Pivot Cycles, the company best known for its range of mountain bikes, launched the Vault cyclocross bike back in 2013. It’s been updated quite a bit since we first wrote about it, and for 2017 it gets a few more revisions.
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The latest Vault is a disc-specific, carbon fibre frameset, and the big news for 2017 is the brand new fork. It features a full carbon tapered steerer tube with a 12mm thru-axle and 1.5in lower crown designed to improve tyre clearance, so it’ll now take up to a 48mm tyre on a 700c rim.
While the new fork massively increases the size of the tyre that can be fitted, in the frame itself clearance is a bit more limited to 38mm tyres, but ti does point out that the maximum tyre width depends, to an extent, on the rim and tyre combination.
Pivot has adopted the flat mount standard (which really is becoming standard on all disc-equipped road and cyclocross bikes in 2017) with compatibility for 140 and 160mm rotors. There’s a 12mm thru-axle at the rear dropouts to match the new fork.
A BB386Evo bottom bracket provides a big surface area for the down tube, seat tube and chainstays, in an effort to increase frame stiffness. Unlike some dedicated ‘cross race bikes, the Vault has two bottle cage mounts. There’s full internal routeing for the gear cables and it’s compatible with electronic groupsets.
Geometry sets a cyclocross bike apart from its road bike cousin, and here Pivot says it has pulled its experience with mountain bikes into the development of a geometry it boldly describes as ‘next generation drop bar geometry’. What does that mean? It means a lower bottom bracket and shorter chainstays and a better suitability to road use than its rivals.
The company pitches the Vault as a race-ready cyclocross bike but it’s eager to highlight its suitability for gravel events as well, saying it has a “go-anywhere, do-anything personality.”
“Drop bar bikes are evolving as fast as are mountain bikes,” says Pivot Cycles President and CEO, Chris Cocalis. “In the same way that our really great trail bikes take MTB riders all over the mountain, the Vault is the only bike that most road riders really need. We are excited to dispel myths about what makes a great cyclocross, road racing or gravel bike by offering one truly exceptional machine that excels in every field.”
The new Vault will be available in four frame sizes with a new Gloss Blue paint option, with a choice of frameset or complete builds. We’re awaiting confirmation of UK prices - we’ll update this article when we get them.
Here's a video showing the new Vault in action:
The New Pivot Vault from Pivot Cycles on Vimeo.
More info at www.pivotcycles.com/bike/vault
David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds.