The latest bikes on the block. We check out Polygon’s Xtrada 6 hardtail, Cube’s Stereo 160 SL all- mountain bike and Bianchi’s Grizzly 29.3 XC whip
£750 How does this sweet-riding frameset shape up on the trail?
Available with a choice of wheel sizes and transmissions, Polygon’s Xtrada 6 impresses on less technical terrain, with a good-quality ride and an up-to-date cockpit that gives fast steering reactions. Unfortunately, the geometry comes up a bit short when it comes to getting rad.
The frame
Polygon are relatively new to the UK but they dominate the massive market of their Malaysian homeland and surrounding areas. They’ve also got a history of making frames for other medium to high-profile brands, and that experience shows on the Xtrada. While the 44mm head tube is set up with internal bearings for the straight-steerer fork, it’d be a simple job to fit an oversize lower bearing if you wanted to upgrade to a tapered fork. The extensively hydroformed (pressure shaped) alloy tubeset also includes a tapered, flat, hex-shaped top tube and a curved, squarish down tube that flares out at the bottom bracket (BB) for extra sti ness. Tapering S-bend rear stays smooth out the ride over rougher ground.
Gear cables and the rear brake hose are routed internally through the mainframe, and the front mech is a direct-mount version. The IS, rather than post mount, rear brake attachment is a bit dated, though, and there’s not much clearance for mud around the 29x2.25in tyres. It’s a quick-release (QR) skewer rather than a 142x12mm bolt-through axle holding the back wheel in too, but that’s the case on every £750 bike we’ve tested this year.
The kit
While the small frame size comes with 650b wheels and the XL with 29in, riders who fall between the two extremes can choose whichever size they prefer or best suits their proportions. The big wheels on our test bike added extra rolling smoothness, and the Schwalbe Tough Tom tyres (basically a cheap version of the old Nobby Nic design) are OK for the money. You can also choose a 1x10 transmission version of the bike (with reversed frame colours) if you want to be a bit more modern. Either way, the Shimano
Deore brakes are basic and woodenfeeling but reliable. The coil-sprung Suntour XCR fork gets a lockout for smooth climbs but struggles to cope with bigger hits and is heavy too. The skinny 27.2mm seatpost gives some spring under the saddle and Polygon have fitted a super-short 35mm stem and reasonably wide 760mm bar.
The ride
Together with bigger-than-average saddle layback, an already slack (sub 72-degree) seat angle gives the Xtrada a lively and light bar feel. Put that on top of a 69.5-degree head angle and it’s quick to nip and tuck between trees on tight singletrack. The frame itself is impressively lively in the way it responds to smaller bumps too, skipping over roots and rocks. It’s enough to make the Tough Tom tyres, which have felt wooden on other bikes we’ve tested recently, seem relatively smooth too. That makes it a lot of fun to twist, turn and tweak through old-school, low-speed, self-propelled natural singletrack. The choice of hard-compound 29er tyres means it carries speed well when cruising, too.
Unfortunately, the Xtrada struggles when the trail starts getting steeper and lumpier. Polygon’s claim that their ‘FWG’ geometry is more progressive for aggressive trail riding literally doesn’t measure up. The head angle is super-steep by modern standards and the reach is short (435mm on the large), so the bike soon feels nervous and twitchy as speed or the downward gradient increases. Combined with the really short stem, the short reach also cramps breathing space significantly if you’re giving it full throttle up a long climb or in any other potentially competitive situation. Overall weight is 500 to 1,000g heavier than is typical for the price and category, too.
The fork surrenders control quickly even over moderate-sized hits and, while the larger wheels help smooth out smaller impacts compared to 650b hoops, the Xtrada is soon on the defensive in more demanding terrain, whatever the cockpit might suggest.
Smooth-riding frame with wheel/gear options, but fork and geometry let it down on rougher trails