Pivot Firebird vs Nomad 4? What would you choose and why

[B Rabbit]

So,
As per the title, I might be having a change to either of these two, these are my pro's and cons. The brief is I basically want a DH bike I can pedal in a XC race (I have no interest in winning said XC race, just want to be able to finish).

Pivot Firebird
Pro's
Longer Reach
Looks- Both design and colour. At first I was sitting on the fence, but now I love it. The attention to detail is always top notch with Pivots.

Cons
No easily usable water bottle mount (this is a big one), sorta goes against my previous attention to detail comment. Maybe it's attention to detail on small things, but over looking important details like people like to be able to pedal and reach the water bottle at the same time. And when they do reach the water bottle to not get a mouth full of dirt.
Been out for a year, maybe an update in the near future?


Nomad
Pro's
Water bottle Mount
Loved my last Nomad
Just out so less likely to be outdated

Cons
Design looks ok, its growing on me but I almost threw my monitor against a wall when I first saw it. Colours are turdy.
It's going to cost $500 more


I'm leaning toward the Pivot as I'm just drawn to how it looks, reviews seem ok, maybe the suspension is a bit odd/finicky? The Nomad gets high points for a useable water bottle mount, as I'm not a fan of wearing a backpack, but I reckon I can retrofit a water bottle on the firebird, but it'll will be a bit of dicking around and not as good as the Nomad setup.
The other option is just get the Firebird and if I'm over it/whatever switch the frame out to a Nomad when used ones start popping up. Forks, wheels and other parts fill fit so it will be pretty easy.

Which way would you swing and why?

 

[halfstroke]

I would choose the Pivot because it comes without Eagle.

The geometry of these bike is nearly identical.

Flip a coin, you won't be disappointed.

 

[B Rabbit]

Yeah, the are so close on paper.
I should mention this is frame only, I'll be using my old parts. just using the pics as a reference for the frame

I think it will be flip a coin and be forever wondering if I should of got the other one haha

 

[Ky1e]

Of those two... Firebird. Because cool. Different. And not every other person will have one.

But wtf any reason you've missed the Slayer on your shortlist? Easily pedals better than the two, and descends just as good.

 

[B Rabbit]

Not sure why the Slayer didnt make the short list, just not a brand that was really on my mind to be honest. I've read a couple of reviews, I seem to remember them not being overly complimentary about the pedaling, but then neither are some reviews of the FB and N4.

I'll do some more reading on them :thumb::thumb:

 

[pink poodle]

Pivot and Santa Cruz owner here...loved both of them!

Had a really old nomad. It pedalled quite well for such a big bike (I may not he the best judge of this...) but really excelled at going down. It was faster on the Ourimbah dh course than any of the (10?) dh bikes I've owned and a lot more fun, with the added bonus of being adaptable to other riding styles.

Pivot is an m4x, so perhaps not a lot of cross reference available...but it does run a dw link suspension platform. I'm not sure what the reviews you've read are saying about the suspension, but from my experience the suspension design is great. It is snappy and responsive to power, floats through small chunder, offers good traction control, and seems to suck up big hits without a harsh bottom out. Or so all 100mm feels like when I ride it.

Either will make you happy. I'd lean towards the SC because they have been giving me a bike boner for a very long time.

Have you considered a banshee or Canfield? If your looking to stick with the virtual pivot suspension concept both have some interesting offerings.

And if you want to avoid being out dated, just remember a new wheel/hub/headset/bb/axle/seat post size is only ever a few weeks away...

 

[Mywifesirrational]

Firebird, I owned the old model and also currently own a Nomad Mk3, the old firebird blows the nomads suspension away in quality of ride, presuming the new bird is even better.

The reviews are also suggesting the new nomad is not a good all rounder, so if you want to do some XC, maybe not the best choice.

Albeit, santa cruz have a much better warranty, with free bearings.

 

[Ky1e]

Not sure why the Slayer didnt make the short list, just not a brand that was really on my mind to be honest. I've read a couple of reviews, I seem to remember them not being overly contemplative about the pedaling, but then neither are some reviews of the FB and N4.

I'll do some more reading on them :thumb::thumb:

Where are you at? If you're in Sydney or newy take mine for a bash.

 

[aanon]

Tough decision, the water bottle issue is a pain and would play into my choice if i was choosing between the 2. Oh, turdy is maybe not descriptive enough, i think baby turdy is more like it.

 

[B Rabbit]

Pivot and Santa Cruz owner here...loved both of them!

Same here, I had a Mach 6 and thought it was great, excluding the reach and water bottle.

Firebird, I owned the old model and also currently own a Nomad Mk3, the old firebird blows the nomads suspension away in quality of ride, presuming the new bird is even better.

The reviews are also suggesting the new nomad is not a good all rounder, so if you want to do some XC, maybe not the best choice.

Albeit, santa cruz have a much better warranty, with free bearings.

Yeah, I had the N3 for a year and thought it rocked. Reach was a little short I thought, but aside from that, with a coil, shit it was good And the reviews I had read really didnt complement the pedaling of the N4 very much, but then most owner reviews on mtbr are very positive on the pedaling. I think maybe the launch of the Nomad was in such a descendy area the Journo's didnt get a good chance to test it's pedalability.

Where are you at? If you're in Sydney or newy take mine for a bash.

Thanks for the offer, I'm in good ole Bathurst but frequent the Sydney dumpling bar scene quite a bit so might take you up on that!

Tough decision, the water bottle issue is a pain and would play into my choice if i was choosing between the 2. Oh, turdy is maybe not descriptive enough, i think baby turdy is more like it.

Not sure what they were thinking of with the colours on the N4, maybe the designer was a new dad and home life inspired him. Would love one in the Aqua/Magenta scheme......

 

[safreek]

I would go the pivot for no other reason than.it looks fucken wild compared to the sc..
This is only the opinion of an ordinary rider who needs a cool ride to look the part so take it with a grain of ice crystal:hand:

 

[stirk]

:heh: water bottle on a DH sled.

Pivot it is!

 

[Ultra Lord]

You've proven pretty handy with stickers, get the nomad and go wild I reckon. As you've said, you loved the old one. The new ones pretty awesome from the reviews.

Have you seen the new tranny patrol? hahaha

sucks you didn't gel with it though man, buying a new rig and not being happy with it is pretty shit.

 

[mittagongben]

Go the firebird by far my favorite bike so far, not the fastest to climb but it hold all my fastest times down, the DW link is the winner for me.

Your welcome to take mine for a spin if your in the Wollongong area.

 

[EsPeGe]

Come back to Team Pivot mate, you know you want to......

I'm biased as and haven't even looked at the SC but I now own a Mach 6 and a 429Trail. Both bikes are so much fun. Apart from the Firebird the only other bike I would cheat on my Pivot's with would be the YT Capra in that Silvery colour..... now that makes me tingley!!!!

 

[B Rabbit]

I would go the pivot for no other reason than.it looks fucken wild compared to the sc..
This is only the opinion of an ordinary rider who needs a cool ride to look the part so take it with a grain of ice crystal:hand:

We are more similar then you think haha

You've proven pretty handy with stickers, get the nomad and go wild I reckon. As you've said, you loved the old one. The new ones pretty awesome from the reviews.
Have you seen the new tranny patrol? hahaha
sucks you didn't gel with it though man, buying a new rig and not being happy with it is pretty shit.

I did see some rad mother fucker with the Tranny Patrol! Nah, the Patrol is an awesome bike, it just hasnt blown me away like my previous Nomad. My local shop offered me a at cost Firebird or N4 frame so I thought I'd make the jump as the Thredbo season is around the corner and some more travel would work well. I was going to long shock the patrol, but thought I'd be better off with a proper engineered 170mm instead of some backyard job.

Go the firebird by far my favorite bike so far, not the fastest to climb but it hold all my fastest times down, the DW link is the winner for me.

Your welcome to take mine for a spin if your in the Wollongong area.

Thanks for the offer, I didnt realize anyone else had one on the forum other then the recent black and blue build in qld, just looked up your ride, very nice! Love that red colour. If i'm down you way ill let you know!

Come back to Team Pivot mate, you know you want to......

I'm biased as and haven't even looked at the SC but I now own a Mach 6 and a 429Trail. Both bikes are so much fun. Apart from the Firebird the only other bike I would cheat on my Pivot's with would be the YT Capra in that Silvery colour..... now that makes me tingley!!!!

Pretty tempted to come back to Team Pivot, we can be friends again that way haha

 

[B Rabbit]

So, was in Sydney on Friday and managed to get over to Summit Cycles, holy crap they have some carbon there!

They had 2 Nomad frames, a Firebird frame a fully built Firebird just walking out the door. Was good to see the frames in the flesh, Nomad was burly and quite heavy (with coil) the Firebird frame looked awesome.







Had a sit on the FB bike thanks to the generous owner, felt nice, loved the reach. And it looked awesome.

I am leaning towards the Nomad, I know if I go the FB I"ll sell it in a year or less to give the Nomad a go so maybe just better to cut out the middle man. And the water bottle thing will shit me. Also I have ordered a 200mm dropper (originally for my current bike) but it will go on this frame, the firebird could be touch and go as to whether it fits or not due to the curve in the seat tube, where as the Nomad has a very straight tube so fitting should be fine.

 

[Ultra Lord]

Thought you'd be back on a nomad. What colour though? getting some pink on the beige?

 

[Ky1e]

I don't think you're going to go wrong with either of these machines. But do agree the water bottle thing would shit me to tears

 

[B Rabbit]

Thought you'd be back on a nomad. What colour though? getting some pink on the beige?

I was leaning towards the ink and blue, but tan frame with some desert army stickers could work......