Pro Bike Check: Keegan Swenson’s Pivot Vault. We had a chance to catch up with Keegan Swenson after the Belgian Waffle Ride in Cedar City and check out the Pivot Vault gravel bike he rode to victory.
The Vault frame is designed for racing and going fast. With clearance for up to 700 x 45mm or 650b x 47mm tires; the improved tire clearance is partially due to the dropped chainstay design, a trick also employed by Open bikes. In addition to tire clearance, the Vault also has enough clearance for non-drive power meter modules like Stages and Shimano.
Also, Keegan is not running a dropper post, the Vault features an Iso Flex sleeve in the seat tube. Made of a combination of rubber and nylon, this sleeve sits between the frame and seatpost and offers a more compliant ride to the seated rider than a traditional seat tube/seatpost configuration.
The frame is compatible with 2x drivetrains but Keegan has opted for a 1x. When not running a 2x, the front derailleur mount can be removed to save weight, look cleaner, and catch less mud.
Learn more on Pivotcycles.com. Available at certain local retailers and online at backcountry.com.
