POLYGON XQUAREONE EX9

Let’s be frank; Polygon is certainly not the brand that comes first to mind when you think about high-end bikes. The Indonesian company has been on the local scene for about 10 years now, but has previously pitched itself at the budget to mid-end of the spectrum. That’s set to change with the arrival of the XSQUAREONE, a totally new design pitched as a one-bike solution for everyone except hard core DH and competitive XC riders.

Designed for 27.5 inch wheels, there are two variants of the XQUAREONE available with prices of $6,999 and $8,499 for the EX8 and EX9 respectively; like I said, these are serious highend propositions. Both use the same full carbon fibre frame and suspension design, with the components being the only distinction between the two.

Our EX9 test bike came with the best of the best; Fox 36 Factory fork and Float X2 shock, SRAM XX1 Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, SRAM Guide Ultimate brakes, E13 TRS Race Carbon wheels, Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres in a generous 2.6 inch width and the list goes on. It’s a bike with no real upgrade requirements, which of course is what you’d expect given the price tag. Despite its 180mm