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Pole Bikes hates Ridemonkey

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,141
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
Also the delivery and CS problems scare me more than Leo's ego. Though if you think you never do anything wrong problems in your company are a given.
I'm not sure why they chose not to address the actual issue, how the hell did they manage to send PB a prototype swing-arm in the first place? Why won't it happen to a consumer?

Honestly, if you know you're sending the world's largest MTB site a frame for a bike shoot-out, shouldn't you be going over that one with a fine tooth comb? I'd be replacing bearings with ceramic, lubing up cables, bleeding brakes in a vacuum chamber, putting weed and 100-Looney bills in the seat-tube etc.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,397
10,866
AK
I'm not sure why they chose not to address the actual issue, how the hell did they manage to send PB a prototype swing-arm in the first place? Why won't it happen to a consumer?
Because for people like that, it’s always “someone else’s fault”...ahem...cough...hackwhitehousecough...

Honestly, if you know you're sending the world's largest MTB site a frame for a bike shoot-out, shouldn't you be going over that one with a fine tooth comb? I'd be replacing bearings with ceramic, lubing up cables, bleeding brakes in a vacuum chamber, putting weed and 100-Looney bills in the seat-tube etc.
Hell, I’d even put more shims in there.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
It's not a prototype when they mail it. It BECOMES a prototype when it breaks, and even then, only if there are pictures on the internet and someone talks about it. Come on guys it's a process! He probably just didn't want to bore you with details, looks like he was trying to keep that blog post brief :rofl:
 

xy9ine

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
2,940
353
vancouver eastside
So pretty much a bad bike.
it wasn't a bad bike to ride. but otherwise, yeah. that said, most bikes sucked back then, and everything was breaking. the rm6 that preceded the 7 was an abomination. 1.5" stroke shock (4:1 leverage), and a spindly swingarm cross section that was comically flexy. needless to say, many of those frames were killed up here.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,397
10,866
AK
Somehow RM got a reputation far beyond what they deserved, so many fucked up bikes, the pipeline, the RM6, the RM9 with 9” of travel and an extra 2” of play, etsx, it wasn’t just a few bad bikes, it was like Gary Fisher-levels of incompetence as far as designing FS bikes. RM hit the free ride marketing heavily and they were Canadian, so maybe that accounts for it.
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norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,506
1,722
Warsaw :/
I'm not sure why they chose not to address the actual issue, how the hell did they manage to send PB a prototype swing-arm in the first place? Why won't it happen to a consumer?

Honestly, if you know you're sending the world's largest MTB site a frame for a bike shoot-out, shouldn't you be going over that one with a fine tooth comb? I'd be replacing bearings with ceramic, lubing up cables, bleeding brakes in a vacuum chamber, putting weed and 100-Looney bills in the seat-tube etc.
Because:

a) this wasn't a prototype swing arm

b) they thought they'd game the system by sending a better version of their bike that's unavailable to the public.

both are stupid.
 

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,779
462
MA
Doesn't every Pole review talk about how the chain grinds and rubs the chain/seat stay brace? Perhaps they did actually receive a 'prototype'.
 

xy9ine

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
2,940
353
vancouver eastside
Like brody, norco, dekerf and balfa?.......I see a theme

Cuz not everything sucked and was breaking down here ;)
what wasn't breaking for you guys? we certainly went through piles of Santa cruzes, and intenses were pretty fragile as well. I recall turners being fairly solid tho.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,397
10,866
AK
Because:

a) this wasn't a prototype swing arm

b) they thought they'd game the system by sending a better version of their bike that's unavailable to the public.

both are stupid.
Maybe not, the Stamina is delayed and not being delivered...leading one to think they are doing that "super fast running changes upgrades" to fix the problem. Coincidence that it fails, they offer up a reinforced version and "mysteriously" the production models are delayed...

We are very soon up to date on our production schedule
The last two years have been a big challenge for our company. We have quadrupled our sales, and it has overwhelmed our production and service. We have tried to limit the growth problems by hiring more people and doubling our production capacity that could handle the double amount of production that is going on right now. The ramp-up has not been easy, but now we are finding our feet. We are still pursuing the ultimate product and service that we set the company for in the first place. We politely ask you to bear with us because we are nearly there and you will be riding the best bike ever very soon!
NEW STAMINA SWINGARM CONSTRUCTION
As you might know, after the release new SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) and the feedback from the Enduro Mountain Bike Magazine test, we decided to rework the whole construction of the swingarm. The new rear end construction reduces the chain slap with Chris Kovarick’s invention STFUBike. The patented new swingarm construction is more durable. You can see the new construction from here.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
7,921
7,338
Why not change the thread title to "Ridemonkey Hates Pole Bikes"?
What a fuckin' negative circlejerk this thread is, we have no facts but we know all the facts!
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,506
1,722
Warsaw :/
Why not change the thread title to "Ridemonkey Hates Pole Bikes"?
What a fuckin' negative circlejerk this thread is, we have no facts but we know all the facts!
Did you complain when people pissed on Lopes or anyone else? If not why start here?

We're making fun of the owner since yeah his personality is creating problems for the company. I say this as someone who was interested in their bikes and still kinda am but the CS issues mentioned here make me warier.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,506
1,722
Warsaw :/
Maybe not, the Stamina is delayed and not being delivered...leading one to think they are doing that "super fast running changes upgrades" to fix the problem. Coincidence that it fails, they offer up a reinforced version and "mysteriously" the production models are delayed...
This points out to answer a. This wasn't a prototype swingarm. Imho it's a dick move on PB side to publicize it and not the other bike and we kinda don't know if it's a freak accident and imho it's good they are buffing it so kudos for that.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,397
10,866
AK
This points out to answer a. This wasn't a prototype swingarm. Imho it's a dick move on PB side to publicize it and not the other bike and we kinda don't know if it's a freak accident and imho it's good they are buffing it so kudos for that.
At least one review is ending in something other than "all these bikes pedal great and are poppy fun and are all the same". That is definitely something good in the industry.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,506
1,722
Warsaw :/
At least one review is ending in something other than "all these bikes pedal great and are poppy fun and are all the same". That is definitely something good in the industry.
Yeah mentioning problems and being honest is good. The bad thing is it only happens for companies that don't spend money on ads.
 

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,141
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
This points out to answer a. This wasn't a prototype swingarm. Imho it's a dick move on PB side to publicize it and not the other bike and we kinda don't know if it's a freak accident and imho it's good they are buffing it so kudos for that.
Have they not publicized the other snapped frame? I thought they were waiting until the review is published, like they did with the Pile?

Say what you will about Pinkbike, but they do seem to publish their broken bikes no matter how much advertising the company buys, Yeti, unless you think they break way more bikes than they're showing.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,522
5,244
Delays, bad CS, breaking bikes, accusatory responses. Don’t see this going well for Pole.
 

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,141
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
What do you guys think PB would have changed? Do you suspect the "original" article was just a non-stop bash of the bike?

Only thing I see that they may have added was the explanation as to why they declined the replacement swing-arm. Unless you think that's all a lie, but seeing as how they have all the footage from the testing and mention it being the fastest bike of the test multiple times, I'm inclined to take PB's word that this isn't a rewritten piece influenced by the Illuminati.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,522
5,244
Agreed @maxyedor. Think they just added the new section and maybe the swingarm replacement/video shoot bit. Could have responded much more strongly, but they've taken the high road. Pole is getting slagged by the comment section and former customers... and anyone w/ an opinion. Pole could take a lesson from all this. Based on what I've seen, I'm not holding my breath.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
89,244
27,439
media blackout
What do you guys think PB would have changed? Do you suspect the "original" article was just a non-stop bash of the bike?

Only thing I see that they may have added was the explanation as to why they declined the replacement swing-arm. Unless you think that's all a lie, but seeing as how they have all the footage from the testing and mention it being the fastest bike of the test multiple times, I'm inclined to take PB's word that this isn't a rewritten piece influenced by the Illuminati.
they should have let RC review it.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,522
5,244
Just saw the huck to flat. That was 2.5ft of air dropping to flat? Even with a pinkbike ruler, that was tiny! Big time design/manufacturing mistake there Pole.