Pivot Vault Dura-Ace Review
- Price: $8,749
- Frame: Carbon
- Tires: 700c Aluminum
- Gear: 2 × 12 Electronic
What we like about it: ISO FLEX seatpost technology is unmatched in all-day, all-terrain pedaling comfort.
What we don’t like about it: It’s a bit expensive and hardly meets everyone’s buying expectations.
Rating: (4.9/5)
The Pivot Vault Dura-Ace is able to reach the fastest riding speeds thanks to its unparalleled handling, the huge tire clearance in it and the excellent power transfer.
Below, we will analyze the riding experience, key features, components, and specifications as well as other versions of this bike.
Additionally, at the end of the review, we will also compare several best bike models. If you want to know more about bike reviews, don’t hesitate to follow us.
Riding Experience
The Pivot Vault Dura-Ace is a gravel road bike with a top-of-the-line carbon frame and a full internal cable routing for a clean and simple look.
Combined with top-notch components, this makes it a powerful competitive bike in its class of gravel bikes.
To that end I packed up the Pivot Vault Dura-Ace and planned to experience the gravel bike course at Barry-Roubaix.
It’s almost all unpaved gravel and has big and small climbs and descents at various angles. So I booked my hotel on IHG and headed out immediately.
Climbing
The Pivot Vault Dura-Ace felt light to me when climbing. This was due to its ultra-light carbon frame, which gave me a more direct feel for pedaling power.
And its excellent geometry allowed me to better ensure a stable center of gravity, distributing my weight at both ends of the bike.
This was very helpful on climbing rides, keeping the front wheel close to the ground and making each lap of my pedaling into an effective riding distance.
Then, the Shimano Dura Ace 9200 50/34t crankset with the Shimano Dura Ace 9200 50/34t flywheel helped me to have an abundance of speeds to choose from on this steep uphill section, which made my pedaling feeling lighter and thus supported me to reduce physical exertion upward.
In summary, the Pivot Vault Dura-Ace’s lightweight carbon frame with quality components is more helpful for me on uphill rides and is a gravel bike that allows me to ride uphill with less strain and faster uphill speeds.
Decline
The Pivot Vault Dura-Ace offered a comfortable ride on downhill roads, where the nature of the carbon frame created a slight deformation thereby absorbing some of the vibration felt on the road.
While the ISO FLEX seatpost technology, which isolated the seat post from the frame, also provided exceptional riding comfort.
Next, the Shimano Dura Ace 9270 brakes with the Shimano XTR CenterLock – 160mm brakes had great braking power and helped me slow down quickly on this descent to ensure the safety of mine.
In addition, the Shimano XTR’s floating brake discs could quickly dissipate heat to ensure that I won’t lose my braking ability due to overheating during this long distance of braking.
All in all, the Shimano Dura Ace 9270’s light weight ensures its climbing performance and flat road cruising speed. Meanwhile, the excellent components make it more stable and safe for downhill.
Specification
The Pivot Vault Dura-Ace uses a lightweight carbon frame to reduce the weight of the bike.
It is available in (XS-XL) 5 sizes of frame roll geometry, suitable for riders between 5 feet and 6 feet 5 inches in height with a wide range of applicability.
In addition, the design of the internal cable routing makes the appearance of the frame cleaner and neater, more convenient in daily cleaning. This also reduces the wind resistance when riding.
Next, the Pivot Vault’s frame has multiple mounting holes to support full-size water bottles and carry more gear on long rides.
Finally, the patent-pending ISO FLEX technology fits 27.2 or 30.9 seatposts, isolating the seatpost from the frame and providing exceptional comfort without loss of frame stiffness and control.
Video
Other versions
The Pivot Vault Dura-Ace is a top-of-the-line gravel bike. Besides lightweight, the capabilities it exhibits in all areas are not bad.
But it does come at a price that is too expensive for most people.
For this reason we also offer a model that uses the same carbon frame from the same series, but with a a bit lower grade of components, still with great performance.
Pivot Vault Ultegra Di2
The Pivot Vault Ultegra Di2 uses the same carbon frame as the Pivot Vault Dura-Ace, both of which have a light and fast pedaling feel and excellent geometry.
It uses the components of the Shimano Ultegra Di2 8150, which has a smooth shifting feel and excellent drivetrain efficiency.
In addition, it has a large 48T cassette, which takes into account the cruising speed of flat road riding.
The Shimano Ultegra 8170 brakes with Shimano XT CenterLock 160mm discs are as powerful and reliable as the braking components. It is a reliable brake.
So, if your budget is not that big, the Pivot Vault Ultegra Di2 would be a good choice for you.
Below, we will list in specific detail the exact parameters of the Pivot Vault Dura-Ace and some other brands of gravel bikes at similar prices for your reference.
What do we like about it?
- Patent-pending ISO FLEX seatpost technology is unmatched in all-day, all-terrain pedaling comfort.
- The Pivot Vault Dura-Ace has generous tire clearance for riding on any road.
- Excellent carbon frame coupled with top-notch components make for a powerful gravel bike.
- Internal cable routing design makes the appearance more neat.
- The design of the silent line pipe reduces the noise generated during the ride.
- With multiple mounting holes, the bike enjoys a strong loading capacity, thus supporting long-distance riding.
What don’t we like about it?
- A bit expensive and difficult to meet everyone’s buying expectations.
FAQ
- What kind of wheelset does it use?
Front wheelset: DT Swiss CR 1600 SPLINE 22mm – 700C<br> 12×100.
Rear wheelset: DT Swiss CR 1600 SPLINE 22mm – 700C<br> 12×142 .
- Is it suitable for long distance riding?
Its frame has multiple mounting holes to increase the loading capacity and give it the ability to ride long distances.
- How much geometric data is available for this bike’s frame?
Here we provide you with detailed data on the frame geometry, which can be used for your own reference.
| XS | SM | MD | LG | XL | |
| Seat Tube Length (C-T) | 18.0 in | 20.8 in | 21.6 in | 22.3 in | 23.1 in |
| BTop Tube Length | 20.3 in | 21.2 in | 22.2 in | 22.8 in | 23.2 in |
| CHead Tube Length | 4.1 in | 5.1 in | 6.1 in | 6.7 in | 7.7 in |
| DHead Tube Angle | 70.0° | 71.5° | 72.0° | 72.0° | 72.0° |
| ESeat Tube Angle (Eff.) | 74.8° | 74.0° | 73.5° | 73.0° | 73.0° |
| FChain Stay Length | 16.5 in | 16.5 in | 16.5 in | 16.5 in | 16.5 in |
| GBottom Bracket Drop | 2.8 in | 2.8 in | 2.8 in | 2.8 in | 2.8 in |
| HStandover Height | 27.8 in | 30.2 in | 31.0 in | 31.7 in | 32.5 in |
| IWheelbase | 39.4 in | 39.5 in | 40.2 in | 40.5 in | 40.9 in |
| Stack | 20.5 in | 21.6 in | 22.6 in | 23.2 in | 24.1 in |
| Reach | 14.7 in | 15.0 in | 15.5 in | 15.7 in | 15.8 in |
Specs
Build
| Frame | Vault Colors: Deep Metallic Blue; Firebrick Red |
| Fork | Pivot Vault Carbon |
| Headset | Pivot Precision Sealed Integrated Cartridge |
| Stem | Phoenix Team 31.8mm |
| Handlebar | Easton EC70 SL Carbon – 40cm (XS), 42cm (SM), 44cm (MD), 46cm (LG, XL) |
| Saddle | Phoenix WTB Team Volt |
| Seatpost | Phoenix Pro ISO Flex Carbon |
Groupset
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9250 12-Speed |
| Crank | Shimano Dura Ace 9200 50/34t |
| Shifters | Shimano Dura Ace 9270 12-Speed |
| Cassette | Shimano Dura Ace HG-9200 12 Speed 11-34t |
| Chain | Shimano CN-M9100 12-Speed |
| Brakes | Shimano Dura Ace 9270 2-piston |
Wheels
| Rims | DT Swiss CR 1600 SPLINE 22mm – 700C<br> 12×100 F/12×142 R |
| Tires | Maxxis Rambler 700c x 40mm TR Tan Wall EXO<br />Maxxis Rambler 700c x 40mm TR Tan Wall EXO |
| Disk Rotors | Shimano XTR CenterLock – 160mm<br/>Shimano XT CenterLock – 160mm |
Comparison Table
| Bicycles | Click View | Wheelset specifications | Frame material | Brake Type | Drivetrain |
| Canyon Grail CF SL 8 | Click View | SRAM Rival 1 | Carbon | Shimano GRX RX810 2s | 2 × 11 |
| Cannondale Topstone Carbon 5 | Click View | 700c Aluminum | Carbon | Shimano GRX 600 | 2 × 11 |
| Jamis RENEGADE C1 | Click View | 700c Aluminum | Carbon | Shimano GRX BR-RX810 | 2 × 11 |
| Giant Revolt, Advanced 1 | Click View | 700c Aluminum | Carbon | SRAM Rival 1 | 1 × 11 |
Pivot Vault Dura-Ace VS Canyon Grail CF SL 8
Both the Pivot Vault Dura-Ace and the Canyon Grail CF SL 8 are gravel road bikes with excellent carbon frames. But the former has better components.
As for the drivetrain components, the former uses the top Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9250 road components, with better efficiency and shift smoothness, than the latter Shimano GRX RX810 gravel bike components. Its electronic shifting is also more convenient and easy to adjust.
In terms of braking ability, the Shimano Dura Ace 9270 brakes, also from Pivot Vault, have more braking power and a more delicate feel than the Canyon Grail CF SL 8.
So, between these two bikes, I would recommend the former more, for it is more powerful in all aspects.
Learn More: Is Canyon Grail 7 Worth Buying? [Canyon Grail 7 Review]
Pivot Vault Dura-Ace VS Cannondale Topstone Carbon 5
Between the Pivot Vault Dura-Ace and the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 5, again, the former has the higher component rating.
In terms of drivetrain, the former Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9250 kit has a smooth shifting feel and the excellent drivetrain efficiency.
The latter uses a hybrid combination of Shimano GRX 800 and Shimano GRX 600, maybe not as good as the former in terms of corresponding component levels and other corresponding capabilities.
Speaking of braking components, the same Shimano Dura Ace 9270 of the former has better braking ability than the Shimano GRX 600 of the latter.
Finally, the former has higher-end components that allow for more frame capability and the ride will feel faster and the power will be smoother. So it’s more recommended.
Pivot Vault Dura-Ace VS Jamis RENEGADE C1
Both are carbon gravel bikes with excellent geometry.
But in terms of components, the former Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9250 is the top road bike component with higher drivetrain efficiency and smoother and more delicate shifting, making it easier and more convenient when adjusting electronic shifting.
The latter uses the components of Shimano GRX RX-R810, which is a gravel bike component that can stand up to the harsh conditions of cycling.
Finally, the Shimano Dura Ace 9270 brakes of the same Pivot Vault have a more powerful braking capacity than the Shimano GRX BR-RX810 of the Jamis RENEGADE C1 and own a lighter pressing grip on the brakes.
As a result, the Pivot Vault Dura-Ace is more powerful than the Jamis RENEGADE C1 in every way.
Learn More: Is Jamis RENEGADE S3 Worth Buying?- [Jamis RENEGADE S3 Review]
Pivot Vault Dura-Ace VS Giant Revolt, Advanced 1
The Pivot Vault Dura-Ace and the Giant Revolt, Advanced 1, two gravel bikes, are bikes with different styles as well as their own strengths.
In terms of geometry, the former has a steeper frame shape, so the riding position will be more aggressive, combined with top-of-the-line components for a lighter, faster riding experience.
The latter’s frame geometry, on the other hand, is more like a mountain bike. Accordingly, it will be more capable of riding on complex surfaces.
Finally, if you’re after a more pure trail ride then the Giant Revolt, Advanced 1 would be more suitable. Whereas if you want a faster, lighter ride, the Pivot Vault Dura-Ace is the perfect match.
Learn More: Is Giant Revolt Advanced 3 Worth Buying? [Giant Revolt Advanced 3 Review]
Summary
Above is my ride review of the Pivot Vault Dura-Ace. In our opinion, it’s a gravel bike that feels easy to ride and has top-notch components. That’s why we gave it a 4.9 rating.
Of course, if you’re interested in exploring other similar bikes, we have reviewed a variety of bikes at different price points that you might find interesting. Feel free to check out our other reviews as well.
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