The 2025 Pivot Vault Tries Again With a New Focus and a Lower Price

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Starting today, Pivot is launching an updated Pivot Vault gravel bike and it’s all new. Over the course of the model, the Vault has always been a race bike. Now there’s a shift. Pivot promises more accessibility, and more fun, but some things haven’t changed as much as it seems.

When it first hit the scene the Pivot Vault was a cross bike with an eye on gravel racing and even ultra-endurance as an option. The focus for the bike was disc brakes but Pivot stated the brand understood ”that for traditional cross races there’s still a desire to run cantilever brakes in certain racing applications” and left in hidden inserts to add them if desired.

For the second generation, you can see a “Pivot” in the focus.Thru-axles and disc brakes were the name of the game but more importantly was “next generation cross/gravel geometry for an unmatched multi-surface riding.” There’s an emphasis on the ability to move seamlessly from road to rough surfaces and claims of “confidence-inspiring speed, performance and agility” in situations ranging from “gran fondos, to high-speed off camber corners in a cross race, to your favorite gravel event.”

Obviously the changes mirrored the market with a shift from cyclocross to gravel but that was the same time other brand’s were choosing to get rowdy and experimental. The Pivot Vault instead added more on-road ability over time then shifted focus slightly for the third generation. Rather than going farther down the path of all-road capability, the Pivot employed dropped chainstays to build a focused, and expensive, gravel race bike.

This time, Pivot is reversing course even while retaining some of the conceptual details that Pivot has always held to.

The 2025 Pivot Vault focuses more on adventure

The first two generations of the Pivot Vault had predictably high bottom brackets and cross geometry. This shifted a bit when the brand chased gravel racing and added 5 mm of BB drop but Pivot is making a big change this generation. Instead of low, short, and racy the 2024 Pivot Vault gets another 6mm of bottom bracket drop and shifts to a modern progressive gravel geometry adding stack, shorter stems, and a longer front center. The fork uses an extended axle-to-crown to match suspension forks if you really want to get rowdy and the 52 mm fork rake should help avoid toe overlap.

Pivot is keen to emphasize you can still race on the Pivot Vault but it’s no longer catering to the race crowd first and only. Today’s release is all about stability and fun no matter how rough your version of gravel might be.

Updated frame

The new 2025 Pivot Vault continues to use an asymmetric chainstay design but it’s a bit more subtle. Despite that, tire clearance continues to expand with a move from a 700×45 mm max tire up to a 700x50mm. Pivot manages to pull that off without lengthening the chainstay and the same 420 mm length remains. Party in the back and there’s a UDH back there as well.

What’s more unique though is the cable routing options. As with earlier Pivot Vault models, Pivot is focusing on choice here. First you can choose either mechanical or electronic groupsets with full compatibility. Then, if you’d prefer a clean and integrated look you can run your cables hidden under the stem and through the top bearing. For those that prefer more flexibility in bar and stem choices, there’s also cable ports lower in the headtube below the bearings. If you really want to keep things clean the 52 mm upper bearing is compatible with fully internal routing via Enve or FSA solutions.

Again adding options is the standard 27.2 round seatpost. The frame is fully dropper post compatible. You’ve even got the choice of cables or not.

If you want to pair your backcountry dropper post necessary rides with plenty of water, Pivot has that covered as well. There’s a top tube mount for bento box style bags but M and larger frames fit up to four bottles inside the main triangle (three for smaller sizes) plus one on the downtube. If water of another kind is more the issue, there’s hidden fender / mudguard mounts as well with no weird hacky solutions needed for full fender mounting.

Pivot Iso Flex vibration reduction system

One of the more recognizable features of the previous generation Pivot Vault was the Iso Flex system. For better or worse though, that system was an after-the-fact consideration. This time the system makes a second appearance but it’s simplified and better integrated.

If you aren’t familiar with Iso Flex it’s a system that isolates the riders from bumps and vibration. What it is not is suspension of any kind. Instead a rubber elastomer inserts into the seat tube and wraps the seatpost when it’s inserted. When riding the rubber separates the rider from the road surface but without any compromise in the design of the rear triangle. Pivot claims the brand is able to keep the stiff and party in the back feeling while also keeping the rider comfortable on long rides.

If you are wondering about weight gain because of Iso Flex, it seems minimal. Quoted weight for a complete build of a medium frame is 8.25kg / 18.2lbs and I’m told that’s without any tricks. That weight is with bars wrapped and nearly ready to ride. The only thing missing according to Pivot was sealant and pedals.

In-frame storage

It seems impossible to release a modern gravel bike without in-frame storage and the 2025 Pivot Vault is no different. This one, called the Toolshed, latches at the top and comes off completely with the bottle cage still attached. Internal cable management helps shift cables to the outside and up near the port opening to ease shoving whatever you need into the frame using the two included bags. “An integrated magnet on the inside of the door holds quick links for fast and easy access.” While an integrated strap loop on the door further helps organization inside the frame.

Expanded sizes

Historically Pivot didn’t have an XL in the lineup and instead pushed the t-shirt sizing down the size range compared to other brands. Meaning, an M in most brands is an S in the Pivot Vault. For those in the middle, not much changes. A 54 is still a small and a 56 is still a medium. What’s new is an expansion with the addition of both an XL and an XXS.

All that is to say if you’ve shopped for a Pivot Vault in the past, you’ll understand the sizing. If you haven’t, pay attention and keep an eye on the details as well. Given that a 54 is a Small in Pivot land it’s also paired with a 170mm crank leaving 165mm for XXS and XS while M-XL get 172.5 (except with the Force XPLR build which offers a 175 crank for XL). Handlebars on the other hand actually go down a bit in size, at least for M, compared to the previous Vault with XXS-XS getting 40cm, 42cm for S, 44cm M-LG, and 46cm for XL. Those bars are paired with shorter stems as well but that’s less about fit and more about the progressive geometry.

Whatever size you choose, Pivot uses “custom-tuned carbon frame layup” in order to properly scale stiffness across the range.

The 2025 Pivot Vault gets cheaper

For many, this is going to be the biggest news of this whole release and proof that it does happen. Previously Pivot offered four build options ranging from $5,699 up to $7,599. The 2025 Pivot Vault is simplifying the builds and offering options from $3,999 up to $6,149.

At the low end of that pricing, $3,999, is the mechanical shifting option. Referred to as the Pro GRX, the same as the previous generation, the highlights include Shimano GRX RX822 12-Speed with a 40t crank and a 10-51 cassette. Handlebars are Phoenix Sport Gravel Aluminum with a matching stem and wheels are aluminum DT Swiss CR 1600 shod with WTB Vulpine 700c x 40mm TCS Light gravel tires.

If you prefer electronic shifting, that moves you to a SRAM build with a couple of options. The less expensive choice at $4,999 uses SRAM Force XPLR ETAP AXS 12-Speed with a 40t chainring and a 10-44 XPLR cassette. Handlebars get an upgrade on this build as well moving to the carbon Zipp XPLR 70 SL but Zipp doesn’t offer a matching stem so you’ll find the same Phoenix aluminum piece.

Wheels and tires also remain the same but there is an option to upgrade the wheels to Reynolds ATRx. That upgrade will cost you an additional $650 and save roughly 100 grams while also increasing the depth to 40mm for better aero performance. Both wheel options feature 23mm internal width.

The final build option pushes the price up another $500 to $5,499 or there’s the same wheel upgrade option at $6,149. What you are paying for here is a swap in the rear of the bike to a 12-speed Sram X0 Eagle AXS Transmission derailleur with a 10-52 cassette. Every other detail remains unchanged compared to the less expensive Force build. None of the builds include a power meter crank.

Color choices are Stealth or Mossy Forest.

2025 Pivot Vault Availability

Pivot is launching the updated 2025 Pivot Vault today and more details are available at the Pivot Website.