Pivot updates the Shuttle e-MTB with a new 160mm travel fork and 29in wheels
Pivot Cycles first leapt into the e-Bike game in 2018 with its very first electric mountain bike; the Shuttle. Equipped with a full carbon fibre frame and the Shimano STEPS E8000 motor system, it was a very high-end piece of kit with a suitably high-end price tag (£9k!).
For 2019 (or the 2020 model year to be exact), Pivot updates the Shuttle with some key spec changes that will see the bike’s geometry (and attitude) changing. While the front end is the same, the swingarm has been modified around the rear axle to better integrate the magnetic speed sensor.
The other big news is the addition of a cheaper spec option, which aims to bring the Pivot e-MTB experience down to a more attainable price point.
Bigger Forks
Much like the Mach 5.5, Switchblade and Firebird, the Shuttle gets a beefy carbon fibre frameset. The rigid one-piece carbon swingarm is bolted to the mainframe via the dw-link suspension platform, which delivers 140mm of rear travel via a piggyback-equipped Fox Float DPX2 rear shock.
Up until now, the Shuttle has been built with a 150mm travel Fox 36 fork up front. For 2019 though, the fork pumps up to 160mm of travel, and it also brings the offset to a fashionably short 44mm (from 51mm). So the head angle is now slacker at 65.2° and the trail also increases for added high-speed stability – something that e-MTBs tend to enjoy a lot of.
Interestingly, Pivot specs the regular Fox 36 chassis, rather than the e-MTB specific version. According to Pivot, while the e-MTB version is stiffer (and heavier), it comes with the 34 Float air spring and damper, since the thicker stanchions won’t accommodate the full-size 36 internals.
The forks do feature an ‘e-MTB specific damper tune’, which is mostly about speeding up the rebound damping.
Bigger Wheels
With Super Boost Plus 157x12mm rear hub spacing out the back, the Shuttle is compatible with both 29in and 27.5+ wheels and tyres. For 2019 though, Pivot will be spec’ing the Shuttle with 29in wheels, rather than the 27.5+ setup of the previous model.
The wheels themselves are a custom item from DT Swiss. These feature the tougher hubshells, bearings and freehub found in the Hybrid e-MTB specific wheel series, but they’re laced to slightly lighter rims. The reason? According to DT Swiss and Pivot, the added strength and stiffness of the 157mm wide rear hub means that the heavier rim isn’t required.
Why The Move Away From 27.5+ Wheels?
According to Pivot, folks have been riding the Shuttle considerably harder and in more challenging terrain than first anticipated. While the 27.5×2.8in tyres of the original bike provide a load of traction on really loose, scrabbly climbs, the casing wobble and durability issues on sharper rocks and through high-speed corners was proving an issue for bigger and more aggro riders.
As such, the wheels step up to a 29in diameter with a 30mm internal rim width. They’re wrapped with burlier Maxxis EXO+ casings, with a Minion DHF 2.5in up front, and a Minion DHR II 2.4in out back.
Short Chainstays
Even with the big wheels, fat rubber and Shimano STEPS E8000 motor, the Shuttle’s chainstays are kept short at just 438mm. Pivot explained that earlier prototypes actually featured shorter stays, but testers were finding the bike to be too lifty at the front.
438mm is still pretty short for an e-MTB though, and Pivot is proud of the fact that the Shuttle’s geometry has been kept quite close to its naturally-aspirated models like the Mach 5.5.
Shimano STEPS E7000 In The Mix
With the new Shuttle, Pivot is introducing a secondary spec option called the Race XT. This bike gets the same carbon frame and battery pack as the Pro XTR model, but it subs in the cheaper E7000 drive system.
While the E7000 motor is meant to be less powerful than E8000, Chris Cocalis (Pivot’s CEO and lead design engineer) stated that he hasn’t been able to tell any difference while riding both systems setup on two otherwise identical test bikes.
There has also been an update to the battery housing and how it straps into the frame. There are now eight bolts that hold the battery cover in place, and it gets a slight compression fit to ensure everything tucks in snugly.
Pivot states the custom battery cover adds actual structural integrity to the frame (it’s tested the frame with and without the cover), while a rubber bash plate lower down helps to protect the motor from rock strikes.
No More Di2
While the cheaper Race XT model uses a Shimano 1×11 XT drivetrain with an 11-46t cassette, the Pro XTR model shifts away from Di2 shifting to a mechanical XTR 1×12 speed setup with a 10-51t cassette.
This sees Pivot moving away from Di2 drivetrains for the Shuttle e-MTB. Cocalis explained that while he liked the electronic shifting, the integration with the STEPS system meant that if you had a fatal issue with the rear mech (like busting it off on a rock), it would render the whole drive system useless.
It’s not a likely issue, but Pivot obviously had enough customers discover run into it that it’s moved exclusively to cable-operated shifting. Plus, Shimano’s latest 12-speed cassette brings a wider gear range to the equation.
On the other side of the bars is the new STEPS mode switch, which tidies up the cockpit considerably, while allowing the use of a regular below-the-bar dropper lever.
2020 Pivot Shuttle Team XTR
- Frame // Full Hollowbox Carbon Fibre, dw-link Suspension Design, 140mm Travel
- Shock // Fox Float DPX2, Factory Series
- Fork // Fox 36 Float, Factory Series, FIT4 Damper, 44mm Offset, 160mm Travel
- Wheelset // DT Swiss EB 1535, 30mm Internal Rim Width
- Tyres // Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 WT EXO+ Front & DHR II 2.4 WT EXO+ Rear
- Drivesystem // Shimano STEPS E8000 w/XTR 12-Speed Mech & Cassette
- Brakes // Shimano Deore XT M8020 4-Piston w/203mm Front & 180mm Rear Rotors
- Seatpost // Fox Transfer, Performance Series, 125mm Travel (S), 150mm Travel (M-XL)
- Claimed Weight // 20.29kg / 44.75lbs
- RRP // £9,099 GBP / $16,500 AUD
2020 Pivot Shuttle Race XT
- Frame // Full Hollowbox Carbon Fibre, dw-link Suspension Design, 140mm Travel
- Shock // Fox Float DPX2, Performance Series
- Fork // Fox 36 Float, Performance Series, GRIP Damper, 44mm Offset, 160mm Travel
- Wheelset // DT Swiss EB 1935, 30mm Internal Rim Width
- Tyres // Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 WT EXO+ Front & DHR II 2.4 WT EXO+ Rear
- Drivesystem // Shimano STEPS E8000 w/XTR 12-Speed Mech & Cassette
- Brakes // Shimano Deore XT M8020 4-Piston w/203mm Front & 180mm Rear Rotors
- Seatpost // KS Rage 1, 125mm Travel (S), 150mm Travel (M-XL)
- Claimed Weight // 20.97kg / 46.13lbs
- RRP // £6,999 GBP / $12,499 AUD
What do you folks think of the new Pivot Shuttle, and the addition of the cheaper Race XT model? As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts, so make sure you leave us a comment down below!
And for those chasing more information on the new Pivot Shuttle models, head to the Pivot Cycles website, or alternatively, head to the Upgrade Bikes website for local dealer info and availability.
Comments (2)
Comments Closed
Choices, choices, seeing as the top of the line YT Decoy isn’t available until September this could be a very worthwhile option given that there is a dealer network here in the UK.
Cocalis has stated in other articles that Shimano are moving away from electronic MTB groupsets, hence the change to mechanical, that and demo riders found it confusing so they have gone back to a more familiar set up, that, and for me, if you run out of battery then you can still have more bailout gears available as the system no longer relies on the batteries power for shifting.
Not everything on the XTR version is great, no Kashima post, no XTR brakes, no carbon rims, not that you need them, although you do get them on the Decoy for less money.
It’s both exciting, and confusing times with e-MTB’s, as for someone, me, wanting to buy one, more research needs to be done as they seem to be changing by the week!
Hi Wil – Please correct your article to reflect the correct specs for the Race XT build. Drivetrain details are incorrect, you’ve listed the Team XTR specs for both bikes. Copy / Paste mistake rookie. C’mon man, we expect more from SingletrackWorld. Get your head in the game!