Why Are These Junk Bikes Getting So Much Attention?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 มี.ค. 2024
- In this video i will be talking about the polygon mountain bike series and why I think these are some of the best deals you can find when looking for a mountain bike. While also mentioning the Trek fuel ex 8 and the Trek slash 9.
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I spent $3400 on a Canyon Spectral 29 CF8 that I've been very happy with. Shimano XT everything, Fox 36/Float X Perf. Elite, and a carbon frame. That's probably $6000 at my local Trek shop.
The days of making thousands of dollars just because you're local are over. The shops need to adapt to being trusted mechanics and places for gear.
I'm in between this one and the polygon T9, but I'm don't know, I haven't ridden the canyon.
Agreed! Although I will say, online MTB retailers have had some mid blowing deals on gear, 40-50% off big brand names! Bike shops are still asking full price and it’s a hard pill to swallow when you can save fistfuls of cash elsewhere..
I bought a Spec that was MSRP 6600 from a bike shop employee who got it with their discount, for a bit over 3k, after they used it for about a year or two. They didn't say how much they paid, but considering that they weren't alone in offering this kind of deal, I think they based their price on what they paid.
thats why you gotta buy at trekfest. Saved 1200 on a mtb that was comparable to the canyon equivalent.
Your point about bike shops getting your business is so true. Our bike shop « the jumping slug » gives a year of free service with their bikes and that saves so much grief because like you said we can’t work work on most of the stuff. We buy on line too but the extras you get from « your bike shop » usually makes it worth that bit more it might cost. So many bike days saved by just being able to pop in on the way to have them take a Quick Look. Enjoy the channel and the real person perspective. Keep on keeping on.
Wheelworx here in Dublin is giving the life of your ownership of free servicing. Definitely a pull factor
you can work on all of the stuff....you just need 400ish dollars in tools :) Work on my polygon T7 all the time, ive had it stripped down to the bare frame. so its possible. I do all my own suspension work too. A shop quoted me 350-400 to do a full tuneup on the bike each year. So learn or pay the bike shop 300+ a year, when you can buy the tools and work on ANY bike you own. Seems like an easy decision to me.
Over the years I've come to be able to do most of the work on my own bikes. I enjoy it! I don't have a huge assortment of tools, but I've picked some up on the way. I do my own fork service too. Laced a wheel on my table(no stand).
I hit up my lbs often, buy my tools or parts there. Talk bikes with the people and geek out over awesome stuff. Typically get immediate help there for anything I'm unable to do!
You've got to find a respectful place though as there are still those closed off douche shops where you mean nothing without a 10k bike.
Just depends on the bike shop. Bike shops don't really make any money on bike sales. They make their money on service more than anything.
I had a Diamondback Release 3 I purchased directly from DB. My bike shop had access to them but didn't actively sell them or carry them. Either way I never once heard a bad word about it out of them or any other shop I went to.
In my country, these bikes Polygon, are luxury bikes already❤❤❤. Also great to build a bike up from frame to everything, choosing parts that are great yet on a budget. Im eying the Polygon colossus.
My local town has mountain bike teams through the school, and I see kids on tons of Polygons and Marins. Makes me happy to see kids doing a sport that might have priced their families out if these weren’t available!!
Marin's aren't even made "cheap" and they use the same frames for all of their bikes between 1500$ and 5000$.
@@user-wk1dn9fs4r Marins are super legit. I’m glad to see kids on them for sure !!!
@@user-wk1dn9fs4r Marin and Polygon are made in the same factory in Indonesia and owned by the same company.
My wife’s Siskiu D7 is the perfect XC bike for her, I’m a Trek guy so I wanted to get her a Top Fuel but she refused to let me spend that much money so I spent $1199 for a bike with a full suspension, Shimano drivetrain, brakes, and hubs, with Rockshox front and rear air suspension, Schwalbe tires, and a dropper…price vs specs it can’t be beat.
I paid $1500 for my Polygon t7 two back in February and for the price you definately can't go wrong! As long as the quality to price ratio stays they have a loyal fan for life here!!!
Love my Polygon D6. I'm a low key rider and it is perfect for me.
Great way to kick off the morning! Awesome video, Matty! We are pumped you share in the Polygon love! Cheers!
I think I would purchase more bikes from my LBS if they werent all so Brand specific these days. I have to always end up checking/calling multiple LBS's to find the brand and hope they had the model I was looking for. There was also a time when all my Bike purchases were at the local big box store, and I'd upgrade parts as needed (This worked until about '06).. I use my LBS's purely for consumables now, but because I have so many bikes to keep up, I spend a few hundred a year at the LBS.
I feel this so much. I’ve been trying to find a LBS with both sizes I want to try out and it’s so frustrating. I really want to buy the Siskiu T9 but and right on that cusp of a small or medium. I rode a stump jumper comp alloy the other day which reach and stand over is somewhat close to the siskiu specs, but they didn’t have the smaller size to try. I just want to A/B the two frame sizes so I can make a decision. Of course all they sell is Specialized, so maybe I go to their other location like 30 minutes away and hope, or go to another LBS and hope they have another brand of similar measurements but it’s probably a lost cause. They also sell for prices a little higher than even ordering online msrp straight from the manufacturer themselves (ex: the Comp Alloy is on sale right now for $3199, but my LBS had it on sale for $100 more). 😒
I'm sure there's a lot of people out there that watch videos of people riding top end bikes or even mid range bikes and wish they could afford one not knowing that entry hardtails and full suspensions are capable and as you mentioned you can slowly upgrade
90% of potentially new riders don't need a $5000 bike . The majority of new cyclists give up on the sport after a month as they realise that it's actually hard work to first get into the shape and them to develop the skills that's needed to even start mountain biking. That's the problem with these videos , is that people make it look easy. Unless you're under the age of 30 when getting into shape is fairly easy with minimal effort compared to a 35+ year old of course.
Thanks for this review! I think that the budget friendly brands don't get enough attention. Even Walmart's Ozark bikes have gotten remarkably better then the steel Huffy's I grew up with. The more folks we get into the sport, the more support we'll have for trails and trail access.
Very true! I really want to try a ozark trail bikes!
I had a Marin alpine trail 7 that costs similar to the T7, and I really miss it a lot. I have a Santa Cruz 5010 but man that extra travel on the Alpine Trail 7 was really useful on the Downieville classic trail here in California. Great vid and keep going my friend.
Thanks, Matty! Another home run from you my friend.
Great videos sir. Keep up the good work, honest reviews and unbiased opinions. I have enjoyed watching your channel.
Same
Love your channel.. I was all serious and listening and I hit that part where you had the fatality and couldn't stop laughing.. also your back ground sounds are awesome. Keep up the good work
I'm beginning to look forward to watching your new videos man! Good stuff!
I recently bought a Trek Marlin 7 G2 after considering the Polygon MTB brand. Contacting the sales rep, I found the Trek I wanted was out of stock, but the rep provided helpful alternatives, albeit without the option to test fit. My previous MTB was a 26" full suspension, about 9 years ago. Wanting to ease back into riding without overspending, I was hesitant about the 29er wheel size. Although I tested the Trek Marlin 7 G2 (29er) in a large frame, it didn't feel quite right, making me anxious about buying online. Eventually, I opted to purchase from a local bike store. However, when Polygon restocks the bike I want, I'll definitely consider buying online. The sales rep's customer service was commendable, but the lack of available stock and inability to test fit added to my apprehension.
I appreciate you Matty! I love your style of stoke that you bring!
Love my Polygon T8. Small 27.5. I picked up used I9 Alloy Enduros for less than 600 with tires on em! I have been shredding with it. The 150/140 travel on the 27.5 has saved my butt multiple times. My local bike shop was blown away by the quality of it. They are more than happy to do the service on it.
You put I9 wheels on a polygon? Amazin
Brilliant video, stumbled across you totally by accident, new subscriber.
I just got into mountain biking a little over a year ago with the marlin 6 also. I have upgraded to a rockshox recon but like you said its super limited. I purchased a polygon siskiu d6 se as my first full suspension since i do mostly cross country amd single track not a lot of down hill. I love that polygon and wish i would have known about them before buying my marlin 6
Thank you Matty really appreciate the review. I have been looking into these bikes. I am a fan of hardtails as I do bike packing and long touring. Again thanks for the review. All along I would see the polygon brand, but noticed they were full suspension and it was by watching your video is when I learned that they also manufacture hardtails so thank you.
Bike shops need to stop bad mouthing direct sales bikes. Most bike shops make their bread and butter off of the maintenance side of the business. My LBS is happy to work on any bike and gives excellent service. Snobby shops are missing out on extra revenue
My Dad and I both ride Polygon Bikes and they are AWESOME. My Dad has the T7 and I have the Squareone EX9. Doesn't matter what riding style you have or what budget you are looking into, they have it all!
Love your vids 👍 keep it up 💪 so entertaining to watch your MTB journey 😊
One note: you did not show anything gnarly on the polygon full sus 😅 these were all pretty tame and flowy trails 😂
But you are definitely right that you don't need to splash a hefty amount of money to get shredding some trails 😎
As a supporter of your channel and how you give support to other brands I’d love for you to test out a Rocky Mountain Instinct or Element. I seen a recent video where you went into another bike shop and they had a dealer sign in the window and you asked us how we felt about them.
Great video matty. I just ordered mi polígono t8 my first brand bike 🚴 ready to hit some trails 😁🍻🍻👍✌️🙋🏻♂️
Thank you and congrats! 🎊🎈🎉🍾
My first bike was polygon D7, but I wanted something more agressive so after a year I sold it and bought T7. I upgraded the brakes and the rear shock on T7. Sold the T7 and I bought a carbon frame more agressive geometry bike and upgraded it too. Now I understand that I have to move on for an e-bike. For me, polygon T7 was kinda like a test bike, I testet another components on it. I tried to understand what I want next. My conclusion about the polygon - for someone with zero experience polygon is great bike.
Matty, my next bike will be a Polygon. I’ve been loyal to Trek, but the same Trek as the top end Polygon is gonna run $1500-$2000 more.
Exactly ,compare the components of the polygon to other name brand bikes and see what the total price difference is .The T9 is only 2700,try finding a specialized with same components lol,be way more than that.
I have a D7 that was a warranty replacement for my 2021 D7. The warranty process was straight forward and easy. The area where the old frame cracked (seat tube-top tube gusset) had been redesigned and they aren’t know to crack now.
While they used to crack, that seems to be fixed with the new ones. I love it and have been racing it in XC races this season, letting my 2011 Epic FSR rest.
Also, your old Trek Marlin has a 44mm ZS headset. ZS stands for Zero Stack which means it’s internal. You could replace the lower headset with a EC44 (External Cup) and run a tapered fork. It will ad about 10-12 mm under the head tube, so slacken the geometry about .5 degrees too. Did the same with my 2022 Rockhopper.
I can remember a person I worked with that got a Costco mountain bike in the early nineties. We worked a a cross country ski resort and she bought one in Denver.
The bike was so crappy it had springs on the outside of the shocks that were not adjustable for tension.
She left the bike here when she went back to whatever country she came from can't remember. So someone else used the bike after her. I wonder how long it lasted for.
Costco has been selling Intense 951 Series bikes with carbon frames and legitimate build kits for a while now. Very different from whatever you saw in the 90s.
Also the family that runs Walmart and are Mountain Bikers and helped build Bentonsville trails have slowly but surely improving the quality of their brand Ozark Trail to be a sub $500 bike that is perfect for more casual riders.
Also GT sell sin Dick's and Giant is coming to them as well.
I got my T7e November of last year. I'm loving it so far. Zero complaints. Swapped the grips and the pedals but everything else has been better than expected.
Bros ride drip is crazy
It didn't ring a bell the first time I saw this video but something is to be said about Costco, from the mid 1990's to mid teens they used to sell "infinity" branded bikes which were horrendous parts bin specials with really worrying frame quality, they were sold as MTB's but were much more closer to Walmart entry level bikes than LBS bikes, I guess this dark period struck the minds and it tarnished "Costco bikes" reputation for awhile. The intense 951 they sell now all look more than decent...
Because Intense is a real bike brand.
FSA makes a version of the critically acclaimed Orbit headset they've made for decades that can fit a tapered fork and slack out the head tube angle on old 68° frames in almost one fell swoop.
I use it on my 2008 Specialized Epic. It's a 27.5/26" mullet with a 110 front and 80 mm rear
I'm glad you use these bike, that brand was a good quality in ny country 😊.
My first bike was hardtail rei co-op drt 1:1. First i rode around stock not knowing anything about it then i upgraded to fork to a rockshox judy changed the pedals, tires, brake pads, and front brake lever with the rotor and then sent it on the most sketchy trail not meant for bikes and it somehow survived. I didnt sell it the memories i have with it are to valuable and time to time i ride that bike and still enjoy it.
Honestly - I don't prefer shopping in person. I know everyone is struggling right now, but brick and mortar stores still have stupid markups. They have overhead AND the store owner wants to - naturally - make a lot of money. Well, he makes money, but upcharging. That's his store and his right and more power to him - but I' m not into giving away money. I will not support local, until local lowers it's premium. The owner - if he wants to be supported can be satisfied with making 60k a year. If he want's me to pay a premium for off the shelf products... he's nuts. There a few boutique bike shops - everyone else is just basically asking for donations.
Shopping in person is impossible for many, no local bikeshop, or they don't offer wha tyou are looking for. I don't mind buying locally if the got something I want to buy.
No helmet si want, no spares and tyres I would use, bu bought a multi tool from my local sports store. Marino bad layer.
Hand cleaner.
Bu tnot much else I can buy there that's up to my standard or suit my needs. I buy from whereever the thave what I need. And have my own tools and do repairs myself.
But local bike shops are important.
Yeah, how dare that shop owner try to make a living while also paying his workers a decent wage? Why can’t he be like big bike shops that can spread the cost across multiple stores, pay lower wages, run longer hours while being minimally staffed and offer a lower quality customer service, all while charging slightly lower prices despite a significantly lower wholesale cost due to working out deals for a lower price for bulk orders. 🤷🏻
Or better yet, why not just sell online, no brick and mortar and damn the customer if they need service on their bike, even something as simple as putting the bike together.
Do you know how to work on your bike? Not just basic maintenance, but replacing a derailleur, tuning limit screws on the derailleur, etc?
If so, then by all means. And even if you don't buy your d2c bike from them, they'll likely be friendly and help you fix things.
A friendly relationship with a local bike shop is definitely NOT something you should neglect to foster when you ride multi thousand dollar bicycles.
All I'm sayin'....
@@TheArimatheus im my own bikeshop. Got the tools, and expertise to do everything, but don't do suspension I send off for that. But a bikeshop I important for people who can't and don't have the tools. And for buying stuff, but my shop does not offer wha ti need and it's not a bikeshop, it's a sports store. But who knows maybe they restructured enough now to be a proper repair shop. But one shop will mean it gets busy and I run out of bikes. Waiting 2 or 4 weeks is out of the question. Can happen in the summer. Don't know if it still is an issue. But they barely sold anything bike related. Only helmets I did not want and or fit me. No cycling clothing, no tyres suited for my riding style. It wa mostly there to sell bikes and do basic repairs. Sent the more advanced stuff to Oslo.
But it's important to have shops, if I see something I need and they got it I buy it locally. No reason to wait 2 days if I can ge tit ASAP here. But got all I need now. But will check out my local Intersport store refurbished, not been there since.
@mtbboy1993 - edit - I'm an American, so your Norwegian experience is likely different.
I'm just saying; as someone who completed his first century at 12 years old 28 years ago - I've owned a lot of bikes, lived in a lot of cities. Aside from when I was sponsored while racing and had mechanics working on my bikes, I did all my own maintenance.
Heck, my dad who got me into the sport said the other day, "you've always liked working on bikes more than riding them."
But always, always, always - have I maintained some kinda friendly relationship with local bike stores.
I LOVE my 2021 Xtrada 7. I have more than the Fathom in gears, and better shocks too for well under 1K.
Polygon is what got me into the sport. I use to ride BMX and just wanted to get back on a bike. The prices were so high, I just gave up. I eventually saw a Polygon ad and many of the raving reviews. I did a bit more research and found that they have a really bad problem with the frame cracking. Fortunately, that was about the same time as the steep discounts hit and I got a Status 140. I spent about 50% more than I budgeted, but I'm happy so far. I really wanted the Stumpjumper, but it would've been more than triple the cost for the same quality of parts.
People talk the same smack about my Voodoo 29er and my Fezzari 27.5...lol, hell, they even laugh when I come riding the trails in my kilt...but, that's another topic. I simply ignore the looks and comments and rip down the trail...I mountain bike for me...not for anyone else, it's that simple. Those same people give me a thumbs up whenever I'm on my Transition, Cannondale, or Kona. Remember...It's not about what you ride...It's about the Ride. .....PS- The closest LBS to me is roughly 78 miles, so, I've actually had to learn to work on my own bikes, I do miss the LBS experience.
You know what I remember lol, when we didn’t get 10” of snow at the end of March and I could go ride my bike 😂 dang it Colorado!
Laughing your head off while crashing. 😂😂😂 I once had a wasp fly up my jacket sleeve while at full speed on a motor scooter and I couldn’t do anything about it or I’d wobble out of control, so I just had to laugh while he stung me good.
i LOVE my polygon colossus n9 and definitely would have paid thousands more from any other brand for a similar spec
Bunch of ex-shop rats are well suited in getting Polygons, Canyons, other consumer direct bikes where the service/free tunes is somewhat irrelevant. From what I've seen the bikes(polygon, ect) are solid as the big box brands. I've worked on and built up plenty of them and have been impressed. On the flip side, I had a 6 year old big box ibd full sus come through the shop last summer..starts with a t and ends with a rek... and said manufacturer no longer supported the frame with spare parts(customer sheared main pivot axle). So it's not like you're getting much more in the way of support from the big box brands than you are the consumer direct brands down the road when stuff wears out, fails, and you actually need spares/support. Solid vid and synopsis btw! I appreciate your pointing out that bike shops will need to lean in on their service departments more and more moving forward. Bashing customer bikes obviously does not fit the equation.
I agree with everything you say I purchased a new giant fathom 1 and discovered after that purchase the polygon much better value for your money thanks for the vids mate
I just bought a brand new Trek Rail 7 yesterday! 😊
I just bought an xtrada 6. Can't wait to take it out soon.
Nice! I love it
I've been riding a Polygon Xtrada 7 Hardtail for almost a year now, they are definitely not junk bikes. Most of the components out of the box are solid (except the pedals and grips but you're going to change those anyways), but if you want to "upgrade" the fork, seat, wheels, drivetrain, etc. the geometry and design are ready. You can spend more money on the name, or you can spend more money on the bike.
I took my poylgon to my LBS to get a tune and they tried to laugh me out the door. I have done my best to market against the shop and will contonue to discourage others to do so. I dont know what the push is, why in gods name would i spend 10k on something im just learning.
Defenitly great value, especially the bikes with tru axle.
Polygon is no longer sold in Norway. So could not get one here even if I wanted to, unless buying from an international retailer that ships polygon bikes to Norway, I see some retailers don't ship spesific brands outside their own country. Like bike24 don't ship mavic wheels, I think it was.
I hope the cracked frame thing has been resolved.
Maybe it is heavier people that get issues. But they redesigned sea post gusset. I might have been a stress raiser. But the head tube seperation I don't know. But that was on the XC full suspension bike.
Not sure why the chain stuay cracks on Some. I forgot which models did what. Bu tother failures Wer ein the trial bikes.
I love my D5 so much. I've taken it everywhere and it's been awesome
I am curious about REI “Co Op” brand (made by giant). I was looking at the Co Op DRT 1.3.
Polygon benefits from D2C distribution model to keep costs down, but they don't sponsor teams, unlike Canyon who does - but both popped up as popular D2C around the same time. @EvansMTB loves the Polygons.
I myself have never ridden one.
I'm a fan of a well-spec'd bike. That's what I fell in love with about specialized 25+ years ago, and they've kinda deviated on the lower end - most rockhoppers are crap now.
But those Polygon bikes are appealing. I weigh 135 lbs soaking wet with gear - I'm not worried about breaking welds, lol.
Outside of sales on other brands, these are the go-to bikes for normal mountain bikers
If I ever upgrade my trek marlin 4 gen should I go with this brand ?
I would much rather buy my bike online, it's not like the old days anymore bike shops are mostly useless now, you have to learn how to do everything yourself because they're not going to help you out,they may true a wheel for you but that's about as complicated as it's going to get. Every time I go into a bike shop there is some miserable prick that doesn't want to be there and doesn't want me to be there.
That does seem to be the case honestly. Luckily I have one in my area that’s actually good, but you’re right, that seems to be the trend nowadays
@@MattyActive I live in New Hampshire, got ripped off for about $350 worth of merchandise, said he was going to lace a wheel and hub for me, would take 3 weeks, 9 months later it wasn't done and he closed up shop and disappeared. It's been about 10 years since I've seen a good bicycle shop.
LBS here in Houston are pretty cringy too. If you aren't buying a 10k sworks they want nothing to do with you
@@travisgibson5545 yea things have changed, in 2012 I lived in Florida, I used to love going to the bike shop just to watch their mechanic work, you as a professional mechanic for a team, it was like watching Edward scissorhands with a bicycle, I haven't seen anybody in a bike shop like that since.
Id love to ride a Polygon Xtrada 7, but at 6'8 the XL frame is just too small. Im pretty much limited to Specialized Rockhopper, Giant Talon and Trek Marlin.
Well said done
Great video. Other bike factory selling bikes way over head cost. I think polygon will thrive for along. time. In the philippines also have good local bikes and the prices are good
I bought a T8 to my wife and when the bike arrived I was surprised, and when I tried it I was even more surprised. They are great.
What’s better in your opinion, trek Roscoe 7 or this? And how did you purchase this bike?
Had a d7 and loved it. no issues, always worked, climbed well, descended well. Overall just a really good bike.
Been screwed over by 3 bike shops and the service was worse. Not spending 1500 more for a worse bike.Going to a bike shop is like buying a car they are your best friend till you leave then they dont care they got cash. I will buy online.
polygon has been making it's own bikes in Indonesia for over 30 years....they know what they're doing. That said, the big USA brands can not compete with Polygon, because of how much the cost of living is in the USA, and they are compelled to pay USA wages and salaries for the people who keep their companies going - I don't know too many USA folks who would want to get paid what polygon pays it's employees. You might not get the most cutting edge R+D from a polygon bike, as you would with a Trek for instance, but for the average mountain biker, good enough is more than good enough for fun on the trail. While I've never had a polygon bike, they do occupy a huge spot in the affordable mtb market and make good products.
@jokermtb Those other bikes are not made in USA either, so what USA wages are they overcharging to cover?
Trek, Giant, Specialized, Kona, Salsa, Santa Cruz, Cannondale, etc. all have their bikes made in Taiwan, China, Cambodia, and elsewhere outside of USA.
@@barfo281 research and development teams, marking, you know, the non labour jobs, ie ofice jobs
The origin of bikes is not part of the point here. Their USA employees - as of May 2023, Trek Bicycle Company had 3,494 employees in the United States (they've since laid 10% off). Do you imagine they'd be able to keep those employees if they paid $4.00/hr like they do in Indonesia? It's expensive to live in the USA. Polygon has a natural advantage of low cost of labor and low cost of living, and their employees would never imagine getting in wages what USA people get. @@barfo281
Bro, it was rolling so smooth
Different types of bike. When I went to look at some Bmx bikes the store only Carrie’s top of the line FBC. I don’t want to drop 1k on a Bmx bike. Went home and fit had a flash sale on series 1
Matty .. would love your opinion on Canyon.
Polygon and Marin are both very good price to spec ratio brands, and there's nothing junky about them.
pretty cool job
Bought a consignment bike at a shop recently and it was marked up $1500 more than the fb marketplace price….I asked why and they said “ because we safety checked it”😂. I bought from the owner directly so they didn’t get me that day.
I would never spend a 1000 for a bike. I grew up in the 70's/80's. We beat the hell out of our bikes. We didnt know they were cheap crap. They held up to the insane things we did to them.
Im not flying thru the air on a bicycle and my ego isnt glued to price tags.
If a person has the money and they want a 14,000 dollar bike, have at it.
But even thru the 90's, the bike shops were fast to sell but never followed thru on their tune up BS.
Ive got a Diamond Back recoil I bought in 2011. It still looks new. No issues with it. But I'm not flying thru Moab on an asrenaline high either.
My gf had the Polygon T7 and it's legit. I could ride that on any trail i do. It's a good bike.
Well I got a Canyon that cost me 1500€ where a similar specialized or trek would cost me at least 3000€ for what I have seen on my local shops. No way I'm gonna pay double for a bike with the same components just because it's a local shop.
And I'll take a Canyon over Trek any day.
Love my polygon T7 great trail bike, built like a tank. Never had an issue and I pound the shit out of mine. Other than normal maintenance its been a beast. I work on my own bikes though keep the cost down, I mean just saying the bike alone is your only cost is a long shot. Then you got the shorts, and upgrades, gas because who lives with trails right in their backyard. I love it thought. So peaceful ripping through the woods :)
Big problem with polygon is they use bushings in alot of their full sus bikes
My e-bike is branded Ride 66. The model is R5. I've counted no less than 15 companies selling the R5 with their branding but acting as if they sell the R5 exclusively. The R5 is manufactured in China. I bought mine from a guy in Hong Kong. I had my local bike shop assemble it and they maintain it. I easily hit 6000 miles in 16 months. I love the bike. Someone else hates it.
Have you rode the Trek Roscoe 6? I just picked one up and it’s my favorite hardtail of the few MTB I’ve owned. The others were cheap big box stores bikes. I actually got a great deal on it with Trek days going on and veteran discount. But that polygon will probably be my first full suspension when I decide to get one. But my hardtail won’t go anywhere lol.
Roscoe 6 ! I have one from 2 years ago and absolutely love it. I kinda want better Forks .. but the Suntour will be sufficient for now. I NOW WANT Roscoe 8.. but gotta wait til I really wear this one out.. it's durable so I may need to wait and ride harder
This thing is a great bike
My bro just bought a D7 today. I showed him your unboxing pic and told him he’s gonna look just like that in a week or 2.
Love Trestle!
Bike shops don’t dislike direct to consumer brands “because they steal business” the dislike dtc brands because when you buy a bike online from a dtc brand and break it, you are bringing it to a bike shop- and then wait months and months for your dtc brand to send you a frame part, or a linkage, or a proprietary headset- and sometimes they send the WRONG part and you have to start over.
Yes the bikes are not bad by any means- the siskiu has been positively reviewed by pb and the like, but the money you are saving by switching from a trek to a polygon was going to things like customer service, quality control, and engineering
Expect most frame damage is caused by heavy riding and jumps bigger than the bike was designed for. High end forks like fox float 40's can cost same price as a polygon.
If I had known about these bikes a couple weeks ago, I might have gotten one. I ended up getting Stumpjumper EVO. That's okay though... my daughter is getting into MTB and when she's ready for FS, one of these may be in her future.
LOL I seen Intense 951 at Costco. Definitely not junk
Would like your thoughts on the T7E.
I will definitely try to get my hands on one
Matty please do a review on pivots
Too many bike shops suffer from terminal elitism and the unwillingness to work on anything they haven't already price gouged you for. It only took a couple of trips to convince me to buy my own tools. I'll buy online and fix them myself. It really isn't rocket science.
Hard to argue with any of that. You said it best "I only like to talk about bikes I've actually ridden", which pretty well sums it up. We can all be experts on everything from behind a keyboard, but the things you say are meaningful because your butt is actually on the seat of the bike you're reviewing. That Polygon is probably more bike than the average rider can ever come close to maxing out. Is it the best bike in the class, considering you can easily spend more than $7000 dollars on one? Of course not, but is it a plenty good bike to enjoy riding for the average person? Definitely!
The only people buying a bike to get free repairs are people new to the sport experienced riders won’t let anyone touch your bike I’ve had some absolutely terrible experiences having a shop work on my bike early on so I learned to work on my own & build bikes.
I agree, when I was working in a shop alot of newer riders brought their bikes in for basic tuneups and the like.
However, there was another category of experienced riders who would bring in their bikes:
1. Busy people with no time to fix it themselves.
2. Folks who had very little mechanical knowledge even after many years/decades if riding.
Cracked 2 D7 frames in a few months. All their fs frames use crapy single pivot and perform terribly in every way compared to a frame from a decent manufacturer.
When I got rid of my D7 and replaced it with Orbea occam I was amazed that despite having more travel it pedals so much better.
The xtrada might be okay but with a full suspension polygon imo you get less then what you pay for and with deals on other brands you can find much better value elsewhere.
Butcher grid T9 2.6inches right?
Meanwhile me riding NM Carlsbad la cueva trail full stock Ozark trail vibe 27.5 w stock brake tuned to start grabbing at 10% initial squeeze enough to stop me a 6'0 145lb guy. Fun 😂 no I didn't fall. Legit didn't fall once. Hardest thing was actually insufficient low gear on the bike but that's easy upgrade just small crank gear will do it I barely can climb w stock gear. Enjoyed it but I'm back in Texas not sure more expensive bike is worth my fun as I have other hobbies such as shooting my guns.
It’s a great time to get into cycling
Cosco sells Intense bikes now, started one or two years ago I think. Different paint job and spec. Not super cheap low end bike.
Almost 4k
@UCA_4bY0Fq%F0%9F%98%86EUo-8RJe5P3EGAThat's not cheap. But if a good bike, and is exactly what you want, it might be worth it. But for me it's a no. I like different geo. want different things. My bike cost more, but I got what I wanted, it's not intense, nor is it carbon. But that's my dream enduro bike.
But I want to build a cheaper, hardtail for commuting. not decided on what yet. but won't be 4000 that's for sure.
They do have headsets where you can put a tapered fork onto a straight tube frame. 🤔
Wayback in the day, legs like this tend to be lower quality. Anymore it’s hard to make a bad bike.
Just got my wife a Marin rz 1 year old new stock for 1199.00- first full sus.Wish it would stop snowing !
I love Marin bikes! The rift zone was actually the first full suspension I’ve ever ridden. I’m also right there with you on the snow situation!
in türkiye cause of the economical state of the country full suspension bikes are a luxury and almost all of the mtb community uses cheap hardtails with department store brand parts so polygons are rare and expensive here
Ive owned Both Specialized and Giants over the years and in fact for my park bike I still have a Giant reign and I love those bikes. I more recently picked up Polygon T7 dues to all the price gouging that was happening due to Pandemic hangover. Value for dollar is great. I have switched up the fork and other parts but the frame geometric is great.I have how the bike feels. I have seen most brands break frames especially carbon. Top brands you are paying a premium for advertising,pro race teams and name recognition. If you want to talking about rear suspension designs, yes Polygon use a simpler design than a Horst link /FSR or Maestro , or other various designs that marketing tell you is better. The fact of the matter is in everyday riding it doesn't matter. ESPECIALLY in the shorter travel ranges. There is a reason Pro XC World Cup bikes in the 120mm range are still riding single pivot bikes. Polygon hit the sweet spot with price/performance because the got the geometry right :) I still love my Giant but Polygon is a fun bike too.
I’d still rather buy from a shop. Usually I get a better deal.
What shops sell are junk too, since people are too strict with their budgeting and get something cheap first, hence why people often recommend stuff not sold in them. Not surprised that there's bitching, since it's far easier to contact a brand they are accustomed to, regarding the junk they made, than a mail order brand like Polygon. It stresses them out needlessly, since they're seemingly forced to compromise on their level of service. This leads to stories of poor service from LBS. If you were gonna buy a cheap/junk bike, why not from them? At least then, they would happily offer you quick and quality service. That service is baked into the price of bikes they sell.
What's changed is that more and more factories are delivering bikes that no longer require a significant amount of tuning-up straight out of the box. Fewer bikes need an experienced eye to spot defects and what not. It's no longer considered a big gamble to spend $2k to get a solidly capable bike with up-to-date design, like a Polygon Siskiu T7/T8 or Marin Rift Zone 29 from a reputable dealer with many years of experience and refinement in their after-sales support, like bikesonline.
Regarding the D5 FS bike you mentioned, Polygon are one of the very few brands daring to offer an FS in that price point, as if the compromises put it in junk tier. Many wiser folk would say that the D5's frame is too outdated, even compared to many bikes you find on the 2nd hand market at a similar price point, with components destined to rot away after a very short period of useful life.
Doesn't help that the less the people know about products, the more likely that they'd judge by price, looks, and certain specs first. Bike shops are happy to share insights that reveal value that some might not have previously considered. Like someone might be biased about wanting big wheels and thru axles, but not wanting to spend more than 800. Who's going to bother telling them how unrealistic that is, and how there are QR options in 27.5 that are on clearance due to low demand, especially compared to the same handful of popular models that almost everyone recommends? At that price point, it's better to get non-garbage components than it is to get good geo, big wheels or whatever, IMO. People wouldn't know about a clearance, since most bike shops don't hire any personnel to update a website at that level, and the brands they carry are sensitive to international price differences, so they tend to list MSRPs that are much higher than what a bike shop may be willing to sell it at.