Pivot Firebird SLX
For 2012 the Pivot Firebird stamps its authority on the long travel All Mountain category with its 6.6" of DW-Link controlled suspension, and with the brand new 2012 SLX build bringing a complete Firebird down to $5k, you can now get onto this amazing bike at an amazing pricepoint. With the class-leading Fox 36 fork up front, Shimano 10 speed SLX shifting and a custom DT Swiss All Mountain wheelset, the SLX Firebird represents stunning value and is all about getting more folks onto the Pivot Cycles bandwagon. 
The Pivot Firebird joins an ever increasing family of long travel trail bikes that have downhill capabilities moulded to trail bike performance. Pivot Cycles haven’t just taken their dw-link design and stretched it out to 167mm of travel to tick the “long travel” box in their line up, they have gone to town thinking about some of the design challenges associated with this style of bike. In order to increase frame stiffness and strength without going overboard on weight, Pivot have used a couple of key features on the Firebird to do just that. A full 1.5" headtube may look massive compared to the current crop of Tapered headtubes, but not only does it mean any fork standard will fit to the frame, it also gives the top tube / down tube interface a much bigger surface area to weld onto, increasing the strength of the frame up front. You also get Cane Creek Angleset compatibility, meaning you can play around with the Firebirds head angle to your hearts content, and shows designer Chris Cocalis' dedication to making this beast as versatile as possible. Another key area that dictates ride quality on a long travel dual suspension bike is lateral frame stiffness on the rear of the frame, and although the standard open dropout on the 2011 model was stiffer than most brands DH bikes, Pivot have stepped it up for 2012 with a 142 x 12mm Thru-Axle to lock the rear triangle even tighter. A carefully CNC machined lower link with Quad-row cartridge bearings keeps the rear end wiggle free and serves to improve rear wheel tracking through nasty rock gardens. 
All of this frame technology serves to increase the Firebirds capability in seriously rough terrain and provide the pilot with a level of confidence for popping lips and railing berms like they're on a much bigger bike.