All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Second in line depending on size/compounds. I love these tires!

 

All yours, I have several in the pile. Guessing he's on the trail/endurance if they're that bad.

 

Anybody out there have a Polygon Siskiu T8? I’ve decided it’s time to upgrade to modern geo and a bit more travel than my 2015 Tallboy 2 which has a decent upgraded drivetrain, but a 32 mm Recon with 120 front, 100 rear travel, 19mm internal (!!) rims, 69° HTA (after installing a -1.5° AngleSet) etc. My wife just bought a new Ripley so I’d like to upgrade at a lower price point than what we had . The Siskiu just has a great component spec and like 5° slacker HTA, and gets great reviews. Less than $2100 shipped … Fox 34, Float DPS, Shimano SLX, 150 mm dropper, Schwalbe tires with taped rims but not set up tubeless. I’ve never done direct to consumer either, but I can assemble a bike, do the tubeless etc easily. I am a regular but not aggressive rider but would like to check out something more modern.

 

Front is trail endurance, rear is downhill soft. Both 29x2.4

Maybe I would've been less disappointed if I had gotten a softer compound for the front but the main thing I think I've learned is that it's not worth messing with a good thing.

 

I would pass and get something a little nicer. Some really good deals out right now like Rocky Mountain 30% off, the Ripley AF 25% and more. You can get really well apexes bike for $2600-3000 right now.

 

It's a cheap bike for a reason. You're going to notice this coming from a SC. 2nding Ripmo , maybe even a YT?

 

I’m not interested in a Ripmo, and a Ripley AF is a grand more than the Polygon for a similar build. The YT Izzo is also a good deal but seems unavailable except size XL which is too big.

 

I ran a Polygon Siskiu T7 and had no regrets with it. It does lack the steeper sweat tube angle for climbing but the geo was otherwise pretty good. I upgraded the fork along the way because the T7 came with a Rockshox Recon that was garbage. Otherwise, it was a solid bike and I’ve generally had great experiences with direct to consumer brands (I have had 5 of them from different brands)

 

Corner bars are weird, but definitely seem like a good option. I think after some time on them, it would be less weird. Only thing this needs is bigger chainring(s). This bike could really ride just about any terrain.

 

https://bikes.com/collections/endless-summer/products/element-a50-22-23?variant=43475033686251

 

This. I was a LBS mechanic for ~6 years. I genuinely believe that most direct-to-consumer brands offer objectively inferior products and firmly believe that despite the cost, you will always be better off going through a reputable bike shop.

 

Then you would never know if there's anything better. You were probably feeling that grip on the rear and overriding the fronts capability -> washaroni. I had been feeling the same with the Enduro Soft versions of those.

I had a friend just get off a Sisku T8 on to a Canyon Spectral and he is absolutely elated with the Spectral. I'd hold a lil longer out for some more deals before pulling the trigger, there will be more deals coming with end of the season.(economic collapse)

 

The corner bars and lefty make this mtb gone gravel the perfect level of weird.

 

haha. i like the conti's in the rear. but on the front, sticking to tried and true Assegai. SOLID tire for my uses

 

I would agree to the extent they're using house brands for components. State bikes uses their own drive train for example but the Polygon is utilizing Shimano SLX, Fox suspension, etc. My Polygon did go to the LBS to get a wheel rebuilt after i started snapping spokes. LBS fixed them and i got reimbursed by Polygon. Other potential 'cheapout' areas on the Polygon are the headset bearings, which i ended up replacing in under a year and the off-brand dropper (which i never had an issue with but could become an issue). I definitely see your point, but i wouldn't walk past a direct to consumer brand.

I would look at the direct to consumer brand warranty terms. Some require you to take the box to an LBS for assembly otherwise the warranty is not valid.

 

The Spectral was on my list but I think it’s more bike than I need, and might not be comfortable with it. I’m a very experienced (coming up to 40 years since I bought my first mountain bike, and I already owned a home then) but pretty slow senior rider.

Thanks, I looked at some of your earlier Siskiu comments and they had seemed mostly positive. Anyway, my wife thinks I should support not only LBS but LBI (local bike industry) and get an Ripley or another SC, may be a Specialized if you expand the definition of local. If I got another Santa Cruz I’m really tempted by the Blur TR which is their 130mm XC bike, rather than another Tallboy.

 

Absolutely, using name-brand components is a huge step in the right direction. However, most of my complaints are with the frames themselves. Not surprised that you had to replace your headset bearings - Most Polygon bikes I wrenched on had creaks or seized bearings. While they do seem to cheap out on bearings... you could replace every pivot bearing, headset bearing, and bottom bracket bearing for a few hundred bucks so it's not a huge deal. But, by the time you upgrade your dropper and replace all the bearings you may have been better off just going with a "name brand" from your LBS.

I'm not here to blast people that like direct-to-consumer. In fact, if you enjoy cycling as a hobby, aren't thaaaat serious about it, are ballin' on a budget, and have some technical know-how, go for it.

I'm also totally biased. No mechanic really wants to work hours and hours on a bike they didn't sell. Selfish, I know, but it's even worse when most direct-to-consumer fans seem to be fascinated with the fact that they think they got the deal of the century by cutting out the middle man... then bring that same bike to the "middle man" for work. On top of being a halfway decent mechanic, I have a degree in economics. I'm ALL FOR free markets and competition, and I'm not very sympathetic to the whole "support local small businesses just because" movement, but there are TONS of benefits to buying from your LBS.

I can tell I'm rambling but one last note: I believe direct-to-consumer brands exploit the fact that they have no authorized dealers. Authorized dealers are, obviously, bike shops that have expert mechanics. By skipping the bike shop part, they also skip the professional mechanic part. They don't have mechanics building their bikes every day, learning them inside and out, and providing feedback on design flaws that your average consumer would not notice. I've seen comparatively small bike shops submit complaints to major bike companies about something they thought could be improved, after several other bike shops submitted similar complaints, the bike manufacturer addressed the issue. The truth is, major manufacturers need to keep their dealers happy more than their customers, the dealers are the professionals who can drop any brand at any moment and pick up another in a heartbeat, the dealers are the pros who will notice every little detail, the dealers are the ones who do not want to sell a bike that will be back every week for servicing or possibly become a liability.

Rant over but as an economics nerd and bike nerd, I love talking about this

 

Really enjoy the input you are providing. I think the key take away is that if you don't do your homework and want to get a new bike, the DTC market has a greater ability to rake you through the coals while a LBS will be more inclined to help you find a good bike for your wants and needs. I would argue that if you are more serious about biking - DTC offers more of a market to find exactly what you are looking for with much more customizable options in each range of bike.

I purchased a Fezzari and have been nothing short of thrilled with it (DTC) - one of the biggest factors outside of the cost was an unlimited lifetime warranty. I saved a lot of money in going the online purchase route, but I also enjoy working on all my own bikes and feel competent enough to diagnose and/or replace any failed component outside of building wheels. Made sure it came with the specs I was looking for and had the correct geometry for my style of riding. The person who is just getting into biking or doesn't have the mindset to tinker on their own should most likely go the LBS route because they will get the support and guidance that is sorely lacking with DTC.

There are probably too many people who want to get a new bike and google "mountain bike for sale" and immediately get directed to the Polygon website, or some other cheaper brand's website. Once there, they see all the flashy sale prices and look at a good looking picture of a cool bike - none the wiser to a "specifications" tab and doing some research into why the Suntour XCM is a piece of crap. It says full suspension all mountain bike and that's what they want....let the disappointment begin.

 

If I'm not finding the limit of my tires with my current setup then I don't have any need to know if there's something better... it'd be a different story I were racing and thus always looking for the tiniest edge/improvement. Since this is just a hobby, I'm content to push my gear until I find a limit and then consider upgrades. Truth be told, I only tried the Conti's because they were cheaper and my usual Maxxis setup wasn't in stock at my LBS the day I went in.

I definitely agree that the rear felt solid and it was very much the front that would wash out. I'd be curious to try the enduro/soft up front if I could try them out for free. I think the downhill casing is a bit too heavy on a trail bike, which was another complaint I had. Perhaps I'd be happy if I could've found enduro/softs front and rear but those don't seem to be readily available.

 

Coming from a Tallboy 2 I would think the Blur TR would more familiar to you. The new bikes are way more slack and defiantly ride different then the old ones.