Jack reviews the Polygon Collosus

The last time we had our hands on a Polygon Collosus was all the way back in 2016. Using a virtual pivot platform with a floating shock, the original Collosus was offered in two variations; one for enduro and one for downhill. Those bikes were then replaced by the mind-bending XQUARONE, which of course featured the whacky Nailed R3act 2Play suspension system. Though we were blown away with its performance at the time, the controversial looks proved to be too much for many consumers. And so the XQUARONE quietly vacated Polygon’s lineup, leaving an enduro-shaped hole in its wake.

We had some clues as to its successor when Polygon’s first proper e-MTB arrived last year. The Mt Bromo debuted a new IFS 6-bar suspension linkage and some pretty envelope-pushing geometry, leaving us to ponder when Polygon would bring those concepts to a non-motorised version. We didn’t have to wait long either, with Matt Stuttard, Amy Morrison and Dan Wolfe having been spotted aboard prototypes during the 2022 EWS race season. And now, finally, we have our hands on the finished product. Folks, say hello to the brand new 2023 Polygon Collosus!

Watch our video review of the Polygon Collosus here:

Unlike its more expensive competitors however, Polygon skips many of the fancier features to help lower the price point. You won’t find any carbon fibre here, nor is there any in-frame storage or geometry-adjusting headset cups.

Polygon Collosus overview

The Polygon Collosus is a brand new, long travel enduro bike. It sits above the Siskiu series of trail bikes, and it is a decidedly bigger and burlier beast.

The Collosus comes loaded with 170mm of travel front and rear, and it’s purpose-built around 29in wheels. That puts it into a similar zone as the Trek Slash, GT Force, Cannondale Jekyll and Canyon Torque.

Unlike its more expensive competitors however, Polygon skips many of the fancier features to help lower the price point. You won’t find any carbon fibre here, nor is there any in-frame storage or geometry-adjusting headset cups.

Instead the Collosus keeps it real with a frame that’s made from hydroformed and welded 6000-series alloy. There’s a good deal of frame armouring, including a bolt-on downtube guard, a shuttle pad, and a textured chainstay protector. There’s a chainguide and a lower bash guard fitted as standard, while the cables are secured up at the head tube with bolt-in ports to help minimise rattle.

Without any flip chips, the Collosus is not really meant to be run as a mullet. However, bikepark addicts will be happy to know that the frame will handle up to a 180mm travel single crown fork, and it’s also said to be coil-compatible.

IFS suspension design

Easily the biggest talking point of the new Polygon Collosus is its multi-pivot suspension design. Standing for ‘Independent Floating Suspension’, the IFS platform was first introduced on the Mt Bromo, and the concept behind the 6-bar configuration is much the same here.

The chainstay is essentially the primary swingarm, attaching to the front triangle via two small links that dictate the rear axle path and anti-squat. The seatstay then drives the shock via a rocker link, and it’s this upper assembly that controls the leverage ratio.

The idea isn’t dissimilar to the Specialized Enduro and Knolly’s FOURBy4 suspension platforms, all of which are designed to separate the wheel path from the shock leverage ratio.

It’s certainly more complicated than the single-pivot suspension used on the Siskiu, though the extra linkages are said to bring about significant benefits on the trail. Indeed Polygon claims the IFS platform remains active under braking, while providing ‘highly efficient power transfer without sacrificing small bump compliance.’ Fighting words indeed.

From a more practical standpoint, the placement of the shock partway up the downtube means there’s space for a water bottle underneath. Good news for any rider who doesn’t want to be enslaved to a hydration pack.

Thanks to the IFS suspension linkage, the chainstays can be made quite short. While some big travel enduro bikes are employing longer rear ends, the Collosus features a compact 435mm rear centre length on all frame sizes.

Geometry

The Polygon Collosus cuts a similar shape to the Mt Bromo, with geometry that is becoming commonplace amongst modern enduro bikes.

You’ll find a 63.5° head angle and a 77° effective seat tube angle. The reach is reasonably long, with 20mm increments between frame sizes, going up to 500mm on the XL.

Thanks to the IFS suspension linkage, the chainstays can be made quite short. While some big travel enduro bikes are employing longer rear ends, the Collosus features a compact 435mm rear centre length on all frame sizes.

Seat tube lengths are also very short, with the X-Large frame getting a 430mm seat tube. To put it into perspective, an equivalent size GT Force uses a 500mm long seat tube.

This does mean that standover clearance is generous for the Collosus, and it should accommodate a long-travel dropper post. We’ll touch on sizing and fit in more detail shortly.

Polygon Collosus price & specs

For 2023, there is just one model in the Polygon Collosus lineup. It’s called the Collosus N9, and it will sell for just $4,999 AUD, making this one of the best value enduro bikes on the market.

Its value is exacerbated since many brands are pitching their latest enduro bikes as premium, race-only machines, which means they’re often exclusively made from carbon fibre. That goes for the Specialized Enduro, Cannondale Jekyll and Orbea Rallon. Of course, this elevates the price of entry, allowing the likes of Polygon to offer a well-spec’d alloy bike that comes in for a lot less.

It’s not totally without peers however. For similar money it’s possible to get a Trek Slash 7 ($5,699 AUD), a Canyon Torque AL 6 ($5,178 AUD) or a Merida One-Sixty 700 ($4,999 AUD). The spec list on the Collosus N9 is arguably better than all of those options, so let’s dive in to see whether it lives up to expectations on the trail.

2023 Polygon Collosus N9

• Frame | ALX 6061 Alloy, IFS Suspension Design, 170mm Travel
• Fork | Fox 38 Performance Series, GRIP Damper, 44mm Offset, 170mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float X2 Performance Elite, 205x65mm
• Wheels | Shimano XT Hubs & Entity XL3 Alloy Rims, 35mm Inner Width
• Tyres | Schwalbe Magic Mary, ADDIX Soft Rubber, Super Gravity Casings, 2.6in Front & Rear
• Drivetrain | Shimano XT 1×12 w/32T Crankset & Deore 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM Code R w/200mm Centerline Rotors
• Bar | Race Face Aeffect R, 20mm Rise, 780mm Width
• Stem | Race Face Aeffect R, 40mm Length
• Seatpost | TranzX, 30.9mm Diameter, Travel: 150mm (S-M), 170mm (L-XL)
• Saddle | Entity Xtend
• Confirmed Weight | 17.88kg
• RRP | $4,999 AUD

Though it is very efficient, the beauty about the IFS linkage is that it remains nice and smooth on choppy terrain. There’s loads of grip on tap, and the rear end remains active whether you’re on or off the brakes.

Polygon Collosus sizing & fit

Our tester Jack Lumb has been aboard the Polygon Collosus N9 over the past few weeks. Jack stands at 189cm tall, and he’s been aboard a size Large.

We immediately ran into an issue with Jack’s long legs however. The combination of the frame’s short seat tube and a 170mm dropper saw the seatpost above the minimum insertion line to achieve the right saddle height. A longer dropper post would likely help here, though it’s worth noting that insertion depth is also limited on the Collosus frame due to the suspension pivots interrupting the seat tube. As such, you can’t fully insert the stock seatpost into the frame.

While the 480mm reach is on the money, the relatively low front end also contributed to the bike feeling too small for Jack.

Of course the steep seat tube angle reduces the effective top tube length, so the cockpit is quite compact with the saddle at full mast. This was even with the 55mm stem that came on our pre-production test bike (production bikes will come with a 40mm stem fitted on all sizes).

As such, we’d consider fitting a 30mm rise handlebar to lift up the grips a little further. Ideally, upsizing to the XL would likely provide a better fit all-round.

Suspension & tyre setup

We were somewhat left on our own when it came to setting up the suspension on the Polygon Collosus, which is frustrating given these bikes are being sold direct-to-consumer. The likes of Trek and Norco do a fantastic job of giving their customers suggestions on where to start with suspension setup, and we’d love to see Polygon do the same.

Without any official recommendations, 30% sag is generally a good place to start with a rear shock on an enduro bike. Jack ended up with slightly less than that at 27% sag, inflating the shock with 175psi to support his 78kg riding weight.

From here we followed the Float X2 tuning guide to get our baseline damper settings. Those worked well, though Jack did end up adding a little more compression damping via both the high and low-speed adjusters to increase responsiveness.

He also ended up adding a volume spacer to the shock, as initially the Float X2 wasn’t providing enough progression. This is because there are no volume spacers fitted from the factory, which gives quite a linear and active feel. It’s possible to add up to two volume spacers to increase bottom-out support as needed.

Setting up the Fox 38 was considerably easier thanks to the handy guide on the back of the fork lowers. Jack went with the recommended 90psi, which worked well with two volume spacers inside the air spring.

As for tyre setup, it’s worth noting that the Collosus N9 isn’t actually tubeless ready out of the box. While the rims are taped from the factory, you’ll need to purchase your own tubeless valves and sealant in order to ditch the inner tubes. That’s a real letdown on a mountain bike in this day and age, especially one that’s being sold direct-to-consumer.

Polygon Collosus weight

Confirmed weight for our Polygon Collosus N9 test bike is 17.88kg. That’s without pedals and with the tyres set up tubeless.

It’s a very chunky figure, even for an alloy enduro bike. Indeed it’s considerably heavier than the Merida One-Sixty 700 (16.65kg claimed), the Canyon Torque AL 6 (16.54kg claimed), and the Trek Slash 7 (15.5kg claimed).

A big contributor is the alloy frame, which is claimed to weigh a porky 4.5kg, including the Float X2. There’s nothing particularly weight-conscious about the build kit either. That includes the Schwalbe tyres, which weigh in around 1,350g each thanks to those thick Super Gravity casings. Ooph!

What do we dig about the Polygon Collosus?

For a 170mm travel enduro bike, the Polygon Collosus delivers impressive pedal efficiency. Many big travel bikes tend to be pretty well behaved when you’re seated and pedalling in smooth circles, but turn into a gooey pile of golden syrup whenever you stand up to sprint. That’s not the case for the Collosus though, which resists bobbing even when you’re hammering out of the saddle.

It is heavy, but thanks to the responsive suspension it actually climbs surprisingly well. The steep seat angle puts you in a great position, and the lack of wallow from the shock gives it a steady and calm demeanour, with no need to reach for the climb switch. That said, it is nice to use when you’re riding on the road. The fork also has a proper lockout, which is something you miss out on with the premium GRIP2 damper.

Though it is very efficient, the beauty of the IFS linkage is that it remains nice and smooth on choppy terrain. There’s loads of grip on tap, and the rear end remains active whether you’re on or off the brakes. Along with the raked-out geometry and fabulously stout Fox 38, the Collosus loves to plough through rough terrain.

It does tend to stick to the ground though, which is the result of its plush suspension, sticky tyres and near-18kg weight. As such, it’s a bike that needs to be bossed about and ridden aggressively to get the most out of it and steer it in the direction you want. Ideally that direction is down chunky, steep and technical descents, where the Collosus is most at home.

Indeed the way it maintains speed through the rough is impressive, making it well suited to its enduro racing intentions. It’d feel totally comfortable fronting up to the odd downhill race too.

What does it struggle with?

It’s no surprise that you tend to notice the weight when riding the Polygon Collosus across flatter terrain. Sure it pedals well, but there’s a lot of effort required to get all that mass moving.

It’s not particularly playful or poppy, which isn’t helped by the huge 2.6in tyres. This spec choice does seem a little odd, given that most enduro bikes come fitted with 2.3-2.5in tyres. We found the extra girth on the Collosus to be quite noticeable, even alongside the 2.4in Magic Mary, which is already a big tyre.

Of course the stock tyres do lend a lot of damping and grip, which helps to inspire confidence for less experienced riders. For skilled racers however, fitting a set of narrower tyres will reduce rolling resistance, while improving general handling and steering precision.

Though it does take some effort, Jack found the Collosus to take to the air quite well. It was still possible to bottom out the shock even after adding a volume spacer, so adding a second would be a good idea for those who love to rack up the frequent flyer points.

Still, it’s worth noting that the IFS linkage isn’t overly progressive. So although Polygon says you can run a coil shock on this bike, we’d be a little hesitant to recommend it.

What could be improved?

Given how much adjustability is being built into modern mountain bikes these days, it’s a bit of a shame that the Polygon Collosus isn’t mullet compatible. We’d love to see a flip chip to help accommodate a 27.5in wheel, and we’d also like to see some options for tool storage.

Of course those kinds of features would add complexity and cost, but then we are talking about a bike with 16 pivot bearings. And that brings us to the biggest question; how necessary is the IFS design?

There are no doubts that the 6-bar linkage brings notable performance advantages thanks to its ability to decouple the rear axle path from the shock’s leverage ratio. But providing it’s paired to good geometry and a high quality shock, a well-designed single pivot platform can also work very well.

Indeed we had a fabulous experience aboard the latest Polygon Siskiu T8, and there’s absolutely no reason that design couldn’t be scaled up to a 170mm travel enduro bike. The simpler approach would help to lower the frame weight and manufacturing costs, which would more than offset the addition of any flip chips and tool storage.

Component highs & lows

The Polygon Collosus N9 comes with an impressively capable build kit for the price. The shock offers loads of tuneability, the SRAM Code R brakes are plenty powerful, and the Schwalbe tyres are top quality. However, we still encountered a number of issues with our test bike.

The fork suffered from a leaky wiper seal, which oozed lubrication oil throughout testing. Coincidentally, this happened with an identical Fox 38 on the Mt Bromo we tested last year.

During the second ride, the rear end developed some play. This took a while to troubleshoot, since there are so many pivots back there. The creak turned out to be from the spherical bearings used at the shock’s trunnion mount, which are designed to reduce side-loading. It’s a good idea, but it likely requires more maintenance to stay on top of the noise.

We also encountered some creaking from the drivetrain, which may have been due to the KMC chain. This resulted in slightly rougher shifting compared to a genuine Shimano chain, and it also required more frequent lubrication to keep it quiet.

The creaking may have also been coming from the rear hub, which has an annoyingly inconsistent freehub mechanism that is sometimes silent, and sometimes not.

Thankfully the wheels themselves have been absolutely solid. The spokes have remained tight and the rims are yet to succumb to any dents, which is impressive given Jack tends to put wheels through the hurt locker. Likewise, there have been zero punctures throughout testing.

Though it looks snazzy, the paint on the Collosus frame isn’t of the highest quality, having endured a few chips and scratches already. The bolt-on armour is great to see though, and along with the decent chainstay protector and secured cable ports, it’s otherwise a quiet and well-damped ride.

Flow’s Verdict

Thanks to its reasonable price tag, solid build kit and contemporary geometry, we expect the Polygon Collosus N9 is going to be a popular enduro bike.

It offers bag-loads of grip thanks to its chunky tyres and supple suspension, with a ground-hugging ride quality that allows it to absolutely monster through rough and technical terrain. The IFS platform means it pedals remarkably well, giving it great efficiency whether you’re cruising up a transfer stage or sprinting for the finish line.

It is a very heavy bike though, and the complex suspension design means maintenance is going to be more involved. It also lacks some of the adaptability and features of its contemporary competitors, and as a result it’s less versatile overall.

But if the heft doesn’t bother you, and you’re after a dedicated enduro race bike that pedals efficiently, the Polygon Collosus will be one to add to the list.