Charging the burliest trail features and steepest lines with reckless abandon, the 2018 Pivot Switchblade Carbon 27. 5+ Race XT/SLX 1x Complete Mountain Bike carves out its own category within the mid-travel plus-bike world, blurring the boundary between aggressive trail and enduro disciplines with 5. 3in of DW-Link suspension. In 27. 5+ form, the Switchblade floats you over chunky and loose terrain, with maximum control and traction, gripping into loose berms and soaking up every rock and root in its path. 27. 5+ wheels skew the Switchblade toward the backcountry craving rider, with tractor-wheels that plow ahead through winding deer trails into the wild beyond, and can hold their own through rocky enduro trails for riders seeking a trail bike that can conquer it all. The DW-Link suspension is a tried-and-true platform employed on all of Pivot's full-suspension machines. This comes as no surprise, seeing DW-Link's ability to claw up the steepest, chunkiest climbs and smooth square-edge hits on the descent. The Switchblade's 5. 3in of DW-Link travel remains quick to surge forward with every pedal stroke, yet it's surprisingly confident on the descent, mainly due to the DW-Link's unflappable composure on successive hits and burly rock sections. Another thing to note, the Switchblade's DW-Link suspension uses a Phoenix-inspired, double-wishbone rear triangle that stiffens both the pedaling interface and linkage design. Pivot takes Boost axle standards to entirely new realms with the advent of their Super Boost Plus rear axle spacing. Poking fun at the upward escalation of hub spacing, "Super Boost Plus" refers to Pivot's choice to employ a 157-millimeter rear axle, which in turn allows for increased tire clearance and incredibly short chainstays. Super Boost Plus adds an additional 9 millimeters of room to the rear axle, which results in 12mm of additional tire clearance. Essentially, it combines a DH chainline with a typical 5-inch bike's Q-factor and heel clear...