Pivot Firebird 29 introduced – dream bike for enduro racers and bike park riders?
Long travel 29ers are on everyone’s lips, and the Firebird 29 doesn’t only represent Pivots foray into this segment, they want to set the benchmark. However, rather than a monster truck, the Pivot Firebird 29 is designed to be a playful enduro bike, despite the generous amount of travel. We’ve summarised the details.
The heart of the Pivot Firebird 29 is a stylish carbon frame, similar in design to the rest of Pivots latest releases, like the Mach 5.5. In contrast to the Firebird 27.5, the lines are much straighter, and the shock is attached to the down tube as on the Phoenix DH. The Firebird 29 features Pivots trusted DW-Link rear linkage, offering a total of 162 mm travel. The beefy rear end too was inspired by the Phoenix DH and supposedly offers unrivalled stability and stiffness. According to Pivot, the frame is built using leading edge materials as well as a unique production process, weighing about 3.2 kg (incl. shock), their lightest complete build weighing 13.5 kg. Apart from the 10-year guarantee, tinkerers will be pleased with the continuous internal cable guides.
Pivot Firebird 29 Geometry
The Pivot Firebird 29 is available in four sizes, suitable for riders from 1.65 m to .,04 m. Regarding geometry, the Pivot is bang on trend, relying on a slack 65° head angle and a generous reach of 475 mm in size L. The Firebird 29 is the longest bike that Pivot has ever made, and it should be super composed in demanding terrain.
Like with the Switchblade, the Firebird 29 comes with Pivot’s 12 x 157mm Super Boost Plus rear axle, thereby keeping the chainstays 431 mm short and giving the Firebird 29 unprecedented agility for a bike of this type. Curved seat and chainstays leave enough room for the riders’ heels, and the Q-factor remains at 168 mm despite the wide axle. Another benefit of Super Boost Plus is copious amounts of tyre clearance for up to 29×2.6″. However, if you prefer, you can ride the Firebird 29 with 27.5×2.8″ wheels instead, provided you use the included spacer under the headset. A flip chip in the shock mount adjusts the angles by half a degree (65.5° head angle instead of 65°) and lifts the bottom bracket by 6 mm, without changing the suspension kinematics (table shows the slack setting).
“
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 394 mm | 425 mm | 457 mm | 495 mm |
| Top tube | 596 mm | 625 mm | 648 mm | 670 mm |
| Head tube | 95 mm | 105 mm | 115 mm | 125 mm |
| Head angle | 65° | 65° | 65° | 65° |
| Seat angle | 74.5° | 74.5° | 74.5° | 74.5° |
| Chainstay | 431 mm | 431 mm | 431 mm | 431 mm |
| BB Hight | 348 mm | 348 mm | 348 mm | 348 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,186 mm | 1,217 mm | 1,242 mm | 1,266 mm |
| Reach | 428 mm | 455 mm | 475 mm | 495 mm |
| Stack | 604 mm | 613 mm | 622 mm | 631 mm |
”
The Pivot Firebird 29 Build Kits
Depending on the version, Pivot specs the Firebird 29 with either a FOX DPX2 or X2 shock, supported at the front by FOX 36 forks with 170 mm of travel and 44 mm offset. There are a total of 6 build options available. The FOX X2 factory shock and Reynolds carbon wheels are optional upgrades on the Pro models. There are two colours to choose from, “Sandstorm” with orange highlights and “Steel Blue” with yellow highlights.
| Team XX1 | Team XTR | Pro X01 | Pro XT/XTR | Race X01 | Race XT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fork | FOX 36 Factory FIT GRIP 2 170 mm | FOX 36 Performance GRIP 170 mm | ||||
| Shock | FOX X2 Factory | FOX X2 Performance | FOX DPX2 Performance | |||
| Brakes | SRAM Guide Ultimate | Shimano XT 4-piston | Shimano SLX | |||
| Drivetrain | SRAM XX1 Eagle | Shimano XTR 1×11 | SRAM X01 Eagle | Shimano XT/XTR 1×11 | SRAM X01/GX Eagle | Shimano XT/SLX |
| Wheels | Reynolds Blacklabel Enduro / Industry Nine hubs | DT Swiss M1700 with 36t-freehub upgrade | SUNringlé Duroc 30 | |||
| Tires | Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 WT/ DHRII 2.4 (v/h) – TR/3C/EXO/MaxxTerra | |||||
| Seatpost | S: LEV INTEGRA 125 mm M: LEV INTEGRA 150 mm L/XL: FOX Transfer 150 mm |
|||||
| Price | € 10,999 | € 9,949 | € 8,999 | € 7,599 | € 6,599 | € 6,099 |
Our first impression
Pivot is going full throttle, introducing one new model after the other; there are few premium brands whose bikes are as up-to-date. With the Firebird 29, the American brand has filled one of the last gaps in its portfolio, finally offering a long-travel 29″ bike for demanding trails. We’re looking forward to taking it out for a test ride, and we’re curious if the Firebird 29 will meet our expectations.
Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.
Words: Photos: Pivot
