Never heard of the Pivot Vault? In the mountain bike world, the Americans are known for prestigious fully models such as the Firebird or the new Trailcat known. With the Vault, the premium label from Phoenix, Arizona, is entering the gravel bike sector and wants to transfer its off-road expertise to narrow tyres.
The Pivot Vault with its comfort feature in the seat zone, attractive weight and lifetime warranty is definitely exciting. We took a closer look at the Team Force XPLR AXS version and found out what the American sled is really capable of.
The Pivot Vault Team Force XPLR AXS in detail
- Price: 5499 Euro
- Field of applicationGravelbike
- Wheel size: 700C/28"
- Tyre width (installed / maximum): 40 / 50 mm
- Weight complete bike8.8 kg (size XL)
- Maximum permissible system weight140 kg
- Guarantee: for life
- Number of bottle cage holders: 4
- Compatible with dropper post: yes
- Compatible with front derailleur: yes
- Special featuresFrame storage compartment, Iso-Flex comfort technology, mudguard mount, UDH derailleur hanger, mounting points for tool mount and top tube bag
Everything thought of
Even when stationary, the Pivot Vault makes a very well thought-out impression. The developers give the customer the choice of whether the cables run fully integrated through the headset or - as on our test bike - partially integrated through neatly finished openings in the frame. Mechanics will be pleased with the service hatch and plenty of space for cables in the bottom bracket area.
As befits a modern gravel bike from an MTB brand, the frame is designed for the use of a dropper post and tyre widths of up to 50 millimetres. Alternatively, the bike could also be fitted with 2.0 inch wide 27.5 mm wheels. The Vault would also be compatible with a suspension fork. However, this equipment option is not available ex works.
In the single setup without a front derailleur fitted, the interface is discreetly covered. Thanks to the UDH derailleur hanger, the frame can also be fitted with Sram mountain bike derailleurs from the Transmission cosmos. The bottom bracket is press-fitted. If required, mudguards can be fitted to the chassis.
Interestingly, Pivot is the only manufacturer in our test field to decide against threads for luggage mounts on the rigid fork. Instead, up to four water bottles fit on the frame without the need for a special solution. Two holders can be mounted in a row on the down tube, with another one under the down tube - great for the next desert crossing! The maximum authorised system weight is a high 140 kilos.
The Pivot Vault has a unique feature at the transition from the seat tube to the seat post: the so-called "Iso-Flex" technology is designed to decouple vibrations that reach the main frame from the ground from the seat post using a rubber element. Pivot hopes that this will improve comfort and ultimately reduce fatigue on rough gravel tracks and long rides.
Equipment
Pivot offers the Vault in seven equipment variants and six different frame sizes (XXS / XS / SM / MD / LG / XL). You will have to invest between 4199 and 6899 euros for the carbon gravel bike. Our test bike bears the model name Pivot Vault Team Force XPLR AXS, costs 5499 euros and is characterised by the following features:
- CircuitSram Force XPLR AXS, 1 x 12
- Cassette / gear rangeSram Force XPLR 10-44T / 440 %
- Crank / chainring sizeSram Force 1 Wide DUB / 40T
- Brakes / disc sizeSram Force AXS HRD / 160/160 mm
- ImpellersDT Swiss ER 1600 Spline 23 mm
- TyresWTB Vulpine 700C x 40 Light/Fast Rolling 120 TPI Dual DNA SG2
- Seat post / diameterPivot Phoenix Pro Iso Flex Carbon / 27.2 mm
- Cockpit / length / width (upper/lower link)Zipp / 75 mm / 480/550 mm
Data from the BIKE test lab
At BIKE, we go to unprecedented lengths to test bikes. We are the only trade magazine in the world to operate its own test laboratory. The data obtained supports our impressions from the practical test. When it comes to geometry data, we don't just rely on the manufacturer's specifications, but also use the laser measuring device ourselves.
- Complete weight8.75 kg (size XL, without pedals)
- Impeller weight3595 g (incl. tyres, tubeless milk and valves, cassette, brake discs, thru axles)
- Impeller acceleration2377 kg x cm² (the lower the value, the better the acceleration)
Geometry
- Seat tube length real: 540 mm
- Steering angle: 70,5°
- Seat angle: 73°
- Top tube length: 620 mm
- Head tube length: 201 mm
- Chainstay length: 420 mm
- Wheelbase: 1090 mm
- BB-Drop: -71 mm
- Overrun: 72 mm
- Reach: 416 mm
- Reach+: 580 mm
- Stack: 659 mm
- Stack+: 703 mm
- STR: 1,58
- STR+: 1,211
How the Pivot Vault gravel bike rides in practice
The Pivot gravel bike has a high reach, but above all a high stack. At the same time, the seat tube length is noticeably short, which can make it difficult to choose the right size. In fact, the length of the factory-fitted seatpost was just long enough to offer our 1.90 metre tall tester (790 millimetre seat height) a suitable seat on the XL frame.
Like many mountain bikes from the same company, the Pivot gravel bike comes with a rather slack seat angle, which elongates the riding position somewhat. Nevertheless, thanks to the short but high cockpit, the position on board can still be described as balanced between sporty and comfortable. You will look in vain for extremes in the geometry table.
Speaking of comfort: the long seat post extension and the flex element in the frame work wonders. On the test bench of the BIKE test lab, the Vault showed an astonishingly high value for seating comfort, confirming the impressions gained in practice.
The Zipp handlebar of the Pivot gravel bike with its flattened profile offers nice grip positions and has a good flex under laboratory conditions. However, the Americans not only install the narrowest inner rim width of 22 millimetres, but also the narrowest tyres in the test field. They are the only ones to use 40 millimetre asphalt cutter tyres in combination with an all-road road wheelset.
The reduced damping compared to wider rim-tyre combinations unfortunately negates the pleasant compliance of the front and ensures that the difference in comfort between the front and rear is noticeably high. Tuning tip: wider tyres in a tubeless setup.
However, the Vault easily achieves the best acceleration values in the comparison. The Pivot rolls willingly on all surfaces and is in a league of its own with the bikepacking specialists from Salsa when it comes to propulsion.
In terms of drivetrain, our test bike still had to make do with the "old" Sram Force XPLR AXS. With twelve instead of 13 gears and only 44 teeth on the smallest chainring, the green speedster lacks a slight uphill gear compared to Alutech or Marin. In alpine terrain, this can set limits and the Pivot has to let the off-road experts from Canyon, Propain and Santa Cruz go with their MTB cassettes.
As the Vault is the second lightest bike at 8.75 kilos, tours with a lot of vertical metres are still possible, but the rider has to switch to pedalling in the saddle more often. Under load, the tame profiled WTB tyres with their almost closed centre tread can spin out on forest paths. Grip and traction are in short supply, especially in wet conditions.
On trail descents, the Vault benefits from the safety reserves of its long geometry. It descends in a controlled and predictable manner. Once again, the only limits are the narrow tyres and the moderate comfort at the front, which quickly tires the arms. Thanks to the short 420 millimetre chainstays, the Pivot remains manageable despite its dimensions and is easy to push through tight bends.
The short seat tube also pays off here. There is plenty of room to manoeuvre in the air space above the top tube. For experienced riders, this allows for radical riding manoeuvres even without a dropper post. The short stem and moderately slack steering angle ensure good-natured steering behaviour.
Conclusion
The geometry and details of the frame make the Pivot chassis a strong basis for a great gravel bike. Propulsion and riding comfort are at a high level, the riding characteristics are balanced and without any real weaknesses. The praise for the Vault is limited only by the mediocre spec, especially the narrow rim/tyre combination. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Pro
- Fast propulsion
- Good values for seating comfort thanks to Iso-Flex
- Balanced riding characteristics with plenty of freedom of movement over the bike
- Detailed frame with storage compartment and four bottle cage holders
Contra
- Narrow tyres limit comfort, traction and downhill potential
- Price-performance ratio of the equipment falls in comparison
Jan Timmermann
Editor
