Pivot Cycles Firebird Team XTR – Air

The Firebird Team XTR – Air is built for enduro racing, combining Pivot Cycles' extremely light Hollow Core carbon frame with a wonderfully plush Fox Factory dw-link™ suspension inspired by Pivot’s premiere downhill bike, the Phoenix. It offers 165mm of rear travel and an impressive 170mm of front travel.

The DH-inspired long dw-link™ maximises the rearward wheel path with 165mm of travel to give impressive levels of handling on the descents, yet still enables it to climb efficiently if uplifts aren’t an option.

The progressive geometry of this bike, with its relaxed head angle, long reach and equally long wheelbase, promotes stability with sharp responsiveness and inspires confidence at high speeds. Since the build is tailored to match different sizes of rider, for example by adjusting the length of the chainstays, the same performance will be delivered, regardless of your height.

With the Firebird Team XTR – Air bike, every component has been designed or chosen with speed and durability in mind. As the terrain changes, the Shimano XTR M9100 shifter will work seamlessly with the matching cassette and rear derailleur for smooth and hassle-free gear changes, without any need to curb your speed, and if you need to slow down suddenly you can depend on the powerful 4-piston Shimano XTR M9120 brakes.

The Firebird is designed to work with 29” wheels, but the flip chip will allow you to effortlessly adjust the frame geometry for different conditions or to accommodate 27.5” wheels or a mixed setup. The default is a low bottom bracket setting, which will optimise your control on fast, steep terrain and make room for wider tyres.

Flipping the chip raises the bottom bracket to accommodate a mixed wheelset, while inserting the 17mm extended headset cup achieves a perfect fit for 27.5” wheels. The head angle is steepened too, and together these adjustments encourage better cornering at speed and more efficient climbing.

The Firebird model uses the carbon 34mm – 29" Reynolds Blacklabel Enduro Wide Trail wheels with the Industry Nine Super Boost hub. Their asymmetric rims enable increased spoke tension, while the carbon fibre is laid in a way that optimises the strength and stiffness, for better durability in case of an impact, a livelier ride and a degree of compliance.

Benefiting from Super Boost Plus 157 spacing, originally pioneered by Pivot, enables the Firebird to use short chainstays, which are great for tight cornering, tyre clearance and a stiff rear swingarm. The Boost standard furthermore moves the drivetrain out 6mm, promoting better tyre clearance and mud shedding capabilities.

All these elements add up to a bike that handles superbly and manages to be both light and durable, so that it’s possible to throw it around the singletrack with precision. You can have confidence that the relaxed head angle, long reach and wheelbase will keep the bike stable at speed.