Only last fall Pole shared how they ditched far away made carbon for local Finnish CNC machined aluminum for their enduro Machine. The switch for Pole was much more sustainable, both economically & environmentally. But it also meant that development and production times could be cut dramatically. After the Machine, this new Stamina is the first bike for Pole to really highlight the improved efficiency. Developed and prototyped in a fraction of the time it previously took to craft a new bike, the Stamina is longer, faster, and heading to enduro races and you very soon…
2019 Pole Stamina long travel 180mm 29er enduro race bike
Only last month Pole already updated their original 160/180mm Machine, revising its machining to improve stiffness and update the bike’s overall aesthetics. No need for a model year update, keeping everything close at hand Pole can innovate and iterate on the go.
Now after looking to their upcoming pro EWS team sponsorship, Pole had an idea to develop the Machine further as a more gravity-fueled enduro race bike. Starting just in mid September, the new Stamina was designed in under one month. Then it went off to CNC tooling design and production in Finland, and will be tested by Pole’s EWS team by the end of this month.
The new Stamina carries over as a 29er now with a long 180mm of rear wheel travel to match to a 180mm fork. This is still an enduro bike, but now a gravity-inspired version that is pretty much a race-only ride.
2019 Pole Stamina long travel 180mm enduro 29er – Tech Details
The new Stamina looks a lot like the existing Machine, but gets an all-new rear triangle, new front triangle & new links. Right now the new bike is still a prototype, with a couple of iterations to be tested by the team. But the speed of in-house and local development, prototyping & testing means you will actually be able to buy the new bike in early 2019. Pole says they can create the new bike from idea to consumer availability in about four months. It won’t stop there; apparently a shorter travel trail bike with the same playful concept is in the works as well, plus their long awaited DH race bike.
The short link suspension design is mostly the same as the Machine, but with a more symmetric arrangement, with more protected bearing placement and shock tucked away from mud behind the seattube. Now it also gets a massive 34.9mm seatpost to compensate for the shorter seattube. The new Stamina also switched to an integrated headset, machined into the heat-treated alloy sandwich frame construction. The new bike also folds more easily than the Machine around the BB-centric lower link, with updated cable routing & management.
Geometry is mostly the same as the Machine for now based on Pole’s Evolink 158. But it is still being refined in this prototype. Sizing also may get updates, with the idea of offering more in-between sizes to offer better fits.
While the Machine is meant to be an all-around trail-rideable enduro bike, the new Stamina is a gravity racing sled, taking that same progressive rear suspension design to the next, faster level. It is meant to be a longer long travel bike that pedals well, and is a blast to throw downhill whether on the trail or in a bike park.
