Pivot Phoenix Team XX DH AXS Bike

Pivot Phoenix Team XX DH AXS Bike is Pivot's World Cup downhill race bike, developed with Pivot Factory Racing over more than a year of prototype testing on the DH circuit before reaching production. The Phoenix replaced a predecessor that spent years on World Cup podiums, and Pivot pushed this version through the same gauntlet, breaking prototypes at events like Crankworx Rotorua to gather the data that shaped the final geometry and suspension. This Team-level build pairs the Phoenix frame with SRAM's wireless XX DH AXS Transmission, priced at $10,499.

Suspension runs through Pivot's DW6 design, a six-bar linkage developed with suspension engineer Dave Weagle, delivering 210mm of rear travel from a mid-high pivot layout built for square-edge bump compliance on rough World Cup-style tracks. A dual-idler, dual-chain drive keeps the system quiet and low-friction while virtually eliminating pedal kickback through the travel. Reach adjusts from 430mm to 525mm across the Phoenix's frame sizes, and a flip chip lets you switch the geometry between a high setting for technical, rocky tracks and a low setting for maximum speed on straighter descents.

Up front, a RockShox Boxxer Ultimate fork runs 200mm of travel through a Charger 3.2 RC2 damper with Butter Cups, a friction-reducing bushing system paired with RockShox's LinearXL air spring for a coil-like feel with strong mid-stroke support. Out back, a RockShox Vivid Ultimate DH shock handles the Phoenix's 210mm of rear travel, tuned for supple small-bump response and tunable bottom-out control when the track gets rough enough to push the suspension deep into its travel.

The drivetrain is where this build stands apart from most downhill bikes on the market. SRAM's XX DH AXS Transmission shifts wirelessly and electronically, built specifically for the impact and reliability demands of downhill racing, and pairs with a purpose-built CS797 DH 7-speed 11-24 cassette for tight, consistent gear steps rather than the wide range a trail bike needs. A single AXS Pod Ultimate controller handles shifting, and a Praxis DH9-73 crank spins a 27t chainring sized for that narrower gear range. Stopping power comes from SRAM Maven Ultimate brakes in the Stealth Black edition, running 220mm rotors up front and 200mm in the rear — sized up from typical trail bike rotors to handle sustained braking on long, steep descents.

Wheels are Crank Brothers Synthesis DH, paired with Pivot's standard mixed-wheel setup: a 29-inch Continental Kryptotal F tire up front for rollover and a 27.5-inch Kryptotal R in back for a more flickable feel through tight sections, both in Super Soft compound and DH casing for maximum grip and puncture resistance at race pace. Pivot's own Phoenix-brand cockpit — an 800mm carbon low-rise bar, 45mm DH stem, and aluminum seatpost — rounds out a build meant for gravity, not pedaling efficiency. This is a bike for a rider racing downhill or riding bike park laps who wants a World Cup-proven platform and SRAM's most advanced wireless DH drivetrain. It's available through RA Cycles in Electric Red, across sizes S1 through S3.