New Pivot Firebird 2022 first ride review – Generation full blast?

Here at ENDURO, the Pivot Firebird has already acquired the status of “mean bruiser”, which is exactly what the American brand is claiming to have created with the latest 2022 model. With its size-specific geometry, revised rear suspension kinematics and generous amounts of travel, the new Firebird looks already promising on paper. But how does it fare on the trail?

With the Firebird Pro XT 2022, Pivot have introduced the third iteration of their popular carbon enduro racer. It’s safe to say that the new Firebird is worth a shot not only because of its flashy paint finish – most bike geeks out there will probably know a lot about the bike already. Because the new Firebird has already earned some top results at this year’s EWS races, which is exactly what the bike was designed for.

With their new Firebird, Pivot claim to have developed the fastest bike for tough enduro stages and rowdy party laps with your mates. To make this possible, the American brand has thoroughly revised the old frame platform, using a DW-suspension link to drive a vertically-mounted shock. This generates a whopping 165 mm travel and is combined with a 170 mm fork upfront. The bike rolls out of the factory on 29” wheels but can be easily converted to a mixed wheel setup with a few small changes. If the bright-orange finish is too loud for your taste, the entire Firebird range is also available in a more discreet “Glacial Green Metallic” finish. Prices range between € 6,599 for the race model and an eye-watering € 14,249 for the flagship model, which comes equipped with a full SRAM XX1 AXS groupset and FOX Live Valve suspension system. According to Pivot, the first bikes will be available from the 10th of August and a second shipment is scheduled for delivery on the 1st of October.

The new Pivot Firebird Pro XT / XTR 2022 in detail

The new Pivot Firebird will be only available with a carbon frame. This features a generously-sized and fully-replaceable plastic chainstay protector and internal cable routing with clamps at the cable ports. That being said, some of the cables and brake lines run on the outside of the frame in the bottom bracket area, causing a loud and very annoying rattling noise on rough trails. In our test, we secured the cables with zip ties, which may look cheap on an eight grand bike but do the job incredibly well. For a more elegant solution, we recommend wrapping the cables in a foam sleeve to prevent them from rattling against the frame.

The frame comes with a replaceable downtube protector and mounting points for a bottle cage and tool strap. While Pivot also offer three matching tools from Topeak at extra charge, the mounts are compatible with any conventional tool strap and can be used to secure a second bottle cage. Another clever feature is the standard SRAM UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger) mech hanger, which allows you to replace a broken hanger quickly and easily.

The spec variants of the new Pivot Firebird 2022

Pivot offer the new Firebird in three versions: Race, Pro and Team. Moreover, each version can be specced with either SRAM or Shimano components. With the Pro and Team models you also get the option to run a coil shock (FOX DHX2-Factory) or electronic FOX Live Valve suspension system. All models come equipped with the same tires, which can be combined with either an alloy or carbon wheelset. Depending on the country, the wheels are supplied by Newmen, DT-Swiss or Reynolds. However, Pivot have not yet disclosed which wheel setup will be available in which countries.

The spec of our test bike: The Pivot Firebird Pro XT / XTR 2022

Our bright-orange Firebird comes equipped with a FOX Factory 38 fork with GRIP2 damper and matching X2 air shock, controlling 170/165 mm travel respectively. Techy shredders will be able to upgrade to a FOX Live-Valve suspension system. Given the drive-neutral rear end of the Firebird, however, we don’t see the point in spending extra money for an electronically controlled suspension system. which, as a side note, relies on a simpler damping unit in the fork and shock. Our test bike with the Pro XT/XTR spec features powerful Shimano XT four-piston brakes with matching 200 mm IceTech rotors front and rear. For the ‘mixed’ XT/XTR drivetrain, Pivot rely almost entirely on Shimano XT components (shifter, cassette and chain) and throw in a XTR rear derailleur for a touch of bling. While this may look great on the shop floor, it weighs only marginally less than the cheaper XT model and doesn’t bring any real performance advantage on the trail. A small chain guide helps keep the chain in place.

On production bikes sold in German-speaking countries, the DT Swiss XM 1700 wheelset of our test bike will be replaced by a Newmen Evolution SL A.30 alloy wheelset. With the Pro and Team models, the latter can be upgraded to a Newmen Advanced SL A.30 carbon wheelset. The standard MAXXIS DHF and DHR2 tires with thin EXO + casing are extremely puncture prone and simply doesn’t live up to the potent and racy character of the Pivot. Regardless of the rims you’re using, you should upgrade to a more robust set of tires and, while you’re at it, use a softer rubber compound on your front tire, because the standard tires come with the harder MaxxTerra compound.

Our test bike in size L with DT-Swiss alloy wheelset weighs in at 14.9 kg. The XT/ XTR build-kit retails at € 8,099 and is expected to hit the market on the 10th of August. All models in size M and L come with a FOX Transfer Factory dropper post with 175 mm travel (S = 150 mm, XL = 200 mm), which can be fully inserted into the frame. With the Pro models, you can choose to spec a SRAM drivetrain with an X01 rear derailleur, shifter and matching chain and powerful SRAM CODE RSC four-piston stoppers. However, the SRAM drivetrain relies on a more basic GX cassette, which is heavier and wears out quicker than its high-end counterpart. Personally, we would have saved some money on the rear derailleur and invested in a better-quality cassette, which ensures better performance and longer service life.

The Team models of the new Pivot Firebird 2022

The Team models rely on the same high-end suspension and dropper post as the Pro builds but employ different brakes and drivetrains, which consist of either Shimano or SRAM top-end components. Depending on the build-kit you choose, shifting is taken care of by either a Shimano XTR or SRAM wireless XX1 AXS drivetrain, while Shimano XTR or SRAM CODE RSC four-piston brakes with 203 mm (200 for SRAM) rotors front and rear do stopping duties. Unfortunately, the Team models are only available with a carbon wheelset.

The Race models of the new Pivot Firebird 2022

Both versions of the Race model come equipped with FOX Performance suspension. The 38 Performance fork relies on a more basic GRIP damper, which can’t keep up with the outstanding performance of the superior GRIP2 damper but still works smoothly on the trail. The rear suspension of the Race models employs a FOX Float X Performance shock which, unlike the more expensive X2 model, only has a low-speed compression and rebound adjuster. For the dropper post, Pivot rely on a more affordable FOX Transfer Performance model, which may not have the lustrous Kashima coating but offers the same excellent performance. In frame size M and L, the dropper has 175 mm travel. As with the Team series, you can choose between a Shimano or SRAM build kit. With the first option, you’ll get an SLX drivetrain with matching four piston SLX brakes and 203 mm rotors while the second option gets you a GX drivetrain with CODE R four-piston brakes and 200 mm discs. Both drivetrains offer excellent shifting performance and are only marginally heavier than their more expensive counterparts (XT and X01). However, both setups rely on an expensive, high quality rear derailleur (XT and X01). With the Shimano setup, the SLX shifter lacks the clever Multishift function of the XT version and thus limits the performance of the XT rear derailleur. With the SRAM configuration, you will only have some minor changes with the cockpit ergonomics.

The spec of the Race, Pro and Team models at a glance:

	Team XX1 AXS	Team XTR	Pro X01	Pro XT/XTR	Race X01	Race XT
Fork	FOX 38 Factory GRIP2 170 mm / FOX Factory Live Valve				FOX 38 Performance GRIP 170 mm
Shock	FOX X2 Factory / FOX Factory Live Valve				FOX Float X Performance Elite
Brakes	SRAM CODE RSC	Shimano XTR	SRAM CODE RSC	Shimano XT	SRAM CODE R	Shimano SLX
Drivetrain	SRAM XX1 AXS	Shimano XTR	SRAM X01	Shimano XT/XTR	SRAM X01/GX	Shimano XT/SLX
Wheels	NEWMEN ADVANCED SL A.30 Carbon / Industry Nine Enduro S		DT Swiss XM1700 / NEWMEN EVOLUTION SL A.30. / NEWMEN ADVANCED SL A.30 Carbon		DT Swiss M1900 / NEWMEN Performance
Tires	Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 / DHRII 2.4 (v/h) – TR/3C/EXO+/MaxxTerra
Dropper post	S: FOX Transfer Factory 150 mm M/L: FOX Transfer Factory 175 mm XL: FOX Transfer Factory 200 mm				S: FOX Transfer Performance 150 mm M/L: FOX Transfer Performance 175 mm XL: FOX Transfer Performance 200 mm
Price	€ 11.399	€ 9.599	€ 8.949	€ 8.099	€ 7.249	€ 6.599

The geometry of the new Pivot Firebird 2022

The new Pivot Firebird 2021 will be available in 4 sizes, S to XL, offering a suitable option for riders from 157 cm to 200 cm tall. The suspension kinematics and chainstay length are adapted to suit the respective frame size. Our test bike in size L features rather conservative 438 mm chainstays while the long 488 mm reach (size L) combined with the 636 mm stack and relatively short 440 mm seat tube ensure good freedom of movement on the bike. In addition, the short seat tube lets you pick the frame size based on your desired reach and riding style. Moreover, a flip chip in the seat stay allows you to make small adjustments to the geometry and adapt the riding position to your liking.

The geometry of the Pivot Firebird 2022 29” in the low setting

Size	S	M	L	XL
Top tube	598 mm	624 mm	641 mm	665 mm
Seat tube	375mm	410 mm	440 mm	470 mm
Head tube	95 mm	108 mm	118 mm	128 mm
Head angle	64°	64°	64°	64°
Seat angle	76.0°	76.5°	77.0°	77.0°
BB Drop	20 mm	20 mm	20 mm	20 mm
Chainstay	431 mm	434 mm	438 mm	445 mm
Wheelbase	1207 mm	1239 mm	1267 mm	1300 mm
Reach	445 mm	468 mm	488 mm	510 mm
Stack	615.4 mm	627.0 mm	636.0 mm	645.0 mm

The new Pivot Firebird Pro XT/ XTR 2022 on the trail

Since the new Firebird was conceived as a rowdy enduro bruiser, we headed straight to Bikepark Innsbruck. Additionally, we tested the orange bird on other Alpine trails around Innsbruck, our home trais around Stuttgart and at Bikepark Leogang. Between all locations, we accumulated about 20,000 vertical meters of descents, which was more than enough to get a good first impression of the bike.

Already on flat gravel paths, the Pivot is very efficient despite its front-heavy pedalling position. The latter puts a fair amount of pressure on your hands, making the bike unsuitable for very long tours – but that’s not what it was designed for anyway. On the first ramp, the Pivot strikes as an efficient climber and offers a comfortable, well-balanced pedalling position. Even with the shock in ‘fully open’ mode, the Pivot winds its way up the hill without bobbing noticeably, with its lively character encouraging you to sprint ahead of your mates. Even on technical climbs, the front stays planted on the trail while the shock ensures sufficient traction even without the climb switch.

Going downhill, the Firebird requires an active and sporty riding position. Once you get used to it, the Firebird cuts through corners like a Damascus steel knife thru butter. The suspension ensures sufficient traction in open corners and still offers enough support to pull off waves and small ledges and generate speed in berms. When the going gets rough, the Pivot holds the line with composure and doesn’t shy away from hard hits and large drops either. Even at high-speed, the bike provides enough confidence to go for big jumps and after almost 20,000 vertical meters of descents, there were no loose screws on the bike.

Would we ride the Pivot Firebird 2022 on our next enduro race? Yes, without a doubt, but not before changing a few components. Once you get accustomed to the riding position, the Firebird feels efficient and generates lots of traction while offering plenty of reserves on rough terrain. Moreover, the low seat tube ensures sufficient freedom of movement for stylish tricks.

Find out more about the new Firebird at: Pivot Cycles Website

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Words & Photos: Peter Walker