We first time we saw the Pivot Vault was several years ago at 2013’s Dealer Camp, when BH was recently sold but Chris Cocalis of Pivot Cycles owned the intellectual property rights of their RX Team Disc frame.
Several years later, we got to see and ride the newest version of the Vault at Press Camp 2015, available now, as well as get up close and personal with a potential dream build. Both frames are identical, with Vault opting to move to the thru axle for its disc brake design. Another forward-looking feature is the rear disc brake mount: Pivot is one of the earlier adopters of the Shimano direct mount disc brake system.
The bike comes in four sizes, XS, S, M, L for riders between 5’3″ and 6’3″ and has a tire clearance for up to 38c tires. Cocalis told us that he designed the Vault with all divisions in mind, creating an all-purpose bike geared for cyclocross, road and gravel.
Pivot Vault Cyclocross Bike (dream build) at Press Camp 2015. © A. Reimann / Cyclocross Magazine
While the bottom bracket is low and the bike sports two bottle cage mounts, the Vault feels squarely like a well-tuned cyclocross machine with its relatively short wheelbase (by gravel bike standards). We took the Vault for a test ride in Deer Park, and the frame responded well to the technical courses of the resort’s singletrack, flowing through tight turns that demanded an aggressive response and handling mountain bike berms with precision.
On the other hand, we also tested the bike on gravel rail trails, and the short wheelbase was apparent as we needed to correct the bike quite a bit beneath the loose rocks beneath us. While we will be giving the Pivot Vault a full test in the future, our initial impressions are that the frame was born to thrive on the cyclocross course. The bike is still quite stiff, and will be ready for a willing rider to take the holeshot at a local race.
The build we tested is currently available, and comes equipped with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical drivetrain and Stan’s NoTubes Grail tubeless wheels. The model also has a 3T cockpit, TRP HY/RD brakes and the all-new FSA Gossamer 46/36 crankset mated to a BB386EVO bottom bracket.
During our meeting with Cocalis, we got a closer look at a potential top-tier build of the Vault, which included a Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain that showed off the adaptability of the internal routing entrances and exits of the frame. We also got an early look of Stan’s NoTubes’ ZTR Avion Disc wheels, which are a new tubeless carbon deep section wheel. As we will be meeting up with Stan’s NoTubes shortly, we’ll have plenty of details to follow soon. The release of this full dream build of the Vault is still under consideration, with no slated release date. Cocalis pointed to the new technology of the Shimano disc brakes and said that he didn’t want to hang his hat on a build that had components which might not be released until cyclocross season was over.
The current model with mechanical Ultegra retails for $3,899.
Video created by Pivot for the Vault:
Use the slider below for more details and photos for the Pivot Vault. More info: pivotcycles.com.
The internal routing enters the top of the down tube, and fittings are available for electronic and mechanical derailleur cables. © A. Reimann / Cyclocross Magazine
