Just in: Pivot Vault gravel and cyclocross bike

The mad mountain men and women at Pivot Cycles know dirt, and to show they’re not just chubby tire and suspension snobs, they now offer the Vault, a carbon fiber cyclocross and gravel bike designed for exploration on any surface.

For $3,599, one gets Shimano’s Ultegra 6800 11-speed mechanical gruppo with an FSA Gossamer Cross crankset, smartly specced with 46/36-teeth chainrings to drive the 11-28-tooth cassette, providing ample oomph and gearing for all conditions and terrain.

The Stan’s NoTubes ZTR Iron Cross Team wheelset has 24 spokes in the front/28 in back, and is wrapped with Kenda Small Block 8 700x35c rubber (labelled ‘John Tomac Signature Series’). Steering duties are handled by an FSA Afterburner stem and Wing Pro bars. TRP provides speed scrubbing and stopping, courtesy of its HY-RD hydraulic disc brakes with cable actuation and 160mm rotors.

We took delivery of a Large, which weighs 19.3lbs without pedals. We’re installing a pair of Shimano M780 XT pedals, with immediate plans to go ‘splorin’ in nearby Arastradero Preserve. Watch for the full report to follow in the printed version of Bicycle Times this summer.