This is a great write up by MTBR forum member KRob.  We figured we should share it. Enjoy!

-MTBR

Original Forum Thread

KRob Tests:

Just a few general comments about this year’s demo. First of all, I did not ride any bad bikes. The technology has advanced to the point that when you choose well you will get a good bike.Period. So the rest is just personal preference and what you want to use it for. Secondly, Bob is dead. They’ve got this one figured out either with good suspension design or good shocks. It just wasnt’ there on any of the bikes I rode (except one). Thirdly, because all the bike designs are so good, bike reviews often boiled down to component selection, bike set up, and sizing. And lastly, these are ride impressions, not comprehensive bike tests and I’m not the most observant person or the most sensitive to small nuances. I usually adapt quickly to small annoyances and differences and nothing really gets my attention unless it’s really different. This may be good or bad.

So with that, here it goes. I’ll try and be as tscheezy-like as possible and give you what you’ve been craving.

Day 1 Dirt Demo

Pivot Firebird

6” DW-Link All Mountain/trail

I was really looking forward to riding this bike. We loved the build quality, looks, and snappiness of the Pivot offering we sampled last year but were a little disappointed in the small bump compliance. I’ve since heard that a custom light-valved version of Fox’s RP23 has improved the Mach 5 considerably over what we experienced so assumed the Firebird would get the same treatment. As before, the fit and finish are top notch. The proportions and overall aesthetics of the frame are nice. Unlike others, I don’t find the bottom bracket area to be overly busy. All those CNC’ed pieces and anodized aluminum fasteners look pretty trick to me. Climbing was superb. It felt firm and efficient. Very little if any bob could be felt either sitting or standing with pretty much zero side to side flex while hammering. It felt light and nimble like a long legged XC mount. Here’s the knock. They set up the RP23 to get 1/3 sag and I let out air until I was getting closer to 40 to 45% sag and it still just wasn’t that plush. Sorry. I really wanted to love the 6” version of the Pivot but it skipped around on medium sized square edged bumps while standing on the descents also. To be fair I was still not getting full travel according to the rubber ring after descending but didn’t really dare set it for more sag. I’ve heard others report more plushness so maybe it was a setup thing. Wonder what a more linear shock like a DHX Air or Roco Coil would do for it. Also, I was the first person on this bike and the Fox Float 36 was a bit less than optimal too. In fact that was the case with all the Float and TALAS 36 forks I tried with the exception of one (on the El Guapo). They just felt kinda poopy and not that plush. Maybe it is a quality control thing… or perhaps a set up thing but I’ve set up plenty of Fox forks and think I know what I’m doing. I was getting proper sag and was running the compression damping all the way out (light)….. But still felt too firm.

I opted for the medium this year after my experience on the large Mach 5 feeling too big last year and the sizing felt about just right for me at 5”11.5”. I might’ve opted for a bit longer stem, but that’s just preference. The only other complaint I had with the Firebird was the ungodly loud chain slap. This bike was in serious need of a chain guide and padding on both the chain and seat stays. I never lost a chain but the noise sure was unsettling and unbecoming of a bike in this (or any) price range.