Pole Voima 190mm Travel EMTB

[Durrti]

That’s weird, because it doesn’t stick out farther than the swingarm. And if the piggyback is hitting his leg, then the swingarm would be hitting it too on compression. I had the Rockshox but I replaced it with an X2 which has the piggyback in the same spot as the Kitsuma and it hasn’t been an issue for me. Actually the piggyback on the Rockshox sticks out in the same location as well. Either way, I’m sure you’ll like it, the Rockshox feels really good too. View attachment 95881 View attachment 95882

What size is the shock, 250x75?

 

[Onetime]

What size is the shock, 250x75?

‘Yes, 250 x 75.

 

[tlvenn]

@Rob Rides EMTB it's been almost a month since the first look video, when can we expect the full review to drop in ?
Still waiting for my frame, it would help a little lol...

 

[Durrti]

@Rob Rides EMTB it's been almost a month since the first look video, when can we expect the full review to drop in ?
Still waiting for my frame, it would help a little lol...

Right there with you! Guess I’m waiting for my battery to get there

 

[Zimmerframe]

I still think it's a really nice looking bike ..

 

[CheeckyChippies]

Hello everyone!

I had a couple of good demo rides on the Voima last week and, as the people here are eager to hear how she rides, I thought I’d give a little review based on my first experiences on the bike. First of all I’m 177 cm and weigh 72kg and I mainly rode the K2 but I had a quick go on the K1 as well.

What Immediately struck me was how agile the bike is considering its length compared to most other bikes out there. I come from a 2021 size M Meta Power and even though it was about 7cm shorter than the Pole, I thing Voima is the more agile bike of the two. Going around the corners is easy and there is so much grip! Some of that comes from the Maxxis DH casing MaxxGrip tyres that were fitted to the demo bike, but I did also try the bike with a lighter set of wheels and tyres and the cornering was still great. I’ve never been so sideways on a bike and somehow not eat shit while doing so.

The cockpit of the K2 felt roomy for me and the bike is so efficient to pedal. The suspension doesn’t really bob at all, which imho makes this bike great for all around trail riding (at least here in Finland where the trails in general are quite rocky, rooty and rough). Yes there is a lot of suspension, but I think because of the design there isn’t really any downsides to having all that squish. It climbs great and when you point the thing down the hill she just flies through the rough stuff. For self shuttling this is the perfect bike!

The K2 demo bike that I rode had DH casing tyres and inserts front and rear and weight in about 26kg, which is a lot on paper, but the bike mostly feels light to ride. Only exception for me was that I found it quite hard to bunny hop and manual on flatter trails. At first I thought it was due to the weight of the bike and I tried a lighter set of wheels and tyres to see how it would affect the ride. With the wheel and tyre swap I got the bikes weight down to around 25 kg. What I found was that A: It didn’t help my bunny hops and B: the benefits of the lighter wheels in terms of ride quality on an ebike were neglectable and I much preferred the grip and the more damped feeling of the DH casing tyres. Of course there is more drag, but that’s why you have a motor and a big battery. In regards to jumping, once you find a rock to pop off or a jump, the bike jumps fine and is quite poppy for its size.

I also had one ride on the K1 and to my surprise, even though it weight about the same as the K2, I found it really easy to bunny hop and manual. To me it felt even more agile, energetic and fun to ride on the trails. The reach is the same as my previous Commencal, so maybe that is part of the reason why I straight away felt more at home riding the K1. The seat tube is really steep so for me the seated riding position is quite cramped, but still roomier than the geo chart would suggest. I switched the stem from 40mm to a 50mm to give me a bit more room on the cockpit and with that I felt that I could just about feel comfortable while pedaling.

This got me thinking if the long reach was the reason I found it hard to bunny hop and manual the K2. Hopefully I’ll get to have another ride on the K2 next week and try it with slightly higher stack or a shorter stem to see how that affects the ride. Or maybe I just need more time (and muscle) to get used to the bigger bike.

The craftsmanship of this bike is second to none. The pictures really don’t do justice to the bike. She is a thing of beauty. It’s also one of those bikes you need to ride to fully appreciate the concept. On paper it seems quite out there, but when you get to ride it for a period of time it just makes sense.

Will this be my next bike? I haven’t decided yet, but it certainly is high on the list! I still need to try a couple of other bikes for reference and the sizing is giving me a bit of a head ache. In all honestly, for my riding, I would probably need a K1.5 . But realistically I would have to decide which would make more sense, to try to make the K2 a bit shorter or the K1 a bit longer. But that’s just me and I have this sizing problem with most of the brands out there so I’m sure other people will find the sizing to match their riding better!

 

[SeanBue]

Hi everyone,
I’m new to this forum and (about to be) owning an eBike in general, besides having driven rented ones a few times.

Do you think the delays should be a cause for concern? I’m curious, as I only just ordered mine about a week ago.
However, Kaisa (customer support) told me it should arrive mid September. So I thought I’d tell you guys, as this would most likely be in general and not just specific to my bike, which would seem to have been ordered a long time after you ordered yours.

Also, not to be impatient or anything, but is Rob going to make a full review?

Kind Regards

 

[thebarber]

Just wondering at what date will this bike come with the new bosch switch etc?

 

[Durrti]

Just wondering at what date will this bike come with the new bosch switch etc?

Sounds like that won’t be available from Bosch till spring.

 

[GeorgesEBike]

Good luck everyone. I was supposed to receive my bike July and just recently cancelled. Best $200 (deposit lost) ever spent. Happy to cross Pole bikes off my list.

 

[Durrti]

E

Good luck everyone. I was supposed to receive my bike July and just recently cancelled. Best $200 (deposit lost) ever spent. Happy to cross Pole bikes off my list.

What bike you going with?

 

[Onetime]

Good luck everyone. I was supposed to receive my bike July and just recently cancelled. Best $200 (deposit lost) ever spent. Happy to cross Pole bikes off my list.

That’s too bad. It’s the best bike I’ve ever owned, but as they say patience Is a virtue and good things come those who wait and I’m glad I waited. But canceling is your prerogative. This is a small boutique brand and with the shortage of parts availability the delays are understandable and expected to me. Good Luck with whatever you decide to get and hopefully it’s available soon, but I doubt it’ll be as good, whatever it is.

 

[slickrock]

Good luck everyone. I was supposed to receive my bike July and just recently cancelled. Best $200 (deposit lost) ever spent. Happy to cross Pole bikes off my list.

See that you're very nearby. I have a K1 Storm Grey if you are interested in seeing in the flesh. PM me if interested.

 

[MLX John]

A friend of mine here in the US just got his bike a few weeks ago, ordered in March. Battery finally arrived a couple of days ago. I'll see it in person this weekend. He's gonna drop me hard (I'm riding the Levo SL).

 

[GeorgesEBike]

E

What bike you going with?

Currently riding the latest Santa Cruz Bullit and Heckler. Will grab the new 2023 Bullit once it releases.

 

[Onetime]

Currently riding the latest Santa Cruz Bullit and Heckler. Will grab the new 2023 Bullit once it releases.

Nice, when is it due to be released?

 

[GeorgesEBike]

Nice, when is it due to be released?

I'm guessing any time now since I've had my current Bullit since October last year. Hoping it has the same 720wh battery as the new Heckler.

 

[MLX John]

Looks stunning in person. Did 16 miles with about 3000 ft of climbing. My friend's Pole had about 60% battery left. I had just over a third of my battery left on my SL -using the range extender. I used a lot of turbo to try to keep up on the climbs, but he dropped me easily. Rode his Voima for a short stretch, feels great. Very heavy though, still prefer my low powered, lighter SL.

 

[NickyTee]

Hello Folks,

New here, first post. I’m struggling to find any Voima reviews that mention the lack of bottom bracket drop. Please can anyone comment on whether this is felt to be a good thing? For example, my 2019 Commencal Supreme 29 has 15mm drop, but the Voima has none.

I already ride a Evolink 140 v1.3 and a Taival, and find that the Pole geometry works well for me. However, as a taller rider (196cm) with neck and back problems, I wonder whether the comparatively high bottom bracket of the Voima will lead to me having to look up excessively, especially when in a seated riding position…..or will the sag overcome this?

Any thoughts would really be appreciated!

 

[Onetime]

Hello Folks,

New here, first post. I’m struggling to find any Voima reviews that mention the lack of bottom bracket drop. Please can anyone comment on whether this is felt to be a good thing? For example, my 2019 Commencal Supreme 29 has 15mm drop, but the Voima has none.

I already ride a Evolink 140 v1.3 and a Taival, and find that the Pole geometry works well for me. However, as a taller rider (196cm) with neck and back problems, I wonder whether the comparatively high bottom bracket of the Voima will lead to me having to look up excessively, especially when in a seated riding position…..or will the sag overcome this?

Any thoughts would really be appreciated!

I think you are over thinking it. The bb height is fine and the bike handles great. I also don’t see how the bb height would make “you look up excessively “. If anything, being up higher would make a person look down more, not up.

 

[NickyTee]

I think you are over thinking it. The bb height is fine and the bike handles great. I also don’t see how the bb height would make “you look up excessively “. If anything, being up higher would make a person look down more, not up.

Thanks for your reply, but I'm really not. You're exactly right - if my head is pointed down more relative to the bars because of the high bottom bracket, that "will lead to me having to look up excessively, especially when in a seated riding position" to see where I'm going. As someone with almost every disk in his neck compressed, craning my head upwards causes considerable discomfort, which leads to headaches and days off the bike.

Can you compare the ride to any similar travel bikes?

 

[CheeckyChippies]

Thanks for your reply, but I'm really not. You're exactly right - if my head is pointed down more relative to the bars because of the high bottom bracket, that "will lead to me having to look up excessively, especially when in a seated riding position" to see where I'm going. As someone with almost every disk in his neck compressed, craning my head upwards causes considerable discomfort, which leads to headaches and days off the bike.

Can you compare the ride to any similar travel bikes?

To me the lack of bottom bracket drop just felt like the bike was really easy to lean over in corners. Other than that it felt quite normal. The BB will drop a bit while riding depending of the sag of course. The stack height is quite significant on these bikes and that puts you in a nice upright position in the bike. This to me has a bigger effect on the riding position than the BB height.

 

[NickyTee]

To me the lack of bottom bracket drop just felt like the bike was really easy to lean over in corners. Other than that it felt quite normal. The BB will drop a bit while riding depending of the sag of course. The stack height is quite significant on these bikes and that puts you in a nice upright position in the bike. This to me has a bigger effect on the riding position than the BB height.

Thanks, that's really good to know, especially about the stack height. I'd be using a Fox 40 with Enve M9 50mm bars.

Will be better than the Surly Sunrise bars I use on my current two Pole bikes

 

[Onetime]

Thanks, that's really good to know, especially about the stack height. I'd be using a Fox 40 with Enve M9 50mm bars.

Will be better than the Surly Sunrise bars I use on my current two Pole bikes

I’ve got a Fox 40 on mine with 40mm Renthal bars with 30mm spacers under the crown, so my bars are slightly higher than my seat when it’s fully extended. So I’m more upright, which I like and it’s quite comfortable on my neck, back and wrists.

 

[NickyTee]

I’ve got a Fox 40 on mine with 40mm Renthal bars with 30mm spacers under the crown, so my bars are slightly higher than my seat when it’s fully extended. So I’m more upright, which I like and it’s quite comfortable on my neck, back and wrists.

Ah, that sounds like a good stack! Good to hear that it's comfortable for you, especially your neck. Thanks!

Just out of interest, what's your bottom bracket centre to top of saddle (ie: the bit you sit on) measurement? Mine is around 79-80cm.

 

[Onetime]

Ah, that sounds like a good stack! Good to hear that it's comfortable for you, especially your neck. Thanks!

Just out of interest, what's your bottom bracket centre to top of saddle (ie: the bit you sit on) measurement? Mine is around 79-80cm.

Mine is 27” or 68.58 cm from the center of the bb to the top center of my saddle. I’m 5’7 with a 30” inseam on a K1.

 

[NickyTee]

Mine is 27” or 68.58 cm from the center of the bb to the top center of my saddle. I’m 5’7 with a 30” inseam on a K1.

Good to know, thanks for checking!

I'll give it a shot with the 50mm rise bars, should work fine.

 

[James_MTB]

This is a great insight on Pinkbike podcast with Leo Kokkonen

The Pinkbike Podcast: Episode 143 - Pole's Leo Kokkonen on Recycling, Internet Comments, & E-Bike Batteries - Pinkbike

We also talk about the Stamina that broke at Field Test, the future of geometry, and fashion versus function in this wandering two-hour conversation.

www.pinkbike.com

 

[megabobra]

FINALLY a second review of the Voima, this one on Bike Radar: Pole Voima review

(and the first one on Enduro if you missed it: Exclusive first ride review of the 2022 Pole Voima – A downhiller’s ebike?)

Thoughts?

 

[CheeckyChippies]

Good and comprehensive review but I can't say I really agree with his opinions about thee high BB as my personal findings were the polar opposite. I thought the bike was really fast to change direction