Pivot Vault
The Vault is tight, aggressive, and built for the cornering you might face in a cyclocross race.
Medum
$4,200
Pivot
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The Vault is tight, aggressive, and built for the cornering you might face in a cyclocross race. It flicks into corners much more readily than most bikes in the gravel category because it’s not exactly a gravel bike. Though it’s marketed as a ‘cross/gravel bike, it’s closer to the cyclocross side.
Subtle geometry tweaks make it so. A higher bottom bracket, tighter head tube angle, short, 155mm head tube bring a rider’s weight down and forward and make the Vault feel more like an off-road racer than a gravel road cruiser. If you’re the type of rider that likes to smash regardless of the surface you’re smashing on, the geometry is fantastic. The Vault whips through corners and rewards a capable driver. If you’re one to cruise, perhaps looks elsewhere.
Gearing is closer to a ‘cross bike, too. A 46-tooth big ring doesn’t leave much room for high-speed descending, though the wide, 11-32 cassette is certainly nice on the way up.
The stiff carbon frame and massively oversized bottom bracket supplement the Vault’s assertive personality but have a downside as well. Pivot quite clearly intends for riders for find comfort in large tires at low pressures, rather than rely on frame flex. There simply isn’t much. The stiff frame is not the best choice for laid-back adventure.
Component highlights: Shimano RS505 hydraulic/mechanical shifters, Shimano Ultegra derailleurs, Shimano direct-mount hydraulic disc brakes