Field Test Review: 2024 Pole Onni - In the Eye of the Beholder

What about swapping between rear wheel sizes? All you need to do is simply install your preference - no need to alter any geometry-saving flip-chips. According to Pole, riders wishing for a 29” wheel will be looking for steeper angles anyway.


Our test frame arrived with no way to mount a water bottle, but Pole has since added the ability to carry up to two bottles, one on the top tube and the other under the downtube. I tip my hat to the tidy looks of the integrated seat clamp, although the two-bolt design requires attention to torque the bolts evenly and eliminate the post from slipping.

Outside of the SRAM AXS components, a list of unconventional parts further separates the Onni from the norm. Braking duties are called upon from Hayes Dominion A4s and mounted to a 50mm rise Title AH1 bar. Mavic’s alloy Deemax wheels are laced with bladed spokes and a hub that relies on just 15 degrees of engagement. For such an exotic-looking bike, especially one made in Finland, the Onni's $6,952 price tag is fairly reasonable.





Climbing

Don’t judge a book by its cover. The industrial looks of the Onni are gangly, but it’s no slouch on the climbs. Three of those key factors lie in the seated position, suspension, and ground clearance.

All functions of excellent pedaling performance in any bike can go out the window if the seated position is disregarded. Pole has chosen a steep 79-degree seat tube angle that positions the rider over top of the bottom bracket, so there’s no worry of slipping off the back of the seat. That’s backed up by an even weight distribution between the wheels and avoids unwanted wheelies with a 448mm rear center.

Up front the slack 63.5-degree head tube angle can flop from side to side in tighter switchbacks, although that can be managed by arranging the bar height to suit whether you want the bike to shine brightest while climbing or descending. This area is always going to be a compromise that swings in one direction.

As with other bikes that have steep seat tube angles and slacker head tube angles, the effective top tube can sometimes feel cramped. If you’re on the upper limits of the frame size, you might need to actually move the seat further back in the rails to open up that zone, or even consider a larger frame size.

The suspension lends a helping hand to keep it riding high in the travel, and it's efficient enough that the climb switch saw minimal use. There's a good deal of support at the beginning and middle of the travel, making this a bike that generates speed well when pumping through rolling terrain.

The relatively high bottom bracket height means that there's no need to worry about smacking pedals when pedaling through chunky bits of trail, although the flip side to that geometry characteristic did show up while descending.



Descending

The Onni has a seriously stiff frame. When ridden through the bike park brake bumps and on other high speed chattery sections of trail, the frame sends that feedback through the rider. That stiffness also made it challenging for the wheels to find grip, since the bike literally wants to vibrate out of turns. When it comes to comfort, the Onni is the polar opposite of the Chromag Lowdown.

Not even the most “coil-like” of all the air shocks, the RockShox Vivid, could add much small bump compliance or save it from severe bottom-outs. I played with the rear shock pressures, hoping the Onni sitting lower would take care of that compliance issue. Of course, that only went so far and led to blowing through the travel even on more mundane compressions along the trail. Even with a progressive suspension curve and hydraulic bottom out control, the Onni still lets you know when all of the travel is used. During one or two of those “oh shit” moments, I thought I left the rear half of the bike behind.

Jumping back to the high-speed corners, staying planted is a challenge due to the high bottom bracket. It’s tippy, difficult to feel secure when railing high-speed turns, and can even feel like the front wheel will tuck easily if caught off guard when turning through undulating terrain.

The Onni isn't a bike for someone that wants to be carried down the hill on a soft pillow. It requires an attentive, active, and strong rider, ideally one that doesn't mind the challenges that come from the higher bottom bracket and unforgiving frame. The fact that it can also be configured as a downhill bike does give it an element of versatility that not many bikes possess. Theoretically, you could ride it in enduro mode when the lifts are closed, and then install a longer shock and a dual crown fork and have a 200mm DH race machine when race season begins.




Technical Report

Mavic Deemax wheels: I barely recognized the black-out Deemax wheels because the last time I had these underneath me they were bright yellow 26" hoops. These wheels use straight-pull, bladed spokes and Mavic's unique UST rims construction with a fully enclosed inner rim surface. The ID360 ratchet design gives off a sound similar to a DT Swiss hub and have 15 degrees of engagement, although I'd prefer a tighter degree of engagement for faster pick up.

Title AH1 35 alloy bars: Aside from the high 50mm rise, these alloy bars from Title are built with and 8-degree backsweep and 5-degree upsweep. They don't use the same flex characteristics as the unique square shape of the FORM model handlebars, but added some comfort to the Onni. Plus, they receive the EFBE TRI-TEST GR badge of trust.

Hayes Dominion A4 brake: Another welcomed component bolted to the Onni were the four-piston stoppers from Hayes. Its funny how their system hasn't changed in five years but they seem to be gaining traction with high-level riders and elite teams lately. The power turns on with what I'd consider the lightest action of all the popular brakes on the market, even more so than TRP's DH-EVO, plus along you can adjust the reach with a dial and the pad engagement with a small allen key.

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