First Look: 2017 Pivot Firebird

​Today, Pivot reintroduces the Firebird. Featuring 170mm of travel and some long and low geometry, along with 16.95” chain stays, Pivot is clearly aiming the new Firebird directly at the enduro crowd. We got a chance to take a few laps on the new bike in the Whistler Bike Park on some tight and twisty trails, burly tech trails, and some of the steeper and rough trails throughout the park. Check out the details and some of our initial impressions on the all new Firebird.

Pivot Firebird Features

• Full carbon frame featuring leading edge carbon fiber materials and Pivot's proprietary hollow core internal molding technology
• Phoenix DH-influenced long and low geometry
• Short 430mm (16.95”) chainstays
• 170mm dw-link™ rear suspension with upper clevis and linkage and double wishbone rear triangle
• Fox Float Factory X2 rear shock*
• Features a 170mm Fox 36 Factory fork
• 27.5 wheel compatible, fits tires up to 2.5” wide
• Boost™ spacing front and rear
• Front derailleur compatible with Pivot’s stealth E-Type mounting system.
• 180mm rear post mounts (no adaptor required)
• 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 low durometer rubberized frame protection
• Available in sizes S, M, L, XL for riders between 5'4" and 6'7

All available Firebird builds from Pivot feature a 1x drivetrain, but should you want to run a front derailleur, Pivot has included a removable front derailleur mount that requires a Shimano side-swing front derailleur. Pivot let us know that a large percentage of their bike sales are still 2x bikes, so for now, the front derailleur mount is here to stay. Since the Firebird is intended to be ridden like a mini-DH bike with its 170mm of travel, Pivot has included ISCG05 tabs so you can run a chain guide. Cables are kept hidden via Pivot’s Cable Port system, which features housing clamps at both the entrance and exit ports to help keep things quiet.

Pivot Firebird Geometry

As you might have noticed from the numbers, the Firebird is a big bike. With a reach of 465mm for the large frame, Pivot is really pushing the envelope in terms of length. For our 6’1” editor who’s mostly torso, the longer than average reach was much appreciated, but for those of you who prefer a more modest reach number, sizing the stem down to a 30mm long stem might be the ticket. In an effort to keep the bike playful and lively (and likely the wheelbase under control), Pivot went with a relatively short 16.9” chainstays, and when paired with the long front end, the resulting wheelbase of the large bike is 1,229mm (large frame).

With a head angle of 65-degrees paired with the 170mm of travel both upfront and in the rear, the new Firebird really lends itself as a bike meant to be ridden hard and aggressively. It's also worth noting, since the Firebird passes all the same tests Pivot puts their Phoenix DH bike though, it will accept a dual crown fork, should you want.

Pivot continues to utilize DW-Link suspension, which for the Firebird has been optimized to provide a rearward axle path during the first 1/3rd of travel to aid in square-edge bump absorption, but is said to pedal just as efficiently as their Mach 6. To keep that suspension moving, Pivot uses Enduro Max cartridge bearings throughout. Damping is handled by a FOX Float X2 shock, which features high and low speed compression adjustments, as well as adjustable rebound and a EVOL air sleeve. Pivot said the bike is optimized around an air shock, but will accept some coils should you want to go that route. If you do prefer coil, they recommend a PUSH ELEVENSIX.

The Firebird’s all carbon frame and double wishbone rear triangle, which takes cues from the Phoenix DH bike, makes the bike the stiffest frame Pivot’s ever produced, and it can still be built up sub-28lbs fairly easily.

Pivot was slim on details as to what the build options will be, but they did let us know that the hierarchy will be the Team Build featuring their highest end spec, with the Pro and Race to follow. The Team Build, which features 28mm wide carbon Reynolds wheels, comes in with a weight of only 28-pounds.

Initial Impressions

We only got to spend a few hours on the new Firebird in the Whistler Bike Park. We rode it on a number of trails, some flowy, some tech, and some straight-up gnarly downhill bike worthy runs. For a park bike, the Firebird was an absolute blast to ride. Despite the tight turns of Ninja Cougar and the long wheelbase of the Firebird, we were able to put the bike where we wanted it and push hard into each turn, resulting in a nimble, fast and fun ride. When things got gnarly, the Firebird didn’t let us down and kept us on line and stable in the rough. It truly rides like a mini-DH bike, which we really didn’t expect. On some of the tamer runs, where riding a downhill bike is a bit tedious, the Firebird breathed life into the trail making sections we struggled to keep our speed up on fun again.

The new Firebird is available now. For more details, visit www.pivotcycles.com.