Pivot, the premium American brand has updated its eMTB for 2020, giving the Shuttle more travel and larger wheels among several other clever features. Built around the same high-quality full carbon frame, the bike is still very light at 20.9 kg. How do these changes translate on the trail?

Click here for an overview of the best eMTB 2020 group test.

Pivot Shuttle 29 Team XTR | Shimano STEPS E8000/504 Wh | 160/140 mm (f/r) | 20.90 kg (size L) | € 10,490 | manfacturer website

Pivot have left the design of their ebike largely untouched for 2020. That means the frame of the € 10,499 Shuttle 29 Team XTR with its organic curved shapes, bulbous downtube and a straight top tube still looks a little cobbled together. Regarding battery capacity, the name promises more than the Pivot can deliver. We’d expect a sophisticated battery system that allows non-stop trail fun just like a shuttle. However, the 504 Wh battery is not the best option on the market. At the time the Shuttle was developed, the bulky internal BT-E8020 Shimano battery wasn’t an option for performance bikes. Instead, the American brand chose to integrate the external BT-E8010 battery in the bulbous down tube instead. However, nowadays, there are slimmer options available. The battery is attached with eight bolts to prevent rattling and to achieve the necessary rigidity and as a result takes a bit longer to remove.

Components, weight and technical details of the Pivot Shuttle 29 Team XTR

The EXO+ casing of both tires suits the character of the bike well. The FOX Factory suspension has been given 10 mm more travel up front, but instead of the excellent GRIP2 damper, the fork on the Pivot only comes with the simpler FIT4 unit. Thanks to the securely clamped and smartly routed cables as well as the high-quality chainstay protector, the Shuttle is pleasantly quiet on the trail. The remaining componentry has been well thought out and is top quality, except for the 180 mm rotor at the rear and a 150 mm dropper post on the size L/XL frame.

Unique
Pivot have integrated Shimano’s external 504 Wh battery into the down tube, saving approximately 400 g in weight.
Time consuming
To remove the 504 Wh battery, you first have to loosen 8 bolts, which takes up a lot of time.
Putting the brakes on the fun
The 180 mm rotor isn’t big enough for an eMTB! Even if it’s a light eMTB, it still weighs 20.9 kg.

Pivot Shuttle 29

€ 10,499

Specifications

Motor Shimano STEPS E8000 70Nm
Battery Shimano STEPS BT-E8010 504Wh
Display Shimano STEPS E8000
Fork FOX 36 FIT4 Factory 160 mm
Rear Shock FOX FLOAT DPX2 Factory 140 mm
Seatpost FOX Transfer 125 - 150 mm
Brakes Shimano XT 4-piston 200/180 mm
Drivetrain Shimano XTR 1x12
Stem Phoenix Team Enduro/Trail 45 mm
Handlebar Phoenix Team Low Rise 780 mm
Wheelset DT Swiss EB1535 29"

Technical Data

Size S M L XL
Weight 20.9 kg
Perm. total weight 151 kg
Max. payload (rider/equipment) 130 kg
Trailer approval no
Kickstand mount no

Specific Features


Calling it a pot-bellied pig would be going too far…
…but the look of the bulbous down tube is polarising. However, this down tube construction is necessary to fit the battery.
Thin casing
The Minion tire offers a lot of grip, but the EXO+ casing is susceptible to punctures.
Simply quiet
The chainstay protector does what it needs to do and it does it well. There is also a metal sheet to protect the frame from chain suck.
Cable management
The cables are securely clamped to the frame. Nothing to rattle and annoy you here.

Geometry and size of the Pivot

The Pivot Shuttle was originally designed with plus-sized 27.5″x2.8″ tires in mind. For 2020, it’ll come exclusively with 29″ wheels. However, the frame has remained largely unchanged, lifting the BB significantly. Read on to find out what that means on the trail.

Size S M L XL
Seat tube 396 mm 427 mm 458 mm 496 mm
Top tube 600 mm 619 mm 641 mm 667 mm
Head tube 110 mm 120 mm 130 mm 140 mm
Head angle 65.2° 65.2° 65.2° 65.3°
Seat angle 74.0° 74.0° 74.0° 74.0°
Chainstays 438 mm 438 mm 438 mm 438 mm
BB Height 363 mm 363 mm 363 mm 363 mm
Wheelbase 1,182 mm 1,206 mm 1,230 mm 1,260 mm
Reach 419 mm 439 mm 459 mm 484 mm
Stack 607 mm 616 mm 625 mm 635 mm
Helmet iXS Trigger Am | Glasses 100% Speedcraft | Backpack EVOC FR TRAIL E-RIDE | Jersey iXS VIBE 8.1 CAMO | Trousers iXS FLOW Short Graphite | Knee pads iXS FLOW EVO | Shoes ION Raid Amp II

The Pivot Shuttle 29 Team XTR on the trail

The pedalling position on the Pivot is comfortable on flat terrain thanks to its slack seat tube angle and tall front end. When things get steeper, we recommend pushing the saddle forward to steepen the effective seat tube angle and get more weight to the front, as it tends to lift on steep climbs. The handling feels direct and the 29″ wheels roll over small obstacles with ease. However, the bike has a tendency of getting hung up on larger steps and bigger holes when you’re climbing.

The Pivot is a lot of fun on flowing trails. It’s agile and makes easy work of quick direction changes.

The bottom bracket and the front of the Pivot are both quite high, which makes you feel like you’re perched on top of the bike and as though you’ll go over the bars on steep descents, robbing you of confidence. The short front triangle limits your freedom of movement and so, with your confidence already low, the Shuttle isn’t made for rough and fast descents. Bigger jumps are not the Shuttle’s strong suit either. The 180 mm rotor at the rear also makes the bike less suitable for long, steep descents or heavy riders. However, the rear suspension feels poppy and offers a lot of support, helping the Shuttle take advantage of its light weight on flat, flowing and winding trails. It’s easy to manoeuvre and handles playfully, allowing quick and precise direction changes without putting in much effort. Want to switch to a different line with a bunny hop? No problem with the Pivot. Even manualling is easy. The direct handling is best suited to flowing singletrack that doesn’t require a lot of speed.

On steep terrain, the Pivot robs you of confidence and slows you down! Besides, at this price, you’d expect to get at least a 200 mm brake rotor.

Tuning tip: 200 mm brake rotor on the rear | longer dropper post

Riding Characteristics

7

Agility

  1. sluggish
  2. playful

Stability

  1. nervous
  2. stable

Handling

  1. demanding
  2. balanced

Riding fun

  1. boring
  2. lively

Motor feeling

  1. digital
  2. natural

Motor power

  1. weak
  2. strong

Value for money

  1. poor
  2. top

Application

Forest road

1

Flow trail uphill

2

Flow trail downhill

3

Technical single trail uphill

4

Technical single trail downhill

5

Downhill tracks

6

Conclusion

The name of the Shuttle promises more than the bike can deliver: it’s nerve-racking on steep descents and isn’t composed to enough for rough terrain and big hits when compared to the best bikes in the test field. This is surprising since Pivot are known for their awesome enduro, freeride and DH bikes. As well as that, the battery concept is now outdated, which given the € 10,499 price tag is no longer justifiable. If you’re looking for a lightweight and comfortable eMTB for flow trails and more moderate climbs and descents, you will find the Pivot an expensive but well-suited companion.

Tops

  • light
  • direct handling
  • super quiet: no chain slapping or cable rattling

Flops

  • 180 mm brake rotor on the rear
  • short dropper post
  • outdated battery system
  • overpriced

You can find out more about the Pivot Shuttle 29 Team XTR at pivotcycles.com.

The test field

You can find everything you need to know about our test for the best eMTB of 2020 right here!

All bikes in test: BULLS SONIC EVO AM 6 | Cannondale Moterra 1 | Canyon Spectral:ON 9.0 | COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM 2020 | CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon | CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC | FANTIC XF1 180 Race | FOCUS JAM² 9.9 DRIFTER | Giant Reign E+ 0 Pro | Haibike XDURO Nduro 10.0 | Liteville 301 CE MK1 | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 10K | Moustache Samedi 27 Trail | Norco Range VLT C1 | NOX Hybrid Enduro 7.1 | Orbea WILD FS M-LTD | Pivot Shuttle 29 | Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 90 Rally Edition | ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA | SIMPLON Rapcon Pmax | Specialized Turbo Kenevo Expert | Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo | Trek Rail 9.9 | Whyte E-180 RS V1 | YT DECOY CF Pro Race


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Words: Felix Stix, Robin Schmitt, Jonas Müssig Photos: Finlay Anderson, Robin Schmitt, Felix Stix, Markus Frühmann