PIVOT SHUTTLE LT 29 TEAM XTR

Can Pivot's enduro e-bike justify its top-end price tag on the trails?

- Alan Muldoon

£12,000 29in • saddleback.co.uk

I find it ironic that my news feed is constantly presenting me with horror stories about the potential dangers of AI. Yet, the feed itself is driven by AI. Maybe it’s trying to tell me that my days as bike test editor at mbr are numbered, and soon all bike reviews will be compiled by ChatGPT. Too late… I think some already are.

But what’s this got to do with the Pivot Cycles Shuttle LT 29 Team XTR? Well, it’s blatantly obvious that the model name has been configured to satisfy a search engine, rather than provoking the desired emotional response in a living, breathing, human being.

NEED TO KNOW

• Pedal-assist version of Pivot's popular Firebird enduro bike
• Full carbon frame and 29in wheels make it light and fast
• Shimano EP8 motor is paired with Darfon 756Wh battery to extend range
• Fox Factory suspension delivers 170mm up front with 10mm less on the rear
• Shimano XTR drivetrain and brakes make for a Gucci build
• Four frame sizes, with generous reach measurements and short seat tubes 
• Also available with an SLX/XT build option for £10k

On the plus side, it does give you a pretty good snapshot of the bike rather than a fuzzy feeling of wellbeing. Clearly it’s a full 29er, has XTR brakes and drivetrain and it’s long travel. How long? Well, the top-end bike of two uses a 170mm-travel Fox 38 Factory fork combined with a Float X shock to control the DW-Link rear suspension that pumps out 160mm travel on the money. In short, it’s a pedal-assist version of the Firebird.