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Pivot Bikes Buyer's Guide

Compare and contrast Pivot bikes

If you're sold on getting a Pivot for your next mountain or gravel bike, welcome to the club! As one of the biggest Pivot dealers in the US, we love these incredible models and have tons of experience helping riders find the perfect one for their style of riding.

Use this guide to help you narrow down your search and find a Pivot that checks all your boxes. Or, head to our catalog and shop all our Pivot bikes there.

Pivot Trail Mountain Bikes

For riders who prioritize fun, capability, and high performance in equal measures, Pivot's trail bikes offer mountain bikers some epic models that can do it all and do it all incredibly well, all over the mountain.

Pivot Trail 429 mountain bike

Pivot Trail 429

The Trail 429 is the latest version of Pivot's all-mountain 29er that's lighter, faster, and more capable than ever. It's got the instincts of a race bike with the firepower of a rig with much longer travel, meaning no KOM is safe and there's no line you can't hit.

Style: all-mountain trail bike

Wheel size: 29"

Travel: 130mm fork / 120mm shock


Pivot Shadowcat mountain bike

Pivot Shadowcat

The Pivot Shadowcat is a 27.5 inch trail ripper that's as quick and agile as it is confidence inspiring. This ridiculously capable bike wants to slash berms, session gnarly lines, send every jump, and take on the big climbs to do it all again.

Style: aggressive trail and park bike

Wheel size: 27.5"

Travel: 160mm fork / 140mm shock

Pivot Trail 429 vs Shadowcat

Choose the Pivot Trail 429 if: you're looking for an all-mountain trail slayer that's fast as all get out, climbs like a goat, and has enough travel to rip down any terrain with confidence.

Choose the Pivot Shadowcat if: you're a rider who loves a nimble bike and who's always getting airborne, hitting creative lines, and sending it big as often as you can.

Pivot Electric Bikes

Pivot's electric bikes stem from the brand's desire to make the most capable, fun bikes around — and their ebike models stay true to those values and give riders more capability (and more fun) than they've ever had before. With eMTB and electric gravel/road options, there's a model for every kind of rider.

Pivot Shuttle SL electric mountain bike

Pivot Shuttle SL

The Shuttle SL is Pivot's super light electric mountain bike dials back the power for more natural handling and assist. The result is the Shuttle looks, feels, and rides like a regular MTB but has a secret weapon that helps you unlock new potential.

Style: lightweight trail eMTB

Wheel size: 29"

Travel: 150mm fork / 132mm shock

Pivot Shuttle LT electric mountain bike

Pivot Shuttle LT

The Shuttle LT is an award-winning long travel eMTB that's based on the Firebird's enduro racing design. It's for riders who want to rip the most technical lines on the mountain and shuttle themselves right back up to the top for another lap.

Style: enduro eMTB

Wheel size: 29"

Travel: 170mm fork / 160mm shock

Pivot E-Vault electric road and gravel bike

Pivot E-Vault

The E-Vault is the Pivot's electric road and gravel bike that's designed to provide power and performance inside and outside the city limits. It's a sleek commuter and adventure machine all in one.

Style: electric road/gravel

Wheel size: 700c (650b compatible)

Max tire size: 700 x 47c or 650b x 2.0"

Pivot Shuttle SL vs  Shuttle LT

Choose the Pivot Shuttle SL if: you are looking for a lighter, more natural feeling eMTB that can help you expand your capabilities on longer routes, faster loops, and bigger climbs.

Choose the Pivot Shuttle LT if: you want to shred the most technical terrain on the mountain and want to be able to pedal yourself back up for multiple laps without wrecking yourself on the climbs.

Pivot Enduro Mountain Bikes

For gravity loving riders who want to ride the steepest and most technical terrain with tons of speed and confidence, Pivot's enduro mountain bikes are some of the best in the industry. So whether you're an enduro racer or you just live for the adrenaline, these models should be solid candidates for your next upgrade. 

Pivot Switchblade mountain bike

Pivot Switchblade

The Pivot Switchblade is an enduro-ready versatile trail destroyer that can be run as a 29er, a mullet, or full 27.5. With those kinds of options, you'd never need another bike.

Style: enduro / aggressive trail

Wheel size: 29" (27.5 or mullet compatible)

Travel: 160mm fork / 142mm shock

Pivot Firebird mountain bike

Pivot Firebird

The Pivot Firebird is a built to win the most demanding enduro races on the planet. Maximum speed, control, and confidence are integral to the 'bird's success on the world stage, and it's got the silverware to prove it.

Style: enduro race

Wheel size: 29" (27.5 or mullet compatible)

Travel: 170mm fork / 165mm shock

Pivot MACH 6 mountain bike

Pivot MACH 6

The MACH 6 is the enduro-inclined, long travel big brother of the Shadowcat and gives riders maximum agility and confidence for getting weird in over your head out on the trail or in the park. 

Style: enduro / park / aggressive trail

Wheel size: 27.5"

Travel: 160mm fork / 158mm shock

Pivot Switchblade vs  MACH 6

Choose the Pivot Switchblade if: your riding style is more fast and furious, and you want a bike that rides like it's on rails through corners and chunk.

Choose the Pivot MACH 6 if: your riding style tends to get you on creative lines and airborne at every opportunity. 

Pivot Switchblade vs  Firebird

Choose the Pivot Switchblade if: you ride want ride-anything firepower but don't need the longest travel option for your local trails.

Choose the Pivot Firebird if: you want an enduro race-worthy ride that is second to none when it comes to speed on the most technical trails.

Pivot Switchblade vs  Trail 429

Choose the Pivot Switchblade if: you ride enduro style trails regularly and want more firepower and wheel size options to customize the way you shred.

Choose the Pivot Trail 429 if: you're a faithful member of the 29er club and you ride everything from XC to enduro trails and want that "just-right" capability.

Pivot MACH 6 vs  Shadowcat

Choose the Pivot MACH 6 if: you're sending it big on enduro trails and in the park and need more travel to soak up the biggest hits on the mountain.

Choose the Pivot Shadowcat if: you're looking for agility and climbing capability for all-mountain trails.

Pivot Gravel Bikes

As a primarily mountain bike focused brand, you'd be crazy to expect anything but a super capable and fun gravel bike from Pivot. The Vault is all that and more — check it out below and see what a mountain biker's gravel bike looks like.

Pivot Vault gravel bike

Pivot Vault

The Pivot Vault gravel bike brings everything the brand knows about off road performance and combines it with an innovative frame for gravel racing and riding.  The Vault is light as can be thanks to the frame weighing in at just 998 grams due to their Hollow Core technology. You can run 700c or 650b, 1x or 2x, and 272 or 30.9 seatposts for tons of versatility. It's built to race, and fun to rip.

Style: gravel / gravel race

Wheel size: 700c (650b compatible)

Max tire size: 700 x 47c or 650b x 2.0"

Pivot XC Mountain Bikes

If you race or ride XC style trails where performance on the climbs matters just as much as speed on the descents, check out these Pivot XC mountain bikes.

Pivot LES SL mountain bike

Pivot LES SL

The Pivot LES SL is a purebred XC race hardtail that prioritizes weight savings, power transfer, and climbing performance but still has a progressive enough geo to rip confidently on the technical downhill sections. It outshines the competition on courses by rocketing your forward with each pedal stroke.

Style: hardtail XC race

Wheel size: 29"

Travel: 100mm (120mm compatible)


Pivot Mach 4 SL mountain bike

Pivot MACH 4 SL

The Pivot MACH 4 SL is a super light short travel full suspension XC race weapon designed to reach the podium on technical race courses. The suspension is tuned to keep you blasting forward when you put the hammer down while offering unmatched control and tracking when ripping down chunk.

Style: full suspension XC race

Wheel size: 29"

Travel: 100-120mm fork / 95-115mm shock

Pivot LES SL vs  MACH 4 SL

Choose the Pivot LES SL if: you prioritize the simplicity and weight savings of a hardtail, or if the terrain you ride has smaller, less technical ups and downs where you'll be pedaling most of the time.

Choose the Pivot MACH 4 SL if: if you want to compete in more technical XC races where the climbs are big and the descents are longer and more challenging, or if you want a bike that can double as a super fun short travel trail ripper.

Pivot Downhill Mountain Bikes

Gravity lovers, park rats, and downhill demons: you know who you are. Pivot's downhill bikes are second to none, and worthy of any rider's upgrade. Check it out below.

Pivot Phoenix mountain bike

Pivot Phoenix

The Phoenix is Pivot's dedicated downhill mountain bike that's racked up awards, medals, and reputation as a one of the baddest bikes around. It's light and nimble for picking the best lines down the mountain but can monster truck its way through chunder like no other when asked to. This bike tracks like a missile when you want to keep it planted but begs to be hucked off the biggest jumps you're willing to send.

Style: downhill / park

Wheel size: 29"

Travel: 203mm fork / 190mm shock