/// STRENGTH IN NUMBERS FREE ONLINE PREMIERE           

Pivot Cycles Phoenix and M4X Racebikes

by Richard Cunningham
Apr 23, 2011 at 15:54

The Pivot M4X is a ground-up single-purpose design with no provision for a front derailleur, 12/142-millimeter through-axle rear dropouts, and dw-link suspension that is custom tuned to deliver hardtail-stiff pedaling and no-bounce landings. Every pivot point uses double bearings and each frame tube has been enlarged or strengthened to provide the quick response and rigidity that a world class rider requires. While pricing and final weights are not fixed, Pivot says that the M4X will be ready for sale around Fall 2011.

Pivot's Phoenix DH racer is only one season old. In the second half of the following video, Chris Cocalis walks Pinkbike through the highlights of the design and gives us a few tips on how the factory team sets up the Phoenix for various courses. While the Phoenix is a dedicated DH machine, it pedals surprisingly well. Cocalis said that team riders used one frame for the entire 2010 season - something worth considering for those in the market for a new ride.

You need to upgrade your Flash Player
Click here to install it



Kyle Strait poses with his new Pivot M4X gate racer.
Kyle Strait poses with his new Pivot M4X gate racer.

Kyle is a pretty big boy, and he rides hard--which speaks well for the Phoenix DH chassis.
Kyle is a pretty big boy, and he rides hard--which speaks well for the Phoenix DH chassis.


Keep up on the development of the M4X, find out when Pivot's demo truck will be visiting, and check out their capable AM and trail bike models.

Got any thoughts about the dw-link and Pivot's sweet looking latest gate racer?
Must Read This Week

53 Comments

  • + 19
flag Potok (Apr 25, 2011 at 1:58)
 the fork on the DH rig should have been black :-) But it still looks great!
  • - 41
flag McDonnell (Apr 25, 2011 at 5:15) (Below Threshold) show comment
 might as well be monster green cause it's just an iron horse
  • + 21
flag vastamyrkky (Apr 25, 2011 at 5:44)
 It's not Ironhorse Sunday copy. Phoenix is much more progressive. And black equals fast!
  • + 27
flag bawzofsteel (Apr 25, 2011 at 6:15)
 looks to me like it said PIVOT on the frame to be fair, could just be me though....
  • + 5
flag DanB25 (Apr 25, 2011 at 7:18)
 thats the keronite boxxer isnt it
  • + 16
flag dhc-murphy (Apr 25, 2011 at 7:44)
 Even if its a Sunday copy, the IH Sunday was probably one of the most successful Dh bikes ever made.
  • + 3
flag MiloXC3 (Apr 25, 2011 at 11:58)
 And Sam Hill won the Champs on one!
  • + 1
flag jptothetree (Apr 25, 2011 at 12:03)
 Pivot, Turner, and one other company (Ibis maybe?) bought the rights from Ironhorse to use the DW link. The legend continues.
  • + 10
flag cyfa89 (Apr 25, 2011 at 13:41)
 monster green? you know thats the same as lime green right?
  • + 4
flag iamamodel (Apr 25, 2011 at 17:59)
 jptothetree, the rights for the DW-Link belong to DW, it never belonged to Iron Horse - they payed DW to use it just like everyone else.
  • + 0
flag skierdud89 (Apr 25, 2011 at 18:44)
 that's correct and when Dave Weagle(creator) wanted to leave iron horse and take his design with him Iron Horse tried to sue him to keep the rights with them. And as you all know they lost horribly and ended up going bankrupt, which is a shame.
  • + 21
flag RichardCunningham Mod (Apr 25, 2011 at 18:50)
 For the record: Dave Weagle developed and patented the dw-link system. Iron Horse was Dave's first customer. As far as the resemblance to the Sunday. The reason that so many DH bikes appear similar is the same one that makes passenger jets all look like clones. Creativity does not dictate the shape of a jet - aerodynamic rules, its flight envelope, fuel efficiency, available materials and power-plants dictate the shape of an airliner. Evolution, and the effective use of materials has narrowed the look of the DH chassis to its present configuration. The Sunday's profile reflects this, as do all top DH frames. If you make a chassis from tubes and you properly address stand-over height, accepted geometry, fork-crown clearance, make room for the rear wheel's travel and keep the suspension's mass low in the frame, your "original" DH design will start looking a heck of a lot like a Sunday, or a Yeti 303, A Santa Cruz V-10, or a Pivot Phoenix. If it looks a lot different, you've probably made a mistake somewhere - or you are just wasting frame material for the sake of fashion.
  • + 1
flag CamHowell (Apr 25, 2011 at 21:16)
 That one frame with the "easily accessible" did anyone else think, what if a rock hits that?..
  • + 2
flag StefanGlander (Apr 25, 2011 at 21:51)
 i would be just as stoked as that guy if i were holding those bikes.....
  • - 1
flag bwheeler96 (Apr 26, 2011 at 18:56)
 says the guy who wants to feel good about his iron horse
  • + 4
flag McDonnell (Apr 27, 2011 at 8:37)
 says the 12 year old that rides a kona
  • + 1
flag jptothetree (Apr 27, 2011 at 14:20)
 LOL
[Reply]
  • + 17
flag Spanishfly (Apr 25, 2011 at 9:26)
 Yeah ah ha
you know what it is
Black and yellow, black and yellow
Black and yellow, black and yellow
[Reply]
  • + 6
flag konaboy25 (Apr 25, 2011 at 1:12)
 that way you acces the shock on the dh bike is a bit iffy it looks like a lot of rocks would hit your delicate adjusters but oh who gives a shit them bikes are the bee's f***g balls
  • + 3
flag bigburd (Apr 25, 2011 at 2:33)
 Yeah it looks very open to debris , would of thought they would offer some kinda of easily removable carbon plate to cover the dials.
But yeah it looks sick as f*ck !!!
  • + 1
flag connen31 (Apr 25, 2011 at 4:20)
 I wouldve just ran a remote resivour shock.?
  • + 6
flag vastamyrkky (Apr 25, 2011 at 5:46)
 Simple, easy, ugly solution: Piece of duct tape. Black one maybe.
  • + 1
flag CamHowell (Apr 25, 2011 at 21:17)
 duct tape wont stop a rock from smashing your shock.
[Reply]
  • + 5
flag blue8ball (Apr 25, 2011 at 0:28)
 holy crapper that m4x is nice
  • + 1
flag cikudh (Apr 25, 2011 at 17:43)
 i dont like the DH rigs, the complicated space around the shock will make the bike as heavy as tanker in a dirty day.... but the M4X!!! i definitely want 2!!!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag bmct71 Plus (Apr 25, 2011 at 20:58)
 looks like he has the new descendant cranks on the 4x bike, but still has the old holzfeller oct cranks on the dh bike.

any thoughts anyone? I'd have thought that all the sram riders would using the descendant cranks on their dh bikes by now.
[Reply]
  • + 4
flag poundsand (Apr 25, 2011 at 0:27)
 deemax -imum you can spend on wheels??
  • + 9
flag cyrix (Apr 25, 2011 at 15:04)
 That was terrible. You should be pun-ished.
[Reply]
  • + 4
flag sortafast (Apr 25, 2011 at 9:41)
 too bad the 4x has that 142 spacing crap.
  • + 2
flag gregmazo (Apr 25, 2011 at 23:03)
 Totally agree on that. Damn industry with the new standards.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag LSBgrant (Apr 25, 2011 at 17:09)
 want the pivot m4x so bad. dont think i can wait till november....lol
everything looks sick, love the black and yellow and love the mavics
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag bongboy (Apr 25, 2011 at 12:12)
 Kyle strait is a beast, and the DW-Link is not owned by Iron Horse, Iron Horse and any other company using the DW-Link receives the right to do so from Dave Weagle
  • + 1
flag VAGFORLIFE (Apr 25, 2011 at 13:25)
 His hands are f*ckin HUGE !
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag zhendo (Apr 25, 2011 at 0:56)
 i don't know what the hell i'd do with a m4x in my garage, but i want it.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag ButtonPusher (Apr 25, 2011 at 12:48)
 I've really wanted to try out a Pheonix since the write-up in Decline about it last year... nice stuff..!
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag betsie Plus (Apr 25, 2011 at 1:28)
 M4X proto geometry would have been nice.
Could be a mint trail thrasher.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag rickyretardo (Apr 26, 2011 at 9:31)
 Paint and stickers scheme are a total rip off of the 09 Commencal 4x, I know because I owe one
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag godfried (Apr 25, 2011 at 8:20)
 are they all paired with 24" rims or that guy is just too tall standing behind the bikes?
  • + 4
flag ButtonPusher (Apr 25, 2011 at 12:48)
 Kyle Strait is roughly the size of Goliath...
  • + 1
flag Ali061 (Apr 25, 2011 at 13:11)
 I don't think deemaxs are done in 24" so I am going with the guy is tall Big Grin
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag Motomaster (Apr 25, 2011 at 17:19)
 I watched a few of those bikes rip down the course at Sea Otter and they looked very smooth and quiet.
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag trekiscool (Apr 25, 2011 at 19:10)
 Strait is HUGE.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag Cusalabanjura (Apr 25, 2011 at 14:14)
 What sort o price the ddh gonna run at coz it's neeeece like
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag saintross (Apr 25, 2011 at 10:35)
 looks like an ironhorse sunday Razz
  • + 2
flag Motomaster (Apr 25, 2011 at 17:21)
 Weagle has this program called "copy paste" all the DW bikes look the same and they all look similar to the Sunday of which he designed.
  • + 1
flag mercenarie501 (Apr 25, 2011 at 22:56)
 Well Weagle kinda does the "copy paste" sometimes. it depends on the bike. this one ya it really is a sunday copy or most likely a sunday look a like but still prob a lot diff with it. i dont know what is diff and what isn't but ya it does look pretty similar wont lie. But Weagle does come up with other ideas to. just look at the new Devinchi. well that also just a reprint of the Turner DHR a bit. well ok he does copy and paste but once in a while he does make a new link and and new way for it to work. Just not that often. he just refines the old one from bike to bike every so often. then sells the refine and leaves the other guys behind unless the pay top $.
  • + 1
flag Motomaster (Apr 27, 2011 at 20:43)
 The Wilson is certainly cool and seemingly well designed for sure. Adding the split pivot will certainly make for a great ride. Sunday was a great bike but a lot of them broke, the Evil was a great bike but a lot of them broke, the DHR is a great bike but a lot of them broke, hmm, I see a pattern here. Hopefully the Wilson stays together cause I'd love to ride one.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag Patrick0815 (Apr 25, 2011 at 4:23)
 the m4x looks like it could be a good slopestyle bike too
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag kinglewi (Apr 25, 2011 at 8:48)
 When are they on sale??? Smile
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag hugslyh (Apr 25, 2011 at 3:30)
 i hate to sound like a spoiled little child but
I WANT ONE Frown
GET ME!!
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag bill-guitarandbike (Apr 25, 2011 at 11:58)
 Nooo not an air shock on a dh bike Frown
  • + 0
flag bill-guitarandbike (Apr 26, 2011 at 1:10)
 liking the negative props , they are shit though!!
[Reply]
  • - 1
flag Joebohobo (Apr 25, 2011 at 0:16)
 lushh bikes!!
[Reply]

Post a Comment



You must login to Pinkbike.
Don't have an account? Sign up

Join Pinkbike  Login
Copyright © 2000 - 2012. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv43 0.054148