We had a blast testing these bikes! Which bike would you pick? Video Timeline 0:00 - Introduction 2:40 - Polygon Siskiu T8 Review 8:15 - Scott Spark 960 Review 15:49 - Devinci Marshall Review 23:08 - Cannondale Habit 5 Review WIN A SRAM GX AXS DRIVETRAIN and help the trails in this video, no purchase necessary - www.vitalmtb.com/features/Win-a-SRAM-GX-AXS-Eagle-Drivetrain-Worth-Over-1-000,3047 Vital's $2,000 Mountain Bike Comparison - 6 bikes tested - th-cam.com/video/DSYwTlth1oc/w-d-xo.html YT Jeffsy 29 Base Review (because we know you'll ask : ) - th-cam.com/video/wECeRKsyGSE/w-d-xo.html
Bought my devinci Marshall a month ago and have been loving it so far. It is my first full suspension bike and so far it has been amazing to learn on. It came with everything I needed and it didn't break the bank.
I work at a bike shop and just spent a week in Utah with a $2350 Giant Trance 2. I was blown away with the stiffness of the rear triangle, it’s climbing and braking performance. Whatever voodoo Giant did with that frame blew away Santa Cruz and Specialized enduro bikes I’m used to riding.
I love my Cannondale Habit 2 2020! A beast. Upgraded to Dt swiss 240 and Carbon wheels now it’s a hard tail when the shock is closed due to stiffness, amazing!
Love the review! Though I already did a pre-order in March , it's nice to know that I made the right decision. Currently waiting for my Polygon T8 coming in June. 🙂
Same here! My T8 pre-order back in the end of March had an estimated ship date of May 31st but now they show June 15th. The wait is killing me. This review has me champing at the bit even more! Great video!
@@TheBZAinNJ common story: pre-order drop down was taking mid may delivery for L size, invoice was processed for June 17th. Many companies project north of 5-6months delivery. Some, like YT, switched to a more fluid component spec, giving you equivalents, as the shortage is not with frames, rather component kits.
I have the spark and absolutely love it. It all depends on your riding preference. I lean more toward the cross country style but still can hit jumps and the technical stuff when I want. As far as climbing, the spark will crush the rest.
I bought a Salsa Ridgeline for $1500 and rode it once… Immediately went back to REI and ordered a Cannondale Habit 4 for $2300. Can’t wait to get on the trail and see how much better full suspension does. Thanks for this review.
I'd actually rather have 1x11 drivetrains. Save a little weight and increase durability. As long as similar range, I don't need the 12th gear. Brad, great job on the weight estimation! Another great Vital shootout, thanks guys!
I have spark 960 for 3 months now and I really like it. It is my first full suspension bike. It is great for XC rides and I have fun on trail too, even I am beginner
I wish we could have seen how the Nukeproof Reactor Comp would have compared, but it was sadly a few hundred out of budget (hopefully we can see it in a
@Tony G I would say pretty weak. Why waste so much time having every tester guess the weight and the conclusions don't really say anything meaningful. Personally, I'll go back to Pink Bike.
These direct to consumer bike brands are definitely making other brands more competitive. Interesting to see more of these pop up. Wonder what the long term reviews would be on these.
With Yeti entering the direct to consumer game you bet value has ran out the window.... Seriously, jokes aside it's a great thing for consumers, Polygon and Canyon are killing it with their offerings...
I was looking for a full suspension MTB in exactly that price range and the Siskiu T8 made my final 3. In the end, I went with a slightly used 2021 Nukeproof Reactor C for just $100 over my budget. The bike market right now, both new and used, is definitely a buyers market.
Was in that budget category. Ended up with Stumpy alloy 2021 (it was before price increase). Components wise it's not a best deal, but it rides pretty well. As for Scott spark 970, it's not good deal, and the reason is rear 5x141mm axle.
That is a valuable warning. Although boost 141 isn't as bad as they paint it. It might even have higher clamping force on that axle than the common through ones.
@@polishguywithhardtospellna8227 QR has en insane clamping force, the only butt is getting a second set of wheels for the rear since is almost imposible to get QR microspline hubs.
Hopefully parts supply chain issues will encourage more manufacturers to offer frame only and/or frameset only, (for something other than the highest end carbon frame.) If Devinci offers that Marshall frame only, it'd probably replace the Ripmo/Ripley AF currently at the top of my list. $2300-$2600 isn't bad for a complete full sus, but I'd replace almost all of those parts anyway, so I'd rather pay less for frame only.
In that same price range is the Giant Trance X 29 3, their new aggressive trail bike, the 3 build is SX or Deore drivetrain, RS 35 gold fork, Fox DPS shock, DHF/Dissector tire combo and TRP 4 pots. I think it would win this test with ease. IMHO Cannondale needs to stick to XC bikes, it seems to be the only MTB they are good at.
Great review! It's pretty crazy how heavy trail bikes have gotten. And shame about the Devinci's price increase. $2100 for a Canadian-made frame was an incredible deal. Just wish it came in a more interesting color.
my thoughts exactly, i bought (pre-order) the bike at $2099 and im hopefully picking it up on tuesday. Im afraid im going to show up and they are going to want to full updated price. Will have to demand my deposit back I guess. Planning on giving it a new paint job if I really like it!
Here is Vietnam, options are limited to a few manufactures, but the first two models are available to order from distributers, but at this time of year it's between the Scott 960 2022 with it's new hidden shock and whatever Polygon do to refine the T8 for next year. This review really helped, but I'm still stuck. The T8 is about 80% of the price of the 960, so I'm leaning that way.
I love these videos! I watched the $2,000 one from the year before this one and just made my first purchase. These definitely help! Much appreciated. I think more of these would be awesome. Maybe a $3,500ish shootout next? Forgive me if that’s already on here. I just found y’all’s channel. Love it though. Thanks again and I’m looking forward to watching more of these to catch up on things and see what’s on the horizon for the future as far as the my next upgrade goes.
awesome, glad we could help! what's funny is these $2,500 bikes are now the $3,500 bikes HAHA (it's crazy how bike prices have gone in the last year or so) - we'll be working on more in the future for sure. if you have time, hit our website for a lot more reviews too - www.vitalmtb.com/product/main
status is awesome, but different category than these. we tried to get the stumpjumper alloy but they were not available. we have the alloy comp in for testing w/ a review soon. what's interesting is that the only status bikes found on specialized.com are the old DH statuses.
@@mrvwbug4423 Way better option that actually fits the category they were going for lol I've just been buzzin over the status so I wanted to mention it lol
Wow, when bikes aren't available for major media outlets in the sport. I just can't wait... CAN NOT WAIT for all these bikes to hit the used market sparkling clean with the sellers trying to sell for MSRP (because they paid tax and upgraded the pedals!).
for those who think about the canyon spectral al my spectral broke at the same place two times in one year and i know someone with the same proplem so unfortunately i cant recommend it
These bikes are all around $3k now, for that price you might as well spend the extra money and buy a Stumpjumper Alloy Comp. Full Fox suspension, drop seat, 12x1, big disc brakes, 32 lbs.
2:40 Polygon Siskiu T8: The tyre rub might be cus of too flexy wheels. but also if the frame is too flexy, but it might not be too flexy. but did you notice any difference in flex from left to right? did it flex more to the right or left? on 2014 Fuel EX the bike flexed to the left more, on that bike the flex was both due to flexy wheels and due to flexy frameset. So that's something you could investigate further to see if you can get rid of the tyre rub. But the bike seems to be built to be stiffer and more robust than that crappy Trek Fuel Ex I had.
I'm unsure on their comment on that for the Polygon there's a very active facebook group for Polygon owners and people comment and complain about all kinds of things but I have never seen frame rubbing come up.
This is an example of a really great comparison test. Could you do the same for a $3000-3500 bugdet enduro bikes, including the new Polygon Siskiu N9, please?
Great review. I'm just glad to see a Cannondale without that God awful looking Lefty fork. Would've been nice to hear which bike each rider preferred as #1 bc they all have a riding/terrain preference
I have the Marshall and I agree about the center of gravity. I’m looking to buy XT SPDs because they’re a few mm lower stack than my 530s. Crazy? Maybe different shoes would help. I did put a 160mm lyrik on it so that raised the BB even higher ☺️
I'm curious if you guys would recommend these to more advanced riders? I am a weekend warrior for the most part, but been riding for decades. I recently switched from an Ibis Ripley to a Ripmo. I'm wondering if I can suggest these bikes to friends that have as much experience as I have. I like the price point! Bikes seem to be getting more ridiculous in price these days. The Devinci sounds like a great buy! Thanks.
if you or your friends aren't super abusive, these bikes will be up to the task for sure. the devinci has the right parts in the right places. bumping budget up to $3,000 or seeing what you can find used is also a good resource for experienced advanced riders.
The Ripmo is a seriously fast bike on the downhills though easing off the pace a little should be NBD, they all probably climb about as well as a Ripmo AF, which is a veritable lead weight of a bike (my Ripmo AF is 36lbs)
@@vitalmtb Thanks! Although these are decent bikes, I think you can stretch your dollar more on Used and get better setups. There are a lot of deals to be had Used despite the Pandemic, just have to be patient. I suggested this to my friend; he is set on a Carbon Ripley ( 2nd to Current Gen.) but wants to spend $3K or less. I've seen them for about that price point but you have to jump on them.
Well I really enjoy my polygon T8 I would absolutely send that sucker to the bike shop to get set up. I ended having two 90° angle creases in the dropper post cable due to the crazy angle from the BB up to the seat post it was prolly set up like this from the factory and as a result it never worked all that well so I had to replace the housing and cable. same with the front brake hose, it ended up having a major crease in the brake hose it still works but it’s definitely a downer
@@duncankp1710 I went over all the bolts and bearings and added grease (as you should do with any new bike as the factory doesn't add a lot of grease) the dropper wouldn't be affected by the headset so I'm not sure what you're getting at but after these few blunders the bike was awesome and I love riding it. I had contacted support and they sent me over a new front brake cable and housing/cable for the dropper. it was just a QC issue and I'm sure not indicative for the company/bike
Scott Spark 960: 10:14 good they went with a model with direct actuation instead of a servo wave with no bite point adjustment, cus those would render the brake useless for a small child, or person with small hands, cus the reach adjustment is not counteracted with the bite point adjustment, but with this brake, this is not a problem. But for me, budget Shimano brakes seemed like cursed, cus I had several sets leak everywhere, not all leaked from every spot. but seems like quality control might be an issue. I don't know this has improved since M6000. The handling and geo, it's not a surprise what was told here, I wish more xc bikes got better geometry, longer reach, slacker head angle, and for all bikes really a chainstay that grows with the frame size. I ride a Nicolai/Geometron G1, which I love. and I would probably love an XC bike with the same reach and similar or same head angle. My last bike had 70 deg head angle, it was not completely bad, but it was not as slack I wanted, it was a bit twitchy, but not so bad it was very hard to fight with the bike, but I love the 62 or 62.5 head angle what ever my bike has now.
Loved this review! Did you find the rear suspension design (single pivot vs faux bar vs horst vs whatever) made a big difference between these bikes? I've had one MTB (low end Kona Precept with single pivot) and am now thinking about getting a new bike in the $2,000'ish range. I'm wondering how much emphasis to place on rear suspension design vs components, especially since you can't upgrade suspension design later.
so we had 2 single pivots (scott and polygon), the split pivot devinci and the horst cannondale. the designs weren't a major factor in our opinion. the amount of travel is relatively low out back and the kinematics seemed well sorted for each bike and their intended riding use.
Metric please! Keep making me pull my phone out just to understand what you are telling me. Great otherwise. Loved a review on the bikes in the price range I am looking for... if there were any for sale. Actually, since many stores make you pay in full before they are assembled, an you go more into depth on the what size you would choose for certain heights.
It is tough to get bike fit online. What are the rider heights for comparison and how did that match up with the sizing charts, especially for Polygon.
honestly with so many bikes in the 3,000 price point rance that are just that much better, I honestly wonder if its ever worth saving 500?? I mean if you don't bike much fine and fair but with bumping up to that 3k range you generally get much better suspension and slightly better components. Simply put the suspension upgrade is worth the minor price hike.
Unfortunately I don't think they will test Merida bikes because they aren't in the US. However, I think some Merida models are sold through Specialized here.
any advice on good mountain bike for traveling from state to state through trailers parks, rocky roads, hard to ride places, with trailer attach to it... looking to buy soon for long journey trip any advice Dear brethrens under $600
That's weird, I almost bought a Polygon siskiu in the last years because of reviews like that, very positive... Two years later a riding buddy got one (large 29) with slight upgrades (carbon bars n such) we swapped bikes, ooof deception, I wouldn't say it's sh*t but it's far from great that flexy rear end feels cheap asf, it doesn't give the feeling of a well built thing you can definitely feel the play. So glad I didn't listen to reviews 😂 *edit: I bought a trance X 29 instead mostly because I could demo it, I also tried more expensive bikes from kona, specialized and transition and settled on the trance X because I loved the smooth action, only regret is not buying a bare frame lol. Components at this price range aren't compatible with my daily needs. Tektro brakes, SRAM SX and rock shox 35 gold are all hot garbages, Giant branded hubs and wheels too, such waste...
looks good on paper. we tried to get one for this but they didn't have any. we have an alloy comp in house for testing ($3,000). stay tuned for that review, too.
they were all solid throughout the test w/o any issues. the SX rear derailleur on the Cannondale ended up being a bit sloppy by the end but still shifted.
@@vitalmtb that's nice. I was expecting the habit to start having frame bearing issues. Will you do any long term post on the bikes or won't you ride them anymore?
@@reneh.6551 This is a 2500 full suspension bike test- doesn't say anything about Trail bikes only. Clash is enduro so obviously it won't climb like the trail bikes
Going a little higher, Ibis Ripmo AF Deore build, $3200. Yes you only get Deore drivetrain and brakes both of which are perfectly good and durable (though I'd upgrade the brakes if you plan to ride park), but you get a DVO Onyx SC fork and Topaz T3 shock which is MUCH higher end than a typical 3k bike.
I own a 2021 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp Carbon 29. It was $4200 when I bought it last March for full retail from my local bike shop. Look at the S website now.... exact same bike.... $4800... WTF??!!
We had a blast testing these bikes! Which bike would you pick?
Video Timeline
0:00 - Introduction
2:40 - Polygon Siskiu T8 Review
8:15 - Scott Spark 960 Review
15:49 - Devinci Marshall Review
23:08 - Cannondale Habit 5 Review
WIN A SRAM GX AXS DRIVETRAIN and help the trails in this video, no purchase necessary - www.vitalmtb.com/features/Win-a-SRAM-GX-AXS-Eagle-Drivetrain-Worth-Over-1-000,3047
Vital's $2,000 Mountain Bike Comparison - 6 bikes tested - th-cam.com/video/DSYwTlth1oc/w-d-xo.html
YT Jeffsy 29 Base Review (because we know you'll ask : ) - th-cam.com/video/wECeRKsyGSE/w-d-xo.html
I bought the Polgon should be arriving 26th of April 😉
@@anishg777 I'm in Australia so I preorderd one nearly 6 weeks ago 😎
I went with the T8. Should receive it by June.
@@rocknrider like to know how ya like it I'm just getting back into MTB so this Polgon is a good start 👍🏻
Vitus mythique 27 VRX or Polygon siskiu T8
Dont know what to get???
Comparison video?
you guys started of great stating the metric weight along with the imperial numbers but quickly forgot after the first one XD
I’ve been looking into the polygon siskiu t8 so this video helped a lot, thanks Vital MTB 🤘
Definitely recommend it!
“For a highschooler”
Me, 30 working full time and still can’t afford one of these “affordable” bikes 😭
Hey man, have you tried Crippling Debt™? I used to not be able to afford things either but now I can buy anything I want with Crippling Debt™!
@@MidWestMTB LOL! 🤣
Have you heard of onlyfans?
@@gwilly3888 lmfao
@@gwilly3888 taek
Bought my devinci Marshall a month ago and have been loving it so far. It is my first full suspension bike and so far it has been amazing to learn on. It came with everything I needed and it didn't break the bank.
awesome!
Awesome. Just got the Siskiu T8, now to get the skills to match it.
I work at a bike shop and just spent a week in Utah with a $2350 Giant Trance 2. I was blown away with the stiffness of the rear triangle, it’s climbing and braking performance. Whatever voodoo Giant did with that frame blew away Santa Cruz and Specialized enduro bikes I’m used to riding.
I have a 9 y/o Trance x2. I think I'll upgrade to that. Tnx!
I love my Cannondale Habit 2 2020!
A beast. Upgraded to Dt swiss 240 and Carbon wheels now it’s a hard tail when the shock is closed due to stiffness, amazing!
Love the review! Though I already did a pre-order in March , it's nice to know that I made the right decision. Currently waiting for my Polygon T8 coming in June. 🙂
I pre-ordered a T8 as well. I am super excited!
Same train
Same here! Can't wait to ride it!
Same here! My T8 pre-order back in the end of March had an estimated ship date of May 31st but now they show June 15th. The wait is killing me. This review has me champing at the bit even more! Great video!
@@TheBZAinNJ common story: pre-order drop down was taking mid may delivery for L size, invoice was processed for June 17th. Many companies project north of 5-6months delivery. Some, like YT, switched to a more fluid component spec, giving you equivalents, as the shortage is not with frames, rather component kits.
I have the spark and absolutely love it. It all depends on your riding preference. I lean more toward the cross country style but still can hit jumps and the technical stuff when I want. As far as climbing, the spark will crush the rest.
I just purchased the Spark and love it have been on various terrains and handles them well.
Spark owns XC on world circuit
That Scott would be perfect for my local Georgia trails
I bought a Salsa Ridgeline for $1500 and rode it once… Immediately went back to REI and ordered a Cannondale Habit 4 for $2300. Can’t wait to get on the trail and see how much better full suspension does. Thanks for this review.
i just bought a banshee prime v1 for 2400 with fox factory suspension, a Deore drivetrain and stans wheels. there is good stuff out there
Nice review... Affordable bikes, pros, cons, upgrades and personality... Good job 👍
Thanks! 👍
I am not sure if you could only select bikes you could find but it would have been nice to see the Giant Trance 29 in this lineup.
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SINCE I SAW IT ON YOUR INSTAGARM STORY YAY
I'd actually rather have 1x11 drivetrains. Save a little weight and increase durability. As long as similar range, I don't need the 12th gear. Brad, great job on the weight estimation! Another great Vital shootout, thanks guys!
I know why so many gears, I think 6 gears would be perfect for me.
You had to bump the price up because bikes have gone up $500-$1000 in the past year.... Money printer go BRRRRR!!!!
I have spark 960 for 3 months now and I really like it. It is my first full suspension bike. It is great for XC rides and I have fun on trail too, even I am beginner
I wish we could have seen how the Nukeproof Reactor Comp would have compared, but it was sadly a few hundred out of budget (hopefully we can see it in a
we enjoyed the reactor last year - th-cam.com/video/d93nlt1N1HM/w-d-xo.html and we have this build going too th-cam.com/video/d-Xwxz4nLF0/w-d-xo.html
Whats really amazing about this is that this will be an amazing bike in 2nd hand market for next generation riders who is less fortunate,
Yaaaayy, bikes I can afford
Better reviews than Pinkbike.
So much better.
actually, pretty weak format. The conclusions were a joke.
@Tony G I would say pretty weak. Why waste so much time having every tester guess the weight and the conclusions don't really say anything meaningful.
Personally, I'll go back to Pink Bike.
Siskiu t8 look sick🔥
Love it
These direct to consumer bike brands are definitely making other brands more competitive. Interesting to see more of these pop up. Wonder what the long term reviews would be on these.
With Yeti entering the direct to consumer game you bet value has ran out the window....
Seriously, jokes aside it's a great thing for consumers, Polygon and Canyon are killing it with their offerings...
@@LaurentiusTriarius definitely also commemcal and YT. Pretty phenomenal part spec for the money.
I was looking for a full suspension MTB in exactly that price range and the Siskiu T8 made my final 3. In the end, I went with a slightly used 2021 Nukeproof Reactor C for just $100 over my budget. The bike market right now, both new and used, is definitely a buyers market.
Drink a shot every time you hear "playful" in any mountain bike video
Was in that budget category. Ended up with Stumpy alloy 2021 (it was before price increase). Components wise it's not a best deal, but it rides pretty well. As for Scott spark 970, it's not good deal, and the reason is rear 5x141mm axle.
we tried to get a stumpy alloy, but ended up with an alloy comp that we'll get reviewed soon. since it's $3,000, we didn't include it here.
That is a valuable warning. Although boost 141 isn't as bad as they paint it. It might even have higher clamping force on that axle than the common through ones.
@@polishguywithhardtospellna8227 QR has en insane clamping force, the only butt is getting a second set of wheels for the rear since is almost imposible to get QR microspline hubs.
Hopefully parts supply chain issues will encourage more manufacturers to offer frame only and/or frameset only, (for something other than the highest end carbon frame.) If Devinci offers that Marshall frame only, it'd probably replace the Ripmo/Ripley AF currently at the top of my list. $2300-$2600 isn't bad for a complete full sus, but I'd replace almost all of those parts anyway, so I'd rather pay less for frame only.
An actual (kinda) affordable bike review video!! 👍👍
don't miss our $2,000 MTB review vid - th-cam.com/video/DSYwTlth1oc/w-d-xo.html
In that same price range is the Giant Trance X 29 3, their new aggressive trail bike, the 3 build is SX or Deore drivetrain, RS 35 gold fork, Fox DPS shock, DHF/Dissector tire combo and TRP 4 pots. I think it would win this test with ease. IMHO Cannondale needs to stick to XC bikes, it seems to be the only MTB they are good at.
we tried to get the giant but they didn't have any available at our time of testing.
very well, Vital MTB.. i love it so much, enjoying every minute of this video.
My polygon Siskiu t8 is coming next month
The thing rips!
Will be delayed a few months
Same here I've been waiting since March
I’m finally getting a full suspension and went with a Nukeproof Reactor Comp. It would be interesting to see how it stacks up to these.
we enjoyed the reactor last year (not the comp), but nukeproofs are really dialed these days - th-cam.com/video/d93nlt1N1HM/w-d-xo.html
Great review! It's pretty crazy how heavy trail bikes have gotten. And shame about the Devinci's price increase. $2100 for a Canadian-made frame was an incredible deal. Just wish it came in a more interesting color.
my thoughts exactly, i bought (pre-order) the bike at $2099 and im hopefully picking it up on tuesday. Im afraid im going to show up and they are going to want to full updated price. Will have to demand my deposit back I guess. Planning on giving it a new paint job if I really like it!
@@Ilovethisaccount500 Nice! Hope it works out for ya!
Here is Vietnam, options are limited to a few manufactures, but the first two models are available to order from distributers, but at this time of year it's between the Scott 960 2022 with it's new hidden shock and whatever Polygon do to refine the T8 for next year. This review really helped, but I'm still stuck. The T8 is about 80% of the price of the 960, so I'm leaning that way.
Awesome selection of affordable mountain bikes. Thanks for sharing 🤙🏼
I love these videos! I watched the $2,000 one from the year before this one and just made my first purchase. These definitely help! Much appreciated. I think more of these would be awesome. Maybe a $3,500ish shootout next? Forgive me if that’s already on here. I just found y’all’s channel. Love it though. Thanks again and I’m looking forward to watching more of these to catch up on things and see what’s on the horizon for the future as far as the my next upgrade goes.
awesome, glad we could help! what's funny is these $2,500 bikes are now the $3,500 bikes HAHA (it's crazy how bike prices have gone in the last year or so) - we'll be working on more in the future for sure. if you have time, hit our website for a lot more reviews too - www.vitalmtb.com/product/main
I use my Scott’s dual lockout literally every time I ride. I’m obsessed with it
Worth considering the specialized status for this line up next time too!
status is awesome, but different category than these. we tried to get the stumpjumper alloy but they were not available. we have the alloy comp in for testing w/ a review soon. what's interesting is that the only status bikes found on specialized.com are the old DH statuses.
Or Giant Trance X
@@mrvwbug4423 Way better option that actually fits the category they were going for lol I've just been buzzin over the status so I wanted to mention it lol
@@dCip77 and @mrvwbug44 we tried to get a Trance for the test as well, but Giant didn't have any. Also a Trek Fuel ex5, but no dice.
You guys need to fire up a new one for the 2022's and 2023's full sus bikes!
Wow, when bikes aren't available for major media outlets in the sport. I just can't wait... CAN NOT WAIT for all these bikes to hit the used market sparkling clean with the sellers trying to sell for MSRP (because they paid tax and upgraded the pedals!).
for those who think about the canyon spectral al my spectral broke at the same place two times in one year and i know someone with the same proplem so unfortunately i cant recommend it
That’s disappointing.
These bikes are all around $3k now, for that price you might as well spend the extra money and buy a Stumpjumper Alloy Comp. Full Fox suspension, drop seat, 12x1, big disc brakes, 32 lbs.
2:40 Polygon Siskiu T8: The tyre rub might be cus of too flexy wheels. but also if the frame is too flexy, but it might not be too flexy. but did you notice any difference in flex from left to right? did it flex more to the right or left? on 2014 Fuel EX the bike flexed to the left more, on that bike the flex was both due to flexy wheels and due to flexy frameset. So that's something you could investigate further to see if you can get rid of the tyre rub. But the bike seems to be built to be stiffer and more robust than that crappy Trek Fuel Ex I had.
Tire rub on frames in 2021 is unacceptable
I'm unsure on their comment on that for the Polygon there's a very active facebook group for Polygon owners and people comment and complain about all kinds of things but I have never seen frame rubbing come up.
This is an example of a really great comparison test.
Could you do the same for a $3000-3500 bugdet enduro bikes, including the new Polygon Siskiu N9, please?
N7 I love
Great review. I'm just glad to see a Cannondale without that God awful looking Lefty fork. Would've been nice to hear which bike each rider preferred as #1 bc they all have a riding/terrain preference
A nice and thorough comparison video.
Lmaooooo you purposely made those bikes fall over 😂 saw the log get pulled and everything
keen eye : )
@@vitalmtb thanks lol :)
I have the Marshall and I agree about the center of gravity. I’m looking to buy XT SPDs because they’re a few mm lower stack than my 530s. Crazy? Maybe different shoes would help. I did put a 160mm lyrik on it so that raised the BB even higher ☺️
whoa, a 160 lyrik!
Can you use metric?
Otherwise great video!
No
3:56 Finally understand what Head Tube Angle means!
nice!
@@vitalmtb Sick review guys!
Did you tested Scoot Spark size M? Who was riding on M size? What was the rider height?
yes. medium. riders were between 5'7" and 5'9" - all riders rode all bikes.
Why won't anyone review the giant trance 3?
probably can't find one to get right now. looks like a great bike at a good price
Kami suka Polygon ( we love Polygon).
Polygon Made in Indonesia
Polygon Bagus!
I'm curious if you guys would recommend these to more advanced riders? I am a weekend warrior for the most part, but been riding for decades. I recently switched from an Ibis Ripley to a Ripmo. I'm wondering if I can suggest these bikes to friends that have as much experience as I have. I like the price point! Bikes seem to be getting more ridiculous in price these days. The Devinci sounds like a great buy! Thanks.
if you or your friends aren't super abusive, these bikes will be up to the task for sure. the devinci has the right parts in the right places. bumping budget up to $3,000 or seeing what you can find used is also a good resource for experienced advanced riders.
The Ripmo is a seriously fast bike on the downhills though easing off the pace a little should be NBD, they all probably climb about as well as a Ripmo AF, which is a veritable lead weight of a bike (my Ripmo AF is 36lbs)
@@vitalmtb Thanks! Although these are decent bikes, I think you can stretch your dollar more on Used and get better setups. There are a lot of deals to be had Used despite the Pandemic, just have to be patient. I suggested this to my friend; he is set on a Carbon Ripley ( 2nd to Current Gen.) but wants to spend $3K or less. I've seen them for about that price point but you have to jump on them.
@@mrvwbug4423 I have the V1 Carbon. I love it, but sometimes miss my Ripley. Can't go wrong with either though.
Well I really enjoy my polygon T8 I would absolutely send that sucker to the bike shop to get set up. I ended having two 90° angle creases in the dropper post cable due to the crazy angle from the BB up to the seat post it was prolly set up like this from the factory and as a result it never worked all that well so I had to replace the housing and cable. same with the front brake hose, it ended up having a major crease in the brake hose it still works but it’s definitely a downer
was there grease in your headset?
@@duncankp1710 I went over all the bolts and bearings and added grease (as you should do with any new bike as the factory doesn't add a lot of grease) the dropper wouldn't be affected by the headset so I'm not sure what you're getting at but after these few blunders the bike was awesome and I love riding it. I had contacted support and they sent me over a new front brake cable and housing/cable for the dropper. it was just a QC issue and I'm sure not indicative for the company/bike
Scott Spark 960: 10:14 good they went with a model with direct actuation instead of a servo wave with no bite point adjustment, cus those would render the brake useless for a small child, or person with small hands, cus the reach adjustment is not counteracted with the bite point adjustment, but with this brake, this is not a problem. But for me, budget Shimano brakes seemed like cursed, cus I had several sets leak everywhere, not all leaked from every spot. but seems like quality control might be an issue. I don't know this has improved since M6000.
The handling and geo, it's not a surprise what was told here, I wish more xc bikes got better geometry, longer reach, slacker head angle, and for all bikes really a chainstay that grows with the frame size.
I ride a Nicolai/Geometron G1, which I love. and I would probably love an XC bike with the same reach and similar or same head angle. My last bike had 70 deg head angle, it was not completely bad, but it was not as slack I wanted, it was a bit twitchy, but not so bad it was very hard to fight with the bike, but I love the 62 or 62.5 head angle what ever my bike has now.
Sad to not see commencal in this list
we tried. couldn't get everything we asked for.
@@vitalmtb that’s fair. Can’t have everything
when is the stumpjumper review video coming out😭
we have an alloy comp in the house. review in a month or so. we tried to get an alloy for this test but there weren't any available.
I really like this review format. Excellent work folks!
Loved this review!
Did you find the rear suspension design (single pivot vs faux bar vs horst vs whatever) made a big difference between these bikes? I've had one MTB (low end Kona Precept with single pivot) and am now thinking about getting a new bike in the $2,000'ish range. I'm wondering how much emphasis to place on rear suspension design vs components, especially since you can't upgrade suspension design later.
so we had 2 single pivots (scott and polygon), the split pivot devinci and the horst cannondale. the designs weren't a major factor in our opinion. the amount of travel is relatively low out back and the kinematics seemed well sorted for each bike and their intended riding use.
@@vitalmtb Thanks!
I tried getting the sisku t8 and yeah good luck with that. So instead i spent an extra $1300 and got a specialized stumpjumper. It was worth it.
And got half the bike. Dang
30:46 OMG that drop with the Siskiu - no chance that rear wheel is true anymore!
My 2018 YT Jeffsy was $2299 and its been great
we liked the jeffsy base 29 too - check it out - th-cam.com/video/wECeRKsyGSE/w-d-xo.html
Isnt 29ers more expensive than 27.5 Wheels? Wuldn it make more sense to make a comparison of 27,5 bikes?
wheel size doesn't really impact price. this siskiu and the marshall are offered in 27.5 in smaller sizes and the price is the same.
Hey, Are they doing the Boise Mtn Bike fest at Bogus this year?
yep - hit this insta link - instagram.com/boisemtnbikefestival/
Thanks so much for making this vid
I looked up the 970 and it’s almost 3k on the Scott website so either you guys have the price incorrect or Scott raised the price on the 970.
man look up the specialized status. Its a different type of bike than these but the spec is just insane.
the status is a rad bike for sure!
@@vitalmtb Would you have been able to get a Giant Trance X for this test? I know the 3 build is in this price range
@@mrvwbug4423 we tried, but giant didn't have any. looks like a great bike for the money
Disappointed in the new Habit 5, but will keep my eyes peeled for a 2020
Pleas show/tell all measurements ect also in metric. thx.
YT and Commencal also have great offerings for this price point.
agreed. check our jeffsy 29 review - th-cam.com/video/wECeRKsyGSE/w-d-xo.html
Metric please! Keep making me pull my phone out just to understand what you are telling me. Great otherwise. Loved a review on the bikes in the price range I am looking for... if there were any for sale. Actually, since many stores make you pay in full before they are assembled, an you go more into depth on the what size you would choose for certain heights.
It is tough to get bike fit online. What are the rider heights for comparison and how did that match up with the sizing charts, especially for Polygon.
honestly with so many bikes in the 3,000 price point rance that are just that much better, I honestly wonder if its ever worth saving 500?? I mean if you don't bike much fine and fair but with bumping up to that 3k range you generally get much better suspension and slightly better components. Simply put the suspension upgrade is worth the minor price hike.
very true statement indeed.
I bought the polygon siskiu T8 😏🥰 its a Really good bike for the price !!
This is crazy how heavy bikes are getting.
I love the Scott Spark
I'd love to get ur review on some of the Merida bikes - like the One.Twenty and One.Forty lineup
Unfortunately I don't think they will test Merida bikes because they aren't in the US. However, I think some Merida models are sold through Specialized here.
these is my favorite type of videos that you guys make
any advice on good mountain bike for traveling from state to state through trailers parks, rocky roads, hard to ride places, with trailer attach to it... looking to buy soon for long journey trip any advice Dear brethrens under $600
Have you tested the Polygon T7? if so where can i find your test thank you
i wanted to know which one they would all pick
That's weird, I almost bought a Polygon siskiu in the last years because of reviews like that, very positive... Two years later a riding buddy got one (large 29) with slight upgrades (carbon bars n such) we swapped bikes, ooof deception, I wouldn't say it's sh*t but it's far from great that flexy rear end feels cheap asf, it doesn't give the feeling of a well built thing you can definitely feel the play. So glad I didn't listen to reviews 😂
*edit:
I bought a trance X 29 instead mostly because I could demo it, I also tried more expensive bikes from kona, specialized and transition and settled on the trance X because I loved the smooth action, only regret is not buying a bare frame lol.
Components at this price range aren't compatible with my daily needs. Tektro brakes, SRAM SX and rock shox 35 gold are all hot garbages, Giant branded hubs and wheels too, such waste...
Well which one did you guys prefer?
Sisku in the uk is a Calibre bossnut. It's a big seller here due to it being £1200. The linkages are weak though.
The Polygon Vander is the same as the Bossnut. The Siskiu is a different bike.
What you guys think of specialized stumpjumper alloy $2400 us
looks good on paper. we tried to get one for this but they didn't have any. we have an alloy comp in house for testing ($3,000). stay tuned for that review, too.
Well according to Spicoli I'm a clout chaser haha! Good reviews though, I like the more casual random thoughts on a couch format.
You think you could put 2.4s on the polygon???
for sure. that is what most of our testers would do if they owned the bike
Can you please review some budget hard tails?
Polygon more affordable
Why the trek fuel ex 5 is not on the comparison?
What bike gave you the most mechanical problems?
they were all solid throughout the test w/o any issues. the SX rear derailleur on the Cannondale ended up being a bit sloppy by the end but still shifted.
@@vitalmtb that's nice.
I was expecting the habit to start having frame bearing issues. Will you do any long term post on the bikes or won't you ride them anymore?
Polygon Siskiu 2021/2022 T8's HTA is 65 to 65.5 and not 66.
Commencal Clash is an awesome $2500 pick up
Yep but no to great for climbing...
@@reneh.6551 This is a 2500 full suspension bike test- doesn't say anything about Trail bikes only. Clash is enduro so obviously it won't climb like the trail bikes
Going a little higher, Ibis Ripmo AF Deore build, $3200. Yes you only get Deore drivetrain and brakes both of which are perfectly good and durable (though I'd upgrade the brakes if you plan to ride park), but you get a DVO Onyx SC fork and Topaz T3 shock which is MUCH higher end than a typical 3k bike.
Intro of the bikes falling are perfect. 2500 lawl...after riding carbon,. I will never got alloy again.
I own a 2021 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp Carbon 29. It was $4200 when I bought it last March for full retail from my local bike shop. Look at the S website now.... exact same bike.... $4800... WTF??!!
Jasper Penton rides for Commencal now, which is awkward given all the mentions he had on the habit