First Impressions

I just returned from three long days of riding this thing in Moab and while a long weekend on a bike does not constitute a thorough test by any stretch of the imagination, a gaggle of us media hacks did pound the hell out of the Switchblade. On day one we rode the Switchblade in 29er trim down Upper Porcupine Singletrack, Lower Porcupine Singletrack and the original Porcupine Ridge trail. On day two, we rode the bike in its plus-bike guise down Mag 7. On day three, each journalist got to choose which wheel and tire combo to ride up Hymasa and down Captain Ahab. I chose to return to the 29er set up on the last day…to get a better sense of the pros and cons of each set up.I’ve been focusing on this whole Super Boost Plus 157 thing for the past few paragraphs because I know it’s going to be the factor that overshadows all else about this bike, but in a sense that’s a shame. While Pivot contends that they couldn’t have achieved everything they wanted with the Switchblade (massive tire clearance paired to very short chainstays and the ability to run dual chainrings, which 40 percent of their customers still favor), the bike is bigger than the axle story line.Let’s start with the basics here. As with other Pivots, the Switchblade utilizes Dave Weagle’s DW-Link rear suspension system. It’s a very efficient pedaler—I ran it in Open mode for many of the climbs and rarely found myself even thinking about reaching for the lever to firm things up. We ran higher tire pressures than I normally would even consider, but there were also plenty of small drops from one rocky place to the next. Countless run-ins with big, square-edged rocks that all seemed to be pointing the wrong direction. Peeling a tire off a rim in those unsparing conditions didn’t seem like a great plan, so I opted for the security of the higher pressure and, to the rear suspension’s credit, I still got on really well with the bike. Much to my surprise. The Switchblade is equipped with a Fox 36—a telltale sign of the direction this bike leans. It’s a solid choice as the Switchblade is the kind of bike that urges you to storm into unforgiving terrain at unwise speeds. Pivot equips the Switchblade with a 150-millimeter travel fork, but it will also accept a 160-millimeter fork.As to whether the Switchblade is stiffer than the competition—I dunno. I’d need to run it side by side with its contemporaries and I’d need a lot more time than a long weekend to come to any absolute conclusions, but “This bike is flexy!” was never a thought that sprang to my mind. Not once. It’s a tight-handling machine.29er or 27.5+? Which did I prefer? That’s hard to say. Shod with 29-inch hoops and tires, the bike feels more…I don’t know “nimble” isn’t the right word here as the bike handles tight corners identically with either wheel size. I’ll put it this way, since the 27.5+ version offers a crazy amount of traction, I noticed that the 29er version felt like it changed direction a bit quicker or at least required less effort at the handlebar to make those quick, split-second steering adjustments.On the other hand, the 27.5+ added a huge margin for error when lofting the bike into loose, rubble or when smashing the bike into and over rocks and ledges. Which wheel size is better? That’s a personal judgment call. Bikes like the Switchblade and the Mojo 3 and new Tallboy make a strong case that plus-size doesn’t have to equal “dumbed down”. Not by a long shot. People can hate all they want on these things, but they should ride the better versions of the new breed before they start painting with broad brushstrokes.Did I smack my ankles into those wide chainstays? I did not. Did the chain derail every time I backpedaled in 1st or 2nd gear? It did not—despite the very short chainstays. Would I want to run the bike with a front derailleur? Nope, but it’s cool that you have the option here.So there you have it—the Switchblade is an interesting bike. A very good bike. What’s more, it’s versatile as all hell—the kind of bike that spans a lot of genres. The whole Super Boost Plus 157 thing is going to make some people nod their heads (finally, DH spacing on trail bikes...we should have done that all along) and simultaneously turn other people off. I understand the latter gut reaction: The world needs another new wheel size or wheel standard like it needs a good case of the clap. Then again, this isn’t a new standard at all. Super Boost 157 (or whatever the hell it’ll wind up being called) works with existing parts. It makes sense. While Pivot could have made a very good bike with Boost 148 (and, yes, plenty others have), the extra width has allowed them to bring a hell of a lot of cool features together on one bike—features that don’t often party together.