Full power party

Today Pivot launched the latest in its Shuttle line of e-bikes, the new Shuttle AM. It’s (another) 150-millimeter travel e-bike, but this one is full-power, relatively lightweight, and comes with Bosch’s latest Performance Line CX-R motor system that has more power, less weight, and a wild new “Race” mode.

The short version? This bike rips, uphill and down. It’s quick, snappy, and super powerful. It rides lighter than the scale suggests, and made me giggle every lap. But before I elaborate, let’s dive into the nitty gritty.

Pivot Shuttle AM Team XX Details

• Travel: 150 mm (rear) 160 mm (front)
• Wheel Size: 29” with MX capabilities
• Size Tested: Large
• Build Tested: Team XX
• Head Tube Angle: 64.1°
• Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX-R
• Battery: 800 Wh
• Measured Weight: 48.44 lbs (21.97 kg)
• MSRP: $14,499

Motor and Battery

The new Shuttle AM is built around Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor and an 800 Wh battery. That motor puts out up to 100Nm of torque and 750 watts of peak power. The Pro and Team builds of the Shuttle AM come with the new Kiox 400C top-tube display and the “R” version of the CX motor, which uses an upgraded crank spindle, housing, and bearings to shave 100 grams off of the regular version. More importantly, the R motor comes with a special “Race” mode which includes a longer overrun period—sending power to the wheel after the rider stops pedaling, along with more power and faster acceleration.

Pivot’s FAQs about the Race mode include this disclaimer: “This mode is so powerful it can be unmanageable in most trail riding situations. We recommend getting comfortable with the bike in the lower power modes before using this powerful mode. With great power comes great responsibility.”

They’re not kidding. The e-bike market feels like an arms race with artificial and nebulous restrictions. Motor brands are all competing to make their systems the most powerful, the most torquey, the fastest, the most like, well, a motorcycle. But the industry has decided that these motors should still be actuated with a pedal throttle, and run through a mountain bike drivetrain, and be limited to a 20 mph top speed.

The new CX-R is one of the better examples of this weird “class ceiling” phenomenon that e-bikes are running into. It’s so powerful and fast, and the Race mode means that you can go a decent clip by just gently ratcheting the pedals instead of making full rotations. It’s wild. And, as Pivot warns, it can be scary and unpredictable. Specifically, if you catch a pedal on the trail, in Race mode, the overrun reads that as an attempt to ratchet up something and gives you a wild burst of power at the worst possible moment. The upshot is that several times I caught a pedal on a root, slammed my crotch forward onto my stem, and then Race mode kicked in and threw the bike forward, jamming the nose of my saddle into the back of my most tender parts.

All that to say, the Shuttle AM also comes with a new eMTB+ mode that adapts to your riding style and does a very good job of delivering intuitive and controllable power. The Race mode is awesome, but it’s also a little scary. I don’t like riding e-bikes on trails where I’ll encounter meat bikes, and that’s doubly true in Race mode. It makes it quite clear that this is a totally different activity.

Finally, the new Shuttle AM gets an 800 Wh battery that’s actually .9 pounds lighter than the old 750 Wh version. More range, less weight, we all win. You can also purchase an optional 250 Wh range extender for $599.

Shuttle AM Geometry

In an unsurprising move, the Shuttle AM has very similar geometry to the recently-released SLAM. In the default “Low” setting, the Large Shuttle AM I’ve been riding has a 476-millimeter reach, 651-millimeter stack, 64.1° head angle, and 76.5° seat angle. Swap the flip chip to “High” and the head and seat angles get .4° steeper, and the reach grows by 4 millimeters. The Shuttle AM has 444-millimeter chainstays for all sizes.

The end result is a very neutral feeling bike, in a good way. While I’m all in on the “longer, lower, slacker” mantra for meat bikes, e-bikes, and especially mid-travel e-bikes, like the Shuttle AM, benefit from slightly more conservative geometry. The Shuttle AM is an absolute hoot to charge up techy trails with, thanks in part to that geometry. It’s easy to keep the pedals spinning and weight the front wheel on climbs. When things point downhill, the bike feels maneuverable and playful instead of the smashy, ponderous ride that some other e-bikes deliver.

I mostly rode the Shuttle AM in “Low mode” but you can swap it to “High” and put a 27.5” rear wheel out back for a slightly more playful experience.

Shuttle AM Frame Details

Pivot puts a lot of energy into making sure that its e-bike frames are just as dialed as its regular ones. That means separating the normal bike systems from the motor and battery so that simple tasks like running a derailleur cable don’t need to involve fiddling with electronics. 

The lower links have a clever fender, the brake routing supports moto or regular style rear brake orientation, and the charging port door has been designed to be weatherproof while also being removable to run the range extender.

Pivot Shuttle AM Build

I’ve been riding the Shuttle AM Team XX build, which, unsurprisingly, for $14,499 is quite nice. SRAM’s Maven Ultimate brakes are still the way to go on bikes like this, the XX Transmission drivetrain is smooth and precise, and Pivot’s house-brand cockpit feels genuinely premium.

Initially I was somewhat skeptical of the Fox 36 out front. Doesn’t a beefy bike like the Shuttle AM deserve a 38-millimeter-stanchioned fork? But once again, I came away impressed with the new Fox chassis. This fork holds up incredibly well to big dudes (200 pounds) making big mistakes on the trail. Out back, Pivot’s custom sag indicator on the Fox Factory Float X makes setting up the rear suspension easy.

My only (gentle) gripe with the Shuttle AM is the tires—I know Pivot has a stated weight to hit, but realistically, full power e-bikes deserve DoubleDown or DH casing tires over the EXO+ MaxxTerra Maxxis DHF and DHRII that come stock.

The Team and Pro builds of the Shuttle AM come with the Race version of the motor, while the Eagle 90/70 build comes with the regular CX motor.

Riding the Pivot Shuttle AM

This Shuttle AM is my first experience with the recently updated Bosch CX-R system. My takeaway: hot dang, this is one fast bike. It hauls uphill, and delivers a nice balance of pedaling platform and traction. One of my gripes with the SLAM was that the suspension felt a little too efficient, the Shuttle AM shares that very pedal-forward feeling, but I think the added weight of the bigger battery and motor helps it feel a little more supple and delivers better traction on climbs. This is, at the moment, my bike of choice for long chunky ascents and challenging climbs. The Bosch motor’s power delivery is easy to anticipate and control (unless you’re in Race mode) and the Shuttle’s geometry puts me in a great place to keep the pedals spinning.

Headed downhill, I’d describe the Shuttle AM as quick and sharp, two words that I wouldn’t usually associate with a nearly 50-pound e-bike. That’s where I think Pivot’s preference for less gooey, more supportive suspension, and slightly more upright geometry really pays off. While bikes like the Specialized Levo 4 can feel heavy, sluggish, and challenging to change direction on, I was shocked at how similarly to my regular bike I could ride the Shuttle AM.

On tighter trails on Galbraith it’s easy to push the Shuttle AM into short-radius corners and loft it out over trail gaps. It’s on par with lighter, mid-power e-bikes in this regard. The flip side of that is that if you’re looking to spin up a gravel road and charge the steepest, meanest trails, the Shuttle AM doesn’t quite eat up the chunder like other options.

That makes it easier to find the Shuttle AM’s best potential riding partner: If you’re looking for a full-powered e-bike that’s just as much fun to charge up a technical ascent as it is to slap and pop your way down a typical sanctioned trail, the Shuttle AM is a great option. It can handle bigger moves and sustained tech, but its happy place is lower-angle trails that reward an engaged rider. The more you get forward, drive the bike, and look for places to pop or slash, the more the Shuttle AM shines.

For Now

Pivot’s new Shuttle AM rounds out the brand’s line of e-bikes. It provides a great full-power compliment to the SLAM, and is a compelling option for anyone who wants a fast, engaged ride, both up and down the hill.

Learn more: Pivot Cycles