Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission Review
- Price: $11,499
- Frame: Carbon
- Tires: 29″ Carbon
- Gear: 1 × 12 Electronic
What we like about it: It’s an all-around full-suspension trail bike with excellent climbing and descending capabilities.
What we don’t like about it: The design lacks a built-in chain stabilizer and requires post-installation.
Rating: (4.9/5)
The Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission boasts an ultralightweight frame with an outstanding suspension design and a roomy geometry. Along with top-notch mountain bike components, it delivers powerful riding capabilities.
Next, we’ll delve into the riding experience, key features, components, specifications, and other versions of the Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission for analysis. In the latter part of this article, we’ll also compare it with several of the best bicycle models. If you’re interested in more bike reviews, feel free to follow us.
Riding Experience
The Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission comes with a lightweight carbon fiber frame and top-tier components, making it exceptionally capable of handling rugged terrain rides.
To put it to the test, I took the Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission to the Deer Valley Resort mountain bike park. I made advance hotel reservations through IHG for nearby accommodations. The chosen route included significant drop-offs, winding trails, and exhilarating fast descents.
Climbing
The Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission offers a lightweight ride during climbs, thanks to its lightweight carbon fiber frame. The dw-Link suspension system provides enhanced pedal support during climbing, reducing the feeling of pedal bob and increasing climbing speeds.
Its excellent geometry, coupled with a steep seat tube angle, ensures better weight distribution between the front and rear ends of the bike, providing superior stability during uphill rides.
Furthermore, the Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission is equipped with Maxxis Minion 2.5-inch front and 2.4-inch rear wide-profile tires. This allows for better ground contact, minimizing the chances of slipping while pedaling and providing quicker climbing performance.
As I tackled steeper climbing sections, the SRAM XX Eagle DUB 32t crankset paired with the SRAM XX 1297 Eagle Transmission 10-52t freewheel, featuring a 1×12-speed setup, made pedaling feel significantly easier, helping me conserve energy.
In conclusion, I believe the Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission stands out as an exceptional climber among its peers in the full-suspension endurance mountain bike category.
Descending
The Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission also proves to be impressively capable on descents. When landing from significant drops, the Fox Factory Float 36 front suspension fork with 160mm of travel effectively absorbs all landing impacts, ensuring a stable touchdown.
Navigating steep and intense descent sections, the combination of its outstanding geometry and 29-inch large wheels enhances stability during downhill riding. The oversized wheels contribute to better rollover capabilities, allowing me to easily glide over smaller obstacles like protruding rocks and bumps.
Finally, the Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission’s roomy geometry and 29-inch large wheels offer remarkable agility even on narrower paths. The relatively shorter chain stay design ensures maneuverability. The SRAM Code Ultimate Stealth four-piston brakes, paired with SRAM Centerline CenterLock 200mm front and 180mm rear rotors, provide powerful braking abilities. This enables instant speed reduction while entering corners, allowing for swift and flexible maneuvers on narrow trails.
Specifications
The Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission features a carbon fiber frame with internal cable routing, providing a cleaner appearance and easier maintenance. The design of the quiet cable management reduces noise during rides.
The frame includes two mounting points: one on the downtube for water bottle cages and another on the top tube for carrying riding essentials, making it suitable for long-distance rides.
The dropper post design allows riders to maintain a stable riding position between climbs and descents, ensuring better continuity in the ride.
Finally, the protective decals on the downtube and chain safeguard the valuable carbon fiber frame from damage.
Video
Other Versions
The Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission boasts a lightweight geometry, an excellent carbon fiber frame, and top-tier components, resulting in impressive riding performance. However, this bike comes at a high price and may not be suitable for everyone’s budget.
For this reason, we offer a full-suspension mountain bike that utilizes the same carbon fiber frame. This version employs slightly lower-tier components, resulting in a more accessible price point and appealing to a broader audience.
Pivot Switchblade Ride SLX/XT
The Pivot Switchblade Ride SLX/XT utilizes the same lightweight carbon fiber frame with internal cable routing, ensuring a powerful performance for this bike.
Regarding suspension, the Fox Performance Float 36 front fork and Fox Factory Float X rear shock are both reliable and offer excellent support. This enables the bike to handle significant drops and intense descents with ease.
In terms of drivetrain components, the mixed design of the Shimano XT M8100 and Shimano SLX M7100 ensures efficient transmission and smooth shifting. The Shimano XT M8100 rear derailleur provides sufficient tension, stabilizing the chain during rides.
Finally, the braking system features the Shimano SLX M7120 4-piston brake system, providing responsive and linear braking. This is undoubtedly a trustworthy braking system.
Below, we’ll provide detailed specifications for the Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission, as well as similar full-suspension mountain bikes from other brands that are within a similar price range for your reference.
What do we like about it?
- Hydraulic disc brakes with reliable performance even in challenging conditions.
- Internal cable routing for a neat appearance and convenient maintenance.
- Excellent geometry paired with 29-inch wheels for stable descents and improved traction.
- Efficient transmission with SRAM XX Eagle Transmission for precise and rapid shifting.
- The dropper post design ensures the rider remains in the appropriate position during transitions between climbs and descents.
- The dw-Link suspension provides robust support, aiding in climbing performance.
What don’t we like about it?
- High price making it less accessible for riders with budget constraints.
FAQ
- Can this bike use 27.5-inch tires?
Yes, it’s suitable for 27.5-inch wheels with 2.6 to 2.8-inch width (Maxxis) tires, with a maximum tire width of 40mm (internal) rim.
- Can this bike be equipped with a chain guide?
It features an ISCG05 mount on the frame. Most upper chain guides available in the market will fit.
- What’s the maximum amount of fork travel to use on this bike?
This bike is designed for a 160mm travel fork. Hence, the maximum travel length that can be used is 160mm.
Specs
Build
| Frame | SwitchbladeHanger Standard: UDHColors: Electric Lime; Bass Boat Blue |
| Fork | Fox Factory 36 29″, 44mm offset, GRIP2 – 160mm |
| Rear Shock | Fox Factory FLOATX |
| Headset | Pivot Precision Sealed Cartridge |
| Stem | Phoenix Team Enduro/Trail |
| Handlebar | Phoenix Team Low Rise Carbon – 760mm (XS), 780mm (SM-LG), One Up Low Rise Carbon 800mm (XL) |
| Saddle | Phoenix WTB Team High Tail Trail (XS, SM), Phoenix WTB Volt Team (Medium Width) (MD-XL) |
| Seatpost | Rock Shox Reverb AXS 100mm (XS), 125mm (SM-MD), 170mm (LG, XL) |
| Grips | Phoenix Factory Lock-On |
Groupset
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM XX Eagle Transmission 12-Speed |
| Crank | SRAM XX Eagle DUB 32t |
| Shifters | SRAM AXS Pod Ultimate Controller |
| Cassette | SRAM XX 1297 Eagle Transmission 10-52t |
| Chain | SRAM XX Eagle Transmission Flattop 12-Speed |
| Brakes | SRAM Code Ultimate Stealth 4-piston |
Wheels
| Rims | RimsDT Swiss XMC1501 w/ DT Swiss 240 hub EXP 36t Star Ratchet 30mm – 29″ <br>15×110 F/12×157 R |
| Tires | Maxxis Minion DHF 29″ x 2.5″ WT, TR, 3C, EXO+, MAXXTERRA<br />Maxxis Minion DHRII 29″ x 2.4″ WT, TR, 3C, EXO+, MAXXTERRA |
| Disk Rotors | SRAM Centerline CenterLock – 200mm<br />SRAM Centerline CenterLock – 180mm |
Comparison Table
| Bikes | Click view | Travel | Frame Material | Brake Type | Drivetrain |
| Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper EVO | Click View | 150mm rear, 160mm front | Carbon | SRAM Code RSC | 1 × 12 Electronic |
| Trek Slash 9.9 XX1 Flight Attendant | Click View | 160mm rear, 170mm front | Carbon | SRAM Code RSC | 1 × 12 Electronic |
| Santa Cruz MEGATOWER XX AXS RSV / Carbon CC | Click View | 165mm rear, 170mm front | Carbon | Code Ultimate Stealth | 1 × 12 Electronic |
Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission vs. Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper EVO
Comparing these two bikes, both are top-tier full-suspension endurance mountain bikes. They have nearly similar suspension performance.
In terms of drivetrain components, the former is equipped with the SRAM XX Eagle Transmission and the latter with the SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS. Both are top-level SRAM drivetrain components and come in electronic versions, making tuning more convenient. However, the former’s rear derailleur can be installed without a tail hook, making it more robust and less susceptible to external influences.
Regarding braking components, both bikes feature SRAM Code-level hydraulic disc brakes, showcasing excellent and powerful braking capability, making them top-tier and reliable brake systems.
In conclusion, between these two full-suspension endurance mountain bikes, either one would be a good choice – both are reliable selections.
Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission vs. Trek Slash 9.9 XX1 Flight Attendant
Comparing these two bikes, in terms of suspension, the latter has a longer suspension travel, whereas the former’s Fox front fork offers greater supportiveness.
As for the drivetrain components, both feature top-tier SRAM drivetrain systems. The former utilizes the latest components that can be installed without a tail hook, reducing the potential accuracy loss in shifting caused by tail hook bending. This makes it more reliable and trustworthy.
However, in terms of suspension and geometry design, the former will have better overall riding capabilities and improved climbing abilities. On the other hand, the latter will excel more in downhill riding capabilities.
Therefore, if you’re seeking an all-around bike, the Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission is the better choice. Conversely, if you prioritize downhill performance, the Trek Slash 9.9 XX1 Flight Attendant offers stronger capabilities.
Learn More: Is Trek Slash 9.9 XTR Worth Buying? [Trek Slash 9.9 XTR Review]
Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission vs. Santa Cruz MEGATOWER XX AXS RSV / Carbon CC
Taking another look at them, these two bikes each have their advantages.
The former, equipped with the dw-Link suspension, offers better support and advantages during climbing. However, the latter’s VPP frame design provides better agility and control on descents and narrow paths.
In terms of suspension systems, the Fox suspension system on the former provides better support, while the RockShox suspension system on the latter offers a more sensitive initial response.
Then, in terms of drivetrain and braking components, both bikes use the same components, delivering powerful and reliable performance.
In the end, the choice between these two bikes depends on your riding style and preferences.
Learn More: Is Santa Cruz MEGATOWER XX1 AXS Worth Buying? [Santa Cruz MEGATOWER XX1 AXS Review ]
Summary
Above, I’ve provided my assessment of the Pivot Switchblade Team XX Eagle Transmission. In our view, this is a versatile and capable full-suspension endurance mountain bike that can handle any challenge. It holds its ground against any other bike in its category. That’s why we’ve given it a rating of 4.9.
Of course, if you’re interested in exploring other full-suspension endurance mountain bikes, we also review a wide range of bikes at various price points, all of which are equally exciting. Feel free to check out our other reviews.
Finally, if you enjoy our content, please consider sharing it with your friends. If you find our content helpful, you can also subscribe by clicking on the email subscription button below. Thank you for your support!
