THE ALL-NEW PIVOT SHUTTLE

RIDE REPORT
As has been the case with just about everything in the supply chain, multiple delays due to parts meant that we didn’t get as much time on the full production version of the Pivot Shuttle as we’d like to. We have put in a couple hundred miles on the prototype test mule however and have been very stoked overall. One issue we did have that Pivot attributes to us having a non-production bike and spec, was the rear tire contacting the seat post during extreme bottom out moments. Pivot attributed the occasional contact to us not having the correct shock and different tires than the OE spec. Pivot has told us that they’ve not been able to replicate the issue in either their computer programs or any of their production bikes in Phoenix. We believe that we have a responsibility to talk about this issue, especially on such a high-dollar eMTB, but Pivot assured us that should anyone have any similar issues that arise and cause any sort of problem, they will be taken care of, before reiterating that they’ve not had any of their testers or sample bikes have similar issues. So perhaps our shock and tire were just slightly out of spec by a couple millimeters and combined to make this little bit of contact happen under extreme bottom out.

While we’re talking about the rear shock we’ll talk about the Switchblade valving and DPX2 shock. The Switchblade valving gives the bike a slightly firmer, and more aggressive feel, but Pivot needs to keep the Shuttle comfortable and functional for beginner and entry level riders too, so the need to talk about volume reducers is definitely part of the conversation. As advanced level riders weighing around 170lbs, our testers quickly found the bottom of the travel with the OE-spec’d volume reducer. After talking with Chris Cocalis we opted to test out the larger .8 reducer before moving up to the biggest .95 size. For 90% of our terrain we found the .8 to offer a great balance of platform in the mid-stroke while pushing out of corners, charging over rough terrain and playing around on the trail. If you’re not pushing super hard, we think the stock feel would be great as it offers a soft and comfortable ride. If you’re a heavier rider or push it we think you’ll get a lot more performance out of this bike by tuning the shock for your weight and style.

Getting out of the weeds on shock tuning let’s discuss the overall feel of the bike and how we find it. Our team liked the overall fit and feel of the Shuttle very much. It’s not overly cumbersome or long like many modern bikes are and we’re very happy about that. We really liked the bike on technical trails, both up and down. It’s nimble, snappy and playful but the 64.3-degree head tube angle and 29-inch wheels give it stability and confidence at speed.

The Shimano EP8 motor has some good traits and some quirks as well. Shimano intentionally made the system feel less artificial and more “natural,” which purists will love as it really does offer a little better work out and go figure, a more natural feel. The downside is, if you’ve grown accustomed to soft-pedaling in Boost mode at 20MPH up the hill, you’ll have to put in a bit more effort on EP8-equipped bikes. At first it was a bit weird but we’re now enjoying the more controlled application of power, especially in technical sections of trail or while trying to climb really steep, loose rocks. Another common issue we’ve been hearing about is the knocking or rattling sound. On one of the bikes we did have some of that coming when coasting over bumpy terrain at slower speeds or when half pedaling softly as the system tries to engage and shut off quickly. While we see lots of comments on social media and message boards, we can’t say the sound has been enough to affect our rides or mental state just yet. We’ll keep riding the bikes and see if that changes, but it’s certainly not anywhere close to as annoying as a bent rotor rubbing or a dry, noisy chain and once we start descending at any sort of speed the sound fades into the background.