Now THAT Was a Bike: 2016 Pole Evolink
Sometimes you can only fully appreciate innovation in hindsight.
If a bike was released today with a 64-degree head angle, 77.5-degree seat angle, 456 mm chainstay and 510 mm reach in the largest size, it wouldn't look that out of place. But Pole had landed on those figures in 2016. Back then, this bike may as well have come from outer space.
When Pole sent me a preproduction version to review at the end of 2015 I struggled with it at first, but soon adapted to what we'd now call modern geometry. Looking back, the Evolink 140's suspension design was quirky at best and it would have benefited from more travel and better parts, but the advantages of the geometry concept shone through regardless. It was not only more stable and confidence-inspiring on rough or steep trails - as expected - it was also more comfortable uphill.
Former Pinkbike editor and lifelong Brummie, Paul Aston, was also impressed by the Evolink when he reviewed it in 2017.
Of course, not everyone was on board with the idea (and many still aren't) but it's interesting to note just how well Pole's geometry fits in with the latest creations from mainstream brands. Some have gone even more extreme (take a look at a Canyon Strive or Transition Spire, for example). But having ridden even longer bikes, I'd say Pole had things about right with the Evolink.
For reference, this is what a Specialized Enduro looked like in 2016.
Pole Evolink geometry
2016 Specialized Enduro 29 geometry
It's hard to overstate how ahead of its time the Evolink was. For context, the Specialized Enduro was probably the benchmark 29er back in 2016. Its head angle was three degrees steeper, the seat angle was two degrees slacker and the wheelbase in the largest size was over 100 mm shorter. Over the years since, head angles and reach numbers have caught up with the geometry Pole pioneered, although I still get frustrated by new bikes with effective seat angles slacker than 77 degrees and only a few brands have pushed rear-centre lengths as long as the Evolink's, which help to balance out the weight distribution.
Pole told me this elongated bottom bracket section was there because they couldn't source a downtube long enough. How times change.
Pole wasn't alone in championing this geometry concept. Across the North Sea, Chris Porter and Geometron bikes were also eulogizing the holy trinity of slack head angles, steep seat tubes and long reach (although not so much 29" wheels). I've heard people accuse each of copying the other, but my take is that both brands saw the opportunity independently once components and frame fabricators became capable of pulling it off. And both no doubt stood on the shoulders of Cesar Rojo and Mondraker, whose Forward Geometry concept debuted in 2012.
The Pole Machine had its problems, but the bonded high-grade alloy construction was certainly innovative.
Evolink was just the start
But Pole wasn't finished innovating. In 2017, they publicly canned their carbon frame project on environmental grounds, claiming aluminum had a much lower impact. This claim was met with understandable skepticism, but four years later Trek's sustainability report revealed that producing carbon frames had three times the CO2 impact of their aluminum equivalents, although keep in mind that study was focused on more traditional methods of aluminum frame construction, not machining large blocks of aluminum.
The machined and glued 7075 aluminum frame Pole developed instead was met with even more skepticism, and while it wasn't without its problems, Pole refined the process over the years and other brands including Actofive and Ministry Cycles employed a similar process.
Dan Slack and Onni Rainio raced the Pole Onni at the 2024 Fort William DH World Cup. PC: Nick Bentley.
The end of the road?
Of course, Pole made mistakes too. A few years ago, many customers complained of reliability problems and poor customer service. And there was that time the Pole Stamina's prototype swingarm broke during testing - something that probably would have been forgotten if it wasn't for Pole's rather clumsy preemptive response.
A few weeks ago Pole filed for bankruptcy . They blamed several factors, including Finnish political strikes and the post-Covid bubble that's affecting the entire industry. Another contributing factor mentioned in Leo Kokknoen's interview with Rob Rides EMTB was (CNC) machines that broke down for a month.
Specialized famously use the mantra "innovate or die." But maybe Pole innovated a bit too hard. Whether Pole can find a buyer and rise from the ashes remains to be seen. But I for one would be sad to see a company that led the innovation race stumble and never get up.
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Evolinks were a quantum leap to take back in those days. If only the brave pills were cheaper.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/16404238
My current big bike adjusts from 440-445mm, it's fine but 450-455mm would be finer IMO (I have tried those CS lengths before).
This isn’t mine, it was on Craigslist for a while nearby but I think it needs to be in these comments.
Personally I can't say, I'm riding excellent Al frames but they are not made in Europe for sure
I really wanted them to succeed - fix their problems and stop iterating for 5 mins.
I had a stamina 140 or order for months.
But the attitude from Leo and the lack of customer service drove me to request a refund and bail out. If anyone was on the Facebook page, they may remember the nonsense of people getting banned if they weren’t full of praise.
The design iterations reeked of a “try and see” approach instead of a considered Root Cause Analysis and proper engineering. Not appropriate for a consumer product, but people would justify it because it’s boutique. But boutique shouldn’t mean crap.
Not shocked that a self trained “engineer” couldn’t problem solve. Doing pretty pictures in CAD is not engineering.
I remember having my Transition Scout serviced sometime in 2019, and the lbs loaned me a Pole Evolink demo bike in the meanwhile. While I loved my Scout, the Evolink was just so much more capable. I was (and am) a pretty slow rider, but I felt like I’d unlocked a few cheat codes while riding on it.
However, even then I remember being weirded out by how Pole was run. They’d just brought out the Machine a while ago, then the Stamina like a year after. Which ofcourse looked great on paper and even rode wonderfully when I demoed one, but didn’t feel like participating in public beta testing. Which of course turned out to be a great decision in hindsight.
Shame really, had the potential to be great bikes.
Bird doesn't get enough credit
www.pinkbike.com/news/nicolai-mojo-geometron-first-ride-2015.html
I probably fit that description. I love the bike because it is way overbuilt (I'm a 6'4" clydesdale) and it's easy to ride.
Sounds just like mindless dudebro trash talk.
- very low anti squat made it pedal like cr@p
- crazy low BB made it hit any pebble on climbs, the low anti-squat made it even worse
- all bearings were of very bad quality
- the shock bolts were made of cheese. Went through 3 while I had the bike
Crazy good looking frame tho, and probably the best cornering bike I ever had
Uhm, it's actually the bursting of the Covid bubble. This is the thinking that got bike companies in trouble in the first place.
for me pole bike became not interesting after they switched to new design, violin series was amazing tho
Hoping someone steps in and saves Pole, so they can keep innovating + I will probably need spares for my Voima down the road.
That being said, the comparison to that specific Specialized Enduro isn't entirely fair. That specific model generation had come out in 2012, so not surprising it looks dated by 2016. In late 2016 Specialized even unveiled a new generation that's much more modern in comparison. Why not compare it to that one?
I only move in ebike circles, so that what I see people buying.
I still think the sonni was a big miss. Looked bad with the ball sack motor and directly competed with voima sales.
Plus the constant breaking voima swing arms, upto revision 4 just before bankruptcy, really wasn't doing them any favours.
- They turn like a 747 taxing down LAX
- Manualing is like doing a 400lb dead lift
- Smack pedals on 1" rocks
- Steep seat tube angles are inefficient and kills your quads
He’s not wrong though… Modern bikes fix some problems and create others…
Well let’s start with pedal strikes: they didn’t happen Regularly, until around 2015. 29” wheels are great in a straight line, or on modern wide open trails. But on old hiking trails they don’t turn very well, compared to 26” and 27.5” bikes. Next, the longer the reach, the further the handlebars are in front of you, which requires more effort to manual and wheelie. Crazy long wheelbases make the super steep much easier but make regular trails feel like your “road biking on dirt”. The steeper seat tubes give me quad leg cramps, which don’t used to happen, and also don’t happen when I ride my gravel bike.
I would agree that a modern bike is more versatile, but that doesn’t make it better necessarily. What I mean by this is that a modern enduro bike is versatile enough to ride at a ski resort, but a dh bike will always be a better choice for that type of riding. Modern bikes are also heavier as a result of all the “long/low/slacking” of the frames. Weight is the enemy for long days on regular trails.
I ride a conservative modern bike ( Although still long low and slack: 485 reach , 65 degree head angle 76 degree seat tube, 27.5”) and had to go down in the travel range to get back the feel of mountain biking, versus a train going down hill on rails that I felt on some modern bikes ( Specialized enduro 29”)
I tried out wide handlebars, which caused shoulder problems, and went back to a nice 750mm. Much easier to lean the bike over and go thru tight trees.
Hope this is specific enough for you.
I mean… you did ask me to be specific.
Seriously though, wheelies and manuals aren’t “useless tricks” they’re essential skills to navigate slow speed ( technical) drops and jumps. Pedal strikes happen more often to myself and others in my riding group, who all have different length crank arms. As for the weight thing, if you have to hit the weight room to ride your bike, that should tell you that the weight is becoming a problem: there are trail bikes that weigh as much as my dh bike ( which is full coil, Alu frame and wheels).
I mean that was a picture of incredibly average MTB tech in its day. Actually, their current line-up still uses geo that is very old-school. While I rode the bike back then and it was "nice" it I struggle to see any aspects of change it brought to the market?!