I’ve got one, haven’t ridden it yet though the trails are still thawing out. Check the mtbr Pivot forum, it’s a lot more active than this one and a bunch of guys have been posting their thoughts.
I've got one and just took it out for the first time yesterday. So I am loving it! I was on a Mach 5.5. It is everything a Mach 5.5 is but better:
Fast, stable, and very poppy (the 5.5 felt like you had to work a bit more to get it off the ground.) Climbs similar but more stable at slow speed on tight switchbacks.
I'm still so use to the 2.6's on the 5.5. I am going to ride this as is for a bit before bigger tires go on.
Does anyone have comparisons on the Pivot SB climbing ability to Hightower, Sb 130 LR, Ripmo, or any other bikes in this category?
I demo rode the Spot Mayhem 130, the Firebird 29, and the Switchblade. The Spot climbed very nicely but I wanted something bigger. (the 150 version wasn't available when I demoed the 130) The Firebird was just too much bike for me and felt that I could not generate any momentum on a bike that big. The Switchblade was the perfect compromise between the 130 and the Firebird. It climbs really well and handles great on descents. The wheelbase is ideal for me and while I have just a handful of rides on it, those rides have had plenty of technical vert and descending to know I made the right call.
Mtb Yum Yum on youtube says the switchblade is the best climber in the category. But at speed in chunk the shock tune can feel harsh. He is a light rider so the tune probably is not great for him.
Same here. After I sell my bike I am looking at the switchblade or a yeti.
I would highly recommend riding both on a favorite trail if you can. Both companies make great bikes, but they are definitely different bikes. The Yeti's wheelbases are long compared to Pivot. For example, the SB130 (130mm/160mm) wheelbase matches the Pivot Firebird 29, which is 162/170.
Edit: I just watched the MTB Yum Yum review you posted and I think it is very accurate based on my handful of rides on the bike. Climbs great. Wants to roll over everything peddling up and going down. It's handled the tech I've ridden on really well. Love how the wheels just keep wanting to roll forward and I just need to make sure I pick the right line for it to take.
Same here. After I sell my bike I am looking at the switchblade or a yeti.
I would highly recommend riding both on a favorite trail if you can. Both companies make great bikes, but they are definitely different bikes. The Yeti's wheelbases are long compared to Pivot. For example, the SB130 (130mm/160mm) wheelbase matches the Pivot Firebird 29, which is 162/170.
Edit: I just watched the MTB Yum Yum review you posted and I think it is very accurate based on my handful of rides on the bike. Climbs great. Wants to roll over everything peddling up and going down. It's handled the tech I've ridden on really well. Love how the wheels just keep wanting to roll forward and I just need to make sure I pick the right line for it to take.
I have already rode the 130 and was really impressed on how wel it rode for a 130mm bike. I would love to demo a switchblade just don't want to pay for it honestly.