While it would seem that the dust has only just settled following the release of the versatile 29/27.5+ Switchblade full suspension mountain bike earlier this year, Pivot Cycles have gone ahead and dropped another new bike on us. This time it’s the brand new Firebird Carbon, which has been entirely redesigned from the ground up as a 170mm travel carbon fibre uber-bike.
As one of the stalwarts in the Pivot Cycles range, the Firebird was one of Pivot’s earliest models alongside the original Mach 4 and Mach 5 bikes. It first came to life as a 165mm travel All Mountain bike, which offered incredible pedalling efficiency for its given size and capabilities. The second generation Firebird was then tweaked in 2013 to accommodate 27.5in wheels, becoming the first bike in Pivot’s range to receive the Goldilocks hoops. In three years though, a lot has changed for long-travel trail bikes, and a lot has changed at Pivot thanks to the addition of well-received models such as the Phoenix Carbon DH bike and the highly popular Mach 6.
And so we now have the third generation in the Firebird lineage: the Firebird Carbon.
Stylistically and technologically, the Firebird Carbon straddles the gap between the Mach 6 and the Phoenix. It’s built as a long-travel enduro bruiser, with 170mm of rear suspension travel, and the ability to run 170-180mm of fork travel up front. In the true spirit of endoooro, geometry is looong and slaaack, and it appears to be well equipped for the steepest and gnarliest of Enduro World Series racecourses.
“The Firebird is the no-compromise, Holy Grail of long travel mountain bikes – both an enduro bike that devours park runs and a technical climber that relishes huge lines and blazing descents. Building on its reputation as the bike for all-day missions on black diamond terrain, the Firebird now features Phoenix DH-inspired long reach measurements combined with a 65-degree head angle to deliver unmatched stability and handling. For enduro racers, the tough and light Firebird’s peerless climbing traction, descending capability and instant acceleration makes this the perfect choice for the steep courses of the Enduro World Series. For park riders, the Firebird’s long front-centre and short chainstay combination provides that nimble, snappy feel that encourages bold line choices while staying fully in control at World Cup speeds.” – Pivot Cycles
The Pivot Firebird features:
- Full carbon frame
- Phoenix DH-inspired long and low geometry
- 65.5-degree head angle
- Short 430mm (16.95”) chainstays
- 170mm dw-link™ rear suspension
- 27.5 wheel compatible, with clearance for up to 2.5” wide tyres
- Boost™ 148x12mm thru-axle
- Front derailleur compatible with Pivot’s stealth E-Type mounting system
- Pivot Cable Port system for easy internal routing of shifters, brakes and droppers and full Di2 Integration
- Internal dropper post compatible
- Cold forged alloy linkages with Enduro Max Cartridge Bearings
- New ultra quiet low durometer rubberized frame protection
- Sizes: S, M, L, XL
- Frame price: £3300
- Complete bike price: £5050 – £8920
One of the big changes to the Firebird has been the move to a carbon fibre frame. Relying on Pivot’s Hollowbox construction, the Firebird Carbon frame shares a similar physique to Pivot’s other carbon bikes such as the Switchblade and the Mach 6 Carbon, with smooth lines abound. Like the existing alloy Firebird, the new bike is built around 27.5in wheels. Unlike the new Switchblade however, there is no wheelsize interchangeability on the Firebird Carbon. The bike is 27.5in only, and you’ve only got clearance for up to 2.5in wide tyres, so you won’t be able to squeeze in plus tyres even if you try really, really hard.
Out back, rear suspension travel has been bumped up 5mm to offer up no less than 170mm of trail-munching goodness. Pivot will be offering complete bikes with a 170mm travel Fox 36 fork up front, but they say you can fit up to a 180mm travel fork if you’re just that little bit more ‘ardcore. Despite the generous amount of travel, Pivot are claiming that the Firebird Carbon pedals just as well as the Mach 6, so it is designed to go uphill too. Further assisting with pedal efficiency is the latest FLOAT X2 shock from Fox, which comes equipped with a blue climb switch to give you a little more juice on the climbs.
The suspension design has also been updated, with Pivot calling on the latest iteration of the dw-link platform for the Firebird Carbon. Just like the Switchblade and Mach 6, this sees an additional strut connecting the upper linkage to the base of the rear shock, which helps to drive the shock in a more linear fashion. Gone is the DU bushing in the lower shock eyelet, with rotational duties handed over to two cartridge bearings in the strut. Speaking of bearings, all pivots run on Enduro Max cartridge bearings for durability and smoothness.
Pivot has engineered the Firebird Carbon around 148x12mm BOOST rear hub spacing. This is an interesting move, given that the new Switchblade is running the Super BOOST Plus 157x12mm design. We’re assuming that because the Firebird Carbon isn’t built to take plus tyres or 29in wheels though, that there wasn’t a need for the extra-wide rear hub to get the chainstays sufficiently short. And given the Firebird Carbon comes with a 16.95in rear centre length and the ability to run a front derailleur, it doesn’t appear that Pivot had too much trouble slamming that rear tyre in nice and close to the BB.
Since the introduction of the Mach 4 Carbon, Pivot have been all over cable management and Di2 integration. As such, the Firebird Carbon is equipped to take on any and every setup imaginable, with a sleek battery port located in front of the BB shell covering the access slot for a Shimano Di2 battery. There is a plethora of cable entry and exit ports available for whatever setup you choose to run, with each port acting as a housing clamp that purportedly keeps cables and hoses rattle-free.
Geometry on the Firebird Carbon is suitably modern, with a 65-degree head angle aiming to offer up the kind of high-speed stability that you’d expect of a World Cup downhill bike. Front centre’s are very long too, and it’s where the vast majority of the wheelbase length comes from. Overall, the Firebird Carbon isn’t that dissimilar from downhill sleds from just a few years ago, which could make it a popular choice among riders who want to ride those kinds of trails, but still want a pedal-able bike.
Other features on the new Firebird Carbon include ISCG chainguide tabs, 180mm rear disc brake tabs, and integrated rubber protection on the underside of the downtube and on the inside of the driveside chainstay that should help to silence chainslap. Also notable are the shortened seat tube lengths across the board, which Pivot have employed to offer compatibility with longer travel dropper posts.
The Pivot Firebird frameset will retail for £3300 in the UK, with complete bikes starting at £5050. Frames and complete bikes are available right now as a special order through your local Pivot dealer, though bulk stock won’t be arriving until February 2017, so you’ll need to get your order in ASAP if you’re frothing over this long-travel wunder-bike.
To find your nearest dealer and for further information on the Pivot Cycles range, get in touch with Upgrade Bikes.
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