To ensure the best sizing, we recommend that you visit your local Pivot dealer to get a professional fit. However, we can provide a rough guideline. These recommendations are based on our experience, athlete preference and customer feedback:

 XS: 4’10” – 5’4”
Small: 5‘3“ – 5‘8”
 Medium: 5‘5” – 5’11”
Large: 5‘10” – 6‘3”

Your riding style and body size matters to us. We want to ensure that you can pick your Shadowcat in the size which fits perfectly to your needs. The Shadowcat features very progressive long reach geometry with both short seat tube and head tube measurements per size. This means you have more space on the bike to move around. Our geometry is designed to enable riders to go up or down a size, depending on riding-style, reach and stem length preferences. Be sure to also consult our dropper post fit guide when making your selection. 

It has never been easier for you to get the perfect suspension setup. We make it easy with our simple sag indicator already installed on your shock. Just sit on your bike and you can tell right away if you are good to go. You can watch and follow-along with this video featuring our own Bernard Kerr: https://vimeo.com/pivotcycles/sag

The Shadowcat can run 27.5“ tires up to 2.4” Maxxis tires. For other tires in the market, most will fit up to these dimensions. If you decide to change the tires or wheels featured on our builds, we suggest you check the fit with your chosen rim and tire combination to make sure it has proper clearance. 

Though it is possible, we designed the Shadowcat to be as snappy and capable as possible. We found the feeling best with 27.5” wheels. If you want to set it up with mixed wheels, you will need to buy a 130mm travel 29” fork and a 29” front wheel. This would keep the handling as close to designed. 

For the Shadowcat, we use an integrated style headset. The upper bearing measures 1-1/8” with 45/45 ACB & has an OD of 41.8mm. The lower bearing measures 1-1/2” with 45/45 ACB & has an OD of 51.9mm.

Yes, you can mount a water bottle cage inside the front triangle that will fit a large water bottle (20oz.) in it on all sizes - even the XS. There is also an additional water bottle cage mount under the base of the downtube to attach a second bottle for long rides, or a great location for a Pivot Dock Tool.  

To account for clearance between your water bottle and the Fox Live Valve system or a shock with a reservoir. On the smaller sizes if you have Fox Live Valve you will need to mount your cage further up the frame for more space. The Medium and Small frames have four mounting bolts, the XS has three, and the Large has two because this one location has enough clearance.

Yes. The Shadowcat features ISCG05 mounts on the frame. Most upper guides on the market will fit but compatibility is dependent on the Q factor of the crank. Check for proper clearance between your cranks and chainguide before riding. 

The Shadowcat is built with 180mm rotors front and rear. The Shadowcat will fit 203mm rotors with post mount adapters on the frame and fork. 

The Shadowcat was designed for a 160mm travel, 27.5” fork. Geometry is optimized for 160mm travel. Because most shorter travel 27.5” specific forks (140mm and 150mm) generally weigh the same, or in some cases more than the 160mm fork, we decided that it is always nice to have a bit more in reserve for when you need it. *If you choose to set up your Shadowcat with mixed wheels you will want to use a 130mm 29” fork only.

44mm

Yes, you can run some coil-shock options on the Shadowcat. We use a rising rate design in this bike that functions well with them. We recommend the Fox DHX2 for its best-in-class performance, reliability and adjustability – if you fancy this kind of ride feel. The Shadowcat runs with a M/M tune. *Please check all clearances prior to using any shock other than those spec’d or specifically recommended by Pivot. Your Shadowcat will not be covered under warranty if damage occurs due to shock incompatibility.

The Shadowcat’s metric shock has a trunnion style upper mount, 185mm eye-to-eye length, and 55mm stroke. 

The Shadowcat features a trunnion mounted shock with an M8 through bolt hardware on the bottom mount. Shock spacer dimensions are 30mm wide on the bottom mount. We recommend light to medium valving on the compression side (depending on rider weight) and light to medium rebound damping. While we wish we could, we can’t test every shock on the market and therefore we cannot guarantee that they will all fit our frames. If you decide to use a different shock than the original specification, please ensure that you have proper clearance as it moves through the travel as well as the appropriate amount of damping and bottom out control. Frame damage caused by an unsupported model or brand of suspension will not be warrantable.

You can use volume spacers to fine tune the Shadowcat to your personal style. A larger volume spacer will resist bottoming on harder landings and allows the bike to ride higher in the stroke. Generally, you get a bike which is more “poppy,” and playful. If you are not getting full travel or feel the need for a plusher ride, even with sag set properly, then you should go to a smaller volume spacer.  

The Shadowcat DPS shock comes with a .6 cu in volume spacers installed. A larger spacer provides a more progressive spring feel while a smaller spacer gives a more linear spring feel. The maximum volume spacer that can be run in this shock is 0.95 cu in. 

The Shadowcat Live Valve shock uses a .6 cu in volume spacer. A larger spacer provides a more progressive spring feel while a smaller spacer gives a more linear spring feel. The maximum volume spacer that can be run in this shock is 0.86 cu in. 

Your FOX 36 FIT4 or Grip 160 mm fork comes stock with 1 spacer and can handle a maximum of 6 spacers.  

The Shadowcat frame uses a 31.6mm seatpost. Depending on the frame size we use different lengths and travel. These can be found in our dropper fit guide 

The Shadowcat frame uses a 36.4mm or 36.5mm (as some manufacturers call it) seatpost clamp.

The Shadowcat has short seat tube lengths and deep insertion depths for compatibility with long travel dropper seatposts. Please see the dropper seatpost guide for common dropper post model compatibility. You can check the maximum insertion depth of other seatposts per frame size below: XS – 240mm S – 275mm M – 290mm L – 340mm

The Shadowcat uses the new Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) standard developed by SRAM. This derailleur hanger is compatible with all derailleurs on the market – not just SRAM. We spec this hanger because it has some clever derailleur saving features and is more likely to be found at any shop 

The Shadowcat uses an axle for a 148mm rear spacing designed for the new Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) standard. The rear axle supplied with the frame is a Pivot specific design using a 12mm X 1.0mm thread pitch. SRAM also makes compatible 148mm UDH axles. 

The Shadowcat uses a press fit BB92 bottom bracket. If you need to replace it someday the best option is to contact your local Pivot dealer.

The Shadowcat uses Boost 148mm X 12mm rear hub/wheel spacing.

Super Boost Plus 157 provides great attributes for many of our bikes, like plus compatibility, tire clearance, short chainstays, and wheel stiffness. The Shadowcat, like the Mach 4 SL, is designed to be with Boost 148mm rear spacing. These models are focused on lightweight performance and are able to achieve their ride characteristics and weight targets with Boost 148mm spacing.

The Shadowcat will accept all cranks designed for the BOOST system and are compatible with a press fit 92 bottom brackets. Any cranks with a 52mm chainline should be compatible.

No, the Shadowcat is only 1x drivetrain compatible. To achieve the stiffness goals that make this a class-leading all mountain bike, we designed a new wider lower link that leaves no room for a front derailleur.

No, the Shadowcat is not Di2 compatible. It is possible to externally route the wire to the rear derailleur, but it will not have the same level of integration as some of our other models. The frame does not feature the Di2 wiring holes between the front triangle and swingarm. Pivot does not endorse drilling holes in your frame. 

A detailed PDF of the torque specs can be found under the "Tech Specs" tab in the small parts schematic

You not only want the lightest bike, but the best riding bike. Variables in frame size, discrepancies in scale calibrations and method of weighing (with or without pedals and such) all lead to inaccurate comparisons, so we normally choose not to publish our bike weights. Pivot bicycles are among the lightest available, but the weight is only one of many factors that make a great bicycle. Other aspects such as frame stiffness, strength, durability and ride quality are just as important as weight to our engineers when designing our Hollow Core Carbon frames. Instead of comparing grams online, we suggest you visit your local Pivot dealer and see our attention to detail, smart, high-value spec and class-leading features. That said, the Shadowcat is one light trail bike! The frame is lighter than our already insanely light Trail 429 model. In fact, the frame weight is very close to that of the Mach 4SL. There is only a 45 gram weight difference between the medium Mach 4Sl and the Medium Shadowcat carbon front and rear triangles. A medium frame weighs about 5lbs (2.3 kgs). This, along with the lighter weight 27.5” wheels makes for a very light overall trail bike package. The Team XTR build weighs in at approximately 26.5lbs (12 kgs). Take just one demo ride and you’ll feel why Pivot Cycles are the most well-rounded, highest performing bicycles on the market and yes, it’s the lightest as well.

You want a bike that is the most efficient when pedaling and climbing and offers you the best suspension on the descents. The Shadowcat is designed around this, and when equipped with Fox Live Valve it takes this amazing trail bike to the next level. Imagine a system that is literally reading the terrain and adjusts your suspension in the blink of an eye for you. Fox Live Valve gives us additional tuning capabilities that add to the already highly efficient dw-link. It makes for the most efficient power transfer and pedaling without fussing with flipping levers. On the Shadowcat the approach is to make the system cover the full spectrum of riding terrain that a modern trail bike should handle. The custom valving for the Shadowcat allows for agile handling and instant acceleration for climbing and sprinting when live valve is closed. When the valve is open, push your limits descending with plush suspension smoothly tracking the trail in front of you.

You set sag just as you would on regular suspension, but with the Live Valve system turned off so you get accurate readings. We make it easy to get the best ride out of your Pivot bike with a simple sag indicator already installed on your bike, and this follow-along video featuring our own Bernard Kerr: https://vimeo.com/pivotcycles/sag 

Battery life is highly dependent on Live Valve settings and terrain. Average life ranges between 16 and 26 hours. For most riders, that covers several weeks of riding.

Charge times range between 1.5-2 hours depending on the power source. If you forget to charge the system before a ride it only takes 15 minutes to get enough power for a 2-hour ride.

When the system detects a low battery it goes into open mode and shuts down.

Yes. Riding Live Valve powered off is just like riding your bike with the suspension in the open mode. Pivot’s awesome dw-link suspension always offers class-leading performance with the system on or off.

Yes, within reason. Things like washing your bike, riding in the rain or normal puddles and small water crossings are fine. We do not recommend total submersion or a direct blast of water from a pressure washer – both could push water past seals and compromise the electronic system.

The Live battery can be charged on or off the bike and is charged using a standard micro-USB cable.

If you forget to turn the system off, Live Valve shuts off automatically if motion is not sensed for 1.5 hours. However, it is best to turn it off manually for battery charge preservation.

Yes you can, all Shadowcat frames are fully compatible, and Fox offers a complete preprogrammed system that is specific to the Shadowcat. However, the system would need to replace your current Fork and Shock and is far more cost effective when purchased as part of a Shadowcat complete bike. Please see your authorized Pivot dealer for information.