The Phoenix DH is Pivot Cycles all new frame design with the heritage of Dave Weagle’s six World Championships behind it. The Phoenix DH offers riders 8.15″ (207mm) of travel thanks to a DW-link suspension design that more than a few of us will be familiar with and excited about seeing this linkage on a bike with the finish and geometry to match the capabilities of this proven design.

Geometry and Adjustability.

The Phoenix features a 64 degree head angle supplied with the awesome Cane Creek Angleset Headset as standard, making it easily adjustable at 0, and +/- 1/2, 1, or 1.375 degree settings. This is a great invention for gravity bikes and a fantastic decision from the people at Pivot to include one as standard. Many might see the Angleset as way of tailoring a bike to meet the terrain, but its more likely going to be used for tailoring the rider to the bike.

The Phoenix also has adjustable dropouts allowing for changes in chainstay length and bottom bracket height offering further flexibility to tune the bike, something which will appeal to a lot of people who ride a variety of different terrain and like to fettle with their bikes. You know who you are!

Lower Center of Gravity

As well as the low BB, the shock and main linkage are mounted as low in the frame as possible, lowering the bikes overall centre of gravity even further. The Phoenix DH’s low center of gravity and low bottom bracket will help the bike corner and handle like it’s on rails, essential for todays downhill competition and aggressive riding style. Combined with the DW link design’s position-sensitive anti-squat characteristics, the Phoenix should achieve the handling and cornering benefits of a low bottom bracket bike without the negatives associated on other designs such as using tactical pedal strokes to avoid bashing your pedals. Anyone who’s been pitched over the bars from hitting a rock or tree stump on a pedal “cranking it” at speed, will know that this is a good thing and something you want to avoid doing, especially as low BB’s are the future!

Frame Stiffness

The Phoenix DH also sports a 1.5″ headtube along with a massive, oversized thin-wall hydro-formed downtube. The two-part hollow BB/seat tube/main pivot forging are both lightweight and incredibly stiff, plus all of the front triangle pivot locations are machined from one solid lump of alloy, making the pivot locations extremely accurate and essential for avoiding excess bushing wear. The rear swing arm also features two-piece hollow-forged box uprights and the rear triangle is stiff and accurate thanks to all pivots being located on the main uprights. This ultimately results in a design that is incredibly stiff and lightweight. The Phoenix DH’s lower link uses 17mm diameter main pivot pins and double row EnduroMax bearings for maximum durability and frame stiffness, while the upper linkage uses 16mm main pivot pins.

Color Options

Something else which we really like is the choice offered with the Phoenix’s appearance because the graphics aren’t water transfers with a lacquered clear coat over the top, something were seeing far too much of on downhill frames. With the Phoenix you have a choice between two frame colours, Alpine White and Night Black, it would be better if there were more, but what you do get, is a choice of graphics to customize your ride with. With companies like Slik Graphics popping up at the moment, your imagination could get a little wild with a bike like this, and why let some designer choose how your bike looks, especially if you’ve got a better idea of what you want. Get creative people!

Colour and Graphics options:

• Alpine White or Night Black w/ orange decals
• Alpine White or Night Black w/ green decals
• Alpine White or Night Black w/blue decals

Summary:

• Optimized lightweight design. Complete test bikes are sitting at 39lbs. Team bikes should come in at about 37lbs.
• Standard 83mm Threaded shell with ISCG mounts.
• 150mm rear spacing with 12mm through axle.
• Fox RC4 rear shock
• Low centre of Gravity
• Cane Creek Angleset as standard
• Adjustable geometry
• Available Early February
• Choice of colours and graphics
• UK price £2499.99

For more info on Pivot Cycles, visit the manufacturers site here or here for Pivot Cycles UK.

Pivot Cycles are exclusively distributed in the UK by Upgrade Bikes.

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