2017 Pinkbike Awards: Innovation of the Year Winner
Why it's the winner:
Darrell Voss' Naild R3ACT rear suspension, the Specialized WU dropper post, and BMC's Trailsync system, are all innovations that sprang forth from highly evolved products. Each, in its own way, breaks free from the stagnation of creativity that is so often the byproduct of incremental improvement. The WU dropper suggests that lowering the saddle is only half the solution, and that adjusting its angle completes the descending equation. With one click, BMC's Trailsync system configures the Speedfox's saddle height and rear suspension for the task at hand, and also challenges status quo by integrating the mandatory dropper post into the frame design. Naild R3ACT, however, takes that concept further.
Naild R3ACT rear suspension earns the win because it deconstructs the entire process that brought modern suspension to where it is today, and aptly demonstrates that there is, in fact, a simpler solution to keeping the wheels on the ground without wasting the rider's energy. Designer Darrell Voss suggests that fixating upon the notion that the perfect dual-suspension chassis should pedal like a rigid, unsuspended bike has led frame and suspension designers to engineer a succession of band-aid fixes. Arguably, today's suspension designs perform quite well, but they are complicated, expensive, and have reached the road's end for significant improvement. Naild R3ACT launches a new dialogue, that if suspension designers stopped worshiping false gods and took a different approach, supple suspension and efficient pedaling could co-exist in other forms as well.
From the First Ride:
 | At a moment when the sport is choking on carbon caviar, Voss and Polygon offer a simpler alternative: How about we skip the science class and ride one bike that can do just about anything we'll ever need a mountain bike for? The Square One EX 9 is not perfect, but it's darn close, and it's a first try. R3ACT suspension, and the bicycles that are built around it, are only going to improve, which is bound to light a fire under the butts of some of Polygon's very conspicuous competitors. Just when we thought that trail bikes couldn't get much better, Voss and company leave the industry with no other option. |
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What the hell is this then?
no prob
also what is the genius? i failed to see anything extraordinary
photobucket.com/gallery/user/yoeddy1/media/bWVkaWFJZDoxNzU3MTE=/?ref
@tripleringsaintdead, @toeclipsaintdead
Note that he is wearing climbing shoes in that image, at least 15 years ahead of 5.10
Thank you to the brave ones, sleepless nights and countless disappointments so that maybe this time this one will work. When I look back to my very first bike when I was 3 and a half years old to the bikes that we can ride now, I am thankful for the innovators who never gave up even though there was sure to be many failures along the way.
So happy for the winner! I can personally only vouch for one of the innovated products as its the only one I've tried; Darrell Voss' Naild R3act suspension - The Polygon XQUARONE. The first time I heard that we were going to have a new bike and it would be a bit different I was thinking " oh dear ". I don't much like change, when it comes to parts on my bike or frames I'm not much up for changing things, I like to keep my old gloves, helmet, knee pads etc. So something as out there as the new Polygon was going to be a shock for sure.
Sure enough, I got to try the bike for myself, hesitantly'! I took the Morzine lift as far as it could go then continued on the bike riding up up and up. Anyone who really knows me knows that I hate riding uphills, yeah I ride up hills for training but I don't ride up hills for fun. I found that this was an easy way to get up the hill, I finally understood why people enjoyed riding up hills; the wind in your hair, sweat dripping down your face, legs burning, such a good sensation. Finally I have found a bike that minimized the struggle I felt riding up the hill, the platform stays the same whether you are on flat ground or hit an up hill, and the best thing was when you hit the single track with rocks and roots it wasn't such an intense struggle to giddy up over the obstacles, the rear end of the bike kind of moments over the terrain to create a smoother riding experience over the technical, single track, up hill riding.
I guess the most importan part for me in trail riding is the down part, never have I ever been on a bike I've enjoyed riding down that gets me up the hill in, at least, half a good mood. I guess I never understood climbing for hours up a hill to ride the same bike down.
When I was told my Xquareone had 8in of travel in the rear end I said “you can get stuffed" I ain't riding that up the hill. However, after riding it up ^^ and still having energy left in the tank, I had nothing left to do but test this bad boy on the downs. Man was I shocked, tbh at first I thought I had a flat tire, I literally pulled my bike over and felt for a flat ( very common I've since found out ) and nope, I still had full air pressure. I continued and realized I wasn't used to having this kind of traction in the rear, and it literally felt like my tire was sticking to the ground like I had a flat. I committed to jumps and drops and huge turns, like never before, I had the most amazing time that I've ever had on a trail bike. No wonder, with the suspension of a downhill bike its like being on one.
Out of the box I was shocked at the look of the bike, "oh dear" is exactly what I thought. Have you ever judged a book by its cover? A person by there looks? Then later realize that you have forgotten what they look like because the book was such an adventurous read? Or the person has a personality that shines like the sun!
The Xquareone has an adventurous personality and shines like the sun, I can't see what the bike used to look like I can only see how it makes me feel.
Tracey Hannah
Taking nothing away from Tantrum, or Brian, they are not the same thing.
A hardtail with a 170mm fork and burly tires is still a bitch to pedal.
120-130mm out back is already super efficient and effective for aggressive trail and AM riding with trail tires and a 150mm fork. There is very little I can't handle on my 150/130 bike with a good damper. Beyond what it can handle is true DH turf - then I bring out the real DH rig.
Its only when you realize you can let go of a long travel bike, filled with bandaids to mask its sucky pedaling, can you then come back to reality and run a modest travel rig.
The length people will go just so they can be "over-biked".
youtu.be/yxJWjt3RTlM
Thinking about it, I can't really argue. Being able to rotate the rear wheel with your hand and locking the suspension when cornering downhill... it IS innovative. ????♂️ Maybe next year someone will win for a bike that explodes when you pedal it.
"This Polygon has to be one of the most charismatic and contradictory bikes of the last decade, and how it performs matches that description as well. It's a hard bike to pin down given that it pedals with the efficiency of a decent trail bike but possesses downhill rig descending capabilities. In theory, this should make it the mythical 'one bike' that so many cliches are usually attached to, but I don't believe that to be the case with the EX9. Everything has to compromise in one way or another, and the big Polygon's concession is that it's just too much of a blunt smashing tool for me to fall in love with it. But if you're the kind of rider who either has to or wants to pedal to the summit, yet also wants what is essentially a sharp handling downhill bike in disguise, the EX9 might be just the ticket."
— Mike Levy
Everyone who tried it agree the claims are true, tho.
Geo is wrong for a shorter travel bike and there’s no way around it. The BB is too high and weight shifts cause the suspension to compress a bunch on both ends compared to a shorter travel bike. It isn’t the same and never will be the same no matter how well a bike pedals.
I talked about travel but a 180mm bike is realllyyyyy long! I would like a 150/160mm as it would be a little bit shorter, more playful (doesn't automatically means that but you know what I mean..), etc. Not only a travel thing.
Mondraker started it all.