top of page
support side banner.jpg

Should You Buy The Brand New 2024 Pivot Cycles Switchblade?

Writer's picture: Mo AwesomeMo Awesome

Updated: Feb 7, 2024




Pivot Cycles just released the brand new 2024 Switchblade in 3 new colors (the pink neon one being very questionable), and as with any new bike update the question is going to be “is it worth it”? If you have already made your mind up and want one (I already have one on order), Shaun with N+1 Bikes in Louisville, Kentucky already has them in stock so hit him up to purchase one today, and be sure to let him know you are a friend of the channel and he will take care of you! For everyone else who is on the fence, let's talk about it! 


New and Improved? 


Bike industry marketing jargon leads me to expect the same words from any bike update. Longer, lower, slacker, more bottomless, better small bump, and future proof, are all terms to be expected from any press release, and the new updated Pivot Switchblade is no different. The press release in fact states these exact words, well minus the future proof, and we will talk about that in a little bit. They did in fact make all of those changes via a lower link as well as adjustment to the bikes geo. The old Switchblade was pretty outdated so some of these new numbers like a 65.2 head angle and a 500mm reach on a size XL are welcomed in a day and age where modern mtb trails are only getting steeper. 


It features a flip chip to be able to run the bike in a high and low setting, which is something that is welcomed if you are a rider that finds yourself spending equal amounts of time in the PNW as you do in the Phoenix, Arizona desert. On the updated Switchblade you will also find size specific chainstays, with a size XL running a somewhat short 436 mm chainstay length. I say somewhat short because, like Pivot's slightly higher bottom bracket heights, the chainstays on Pivots can also be somewhat shorter than other bikes in similar travel categories. This isn’t a bad thing, but rather what sets Pivot and this new Switchblade apart from the other bikes. 


So Should You Buy It?


Now like I said, I have my updated Pivot Switchblade on order so I haven’t had the opportunity to ride one just yet. But I have spent a considerable amount of time testing on Pivot bikes, and judging by all of the changes I am seeing, I'm getting pretty excited! I feel like this year is going to be a very “catch up on everything we’ve missed because the world was crazy for a little bit” year. You are going to see a lot of brands make the changes that have been needed to existing models, rather than try and launch game changing bikes. Is this Switchblade game changing? No, it's updated, and in fact I think if Pivot really wanted to make a statement they would have gotten rid of superboost. I'm sure on an engineering level, superboost is awesome, but it's pretty clear it's not catching on. So hopefully in the future, just like the WTB grips that required you to cut your bars to install grips, that super boost also disappears. Is it a deal breaker? Like I said, I have my bike on order so absolutely not!



Now I will say this, Pivot has changed the game with their bikes in the past. In fact the Pivot Switchblade was one of the first high performance enduro 29ers that absolutely reinvented what you could do on an enduro 29er. You didn't need a Firebird anymore when that first aqua blue Switchblade came out, and that bike was future proof. Now fast forward a few years, and here we are with the updated version, and honestly I like that they didn't destroy an already good thing. The Switchblade is an amazing bike, with just the right amount of travel to get you out of trouble, and an amazing pedaling platform. In this generation, they made it climb better, descend better, all while retaining that same platform that people already love. It’s a win win for everyone (unless you own boost wheels), because if you have a Switchblade from the last few years, it's still worth upgrading. UDH, longer reach, a more refined DW-Link, it's going to feel like an upgrade! And if you don't have a Switchblade, this bike is now back on top of solid contenders for best mid travel 29er on the market, checking off all the boxes in what makes a bike modern and worth it to buy. And who knows, if superboost takes off, it will even be future proof! 


Conclusion


So like I said, I have the new Switchblade on order and am excited to put some time on one! Do I think this bike is game changing? No, but it doesn’t need to be. It is however now a solid contender for best bike in this category, and will be for a while, especially with so many other brands hesitant to introduce new models during a questionable time in the industry. So stay tuned for an official bike review and until then, man that neon is something else isn't it?


Check out more info and pricing here: https://explore.pivotcycles.com/bikes/switchblade






Comments


support side banner.jpg

Stay up to date!

Thanks for subscribing!

Awesome MTB Logo

On a mission to ride bikes.

  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • image1_edited

We are Mo and Hannah otherwise known as Awesome MTB. We create content, ride bikes, and live in a van full time. 

Stay in the loop!

bottom of page