Earlier in the year, Andi took delivery of a Pole Taival frameset, a bike that has helped rekindle his love of steel hardtails once again.
I've had a lot of history when it comes to hardtails, and it's only been the past 5 or so years that I've really bonded with full-suspension bikes. Friends who have ridden with me over the years will remember how I would often purchase a full-suspension bike only to swap the frame out to a hardtail after a few months because I "couldn't feel what the bike
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Andi is a gadget guru and mountain biker who has lived and ridden bikes in China and Spain before settling down in the Peak District to become Singletrack's social media expert. He is definitely more big travel fun than XC sufferer but his bike collection does include some rare hardtails - He's a collector and curator as well as a rider. Theory and practice in perfect balance with his inner chi, or something. As well as living life based on what he last read in a fortune cookie Andi likes nothing better than riding big travel bikes.
13 thoughts on “Review: The Pole Taival Frameset is long but not unwieldy”
I would contend that 18 bikes got there first with this kind of geometry on a steel hardtail on their No.9 and No.7. (Which both have a 31.6 mm seat tubes as well.)
Pole are probably the first big(ish) manufacturer though.
@Hatter Nothing to contend I don’t claim the Taival is the first ✌️
Nice to see a seatstay brake mount. Chainstay mounts are a nightmare to get a tool on the rear bolt. What size rotor are you running? That’s a skyscraper adaptor.
“Overall: You owe yourself a ride on my Pole” – I’m having a ‘Benny Hill’ moment, cue the music…
You make it sound very tempting. Thankfully, they haven’t got my size in stock.
@brakestoomuch it’s a very good bike, way better than I expected it to be in all honesty. I thought I would find it too long, but I’ve enjoyed it so much I might replace the Izzo with an Evolink
@gbozo49 haha, I should have made a video like that
@JimTrailrider 203mm front and rear
A shame we now have to fork out 20 % VAT + import duty 10-20% + courier fees, potentially bringing the cost of a frame up 40 % 🙁 It’s really a bummer.
Finally some bikes not made in Taiwan! More please!
By the way Andy, I see there’re a few internal routing holes in the frame… Hope you are not planning to use it as a winter bike! Or is it OK, with lots of frame preserver in there?
Looks a fantastic bike anyway and the geometry figures are truly surprising. Makes me think of a Geometron except this is a hardtail!
@ceds I believe the Taival and Evolink are made in Taiwan, it’s only the CNC machined stuff from Finland. As for import duties that is a shame but the price quoted is without VAT, I think in the EU it’s more like €900 a frame. There are no internal routing holes, other than the dropper post, those other holes are for bottle cages and accessories. Cheers
I would contend that 18 bikes got there first with this kind of geometry on a steel hardtail on their No.9 and No.7. (Which both have a 31.6 mm seat tubes as well.)
Pole are probably the first big(ish) manufacturer though.
@Hatter Nothing to contend I don’t claim the Taival is the first ✌️
Nice to see a seatstay brake mount. Chainstay mounts are a nightmare to get a tool on the rear bolt. What size rotor are you running? That’s a skyscraper adaptor.
“Overall: You owe yourself a ride on my Pole” – I’m having a ‘Benny Hill’ moment, cue the music…
You make it sound very tempting. Thankfully, they haven’t got my size in stock.
@brakestoomuch it’s a very good bike, way better than I expected it to be in all honesty. I thought I would find it too long, but I’ve enjoyed it so much I might replace the Izzo with an Evolink
@gbozo49 haha, I should have made a video like that
@JimTrailrider 203mm front and rear
A shame we now have to fork out 20 % VAT + import duty 10-20% + courier fees, potentially bringing the cost of a frame up 40 % 🙁 It’s really a bummer.
Finally some bikes not made in Taiwan! More please!
By the way Andy, I see there’re a few internal routing holes in the frame… Hope you are not planning to use it as a winter bike! Or is it OK, with lots of frame preserver in there?
Looks a fantastic bike anyway and the geometry figures are truly surprising. Makes me think of a Geometron except this is a hardtail!
@ceds I believe the Taival and Evolink are made in Taiwan, it’s only the CNC machined stuff from Finland. As for import duties that is a shame but the price quoted is without VAT, I think in the EU it’s more like €900 a frame. There are no internal routing holes, other than the dropper post, those other holes are for bottle cages and accessories. Cheers
stif Squatch anyone?!