FIRST RIDE: Pivot's All-New Trailcat SL & Trailcat LT 4

Trail capability meets versatility.

If the all-new Trailcat looks familiar, it’s because the bike is built on the DNA of the long-standing Trail 429, now with a few other Pivot models mixed in for 2025. The idea of the new bike was to not only increase capability across a wider variety of terrain but offer a higher level of adaptability to cater the bike to any terrain type. With two different travel options and some subtle yet significant details, the Trailcat may be the most versatile Pivot yet.

Trailcat Highlights

  • SL - 120mm // 140mm
  • LT - 135mm // 150mm
  • 29-inch wheels
  • Toolshed in-frame storage
  • Adjustable geometry via flip chip, allows use of mixed wheels in Hi setting
  • SL HA 65.8 (low) or 66.3 (high)
  • LT HA 65.3 (low) or 65.6 (high)
  • Interchangeable links
  • ISCG 05 tabs
  • 157x12mm Superboost+ rear axle spacing
  • Max fork travel 160mm
  • Max rotor size 200mm rear
  • Lifetime warranty on frame and bearings
  • Sizes: XS-XL
  • MSRP: SL $5,999 - $13,099 // LT $6,199 - $13,299 // Frame Only $4,099
  • Weight (Claimed size Medium): Team XTR SL 27.5 lbs (12.58 kg) // Team XTR LT 28.75 lbs (13kg) // Frame (no shock): 5.3 lbs (2.43 kg)
Trailcat SL-BITW-PivotCycles-098
Trailcat SL
Trailcat LT-BITW-PivotCycles-010
Trailcat LT

Trailcat Overview

Being the first project since the Phoenix downhill bike to go through the lugged carbon frame prototyping process, Pivot had more freedom to explore different geometry and linkage configurations with the prototype frame manufactured in-house more rapidly. From this process came the SL and LT configurations. Offered in two different flavors, the Trailcat can be configured with 120mm or 135mm of rear wheel travel within the same frame by simply rotating the lower shock mount, replacing the upper rocker link, and swapping shocks. Going from the “SL” to an “LT” is claimed to add about 1.2 lbs to the overall weight of the bike and slacken the front triangle geo by about half a degree. 

Trailcat SL

Designing a new bike doesn’t mean disposing of what made it great in the first place is a necessary evil. In the case of the Trailcat, the Trail 429 is still very much alive in the SL variation of the bike. Focused on all-day efficiency rather than all-out speed, the Trailcat SL shaves weight where it makes sense without sacrificing confidence or comfort. Essentially a reincarnation of the popular Trail 429 Enduro build, previously spec’d with a 140mm FOX 36 and 120mm of rear wheel travel, Pivot recognized that this was the most desirable travel pairing for the previous model bike and wanted to carry those traits over into the new bike. The bike is spec’d with the same 120mm // 140mm travel configuration but in a more lightweight package. 

Trailcat LT

Where Pivot Founder and CEO Chris Cocalis felt the previous generation Trail 429 had room for improvement in aggressive terrain, he felt the existing Shuttle SL eMTB model encompassed exactly what he wanted out of the next generation bike and provided simple instructions to the engineering department to essentially make a standard version of the Shuttle SL. Hence, the Trailcat LT was born with a 135mm // 150mm travel configuration and many of the same traits as the Shuttle SL.

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The Trailcat we wish we could buy... 100% in-house manufactured prototype frame in the SL configuration.

Toolshed

Equally as exciting as two bikes in one, Pivot has finally allowed riders to put things inside of the bike with their in-frame Toolshed storage system introduced with the launch of their latest Vault gravel bike last year. The system uses a door that can be flipped in either direction to clear a piggyback shock or to lower the bottle position within the front triangle. The opening is accessed by rotating a lever to release the locking mechanism and a rubber material seals the system to keep the frame free of moisture and rattles. On the topic of reducing rattles, the door design has also allowed Pivot engineers to implement a cable retention system along the edges of the opening to prevent rattling, ease access of cable routing, and eliminate the need for guided tubes throughout the frame. 

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2025 Pivot Trailcat EN V9 01 14 25 BAG 2

Geometry

In comparison to the outgoing Trail 429 model, the Trailcat has grown across all sizes slightly from head to toe with some subtle changes to angles and dimensions throughout. Both configurations have a degree steeper seat tube angle, a slightly slacker head tube angle, and now feature size-specific chain stay lengths. Chain stay lengths range from 431mm on XS-MD, 432mm on LG, and 434mm for XL and the wheelbase has grown ~20mm across all sizes. 

2025 Geo Chart Trailcat SL V1

2025 Geo Chart Trailcat LT V1

Pivot has purposefully kept geometry on the modest end to appropriately match the snappy handling characteristics of the trail bike category while still providing the bike a more comfortable foundation for higher speeds and more aggressive terrain.

Build Kits

As for build kits, Pivot offers the Trailcat in their usual Ride, Pro, and Team options for both configurations that should keep just about anyone happy with everything from Shimano SLX up to SRAM XX with FOX LiveValve suspension. Both travel options feature identical component specs head to toe, with the exception of suspension. Going from the SL to the LT, we see the change from a 140mm travel FOX 34 fork to a 150mm FOX 36, and the rear shock swaps from a FOX Float shock to a Float X. More notably, the shock size changes from a 160x45mm on the SL to a 185x55mm on the LT, the same shock size found on the Switchblade. 

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Trailcat LT Team XTR Neo
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Trailcat SL Ride SLX/XT
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Trailcat LT Ride GX Transmission

Ride Build Kit Highlights

  • Shimano SLX/XT or SRAM GX Transmission drivetrain
  • Shimano SLX 4-piston or SRAM DB8 brakes
  • FOX Performance suspension
  • SDG Tellis seat post 105-170mm (XS-MD), E13 Vario seat post 180-210mm (LG-XL)  
  • DT Swiss M1900 wheels w/ 370 hubs
  • Pivot aluminum components

 

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Trailcat SL Pro XT/XTR

 

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Trailcat LT Pro X0 Transmission w/ Neo upgrade

Pro Build Kit Highlights

  • Shimano XT/XTR or SRAM X0 Transmission drivetrain
  • Shimano XT 4-piston or SRAM MAVEN Silver brakes
  • FOX Factory suspension
  • FOX Factory Transfer dropper post
  • DT Swiss XM1700 wheels w/ 350 hubs
  • Pivot Carbon components
  • FOX Factory Neo upgrade option
  • Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pro w/ Industry Nine Hydra hub upgrade option
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Trailcat SL Team XTR
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Trailcat LT Team XX Transmission Neo

Team Build Kit Highlights

  • Shimano XTR or SRAM XX Transmission drivetrain
  • Shimano XTR 4-piston or SRAM MAVEN Ultimate brakes
  • FOX Factory suspension
  • FOX Factory Transfer seat post or RockShox AXS Reverb
  • Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pro wheelset w/ Industry Nine Hydra hub
  • Pivot Carbon components
  • FOX Factory Neo upgrade option
  • Reynolds Carbon wheel upgrade option

On The Trail - Trailcat SL

The first day aboard the bike was spent on the trails in my backyard that I ride much less often than others, they are more pedal-focused with no shortage of punchy climbs in and out of washes and momentum sucking scattered rock gardens. Pivot provided the group with the SL version of the bike for day one and these trails proved to be a great test for the more mileage-focused variant of the bike. Right out of the gate, the bike felt light and incredibly responsive both to pedal and steering input. The bike provided an efficient pedaling position for spinning along Desert Classic out to the furthest point of our loop. 

Trailcat Media Event Web Res-66

The furthest point of our loop took us up to Helipad, which is perched upon one of the foothills surrounding South Mountain with a steeper sustained pitch than anything we encountered along the way. Climbing up to the top of Helipad revealed another responsive characteristic of the bike, lifting over technical uphill features. The short chain stay measurement of the Trailcat and most Pivot models is in place to ensure they will thrive in technical terrain and lift over ledges as easily as possible. This rang true while navigating ledges in and out of the saddle. 

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Trailcat SL - Descending Performance

Generating speed was the standout characteristic of the bike on this ride, and when I finally reached a sustained descent, I couldn't wait to pump and jump my way back down the hill. Where the Trailcat felt quick to accelerate on the pedals, it felt even more rapid to generate speed through smaller undulations. The geometry allows bumps and side hits of all sizes to be used as lips and landings, and the suspension is supportive enough to turn flatter terrain into high speed at a moment's notice. The 55mm stem spec'd on the SL did shift weight slightly forward and while it was more favorable in the saddle, it did result in slightly less rear wheel traction on the descents. 

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Trailcat SL - Rear Suspension Performance

As with the rest of the Pivot lineup, the rear suspension has a supple feeling off the top and a very supportive feeling past mid-stroke, which is quite impressive for only 120mm of travel. The DW Link suspension platform is engineered to pedal incredibly well through chatter and over square edges without bobbing or kicking. While the supportive suspension felt great for generating speed, it did have drawbacks once the bike was up to speed. In more significant singular high-speed compressions and successive hits, the bike did kick a fair amount and had a tendency to become less settled. While this is somewhat expected on a shorter travel trail bike, I believe sizing down the volume spacer within the shock and maintaining the same pressure or slightly increasing pressure would help to hold the bike higher in travel and smooth out the higher shaft speeds.


On The Trail - Trailcat LT

For the second day of testing, our group drove out to Hawes in Mesa, AZ, to ride a few of my favorite trails in the area. Our first lap took us down High Ridge, which consists of moderate speed traversing through rocks towards the top, tight switchbacks through the middle, and wide-open sweeping sections at the bottom. Our second lap consisted of Red Mountain Rush, a high-speed sustained descent with some big undulations towards the bottom, and Big Sister, a manicured jump trail with built berms and lips of all sizes. 

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Climbing up for our first lap, I was very pleased to find the bike provided the same light pedaling characteristics I experienced while riding the SL version but with a more upright position. The return on pedaling input felt like a direct one-to-one when spinning along the rolling sections of trail up the first half of the Alpe d'Huez climb trail and handling felt a bit calmer overall. Where I found the ability to lift the front wheel over ledges beneficial at South Mountain, the less technical climbing at Hawes revealed one of the primary drawbacks of short chain stays. When things got steep and stayed steep for longer, I found the front wheel had a tendency to lift with each pedal stroke and did require leaning forward a good ways to mitigate. This was less prevalent with the 55mm stem on the SL version of the bike, but certainly became more noticeable with the slightly slacker seat tube angle of the LT and 45mm stem; perhaps a 50mm stem would be the sweet spot for me.

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Trailcat LT - Descending Performance

The LT configuration does slightly alter geometry for more gravity-oriented riding, and the changes seemed to fall more in line with my own preferences when it came to the way the bike fit and how it handled, partially thanks to the 10mm shorter stem, but also a degree slacker headtube angle to increase the front center slightly. For the super chattery and winding terrain I tested the bike on, I felt just as comfortable threading the needle past boulders as I did when attacking when things opened up. The bike carries the same incredibly light feeling that the SL does but with a bit more cushion built in that shines through on the descents. Also consistent was the incredibly efficient ability to generate speed, and it was easy to find myself riding past the point most trail bikes would feel comfortable. In one instance, a rock grabbed the front wheel while leaning into a switchback and served as a reminder that the bike does still have some trail-mannered geometry and dimensions despite the enduro bike speed it can be comfortably ridden to. 

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Trailcat LT - Rear Suspension Performance

A big part of what made the Trailcat LT some comfortable while descending can be attributed to the way it uses its rear wheel travel. Using the same shock as the Switchblade while making 13mm less rear wheel travel means there is a higher level of progression throughout the stroke as a result of the lower leverage ratio. After the good old parking lot test to get things dialed in, I opted to downsize the volume spacer within the shock from the standard 0.4 size to a 0.2. I was very pleased with how smooth the mid stroke support felt and did not make any further changes to the shock for the remainder of the test. There is a highly supportive feeling throughout the rear wheel travel that feels unlike any other Pivot I have ridden outside of their eMTB lineup, confirming that it truly is the Shuttle SL in analog form. This also confirmed in my mind that the bike would work quite well with a coil shock and something I could see further increasing comfort in instances where increasing traction via longer travel would normally be the solution. 

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What's the Bottom Line?

Having owned a Trail 429 in the past, and spent time on the outgoing model, it is great to see Pivot further elevate the performance of that bike with the Trailcat and even start to breach into Switchblade territory. Both configurations cover each end of the trail category without losing sight of what a trail bike should do by pairing geometry with the travel numbers to create an efficient all-around package. I think with some minor adjustments, I would enjoy the SL as much as I did the LT, but as it sits, I would love to own the LT version for the riding I do every day in Arizona. I do wish the chain stay length could grow to 440mm on the XL to help keep the front wheel planted while climbing, but the bike was still incredibly enjoyable as a whole. For those who are more concerned with enjoying every part of the ride and find themselves on a wide variety of terrain throughout the year, the Trailcat is sure to put a smile on your face more often than not. 

For more information on the Trailcat, visit the Pivot Cycles website.


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


About The Tester

Jonathon Simonetti - Age: 31 // Years Riding MTB: 22 // Height: 6’4” (1.93m) // Weight: 230-pounds (97.5kg)

Jonny started mountain biking in 2003 after a trip to Northstar showed him how much more could be ridden on 26” wheels than on a BMX bike. He began racing downhill in 2004 and raced for 12 years until ultimately deciding having fun on a bike was more important than race results. After working as a mechanic in the industry for a few years and developing a deeper understanding of bikes inside and out, he has an aptitude for pairing his riding ability with the analysis of bikes and breaking down what makes them work well. He spends most of his time between trail rides and skatepark sessions, with occasional days on the downhill bike.

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