First Look - Pivot's 2022 Shuttle LT eMTB 1

The Shuttle LT completes an e-bike trilogy from Pivot Cycles, one of the earliest U.S.-based adopters of high-end pedal assisted mountain bike technology. The Shuttle LT deserves a category of its own delivering an intoxicating combination of power, finesse, and travel. Equipped with FOX E-Tuned 38 170mm forks and 160 mm of rear travel, every Shuttle LT exceeds expectations on race day, or any day. 

“When our engineering team set out to grow the Shuttle family, we used the Firebird as inspiration for the new long travel Shuttle. The LT is not only an incredibly capable descender, but also a highly versatile all-rounder.  This new bike empowers riders to explore up and down and maintains an extreme advantage in the most technical terrain. Our proprietary carbon molding, ride tuning, and DW-Link suspension allowed us to build phenomenal performance characteristics into our long travel eMTB.” says Chris Cocalis, founder and CEO of Pivot. “You’ll instantly recognize the balanced and planted feel you expect from a Pivot, yet without giving up the ‘pop’ we’ve bred into all our EWS-inspired bikes.  We really pulled out all the stops with the Shuttle LT.  This bike has the heart for enduro racing and is still the bike you’ll want to ride every day.”

The range extending 756Wh battery - developed for Pivot with Shimano’s top battery partner - feeds a Shimano EP8 drive unit and, importantly, has been strategically lowered in the Shuttle LT’s downtube.  Not only does the design ease battery removal, but also adjusts the center of mass to enhance handling, feel, and rider confidence. No detail was overlooked in the selection of XTR 4-piston brakes, massive 220mm front and 203mm rear rotors, and Maxxis 2.5-inch Assegai EXO+ tires mounted on DT Swiss’ unrivaled eMTB specific HX1501 wheels. The riding possibilities are endless.

Geometry

Vital was able to attend a press camp just days before the launch of the Shuttle LT. Riders were able to spend a couple of days aboard the new Shuttle SL and Shuttle LT. Vital Tester Greg Montgomery has spent some quality time aboard various e-bikes over the years and was a great candidate to head out to Colorado and sample the big mountain goods. At 5'11" Greg typically rides a size large frame in both eMTB and mountain bikes. Based on the Firebird geometry, the Shuttle LT has some big reach numbers and Greg was set up with a medium frame. Overall, the size recommendations for the Shuttle LT do differ from the Firebird, so prospective riders should double-check before jumping into a default size.

Pivot Shuttle LT

When considering the parts on the chassis, we've come to know what to expect from the Shimano EP8 drive unit. Perhaps because it is encased in the carbon frame and well protected, the motor knock seemed to be less prevalent. Perhaps some sound damping was taking place. Though the Firebird comes with the larger FOX rear shocks, the Shuttle LT is equipped with the Float X. Again and again, we are impressed by this little unit's ability to perform in the rowdiest of conditions.

Inspection of the frame revealed the usual details we've come to expect from Pivot. There's the easily accessed flip chip at the rear shock mount and cable ports with threaded caps to keep things in place. Additionally, Pivot is running "beaver tail" inserts between the battery and frame which help hold the cables in place and protect against any potential rattles.

A few days on a couple of bikes is a nice introduction but we'll hold off on making any definitive calls on the bikes. For now, here are some highlights from our first rides. Despite having a massive downtube and hearty protection around the battery, we felt the Shuttle LT wasn't overly stiff as one may expect. The Shuttle LT was a quick read and had a very balanced feel to it, never throwing us surprises along the way. We appreciated the pedaling position and found the Shuttle LT to give us loads of grip on the climbs. For a first-ride impression, you can call us impressed.

Pivot Shuttle SL

We also had a chance to spend some time aboard the new Shuttle SL, the details of which can be found in the original press release. Vital was pretty excited to throw a leg over this rig. As promised, the Shuttle SL feels and rides very light. Backed with 60Nm of torque, this bike scoots right along. Because of the lighter chassis, we found battery management to be solid. Pivot is releasing a 215 Wh range extender for those that really want to cover ground.

Pivot was able to shave a pound off the Shuttle SL by fully enclosing the battery within the frame. The tradeoff is that battery removal can be more involved and requires dropping the motor. Pivot is not alone here, in the SL e-bike category, both the Orbea Rise and Specialized Levo SL have similar hurdles. Right now, only the Trek Fuel EXe and forthcoming Transition Relay have easily removed batteries.

This was Vital's first time riding the Fazua motor (outside our parking lot spin on the new Relay) and we were impressed with how quiet the system is. There is a "burst" mode that will deliver 450 watts of power for those instances where a little more trail thunder is needed. Both the effective seat tube angle and 165mm cranks had us feeling comfy for those long spins up the mountain while keeping rock strikes at bay.

Overall, we found the Shuttle SL to be an incredibly fun bike and thought the motor delivered tons of power. Much like the Shuttle LT, the SL was a very fast read and we felt it was super easy to manage and move the bike on the trail. Our lone quibble is with the Maxxis Dissector tire on the front. We like this tire (as it was designed) as a rear tire for our bikes but it is less than impressive as a front tire.

A couple of testers did have their Shuttle SL bikes randomly, and inexplicably die while on rides. There was no definitive explanation given as to why this happened. The best we could put together was that there was some sort of firmware issue yet to be resolved. We'd have to imagine this will be sorted prior to bikes going home with riders.

Pricing, Specifications, and Availability

Pivot is offering the Shuttle LT with two different build kits. Regardless of the build, the Shuttle LT uses Maxxis Assegai 29x2.5-inch tires in EXO+ casing. Shimano's reliable EP8 motor supplies 85Nm of torque and is powered by a 756Wh battery. The Shuttle LT will be available in Northern Lights Green and Bass Boat Tri-Tone, in sizes S through XL. 

Pivot's Ride SLX/XT build features a blend of Shimano XT rear derailleur, SLX shift pod, Deore cassette and chain, and EM600 cranks. Shimano SLX 4-piston brakes with Galfer 223mm/203mm rotor combination front and rear will certainly provide the stopping power needed. Suspension is a FOX Performance 38 170mm E-Tuned fork and Float X shock. The wheels are from DT Swiss and are the H1900 with SuperBoost rear spacing. An e*13 Vario dropper rounds out the highlights of the build. Retail is $9,899

The Team XTR build is a blend of Shimano XTR and XT components. It's XTR for the shift pod and derailleur with XT handling the cassette, cranks, and chain. The same massive Galfter rotors stay on for stopping duties and are modulated by XTR 4-piston brakes. Suspension is FOX a Factory 38 170mm E-Tuned fork and Factory Float X shock. DT Swiss stays on wheel duties with its HX1501 wheelset. The dropper post bumps to a FOX Transfer Factory. Retail is set at $11,999.

The Shuttle family includes the lightweight SL, the mid-travel AM, and the enduro-inspired LT. Learn more about the Shuttle line at PivotCycles.com

View key specs, compare bikes, and rate the new Pivot Shuttle LT in the Vital MTB Product Guide.