Maybe specialized will bring back the evo variant. Would be easy for them, just slap the next size up chainstays on. Some special paint, 10mm longer fork.
I feel the same way about Pivots. They are great bikes and the quality is top-notch. I demo'd a 429 Enduro build and I felt sketched in the corners. When I leaned the bike over, it broke traction in flat corners. It climbed like a goat. It is a Sedona-style bike. I went w a Rocky Mountain Instinct w longer chainstays, and it corners like a raped ape. I hope Rocky can get through the bad times in the Industry. A lot of small independent bike brands are making moves ahead of the proposed NA and Asian tariffs on imports to the USA. Great breakdown. The Dune looks intriguing for a eBike, if I ever go to the dark side. Happy New Year. Looking forward to your content next year.
Just built up a ‘24 new gen Geometron G1 as a full on 200mm travel, mullet DH bike. It’s by far the quickest bike I’ve ever ridden, but I somehow still love to ride my 26er dh bikes an equal amount
Also rode that Pivot and same here felt like I didn't know what the fuck I was doing. Full puckered. Agreed on the Giant Reign E have that thing and it fucking rips.
Comparing the old Nomad to everything new that followed in its footsteps is a trick. When I got my gen1 it was a game changer, nothing really came close until I moved on to 27.5 wheels and a couple Intense frames. Good to hear you think the M1 is that good, was considering retiring my old M9 and building up a new DH rig for a few whistler trips before I get way too old to go up there. I just had the old M9 sitting next to my modern bikes and it looks like a kids bike by comparison, as does my gen 1.
Great vid. Your content is always appreciated. Especially the sick riding in SF w your buddies. Hella funny. Unrelated question: your footage is always pretty stable even though you’re always shredding hard in your Brio vids. I just got a GoPro and the first chest mount already was insufficient to keep the GoPro from shaking in Annadel on my first ride with the cam, even though the straps were hella tight. Every big compression destabilized the GoPro even with Hypersmooth enabled. Please let me know your action cam mount setup or even better make a video about it please? I appreciate it! 🤘keep up the great work! Also, a tier video on what you want to ride in 2025 and why would be sick.
Not a pivot fan boy, but I do own the new model Shuttle LT. Also spent time on the AM and Firebird. Agree with your takes in the vid on these bikes. Interested to see how you’d like the new LT compared to the old, with slightly more balanced geo
@briancahal sweet. I've got a chromag wideangle as a mullet and a pole taival. They are fun to put into different setups. The taival has a 440 chainstay and 480 reach with a fairly high stack on medium. I'd never get rid of either and sometimes I'm putting down just as quick of a time as my fs. Just really engaging ride and fun to pump and make trails you ride all the time more interesting. I look forward to what your going to take a rip on.
FWIW, according to the stumpy tech manual the rear center increases by ~5mm in the low position. So even the L with 435mm rear center increases to about 440mm in low. Too bad the bb is so low.
Yeah everyone uses it for everything😂 absolutely lost its meaning. Look under hip hop videos the conversations. Every single rapper on earth is apparently goated 😂
Great content as always. You didn't seem to say all that much positive stuff about the Druid this time but put it in the Goated tier eh? As a chunk-eating 130 mm trail bike it is an outlier for sure. Any chance you could review the Scott Ransom? Would be curious to hear what you think of it
Yours thoughts about the pivot Firebird was my experience to, which is odd because its geo is kinda similiar to the gen 6 slash, But the slash rides waaaaaaay better... I demo'd a slash and i had to have one, The Chainstay growth is mental, feels short initially and has some fun to it but as you ride hard and rip some chunk and corners, its Rearward axle path makes it very balanced. I've ridden alot of Bikes over the last couple of years(approx 24 different frames before i tried the one-sixty, Alpine trail, slash and bold 135) The bold 135 feels like the pivot firebird, feels like im ganna die untill i go fast on it and it comes to life but bloody hell its scary asf.
Nice man, been watching a german mtb youtuber who had a firebird custom built for him and he just cannot get that bike to work for him as well.. I am still super happy with the druidv2. Been seeing comments on the dreadv2 almost riding as the druid with a little bit of reserve downhill. Even climbs as "well". Are you still going to test one? I am really thinking about switching my dreadv1 and the druidv2 for a v2 dread if that rides similar.
the firebird is the one bike that actually makes an insane difference to my riding, only thing i sometimes dislike it being so rigid the frame lacks feel. But an insane bike and most peoples experience is they demoed and bought one, many reviewers too who ride way more bikes than we. To each their own if you dislike shorter cs and need the stability coming form there, not your bike. If you know how to ride a shorter cs bike, its one of the best or not the best bike out there
@@DandyHippo I personally had short chainstay bikes and they ride differently for sure. I guess at some point you adapt and go from there. I haven't ridden a lot of different bikes though and the first time I switched to a high pivot bike (dread v1) I liked it a lot.. Even though it came with a couple of downsides too.. I think the "normal" mountainbiker might just get a glimpse of what is out there while ppl demoing a lot of different stuff find their spot a lot easier.. Where I live I do not have the possibility to try out a lot of things.
@@sprousaTM factual its a shame, I feel like even the riders who dont like to spec out different stuff with the rage of an autist would benefit and enjoy trying different stuff. We also have limited selection, 80 % of the bikes Ive tested are from random guys at bike parks haha
@@DandyHippo I mostly ride normal tours and bike parks just occasionally. Being almost 6"4 and around 220lbs it is hard to try out bikes from friends who are mostly a lot shorter and lighter :( I tried different suspension brands on my bikes and mostly know what geo stats seem to work fine. And if not switching stems, spacers or handlebars worked in the the last 2 years. Switched my dreadnought for a megatower in xxl for a ride in finale ligure.. That for sure felt a lot more different than I thought it would
I wish I could ride enough bikes to justify making a list. Mine would be like 5 bikes deep mostly from demos/single days. Interesting you talk about long reaches in negative ways, particularly with brands that I believe are basically size-shifted. Not sure if you feel the same way but particularly a brand like Pivot is one where I would go medium even if I'm large in every other brand. And I'm not sure if their sizing chart actually reflects that, or it's just something you're supposed to intuit. But I feel like the entire industry is going too far with reach, often without compensating with chainstay and stack adjustments. Conversely, when I look at size mediums in terms of reach... The stack and chainstays make WAY more sense! Like the balance is there. Although when I think about that I see that Stumpy as a prime example and you were kinda just 'ok' with it so I dunno. I'd be interested to hear if you thought the Stumpy did represent balance, but I doubt we rode the same size so again ratio wise, for stack and chainstay... It may have felt too short both directions (all while having healthy reach).
bro what a large firebird feels very limited in reach compare to other larges. A medium superfoxy feel the same almost. Trail 429 only rode xl and it was huge so maybe depends on model
@@skankwave5245 493mm... is limited for large? the trail 429 is 470mm for large and 490 for XL so... considerably 'normal' compared to the Firebird. And the reach being shorter for a trail/XC bike makes more sense. I've no idea what position you are coming from. You say the trail429 in XL is huge (its 490mm) and the Firebird large is 'limited' in reach (493mm) did you accidentally ride a medium FIrebird with 473mm reach or I don't get it
@@TeddyParker I was told 100 % it was a large, have to check on that. Because with those numbers this is not making sense. I have bikes with a lil bit more than 490 reach which still feel WAY smaller than the xl trail, so running out of ideas here what should make sense.
@@skankwave5245 you may be falling prey to the stack/reach ratio pit, as well as potential chainstay lengths in terms of balancing. But basically a long travel high stack bike with the same exact reach number on a lower travel low stack bike... the long travel will 'feel' shorter, as you easily grab the bars high up on the steering axis... whereas with lower travel/stack you are reaching way forward and down to grab the bars. such that if you put mega high rise bars on the low travel bike to 'fix' the stack, the reach would also get shorter. and the bike would probly feel ruined or whatever. but ya i dunno what you went thru to think 2 similar bikes were so different.
@@briancahal What about the Ibis from Sea Otter? Lol. Or was that the nomad? Can’t keep up with you man haha. I loved this format of quickly reviewing things back to back. I think it’s an interesting way to get the brain and memory working.
to anyone thinking the Firebird is crap because of this video try it out yourself, for me one of the best bikes ever and so confident. Doing maneuvers I cant do on other bikes. It being stiff is true, but when Im charging its only a good thing. Its not a trail bike
What size you riding? The medium probably rips if your the right size for it. Pivot does size specific layups so it’s a more forgiving frame. The L and the XL the stiffness and geo make things tough.
@@briancahal Coming from the 275 Firebird and now the 275 Shadowcat, having demo'ed the Firebird and Switchblade I agree the bigger sizes are disproportionate. Size S has the most balanced front to rear, M onwards the rear just doesn't grow enough. I'm short so I only ride S but I can see it being a problem and throwing body positions off during turns or sketchy moments... My small Shadowcat with 435 front 431 rear is stable as an arrow and so balanced in corners and in the air, and it doesn't use the super stiff frame layup like the Firebird or LT, so I've not yet been pinged. Says a lot about how chungus the Firebird frame is built... The Shuttle AM and new Phoenix hopefully will guide Pivot to better rear center measurements. Because the DW platform can absolutely live with longer stays for sure. P.s perhaps try aftermarket shocks and put aside the default Fox shocks Pivots ship with. They are extremely over-damped. Getting a TTX2 shipped to replace my Pivot-tuned DPS.
Ranking every bike you have ever riden next?
Would be a three hour long video but if you guys are into it I can do it. I’ve ridden over 75 different models of bikes haha
@briancahal ide watch ngl
@@briancahal would be insane content and prolly first of its kind on youtube, if you got it in you you'll make history not even kidding
@@briancahal Same, your long videos are really entertaining.
@briancahal I would watch this
appreciate how much knowledge you bring into your reviews
I appreciate u
if you're gonna do more of these lists, grips and tyres would be interesting to see
Yo banshee titan? GOATED MY BROTHER
Love all your yearly wrap up videos. Your videos are so unique, I'm stoked on them brother 🤘
just came here to say skrrt happy new yrs hope everyone had a kick ass christmas
🫡 thx king merry Christmas
Maybe specialized will bring back the evo variant. Would be easy for them, just slap the next size up chainstays on. Some special paint, 10mm longer fork.
and charge an extra 2k lol
I feel the same way about Pivots. They are great bikes and the quality is top-notch. I demo'd a 429 Enduro build and I felt sketched in the corners. When I leaned the bike over, it broke traction in flat corners. It climbed like a goat. It is a Sedona-style bike. I went w a Rocky Mountain Instinct w longer chainstays, and it corners like a raped ape. I hope Rocky can get through the bad times in the Industry. A lot of small independent bike brands are making moves ahead of the proposed NA and Asian tariffs on imports to the USA.
Great breakdown. The Dune looks intriguing for a eBike, if I ever go to the dark side. Happy New Year. Looking forward to your content next year.
Great to hear your take on the Raaw lineup
Looks amazing. Would love to try them.
I’m glad you love the giant reign E….i freakn love mine now with a coil and carbon rims….the bike rips
I had an interest in the Druid v2 for a while and after watching your ride impressions on it, I pulled the trigger on it to replace my Stumpy Evo
you are extremely knowledgable and it shows.
Loving these comparisons/reviews! Keep it up!
Just built up a ‘24 new gen Geometron G1 as a full on 200mm travel, mullet DH bike. It’s by far the quickest bike I’ve ever ridden, but I somehow still love to ride my 26er dh bikes an equal amount
TH-cam loves tier lists. I love tier lists. If they're silly and low effort, isn't that just a bonus? Thanks for the videos my guy.
How would you categorize the Banshee Titan?
Goated for sure
Based Brian is back let's go!
Also rode that Pivot and same here felt like I didn't know what the fuck I was doing. Full puckered. Agreed on the Giant Reign E have that thing and it fucking rips.
Comparing the old Nomad to everything new that followed in its footsteps is a trick. When I got my gen1 it was a game changer, nothing really came close until I moved on to 27.5 wheels and a couple Intense frames. Good to hear you think the M1 is that good, was considering retiring my old M9 and building up a new DH rig for a few whistler trips before I get way too old to go up there. I just had the old M9 sitting next to my modern bikes and it looks like a kids bike by comparison, as does my gen 1.
Great vid. Your content is always appreciated. Especially the sick riding in SF w your buddies. Hella funny.
Unrelated question: your footage is always pretty stable even though you’re always shredding hard in your Brio vids. I just got a GoPro and the first chest mount already was insufficient to keep the GoPro from shaking in Annadel on my first ride with the cam, even though the straps were hella tight. Every big compression destabilized the GoPro even with Hypersmooth enabled. Please let me know your action cam mount setup or even better make a video about it please? I appreciate it! 🤘keep up the great work!
Also, a tier video on what you want to ride in 2025 and why would be sick.
Not a pivot fan boy, but I do own the new model Shuttle LT. Also spent time on the AM and Firebird. Agree with your takes in the vid on these bikes. Interested to see how you’d like the new LT compared to the old, with slightly more balanced geo
Have you been on an Arrival yet? Can't wait to hear what you think about it
Love your reviews. Throw a leg over some rowdy hardtails next year for the hell of it. Would love to see and hear that perspective.
I’m riding a really interesting hard rail in January. Should make for a fun video
@briancahal sweet. I've got a chromag wideangle as a mullet and a pole taival. They are fun to put into different setups. The taival has a 440 chainstay and 480 reach with a fairly high stack on medium. I'd never get rid of either and sometimes I'm putting down just as quick of a time as my fs. Just really engaging ride and fun to pump and make trails you ride all the time more interesting. I look forward to what your going to take a rip on.
FWIW, according to the stumpy tech manual the rear center increases by ~5mm in the low position. So even the L with 435mm rear center increases to about 440mm in low. Too bad the bb is so low.
explain why blessed is higher than goated bro goated means goated but apparently the term has suffered some serious inflation rofl
Yeah everyone uses it for everything😂 absolutely lost its meaning. Look under hip hop videos the conversations. Every single rapper on earth is apparently goated 😂
Have you considered trying the Esker Hayduke LVS? Hardtail with 600mm chainstay :)
I haven’t haha that would be pretty interesting
Great content as always. You didn't seem to say all that much positive stuff about the Druid this time but put it in the Goated tier eh? As a chunk-eating 130 mm trail bike it is an outlier for sure. Any chance you could review the Scott Ransom? Would be curious to hear what you think of it
Nice reviews! What do you think about Giant Reign ? Also it would be interested if you test the same bike model (any brand) Alloy vs Carbon frame.
Need a HighPivot dh bike next
Yours thoughts about the pivot Firebird was my experience to, which is odd because its geo is kinda similiar to the gen 6 slash, But the slash rides waaaaaaay better... I demo'd a slash and i had to have one, The Chainstay growth is mental, feels short initially and has some fun to it but as you ride hard and rip some chunk and corners, its Rearward axle path makes it very balanced.
I've ridden alot of Bikes over the last couple of years(approx 24 different frames before i tried the one-sixty, Alpine trail, slash and bold 135)
The bold 135 feels like the pivot firebird, feels like im ganna die untill i go fast on it and it comes to life but bloody hell its scary asf.
Please ride the Dreadnought v2
I’m trying lol they are supposed to be sending it out soon 🤷🏼♂️
Please try a scott gambler
Love hearing your opinion on bikes. Any plans to try a dreadnought v2?
Should have one to ride in the coming weeks
@@briancahal hell yeah. Have a V1 n she rips. your detailed review definitely encouraged me to get it
Is it a no brainer to know what you think of the Zink Vacay? That geometry must have you drooling to throw a leg over it. HaHa.
How about the specialized enduro?
What is the best bike for slow steep technical down hill?
Team Big Hogs
Hi Brian. Have you ever ridden a Marin or Polygon bike? Was thinking of picking one up as my first full suspension.
I haven’t. Probably both solid options though
I think you'll like the Fazua. Get on a heckler SL or Decoy SN! Also, have you got a chance to ride the V10.8 yet? It's soooooo good.
Would love to try the v10
Nice man, been watching a german mtb youtuber who had a firebird custom built for him and he just cannot get that bike to work for him as well.. I am still super happy with the druidv2. Been seeing comments on the dreadv2 almost riding as the druid with a little bit of reserve downhill. Even climbs as "well". Are you still going to test one? I am really thinking about switching my dreadv1 and the druidv2 for a v2 dread if that rides similar.
the firebird is the one bike that actually makes an insane difference to my riding, only thing i sometimes dislike it being so rigid the frame lacks feel. But an insane bike and most peoples experience is they demoed and bought one, many reviewers too who ride way more bikes than we. To each their own if you dislike shorter cs and need the stability coming form there, not your bike. If you know how to ride a shorter cs bike, its one of the best or not the best bike out there
@@DandyHippo I personally had short chainstay bikes and they ride differently for sure. I guess at some point you adapt and go from there. I haven't ridden a lot of different bikes though and the first time I switched to a high pivot bike (dread v1) I liked it a lot.. Even though it came with a couple of downsides too.. I think the "normal" mountainbiker might just get a glimpse of what is out there while ppl demoing a lot of different stuff find their spot a lot easier.. Where I live I do not have the possibility to try out a lot of things.
@@sprousaTM factual its a shame, I feel like even the riders who dont like to spec out different stuff with the rage of an autist would benefit and enjoy trying different stuff. We also have limited selection, 80 % of the bikes Ive tested are from random guys at bike parks haha
@@DandyHippo I mostly ride normal tours and bike parks just occasionally. Being almost 6"4 and around 220lbs it is hard to try out bikes from friends who are mostly a lot shorter and lighter :( I tried different suspension brands on my bikes and mostly know what geo stats seem to work fine. And if not switching stems, spacers or handlebars worked in the the last 2 years.
Switched my dreadnought for a megatower in xxl for a ride in finale ligure.. That for sure felt a lot more different than I thought it would
Hi Brian,just for perspective, whats you height , please?
I’m 6’ 1”
I wish I could ride enough bikes to justify making a list. Mine would be like 5 bikes deep mostly from demos/single days. Interesting you talk about long reaches in negative ways, particularly with brands that I believe are basically size-shifted. Not sure if you feel the same way but particularly a brand like Pivot is one where I would go medium even if I'm large in every other brand. And I'm not sure if their sizing chart actually reflects that, or it's just something you're supposed to intuit. But I feel like the entire industry is going too far with reach, often without compensating with chainstay and stack adjustments.
Conversely, when I look at size mediums in terms of reach... The stack and chainstays make WAY more sense! Like the balance is there. Although when I think about that I see that Stumpy as a prime example and you were kinda just 'ok' with it so I dunno. I'd be interested to hear if you thought the Stumpy did represent balance, but I doubt we rode the same size so again ratio wise, for stack and chainstay... It may have felt too short both directions (all while having healthy reach).
bro what a large firebird feels very limited in reach compare to other larges. A medium superfoxy feel the same almost. Trail 429 only rode xl and it was huge so maybe depends on model
@@skankwave5245 493mm... is limited for large? the trail 429 is 470mm for large and 490 for XL so... considerably 'normal' compared to the Firebird. And the reach being shorter for a trail/XC bike makes more sense.
I've no idea what position you are coming from. You say the trail429 in XL is huge (its 490mm) and the Firebird large is 'limited' in reach (493mm)
did you accidentally ride a medium FIrebird with 473mm reach or I don't get it
@@TeddyParker I was told 100 % it was a large, have to check on that. Because with those numbers this is not making sense. I have bikes with a lil bit more than 490 reach which still feel WAY smaller than the xl trail, so running out of ideas here what should make sense.
@@skankwave5245 you may be falling prey to the stack/reach ratio pit, as well as potential chainstay lengths in terms of balancing. But basically a long travel high stack bike with the same exact reach number on a lower travel low stack bike... the long travel will 'feel' shorter, as you easily grab the bars high up on the steering axis... whereas with lower travel/stack you are reaching way forward and down to grab the bars.
such that if you put mega high rise bars on the low travel bike to 'fix' the stack, the reach would also get shorter. and the bike would probly feel ruined or whatever.
but ya i dunno what you went thru to think 2 similar bikes were so different.
What about the ibis mojo hd?
Haven’t ridden. Looks very similar to the last gen firebird tho. My buddy likes his but wishes it had a longer rear end
@@briancahal
What about the Ibis from Sea Otter? Lol. Or was that the nomad? Can’t keep up with you man haha. I loved this format of quickly reviewing things back to back. I think it’s an interesting way to get the brain and memory working.
@@mckpat03dude idk how I forgot the ibis 🤦🏻♂️ and the low spec stumpy. Blowing it haha
@
Haha not blowing anything man. Best channel and content in mountain biking!
@@briancahal I meant the one from sea otter, maybe it wasn’t the hd but sorta compares to the nomad…? (In terms of being on the list)
These riding locations look sweeeet. That'd be another video - rating riding areas in California!
First
to anyone thinking the Firebird is crap because of this video try it out yourself, for me one of the best bikes ever and so confident. Doing maneuvers I cant do on other bikes. It being stiff is true, but when Im charging its only a good thing. Its not a trail bike
What size you riding? The medium probably rips if your the right size for it. Pivot does size specific layups so it’s a more forgiving frame. The L and the XL the stiffness and geo make things tough.
@@briancahal Coming from the 275 Firebird and now the 275 Shadowcat, having demo'ed the Firebird and Switchblade I agree the bigger sizes are disproportionate. Size S has the most balanced front to rear, M onwards the rear just doesn't grow enough. I'm short so I only ride S but I can see it being a problem and throwing body positions off during turns or sketchy moments...
My small Shadowcat with 435 front 431 rear is stable as an arrow and so balanced in corners and in the air, and it doesn't use the super stiff frame layup like the Firebird or LT, so I've not yet been pinged. Says a lot about how chungus the Firebird frame is built...
The Shuttle AM and new Phoenix hopefully will guide Pivot to better rear center measurements. Because the DW platform can absolutely live with longer stays for sure.
P.s perhaps try aftermarket shocks and put aside the default Fox shocks Pivots ship with. They are extremely over-damped. Getting a TTX2 shipped to replace my Pivot-tuned DPS.
@@briancahal a large. Riding it with heightened stack, suits well. 6.1 with maybe a bit longer hands than the average person