"I drive a lifted truck - I get it". I like and appreciate the XC/Gravel perspective. I'm enjoying the videos and opinions. Keep'em coming!

I sold my enduro bike. I’m full XC nerd

I definitely think if you're going to add a Trail Bike to your collection - the Trail 429 is the one for you. It has a suspension one level up from the Mach 4 . But has the reinforced build to handle almost anything you can throw at it Trail 429 is the one and done for virtually all "Trail" needs. Please consider reaching out to Pivot for a comparison video bro.

I ride longer travel bike and I really enjoyed your perspective. That being said I would've taken out that 20-25mm spacer under the stem and put it on top.

Super Boost is annoying but so is Boost 148. I think it’s a much more significant improvement to a mid travel bike and obviously DH bikes and a few long travel enduro and freeride bikes are using Super Boost for a reason. The Boost 148 was so marginal compared with 142 it isn’t really necessary for short travel or hardtail’s. Perhaps that’s why hardtail are still available as 142. Just my 2cents

I see where you are coming from, since you often ride the most "racy" setup XC bikes one can get, and this is what I would say at the high-end of the "trail-bike" category, almost touching enduro territory with this travel. a 130/140 trail-bike would probably be more suited to this, or maybe even a 120/130 like the Yeti SB120, or Santa Cruz Tallboy I myself have had both an XC/downcountry bike, and an s-works stumpy evo. I would never take the stumpy out at home, since its "purely" XC-ish trails. But I have taken both bikes to a bike park, and did more blue/flowy trails, as well as some chunk - And you really see the difference there. The XC/DC 120/120 bike feels like riding an old pogo stick and it feels like its going to break, while the stumpy evo honestly feels like riding a full on dirt bike in comparison. The difference is HUGE. Probably has a lot to do with more complient frame, wheels, "better" suspension, and thicker stancions. It just feels solid, and the xc bike feels flimsy. So when put in the right environment, the difference was bigger than I could have imagined, but I would never really ride it at home Also, I kind of convinced myself to get a trailbike just because everyone and their mother on youtube has one. Its the "cool thing" to have. But I only ever used it for bike parks, which was 3 times a year. So having a $15k trail bike when 99% of my biking is XC didnt make any sense, so I only have an xc bike now.

I used to have the same dilemma about riding bigger bikes. However, after cracking three cross-country frames from top manufacturers, I realize that for guys that are heavier and more muscular and ride hard through rough terrain, a bike like the pivot switchblade makes it easier to attack things a little more aggressively without worrying about durability and frame flex, etc. I also think that if you are fit, you can push any bike and ride cross country enduro or Trail equally. If you are a lighter rider a down country type bike will be just fine if you listen to some of pivots podcasts about the development of the switchblade they develop that for the aggressive rider first and then lighter riders can tune it depending on their weight with volume spacers. that’s why picking a mountain bike is a very individual thing. Just my thoughts.

Have Superboost on my Knolly and Devinci both with 29" wheels. Personally i would like to try 27.5 again (Boost) or a lower travel 29er. Hub width is irrelevant to me. Just want to be able to buy an oval chainring easily, and preferably have external cable routing.

How well does this bike pumping accelerate out on the trails? Because I'm ready going to build this bike

I had a salsa spearfish before i got my switchblade. Salsa had a fancy wheelset, i transferred it over because both are super boost. I don't think anyone feels super boost. I think its more about enabling design and geo on bikes.

I exclusively run the Nobby Nics 2.4 super ground in gumwall as well. Been running them for 3 years.

That bike looks fun!

We are on the same page 95% of the time and this is one of those times, great video.

The super boost is inconvenient but I bout industry 9 1/1 wheel set and it feels good but when I upgrade I will buy a new pivot frame or a new bike and new wheels

I loved riding the switchblade, but I could not get myself to buy it because of the super boost spacing

You could drop the stem to the headset. Also could size down on a big bike like that. That being said, I had. Stumpy Evo and ran a 70 stem negative rise on it.

Tall handlebars, im told, helps with the "in the bike feeling", prevents over the bar scenarios and keeps your hands on steep descents. My version of the Midwest with the steep ups and downs of Duluth favors the switchblade much more than an XC bike. The switchblade is an excellent technical climber. I rode on on national in Arizona on south mountain which is a very steep technical climb and it was so impressive with its available to get up and over rocks. I wonder how much of your dislike/ struggle cones down to unfamiliarity with this stuff of bike and its handling.

I think that 120/120mm travel XC/Downcountry bikes have become much more capable is the last few years. However, for non-racers, I think they would benefit from longer slacker geometry 76* STA, 65* HTA. XC geo sucks but if you're a serious racer, I could see why you would want it. I think that long travel trailbikes are more useful where trails are steeper, faster, and rougher. I live in Durango CO and ride a 150/160mm travel Stumpy Evo. It's rocky and steep here with long descents over rock gardens. I use 2.6 Rekon front and 2.4 Rekon rear tires. Even long travel bikes deserve fast rolling tires. I also ride a 110/120mm travel Epic Evo with 700x47mm fast-rolling Pathfinder Pro Gravel tires for riding pavement, gravel, and green/blue singletrack. I my opinion, there are only 2 types of Trailbikes, those that come with 120mm forks and those that come with 160mm forks. Bikes with 130, 140, and 150mm forks should be avoided. Pick your poison, Down-Country or All-Mountain.

Great video!

Epic Evo is all the trail bike most people (including me) need 🙂

Epic Evo is all the trail bike most people (including me) need 😉

I want the tan wall racing Ralph’s 2.25 for my epic. Going to order them from you guys.

The Smith shift glasses you’re wearing are they the XL or standard version please…the visibility they offer looks amazing.

You think there’s a difference, or like more of a ”need” for longer travel/heavier bike for a heavier rider? Im like 240lbs and i always feel like XC bikes would be so fragile under my fat ass

I'm not sure riders will want to deal with limited wheel selection or a full wheel rebuild just to upgrade their wheelset, even if the concept of superboost is entirely sound for big rig monster truck bikes. If the industry standardizes superboost for big bikes, it alleviates the problem somewhat. With smaller bikes as the new do-it-all, I guess allowing big bikes to adopt the qualities of their enduro/DH cousins makes sense.

The fact they do not offer frame only options and superboost are reasons I look elsewhere. Otherwise, Pivot looks solid.

You’re not wrong about the wheels. Sucks. Nobby Nics though!!! Yea!!!

Switchblade is not an XC bike. You should know this.

The constant visual cuts and glitches make this video unwatchable. Gave up. No idea what the guy was saying as the editing is just too distracting.

Epic Evo is all the trail bike most people (including me) need 🙂

Epic Evo is all the trail bike most people (including me) need 😉