a line of repair tools that cleanly mount to that spot. Those kits will be available aftermarket, and come in many shapes and sizes to suit your needs.

Otherwise, it’s just a very nice bike, made with durability and ride quality in mind.

Suspension Design

Generally, things aren’t drastically different on this front when compared to the outgoing Switchblade, though there are some details worth noting. Like all of Pivot’s trail bikes, the Switchblade implements the DW-Link layout, which they’ve had the chance to optimize and refine over the years.

Setting the new bike apart from the last is a slightly longer lower link, which puts the kinematics and wheel path more in line with the Firebird than the other trail bikes in the Pivot lineup. This was meant to help square-edge performance and keep the bike moving through rough terrain, where the prior version would sometimes get held up.

Otherwise, it’s meant to give the ride feel Pivots consistently offer – a very soft top end, with enough support to keep you from using all of your travel all of the time. The Switchblade is compatible with coil shocks, though all of the builds come with a Float X and a cute little sag indicator.

Less a frame feature, more of a featured frame. Accompanying the Switchblade launch is this special edition 35th anniversary bike, celebrating Pivot founder Chris Cocalis’ first foray into bike design and construction: the Sun Eagle Talon. Pictured above, you have Chris’ take on the perfect all-mountain bike in 1989, and in 2024. There will be a limited number of these frames, so get in touch with your local dealer if you want to get your hands on one.

Build Kits

There are plenty of builds on offer here, but none come cheap. The upside is the fact that there’s no part wasted on the builds, with high quality and proven components on every tier. I’ve outlined the majority of offerings, though there are some pricing differences with the Talon models.

There weren’t weight available for every build kit at the time of publication, but those mentioned are a size Medium.

Switchblade Ride GX AXS // $6,999. Fox Performance suspension, SRAM Code R brakes, GX T-Type drivetrain, DT M1900 wheels.

Switchblade Pro XT/XTR // $7,799 | $8,999. Fox Factory suspension, Shimano XT brakes, XT/XTR drivetrain, DT XM1700 or XMC1501 wheels. 30.78lbs / 13.96kg w/ carbon wheels.

Switchblade Pro XO AXS // $8,699 | $9,899. Fox Factory suspension, SRAM Code RSC brakes, XO T-Type drivetrain, DT XM1700 or XMC1501 wheels. 30.45lbs / 13.81kg w/ carbon wheels.

Switchblade Team XTR // $9,899. Fox Factory suspension, Shimano XTR brakes and drivetrain, DT XMC1501 wheels. 28.75lbs / 13.04kg.

Switchblade Team XX AXS // $11,399. Fox Factory suspension, SRAM Code Ultimate brakes, XX T-Type drivetrain, DT XMC1501 wheels. 29.98lbs / 13.6kg.

Limited-edition Talon builds are available as well, with Pro and Team models ranging from $9,199 to $11,599.

Ride Impressions

My time on the Switchblade has been isolated to some excellent riding in and around Pivot’s headquarters in Tempe, Arizona. This means the bike saw plenty of tech climbs, bouldery descents, and loose dirt, with some surprise downpours thrown in to remind me of home. Limited, but with enough scope to get a sense for the bike – and boy is it fun.

In terrain that biases towards awkward, slower speed, and abrupt, the Switchblade handled excellently. You have solid control of both wheels, and can slot them into tight spots and catch backside on little trail features. As the speed picks up, there’s a bit of front-rear imbalance, at least on the XL I was riding, though this only becomes noticeable in unsupported corners and looser/steeper sections of trail, where your weight is too far behind the front wheel to keep things hooking up.

That can be compensated with good body position and some mindful riding, and the rest of the geometry facilitates that quite well. The suspension performance also lends a helping hand, facilitating plenty of grip at the rear wheel and tracking very well. The bike’s suspension has a quick, fluttery feel over repeated hits, and does a great job of absorbing bumps.