We got up close and personal with the new Pole Stamina 140 at today’s Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California.
Previously dubbed the Bushmaster, apparently that name was in use, so Pole logically chose to name it in line with the existing Stamina 180. It features the raw machined aluminium look of the Pole Machine although, unlike that bike, which is machined in two halves and then bonded and bolted together, Pole is confident enough in its construction that it has removed the bolted aspect of the frame.
The Stamina 140 is a 140mm all-round fun trail bike with 29in wheels and pretty modern geometry, with 64°/78° angles and a reach of 500mm for a size large.
This is the first time we’d seen one in the flesh, and designer Leo Kokkonen was happy to show us some of the finer details. He was particularly proud of the weight (13.2kg/29.1lbs) and the lateral stiffness (very)…
Leo reckons that most riders would get on just as well on the bigger Pole Stamina 180, but admits that some riders aren’t going to be going flat out all the time and might enjoy the slightly shorter travel.
Compared to the Stamina 180, the 140 has enlarged bearings, which allow for shorter linkages due to the larger bearing diameter. The swingarm pivots are three-piece too, with a keyed axle much like a crank. This allows easy replacement of, say, just a single side of a rear end if you damage it.
Huck Norris 2.0 Prototypes spotted
Pole and Huck Norris, the rim protection system both share a designer in Leo and he had some prototypes of the new Huck Norris system he’s working on. The new version will have dual (or even triple) density foam to improve rim protection and reduce bounce when bottoming out. There are no release dates yet, and Leo reckons there’s still another season of testing to go, but you heard it here first…
For more on the Pole Stamina 140, have a look here: polebicycles.com
And hucknorris.com
Comments (6)
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I kow a guy who bought one of these and it literally fell in to two pieces as the joint where the frame is glued together completey failed. I hope they get this sorted as it looks like a geat bike to ride.
@pmurden did he have one of these new non-bolted only bonded models? All the earlier Stamina have bolts and glue holding them together. Did the bolts snap too?
SA angle looks very steep, which isnt a bad thing
I find it extraordinary that they’ve managed to use this method to get a 29lb bike. When you look at tube wall thicknesses on a normal welded frame, it’s hard to imagine that they could get machining close.
I don’t know whether I’m super-impressed, or a little worried about their longevity. I really hope they succeed with this.
@AlexSimon I believe they use a different aluminium alloy for the machined frames, stronger and stiffer one. But I agree it will be interesting to see how these frame fare in the long term.
@pmurden Sorry mate, but sounds like BS. The Stamina frames (*i think) haven’t started deliveries yet. If it’s one of the earlier, first gen Machine models then have the bolts snapped? I’d be surprised.