gtmclaughlin This was a project so we weren’t really riding together down Grinder. I never knew he jumped into that until I watched his GoPro footage. I was shocked considering I crashed just riding it. I thought that would blow the mind of anyone who has ridden that section.🤯
Hahahah....now that's the definition of mountain biking!! That is some gnarly terrain you are shredding my friend! Great riding! Mine should be here in a couple weeks...i can't wait. Seems like an amazing bike.
Let's go boys 🤙 Killing it on the video Kevin, and Mitch was doing a great job with the commentary, and as always, the riding. Definitely a popular bike at the shop this year, and now I know why!
Mountain Bike Matt Thanks Matt! You inspired me to step up my production game a tad. Didn’t want to get left in the dust because I was lazy on the desk job part of production! I figured it was only fair to show Mitch without restraints. If I am following he needs to go particularly slower than he normally would to stay in the frame. The world needs more full speed Mitch right now!
Hey, little late to the party but can you say which frame size you are running and how tall mitch is?just about to buy a SB but cant decide between M and L frame :(
Nevemind the bike which is gorgeous but I'm giving you props for even knowing where the trail is at those speeds...hahah. As there seemed to be an obvious trail but also seemed there are multiple lines throughout the main trail...great riding!
Yeah I knew once I strapped the GoPro to Mitch people would start rejecting the regular footage. 😂 It was only fair to show him unrestricted. Usually when I am following him I need to ask him to slow down quite a bit to keep him in frame.
@@ThisIsGoingDownhill just did Breathless and Huge Ribbon for 1st time. Even more respect for you guys...!! Oddly, my Huge Ribbon route followed the mainTrailForks route, I thought, but it looked different from these vids.
@@gregoryf9299 It is a bit confusing as to where Huge Ribbon actually starts but Mitch is only on it for a few seconds in this video. He turns left onto an old double black diamond called Hindgrinder. Huge Ribbon is much more pedally. For every down bit there seems to be an equal climb bit. One might describe it as extreme XC.
Great trails and riding! If this is supposed to be a bike review, however, I’m looking for you to sum up its strengths and weaknesses, state who you think the bike is best for, and maybe draw some comparisons with competing bikes.
Fair enough. You make a good point. We were going for a minimalist approach. A brief gloss over some changes in the design and component package but generally not much technical commentary. We wanted the riding to speak to the capabilities of the bike. You are not the first person to point this out though , definitely indicating we fell short of the mark. Possibly I should have titled it differently and not called it a review. Live and learn. Thanks for your feedback.
Chris Davis I shouldn’t speak for Mitch but as you saw he loves it. He rode a Firebird 29 (which is what I ride) for the last year and said that the Switchblade is definitely less confidence inspiring but certainly capable in its own right. He described the Switchblade as more playful and a far better climber. I can attest that both the climbs and descents were steeper than they looked. As he said this is the bike he chose as his personal bike. He works at a shop and has access to many other options. So it’s safe to say he likes it. Mitch is an exceptional rider who is very fit but this bike should suit any ability level. Good point though. We should have done a conclusion to wrap it up. Just learning as I go!🤔
Yes the bike is plenty capable of use at a bike park…BUT , you will be putting exponential wear on the bike. It is not designed to take the type of abuse a lift access park will incur. Going to a bike park once is hard on a trail bike. Let’s say you do 15 runs. That’s at least 10 regular rides all in 7 hours. Times that by 15 visits in a season and your bike will be spent. So the technical answer is yes. But the practical answer is no.
Thank you. That’s what I thought. I took my switchblade 12 times at the bike in the past 3 months. And even though O only take blue and few black trails, the bike really took a beating. Now, I’m looking at the new firebird but the geometry of the new one is like a DH Bike. Do you think the new firebird is too much of a bike for blue and few black trails? Thanks! Great channel.
@@keyniekwan7662 You would not have too much bike at the bike park with a Firebird regardless of the level of trails you choose. The Firebird may not be ideal for your local riding though, depending on where you live. I have a Firebird 29 and have ridden it at many bike parks. It handled the abuse without a single problem. I cased almost every jump in the Whistler Bike Park and it rode like new the next day. Good luck getting your hands on a new Firebird though. I have one on order that was supposed to arrive this month but likely won’t come until December if at all now. The Firebird is a big bike and it blurs the line between DH and Enduro for certain. At speed it is extremely stable but the trade off is playfulness. It is fast but because it is so long it prefers to go straight over things rather than around them. That being said it is really your personal skill and ability that dictate how you ride , not the bike. I would say if the bike park is your main focus with local trails coming second don’t be shy of the Firebird. It’s the closest thing to a “do all” bike you will find.
Im in Canada and I only do 20% local trails and 80% bike park. Bike parks out here are now closed until June of next year. So, I have s lot of time to wait for the new firebird. Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
Wow! This is ridiculous! Next time you should slow Mitch's video down to 0.5 the speed. I cant see anything at warp speed! Anyway jokes aside, one of the guys in the group saw Mitch's brief display of skills in the parking lot yesterday. In his amazement, he said "Wow, if only the bike could talk!" Amazing riding video as usual! Love the new switchblade!
Bren Bascos Very perceptive Bren. That’s why it’s better to have someone slow and stiff like me filming so that you can really take in the whole trail.😄 It’s only fair that Mitch get to show himself going full speed rather then holding back quite a lot so that I can keep up. I am riding terrible and scared right now. Having a hard time rebounding after injury. So it’s a perfect time to share full speed Mitch with the world. ( More like the 300 people who watch these videos.)
ThisIsGoingDownHill one of the guys in a group bought a new trek from Mitch, apparently. Probably wants to go fast, too like Mitch. Lol Hey, atleast you're back in the great outdoors again. you're probably expecting a 100% bounce back right away. Maybe you should dial it back and make sure you have fun in the bike first. That's what google told me, anyway. Lol
Bren Bascos Great advice. Had a good ride last Sunday at Tzouhalem. Feel much better after shaking some of the cobwebs 🕸. There are so many new trails out there unfortunately I can’t film any of them. There is a lot of controversy right now with illegal trail building and I don’t want to get any trails removed. I also do not want to get involved in the controversy. I will figure out someway to get a little fresh content out though. Thanks Bren.
Have you had any problems with the Switchblade's more conservative geometry? The Switchblade has a 66 degree HTA and a 75.5 degree STA but most new 29ers are more progressive than that. I'd be interested to get feedback from anyone about this. Thanks!
The more conservative geometry is what attracted Mitch to this bike over the Firebird 29 he road for the previous year. The majority of riding in our area have many technical climbs throughout the descents. I don’t mind getting off of my bike and pushing if I have to but many riders are not okay with that. I feel that is where the Switchblade comes in. As you saw on the video it was plenty capable on some very demanding technical downhill. Mitch is a very talented rider but that doesn’t take away from the bikes abilities. He did mention that the Firebird is more confidence inspiring. I realize it’s a little strange that the guy doing the review is not answering you and I apologize if I didn’t really answer your question correctly. If you need specifics I can pass the question on to Mitch and get back to you.
Thanks, I appreciate your reply. I would welcome any more thoughts he has about the geometry because I'm going to spend a lot of money on the bike and I'm afraid that if it doesn't hold up as well as a bike with a 64 degree HTA and a 77 degree STA; I will probably have to sell it a year later. Thanks for your time!
Steve Mitch just got back to me. He really loves his Switchblade and feels that most riders would not feel under gunned by any means. He was saying that it ultimately comes down to the terrain you will be riding the most. If you are going to be charging rough downhill that you have shuttled to or ridden straight fire road possibly you would want something more aggressive. If it is more of an all rounder you are looking for then definitely the Switchblade. It really seems like Pivot tries to make a bike for just about everybody with their fairly extensive lineup. As for the specific geometry he hasn’t found any problems yet and put the bike through a variety of different trails. The trail in this video is very demanding and a very good test of a bikes capabilities. The GoPro effect is doing it no justice. These rock rolls and drops have pretty good compressions at the bottom. He felt the Switchblade handled the hits every bit as good as the Firebird. As stated earlier he is a very good rider but feels this bike would suit any ability level. So basically it comes down to your personal preference. I guess ,like anything.
There is another bike test of the 429 on this channel where the bike is ridden on the same trail. Mitch also does the bulk of that review. As for a comparison the Switchblade is much more downhill capable where the 429 which is also very capable , was maxed out on the test trail. The Switchblade was right in its comfort zone on very demanding terrain and was able to climb to the trail with reasonable ease. The 429 is a bike a trail bike for someone who is planning on riding the more extreme end of the XC category. The Switchblade is blurring the lines between Trail and Enduro and can tackle some pretty rough trails.
@@ThisIsGoingDownhill ok thank you very much. I just bought a 2020 429 and I feel it’s a bit entry level (I went with the cheaper build - fox 34) so maybe that’s the issue. Idk I’m in Phoenix for a couple weeks now so I’m planning to visit pivot & demo a switchblade. Thanks again
toby green This review was actually done by my buddy Mitch. He rode a Firebird just like mine for the last year. He chose to get the new Switchblade for its superior “ all around” game. Switchblade climbs way better and the terrain around our parts requires a lot of punchy climbs during a ride. I personally would still probably choose my Firebird but I like the extra travel to smooth out my mistakes.
ThisIsGoingDownHill yea that’s my dilemma, I live in Cumberland so although we do have the climbing trail there are still some punchy bits, and have demo the firebird and love how it just ranks through everything but the play and climbing capabilities of the switchblade are starting to make me lean towards more of an all mtn! Thanks for the further info
That air into the first big rockface of Grinder was 🔥🔥!! "Slightly ambitious" is one way to describe it 😄
gtmclaughlin This was a project so we weren’t really riding together down Grinder. I never knew he jumped into that until I watched his GoPro footage. I was shocked considering I crashed just riding it. I thought that would blow the mind of anyone who has ridden that section.🤯
@@ThisIsGoingDownhill Haha ya that slab is a bit spicy, right into the corner. Can't say I've ever considered airing into it before!
Hahahah....now that's the definition of mountain biking!! That is some gnarly terrain you are shredding my friend! Great riding! Mine should be here in a couple weeks...i can't wait. Seems like an amazing bike.
Brilliantly edited and splendid commentary Mitch. Good ride!
We want more of these reviews! Mitch had mad skills jumping those steep rolls! Crazy!
I agree. More Mitch. Less slow guy.😆
Let's go boys 🤙 Killing it on the video Kevin, and Mitch was doing a great job with the commentary, and as always, the riding. Definitely a popular bike at the shop this year, and now I know why!
Mountain Bike Matt Thanks Matt! You inspired me to step up my production game a tad. Didn’t want to get left in the dust because I was lazy on the desk job part of production!
I figured it was only fair to show Mitch without restraints. If I am following he needs to go particularly slower than he normally would to stay in the frame. The world needs more full speed Mitch right now!
I didn't see a trail you just bombed down the side of a mountain. I liked it!
That’s a sick 🚲😎
Hey, little late to the party but can you say which frame size you are running and how tall mitch is?just about to buy a SB but cant decide between M and L frame :(
Mitch is just under 6 feet and rides a Large. His bike is a Switchblade.
I ride a Firebird in XL and I am 6’5”.
Really enjoyed riding those trails a few years ago on a trip from NS. Would love to go back someday. Getting a new switchblade this week, so stoked!!!
Looks like Mitch had better flow and fun on the 429. I just finished watching that video and this looks like more of a struggle in comparison.
Nevemind the bike which is gorgeous but I'm giving you props for even knowing where the trail is at those speeds...hahah. As there seemed to be an obvious trail but also seemed there are multiple lines throughout the main trail...great riding!
Just happens that yesterday was my first ride on the 2020 as well!
Scott Coulas It’s not easy riding the same bike as Mitch!😄😉
Jeez...! He went up Breathless like he was on an eBike!
(and went down like the video was on fast-forward!)
Crazy good
Yeah I knew once I strapped the GoPro to Mitch people would start rejecting the regular footage. 😂 It was only fair to show him unrestricted. Usually when I am following him I need to ask him to slow down quite a bit to keep him in frame.
@@ThisIsGoingDownhill just did Breathless and Huge Ribbon for 1st time. Even more respect for you guys...!! Oddly, my Huge Ribbon route followed the mainTrailForks route, I thought, but it looked different from these vids.
@@gregoryf9299 It is a bit confusing as to where Huge Ribbon actually starts but Mitch is only on it for a few seconds in this video. He turns left onto an old double black diamond called Hindgrinder. Huge Ribbon is much more pedally. For every down bit there seems to be an equal climb bit. One might describe it as extreme XC.
Great Video! Nice bike!
What I just witnessed 😳😳. Man you really know how to ride !!!!Great vid ... no bs here 👍
Daaaaaang. I thought I was all hardcore riding the Switchblade down my driveway!
Hi
Great trails and riding! If this is supposed to be a bike review, however, I’m looking for you to sum up its strengths and weaknesses, state who you think the bike is best for, and maybe draw some comparisons with competing bikes.
Fair enough. You make a good point. We were going for a minimalist approach. A brief gloss over some changes in the design and component package but generally not much technical commentary. We wanted the riding to speak to the capabilities of the bike. You are not the first person to point this out though , definitely indicating we fell short of the mark. Possibly I should have titled it differently and not called it a review. Live and learn. Thanks for your feedback.
Just makes me want a Switchblade more......
FINALLY a proper bike review. Sick skills and I’m sold on this bike now. All other reviews are on flat flow trails. So what is your final assessment ?
Chris Davis I shouldn’t speak for Mitch but as you saw he loves it. He rode a Firebird 29 (which is what I ride) for the last year and said that the Switchblade is definitely less confidence inspiring but certainly capable in its own right. He described the Switchblade as more playful and a far better climber. I can attest that both the climbs and descents were steeper than they looked. As he said this is the bike he chose as his personal bike. He works at a shop and has access to many other options. So it’s safe to say he likes it. Mitch is an exceptional rider who is very fit but this bike should suit any ability level.
Good point though. We should have done a conclusion to wrap it up. Just learning as I go!🤔
Can this bike be used at the bike park? At least 10-15 times every summer? Thank you!
Yes the bike is plenty capable of use at a bike park…BUT , you will be putting exponential wear on the bike. It is not designed to take the type of abuse a lift access park will incur. Going to a bike park once is hard on a trail bike. Let’s say you do 15 runs. That’s at least 10 regular rides all in 7 hours. Times that by 15 visits in a season and your bike will be spent. So the technical answer is yes. But the practical answer is no.
Thank you. That’s what I thought. I took my switchblade 12 times at the bike in the past 3 months. And even though O only take blue and few black trails, the bike really took a beating. Now, I’m looking at the new firebird but the geometry of the new one is like a DH Bike. Do you think the new firebird is too much of a bike for blue and few black trails? Thanks! Great channel.
@@keyniekwan7662 You would not have too much bike at the bike park with a Firebird regardless of the level of trails you choose. The Firebird may not be ideal for your local riding though, depending on where you live. I have a Firebird 29 and have ridden it at many bike parks. It handled the abuse without a single problem. I cased almost every jump in the Whistler Bike Park and it rode like new the next day. Good luck getting your hands on a new Firebird though. I have one on order that was supposed to arrive this month but likely won’t come until December if at all now.
The Firebird is a big bike and it blurs the line between DH and Enduro for certain. At speed it is extremely stable but the trade off is playfulness. It is fast but because it is so long it prefers to go straight over things rather than around them. That being said it is really your personal skill and ability that dictate how you ride , not the bike. I would say if the bike park is your main focus with local trails coming second don’t be shy of the Firebird. It’s the closest thing to a “do all” bike you will find.
Im in Canada and I only do 20% local trails and 80% bike park. Bike parks out here are now closed until June of next year. So, I have s lot of time to wait for the new firebird. Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
Nice channel 👍 here to support 😊
came for the review, stayed for the riding. Well done! Blown away at how a 140 mm bike can handle charging a double black. Impressed
Full disclaimer- Mitch is often featured on the channel but the regular guy (myself) wearing the camera is pretty average at best.
@@ThisIsGoingDownhill great content either way.
Such good riding man! I need practice!
Great video.....can you tell me how tall Mitch is and what size switchblade he is riding.
Yes, Mitch is 5’11” and he is riding a Large.
Wow great ride and great review
Wow! This is ridiculous! Next time you should slow Mitch's video down to 0.5 the speed. I cant see anything at warp speed! Anyway jokes aside, one of the guys in the group saw Mitch's brief display of skills in the parking lot yesterday. In his amazement, he said "Wow, if only the bike could talk!"
Amazing riding video as usual! Love the new switchblade!
Bren Bascos Very perceptive Bren. That’s why it’s better to have someone slow and stiff like me filming so that you can really take in the whole trail.😄 It’s only fair that Mitch get to show himself going full speed rather then holding back quite a lot so that I can keep up. I am riding terrible and scared right now. Having a hard time rebounding after injury. So it’s a perfect time to share full speed Mitch with the world. ( More like the 300 people who watch these videos.)
ThisIsGoingDownHill one of the guys in a group bought a new trek from Mitch, apparently. Probably wants to go fast, too like Mitch. Lol
Hey, atleast you're back in the great outdoors again. you're probably expecting a 100% bounce back right away. Maybe you should dial it back and make sure you have fun in the bike first. That's what google told me, anyway. Lol
Bren Bascos Great advice. Had a good ride last Sunday at Tzouhalem. Feel much better after shaking some of the cobwebs 🕸. There are so many new trails out there unfortunately I can’t film any of them. There is a lot of controversy right now with illegal trail building and I don’t want to get any trails removed. I also do not want to get involved in the controversy. I will figure out someway to get a little fresh content out though. Thanks Bren.
Have you had any problems with the Switchblade's more conservative geometry? The Switchblade has a 66 degree HTA and a 75.5 degree STA but most new 29ers are more progressive than that. I'd be interested to get feedback from anyone about this. Thanks!
The more conservative geometry is what attracted Mitch to this bike over the Firebird 29 he road for the previous year. The majority of riding in our area have many technical climbs throughout the descents. I don’t mind getting off of my bike and pushing if I have to but many riders are not okay with that. I feel that is where the Switchblade comes in. As you saw on the video it was plenty capable on some very demanding technical downhill. Mitch is a very talented rider but that doesn’t take away from the bikes abilities. He did mention that the Firebird is more confidence inspiring. I realize it’s a little strange that the guy doing the review is not answering you and I apologize if I didn’t really answer your question correctly. If you need specifics I can pass the question on to Mitch and get back to you.
Thanks, I appreciate your reply. I would welcome any more thoughts he has about the geometry because I'm going to spend a lot of money on the bike and I'm afraid that if it doesn't hold up as well as a bike with a 64 degree HTA and a 77 degree STA; I will probably have to sell it a year later. Thanks for your time!
Steve Mitch just got back to me. He really loves his Switchblade and feels that most riders would not feel under gunned by any means. He was saying that it ultimately comes down to the terrain you will be riding the most. If you are going to be charging rough downhill that you have shuttled to or ridden straight fire road possibly you would want something more aggressive. If it is more of an all rounder you are looking for then definitely the Switchblade. It really seems like Pivot tries to make a bike for just about everybody with their fairly extensive lineup. As for the specific geometry he hasn’t found any problems yet and put the bike through a variety of different trails. The trail in this video is very demanding and a very good test of a bikes capabilities. The GoPro effect is doing it no justice. These rock rolls and drops have pretty good compressions at the bottom. He felt the Switchblade handled the hits every bit as good as the Firebird. As stated earlier he is a very good rider but feels this bike would suit any ability level. So basically it comes down to your personal preference. I guess ,like anything.
Why did they put all those tree-hazards in the way of the trail?
10:44 "Naw this bike... ...is not sucking"?
Have you spent any time riding the Trail 429? /can you compare the 2 models?
There is another bike test of the 429 on this channel where the bike is ridden on the same trail. Mitch also does the bulk of that review. As for a comparison the Switchblade is much more downhill capable where the 429 which is also very capable , was maxed out on the test trail. The Switchblade was right in its comfort zone on very demanding terrain and was able to climb to the trail with reasonable ease. The 429 is a bike a trail bike for someone who is planning on riding the more extreme end of the XC category. The Switchblade is blurring the lines between Trail and Enduro and can tackle some pretty rough trails.
@@ThisIsGoingDownhill ok thank you very much. I just bought a 2020 429 and I feel it’s a bit entry level (I went with the cheaper build - fox 34) so maybe that’s the issue. Idk I’m in Phoenix for a couple weeks now so I’m planning to visit pivot & demo a switchblade. Thanks again
Amazing riding.
perfect Bro
Nice man
Yeah yeah, bike seems sick. Where can I get me some Thunder Vision?
Daryl MacLeod It’s usually filmed in Slumber Vision.
@@ThisIsGoingDownhill I’ve got Slumber Vision 2.0 on order. Should arrive this week.
Great video!
Great video
If you had to choose this or your firebird what would it be?
toby green This review was actually done by my buddy Mitch. He rode a Firebird just like mine for the last year. He chose to get the new Switchblade for its superior “ all around” game. Switchblade climbs way better and the terrain around our parts requires a lot of punchy climbs during a ride.
I personally would still probably choose my Firebird but I like the extra travel to smooth out my mistakes.
ThisIsGoingDownHill yea that’s my dilemma, I live in Cumberland so although we do have the climbing trail there are still some punchy bits, and have demo the firebird and love how it just ranks through everything but the play and climbing capabilities of the switchblade are starting to make me lean towards more of an all mtn!
Thanks for the further info