![]() Pedalling up is feasible, but it is on the gravity assisted trails that it really shows its prowess! Against The Firebird holds its line and offered a predictable dependable ride. The frame is very stiff too, especially the rear end, which helps the bike track down the rough stuff with precision. Plush yet controlled suspension that pedals well. The bike is exceedingly stable and feels very planted on rough terrain, the smooth and progressive back end soaking up the bigger hits with ease. The -1.5 degrees off the head tube angle and lower bottom bracket meant confidence and speeds were high. Point the Pivot Firebird downhill and it becomes almost weightless as it just begs to be pumped into every hollow and launches so sweetly off the slightest bump that going light is a breeze. Carrying speed became addictive and snaking singletrack bought about a reverie that was quite frankly a joy. This pop also gave the Pivot a nimble feel as it was easy to lighten the Firebird when I wanted to tip it in or launch off of roots and rocks. A gentle squeeze into corners pushed the bike about two-thirds into its travel, at which point it gently pushed back giving a very controlled pop out of the turn. The real good news came though when on flowing singletrack, the Firebird sits nicely in its travel and the X-Fusion Vengeance up front was well bedded in and ultra plush, but with just the right amount of progression. Riding along the flatter trails on my way to the hills I noticed that the Firebird rolled sweetly and swallowed any trail chatter that would otherwise have drained my energy, When I started on the long slog up the hill it quickly became apparent that the suspension set up is very dialled in, hardly any pedal bob and the bike certainly felt a lot more spritely than the burliness would otherwise indicate. Our test bike came from the guys at Upgrade who also distribute X-Fusion and DMR, there was a mix of these components on the bike, with some Shimano kit finishing things off.įirst impressions… “Wow it’s plush, mmmm these tyres roll fast, I wonder if they have any grip and oooh I like these bars…” ![]() You can of course fix a single ring to the Firebird and run it without the front mech and a chain guide. It also helps to keep the chain on the chainrings, and in a nod to their fantastic engineering it uses a normal e-type Shimano derailleur so if you do break one, getting a new one isn’t too tricky. This allows the front derailleur to move with the suspension, ensuring you get perfect shifting all the time. The Firebird features their floating derailleur mount, which has been patented by them. Again function comes before form and the theme is continued with a braced rear triangle, 12x142 bolt-through, 1.5 head tube, ISCG 05 and a very clever front derailleur mount that stays put until the rear wheel is 40% of the way through its travel, then it moves with the rear triangle At the heart of the Firebird is its DW Link suspension design, which provides 167mm of rear wheel travel, Pivot have used some serious CNC work to ensure the shock is mounted where they want it. ![]()
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