Pivot Switchblade Carbon 29 XT Pro 1x Complete Mountain Bike 2017

Once relegated to industry fiction and our own daydream fantasies, long travel 29ers have officially become not only the stuff of reality, but the norm. This transition has only happened over the past few years, so we're still adjusting from hoping to expecting however, that didn't stop Pivot Cycles from raising our still nascent expectations even more with the Switchblade Carbon 29 XTR 1x Complete Mountain Bike. The all mountain bar for 29ers is already set pretty high, but the Switchblade raises it by a measure of 9mm, 12mm, or 16. 85in, depending on where you take the measurement. If you were to start at the root of the change our preferred method, you'd highlight the number nine first, as in: The Switchback's Super Boost Plus 157 rear axle adds 9mm to the standard Boost axle spacing, bringing it up from 148 to a gravity inspired 157mm. This change's most tangible on trail effect comes in the form of the number 12, as in: The Switchblade's Super Boost rear axle nets 12 additional millimeters of tire clearance. That lets Pivot shove the rear wheel up even more than a standard Boost axle, chopping the chainstays down to a mere 16. 85in while allowing 27. 5 or as is the case here 29in wheels and preserving a Q factor on par with typical 5in bikes. The Super Boost axle's additional real estate also makes for a still stiffer spoke bracing angle, which conspires with a double wishbone rear triangle and Phoenix inspired clevis to stiffen both the pedaling interface and the linkage design. This makes the rear triangle more resistance to torsional flex, which increases pedaling efficiency and decreases the stress put on the pivot bearings. It's easier on your legs and on the hardware you rely on to bail you out of situations where overly ambitious line selection lands you in water that's just a little too deep. The rest of the geometry is similarly capable. Where the concise back end makes for a sharp knife while dicing rooty sections, the relatively steep hea...