Inside The Brand | The History Of Pivot Cycles

Pivot is at the cutting edge of mountain bike technology, and their journey to the top explains a lot about how their bikes came to be so darn good. Pivot’s founder Chris Cocalis explains that when you combine a Dave Weagle suspension platform with a rigorous testing area in Phoenix, Arizona, you end up with some impressively capable machines.
Gearheads Jono and Ian talk us through their visit to Phoenix where they chatted with Chris along with an engineer and designer about everything that makes Pivot tick. They finish things off with a ride at the South Mountain trails where Chris shows us a thing or two about classic Arizona riding!
Have you seen the new Mach 4 SL? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Check out our Mach 4 SL video: • All NEW Pivot Mach 4 S...
Check out our Behind The Scenes | Pivot HQ Tour video: • Behind The Scenes At P...
Check out our Mountain Bike Buying Guide: www.backcountry.com/explore/h...
Check out the products featured here:
Pivot Mach4 SL: www.competitivecyclist.com/sc...
Pivot Mach 4 SL World Cup XX T-Type Carbon Wheel Mountain Bike: www.competitivecyclist.com/pi...
Pivot Mach 4 SL Pro X0 T-Type Mountain Bike: www.competitivecyclist.com/pi...
Pivot Mach 4 SL Pro XT/XTR Carbon Wheel Mountain Bike: www.competitivecyclist.com/pi...
Pivot Mountain Bikes: www.competitivecyclist.com/pi...
All Mountain Bikes: www.competitivecyclist.com/mo...
Everything Bike: www.competitivecyclist.com/
Chapter Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:08 - History With Chris Cocalis
2:23 - Chris Starts Titus
3:57 - Pivot Cycles Launch
6:12 - Phoenix HQ
8:03 - Historic Overview
8:51 - Engineering Frames With Zack
10:57 - Frame Design With Cat
12:41 - Engineer & Design Overview
13:49 - Riding With Chris
15:05 - Outro
Connect With a Gearhead: 1.888.276.7130 or Email: [e-mail]
Competitive Cyclist delivers the most premium bike shopping experience. A curated collection of cycling's standout brands, hands-on expertise from our Gearheads, an assembly operation unrivaled in the industry-we offer the knowledgeable service of the best bike builders and in-house mechanics, along with selection and convenience only possible online.
Follow Along for More Content!
KZbin: / @competitivecyclist
Instagram: / competitivecyclist
TikTok: / competitivecyclist
Facebook: / competitive.cyclist
CC Blog: www.competitivecyclist.com/le...

[@aaavellone]

Great video! I'm surprised that no one mentioned BK. Signing Kerr was a huge publicity boost and really started the whole rider feed back for Pivot.

[@doctajuice]

Bought a Mach 6 a few years ago not knowing anything about pivot, but the geo and build spec was exactly what I was looking for and HOLY SHIT DUDE it's been the best bike I could imagine. Perfect balance between being a big mountain brawler and a silly lil bmx bike

[@kendallzylstra5957]

The South Mountain trails are such a blast

[@CaryBeene]

I have a Pivot Switchblade and still have my 2005 Titus Switchblade TALAS. My all-time favorite bikes. Titus made the most beautiful four bar FSR patented suspension bikes, and I think Pivot has the best DW-Link bikes today. I also still have a 2009 Pivot Mach 4, 2010 Mach 5 and have had a Titus Racer-X, and an FCR Exo Grid hard tail. I love Chris' bikes! I'm really glad he didn't end up as an accountant. Lol. 🤘

[@johnzee691]

about a year and a half ago I found a gently used older mach 5 aluminum frame. it's considered vintage now as I think I researched it to be a '07 or '08. I love it. I'm older n9w and the bike fits my riding just fine. awesome bike.

[@kylechapman502]

I remember the carbon/titanium Titus bikes from back in the day, those were art.

[@gregorybower9498]

for sure, and especially the Exogrid.

[@shillgo]

South Mountain is cool, but the trails you shot these clips at Hawes are my favorites.

[@wg2060]

Great video. Still have my old school Titus Switchblade. My first “upscale” and first suspension bike.

[@tomassanesson902]

Awesome video and awesome epik beautiful bike lovet 👍🤘

[@xa1a]

I still race my old Foes, but looking to upgrade, and Pivot is definitely on my radar.

[@jimbailey9915]

I still have aTitus from the 90's, they were very hard to come by, bought mine from a bike shop in Alaska.

[@mountaincruiser817]

I deserve a Pivot. My boss doesn't agree.

[@azdbuk]

I bet Chris knew Lynne Shoup at Rage cycles on Baseline Road. Early 90s, this shop was the first I saw that had mtn. bike emphasis: Rock Lobsters, WTB , Mtn Goat, Ibis Bridgestone, shocks, tires, etc it was candy land for young bike freaks.

[@AquaticBaboon]

Oh yeah, Rage always had some of the most blinged out Titus bikes on display!

[@azdbuk]

@@AquaticBaboon I think you're right, it's been so long, I was a teen then, for sure Cocalis knew Rage and the owner then. Still a great shop. My other favorite was Cosmic cycles in Flagstaff in the 90's

[@havenwisner6776]

Damn now I want a pivot, and a Commencal, and a specialized, and a gt, and like 30 other bikes

[@vashusan1984]

Own a Pivot and a Commencal, can confirm they are awesome bikes! Also Pivot customer service is amazing.

[@MrSupermugen]

all ill say, Sometimes over engineering a bike is a very real thing and its commonly forgotten these things are bikes.... Sometimes the best bikes are the simplest. - alot of people would rather External routing back.... for goodness sake i use stick on cable guides now, as alot of friends do.

[@bradyhall8086]

Great Video! I do find it a little strange that Pivot is at the base of South Mountain and you talked about South Mountain a bunch in the video but all the riding shots were at Hawes in Mesa,

[@competitivecyclist]

Sadly we only had one day to ride and we decided to take the new Mach 4 SL out to the Hawes trail network.

[@miyui9269]

13:46 pivot is so good that this guy is now playing in nba finals

[@Clambelly]

PIVOT Mach 4 vs. IBIS Ripley -- I have to go with IBIS Lifetime Warranty.

[@scratchpar1710]

When is new switchblade coming out? 🤔

[@mdmazu5387]

Hi

[@raphaelbandagoza8409]

how do i win free bike im over seas

[@nguyenminh-fw9ot]

he looks like Vincent McMahon wwe

[@JJ_MTB_15]

Crack a pivot and then tell us what you think about them

[@michiganstate149]

Elaborate?

[@JJ_MTB_15]

@@michiganstate149 It’s always a crash replacement, never a warranty

[@petergottschalk726]

I have a 2018 Switchblade. Started making creaking noises. Cleaned everything, didn't help. Changed all the bearings, didn't help. Foud that they used a fully threaded bolt going through the link bushing on the attachment between the shock and the rear triangle link. Used and modified a shaft-bolt and some Teflon tape. It's quiet now. But how does such a basic engineering blunder happen on $ 7000 bike that claims to be a high-end product ????

[@31acruz]

I hear great things about Pivot bikes but why do they have to price them so high? $13,000.00 for a bike is ridiculous, seriously ? are you just catering to the megarich and ignoring the average person? Just wish they would bring their prices out of the greed area.

[@GBHeiser]

History isn't too much, someone decided to offer bikes at a much higher price for no reason. Per usual, yuppies followed.

[@Graphiclee63]

Looks like a Me-To bike company! King of boring.

[@benitezjosem30]

Proud Owner of a Pivot 429. 🚵🏽

[@herr_rossi69]

+1