Consider: The Polygon Strattos S8X Checks Every Area on a Funds

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Have a look by way of the Instagram recommendations hooked as a lot as our bike critiques, and likewise you’ll uncover a widespread sentiment: the bikes are too dear. The Polygon Strattos S8X is susceptible to be the reply to that very query.

In your cash, you get a freeway bike that appears to examine each self-discipline. There’s a carbon physique and fork, carbon wheels to match, and a Shimano Ultegra Di2 drivetrain on prime of it. For people who’re looking for a motorbike that appears to punch above its price stage, the Strattos S8X appears to do exactly that, a minimal of on paper.

And that price stage is spectacular. Polygon’s North American and Australian distributor Bikes On-line lists this bike at merely $3,199, although it is attainable you may typically uncover it on sale for tons quite a bit a lot much less. There should be corners lower, appropriate?

Is the physique any good? What about these wheels, masses quite a bit a lot much less the remainder of the bike? We spent a while with the Strattos S8X to look out out.

Fast hits: Seven factors to know concerning the Polygon Strattos S8X

• Polygon Strattos is the model’s ‘endurance’ freeway bike
• There are a choice of iterations of the Strattos: the ‘8’ signifies the assemble gear, whereas the ‘X’ signifies the top-level physique
• Cables are routed by way of the headset, permitting for a swap between stems and bars considerably merely
• Max tire clearance: 700c x 32 mm
• Geometry is firmly that of an all-round freeway bike
• Six sizes, XS to XXL
• For additional: bikesonline.com

Particulars

Polygon has been spherical since 1989, nonetheless you almost certainly wouldn’t know for a lot of who’re all through the world West. The Indonesian company builds its bikes in Indonesia, however it absolutely completely didn’t hit Europe till 2011, and North America till 2014. At present, they’re probably better acknowledged for providing high-value mountain bikes, nonetheless in addition to they’ve a fairly strong lineup of freeway bikes obtainable.

The Strattos little doubt seems the half. The whole carbon physique, principally inside cable routing, hints of aero tubing, and the clear pearlescent paint scheme look the half. The Shimano Ultegra Di2 drivetrain and carbon wheels discovered on this Strattos S8X are wholly convincing too. Strive the physique as efficiently and likewise you’ll uncover additional bins ticked.

There’s a Token headset that routes its hoses externally beneath its stem prior to routing into the headset better. The seat submit wedge for the 27.2 mm spherical seat submit is tucked away into the seat tube cluster. That’s paired with a press match backside PF86 backside bracket and customary by axles in addition to. Press match backside brackets have the fame they do for a motive, nonetheless PF86 has confirmed to be dependable when used with Shimano cranks.

Try the seat tube (and the as soon as extra of the fork crown!) and likewise you’ll see a UCI approval sticker (and one which’s not fake as seen on a British Conti crew presently). There are truncated airfoil tubes all alongside the bike that give it an aero look. Nonetheless, the look is a bit utterly completely completely different from its Helios A, which has a myriad of devoted aero tubes and effectivity. Correct proper right here’s its slimmer, smaller, and lighter, a minimal of all through the prime tube and seat stays.

Polygon specs a zero-setback carbon seat submit out as soon as extra, nonetheless up entrance is an alloy Polygon-branded stem and an alloy handlebar. That is the place it is attainable you may inform some prices have been lower, on account of the bar has a considerably unusual kind that doesn’t fairly match the 70 mm attain claims by any means. Beneath that’s the Token better headset cowl and matching non-round headset spacers. That headset cowl significantly has 4 holes in it–two are open presumably for mechanical shift housing– which is likely to be left uncovered.

I must moreover phrase that, a minimal of all through the U.S. Polygon is a direct-to-consumer model. This makes its packaging and build-out-of-the-box all of the additional necessary. Fortuitously, Polygon and BikesOnline did job correct proper right here. The bike confirmed up with a small scratch on a seat maintain, nonetheless the bike full was well-packaged.

Inserting throughout the bars and seat submit was pretty straightforward, on account of the bike obtained proper right here with a serious torque wrench and a small packet of carbon paste. I did uncover the doorway brake caliper was so misaligned with the rotor that it prevented the doorway wheel from being put in. The bar tape had gaps in it that necessitated a rewrap as efficiently. Each brakes wanted to be mattress in prior to use as efficiently.

If that is your first time organising a motorbike, I’d ponder enlisting a assured good good buddy to assist out, or better nonetheless paying an expert bike mechanic to assemble the bike.

Claimed weight of an entire Polygon Strattos S8X is eighteen.1 kilos (8.2 kg) in a dimension M. My dimension S bike weighed in on the 8.15 kg (17.97 kilos).

Geometry

Polygon markets the Strattos S8X and S7X as endurance bikes. They aren’t endurance bikes, a minimal of not all through the everyday sense.

Attain and stack numbers all by the small sizes are extended and low. Seat tube angles are decidedly on the steep side in most sizes, which when paired the zero-setback seatpost that comes with these bikes, areas the rider in an aggressive place. Even our calculated path figures present this bike is definitely on the extra aggressive side of factors.

Dealing with geometry is similar case of well-balanced nonetheless not like that of a tradtitional endurance freeway bike. Path figures are all through the low 60 mm vary for small sizes and all through the mid-50 mm vary for the massive bikes, a minimal of in line with my measurements and calculations as Polygon doesn’t current these numbers.

It’s furthermore worth mentioning that riders on the XS bikes (and S for many) will more than likely need a shorter stem. Each bikes embrace a 90 mm stem out of the sector, nonetheless when paired with the extended 380 mm + attain figures for each, will end in riders who will truly actually really feel fairly stretched out of their given dimension.

Builds, specs, and pricing

For all intents and capabilities, there are primarily two builds that options this physique design: the Strattos S7X and the Strattos S8X. The S7X will get a set of alloy wheels, a Shimano 105 Di2 drivetrain, a novel paint shade, and a lower worth stage.

Moreover you need the lighter carbon wheels, the resolve of the bunch is the Strattos S7X. Shimano 105 Di2 shifts good, and a funds alloy wheels present a substantial amount of house to boost to carbon wheels down the freeway.

Driving the Strattos

My assertion that the Strattos isn’t an endurance bike all through the everyday sense was backed up from my time driving the bike. This isn’t the squishy, upright chilleur of a motorbike that some might depend upon. Significantly, I’d merely establish it a motorbike with safe bones.

The Strattos affords balanced dealing with in my dimension S. The bike does a wonderful job of staying put in a contact, whereas the doorway finish of the bike feels balanced appropriately. Must you need to tune the bike further, a lighter set of wheels and tires enliven the bike’s dealing with fairly a bit.

Experience top of the range is firmer than you’d depend upon too, nonetheless that’s not a foul concern. Small bumps and cracks all through the freeway aren’t absorbed as masses as they’re deadened, with additional vibrations felt by way of the doorway of the bike than the as soon as extra. Credit score rating ranking the 28 mm massive Schwalbe One tires and extended, uncovered carbon seat submit for providing some consolation there. Setting the tires up tubeless smoothed the journey out a bit, and I really feel a swap to a carbon bar would go even further.

The Shimano Ultegra Di2 drivetrain is definite to attract individuals in, and for good motive. Polygon matches every Strattos S8X with a KMC chain, which isn’t as fast as a typical Shimano 12s chain, nonetheless shifting continues to be masses good. Upshifts and downshifts alike are fast and precise shifts, even beneath load. No complaints there.

Other than speccing a KMC chain, the BikesOnline web site on-line says the bike comes with every a 50-34t compact chainring or a 52-36t mid-compact chainring combo. When requested what distinguishes when a motorbike will get what,

Considerably surprisingly, Polygon has elected to spec Ultegra-level rotors and matching finned brake pads. The result’s elementary Shimano braking: not as masses modulation as SRAM, nonetheless a substantial amount of energy which can nonetheless be merely managed. No complaints correct proper right here.

Actually, I didn’t have masses to complain about with regard to the wheelset every. The Novatec R3 wheelset is first cost, although not all carbon wheelsets are made equal. There’s no claimed weight, nonetheless precise weight of this 40 mm deep carbon wheel is 1590 grams. There’s first cost stiffness out of the sector from this wheelset too, although swapping to even an affordable Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist wheelset launched fairly a bit additional snap and cornering precision to the bike.

The one exact criticism I’ve with this bike is the handlebar, from Polygon’s house-brand Entitiy. There’s nothing mistaken with a easy alloy handlebar, nonetheless I couldn’t uncover a spot for the bar that labored efficiently. I am going to set it to have the drops close to parallel to the underside, nonetheless which will end in levers which is likely to be dropped fairly a decrease from the stem. I am going to angle the bars to have a flat transition to the levers, nonetheless which will end in a attain of roughly 90 mm (far longer than the 70 mm claimed), and the drops wouldn’t be considerably cosy for extended durations.

Mercifully, the partially exterior cable routing means any 31.8 mm drop bar is prone to be swapped in with out having dear labor from slicing and rerouting hoses. Nonetheless I’d need to see an additional typical compact drop bar in an important world.

Polygon Strattos vs the opponents

There’s the apparent opponents. Specialised, Big, Trek, and Canyon amongst others. The difficulty there may be that each a form of bikes are multitudes dearer. Even completely completely different direct-to-consumer bikes from the likes of Canyon are dearer

Actually I take into account essential opponents for the Polygon Strattos S8X is a used freeway bike with Ultegra Di2. Peruse the Pinkbike BuySell and likewise you’ll uncover a ton of calmly used (and punctiliously used) freeway bikes that tick the bins much like the Strattos. The Strattos provides you a five-year physique guarantee and a yearlong ingredient guarantee, although processing any of these guarantee requires doing so on-line.

In search of a used bike can typically work out in your favor, nonetheless it will more than likely furthermore counsel you inherit no matter factors the earlier proprietor had. Deferred upkeep, elements it is attainable you may’t see externally, that form of concern is often a headache.

Clearly, the Strattos S8X is aggressive on paper, and contemplating the frequent product gross sales provided on this bike, it would very correctly be onerous to justify one thing.

Conclusion

No, the Polygon Strattos isn’t an endurance bike. Significantly, it’s solely an excellent bike, typically talking.

There are some misses correct proper right here. The geometry is tilted in route of those that want driving in an additional aggressive place. There are some areas correct proper right here and there that truly actually really feel like cost-cutting, and I’d swap the bars on this bike instantly. The ultimate journey truly actually really feel is nice, nonetheless not fairly on the stage of varied bikes constructed with Ultegra Di2.

Nonetheless for the price, how loads of that factors? Most completely completely different bikes at this price stage lack digital shifting and carbon wheels, masses quite a bit a lot much less Shimano Ultegra Di2. It’s not similar to you’re getting a top-tier freeway bike for entry-level cash, nonetheless it’s a masses greater bike than many would depend upon. And contemplating the price, the Strattos S8X can truly actually really feel like an exact steal.

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