A few years ago, when I had the chance to review the previous version of the Polygon Sikiu T, I came away fairly impressed. The bike seemed to offer more performance than the price would imply, and it seemed like a platform worthy of future upgrades.
But there were some areas in need of improvement. There was no room for a water bottle. The geometry was a bit conservative for modern standards. And the seat tube design limited dropper post insertion.
Fast forward to 2020, and Polygon has a new Siskiu T that addresses all those issues (and more). Also? Somehow it’s gotten even cheaper, in spite of an overall improvement in spec. Add in attractive new paint schemes, and you have a trail bike that’s definitely worth a look.
Polygon says that when they went back to the drawing board on the Siskiu T, they started with the water bottle. There are still a lot of riders who ride with a pack, but for those who don’t, the ability to mount at least one bottle to the frame is an important detail. By moving things around a bit, Polygon says that you’ll be able to “comfortably fit a 600ml (20oz) bottle in a side access cage.
While the frame is still aluminum, the tubing has been revised and there are shorter seat tube lengths for better dropper and standover clearance. The frame still uses similar faux-bar suspension design to the previous model, but the anti-squat has been increased by 10% to offer better pedaling performance. The shocks have a new custom tune as well with lighter compression and they’re a bit more linear at the end of the stroke with improved small bump compliance. Polygon says this will allow riders to tune the progression with volume spacers if desired.
New Geometry
The Siskiu T also still uses the Polygon Wheel Fit Size System, which means the same bike will come in both 27.5″ and 29″ wheels depending on the size. Small and medium frames get 27.5″ wheels, but the medium through extra large frames will be offered in 29″ wheels. Note that if you ride a medium, you can choose your wheel size – but the bikes are slightly different. The 27.5″ wheeled bikes get 140mm of rear travel with 150mm up front, while the 29″ models get 135mm of rear travel with 140mm up front.
The geometry is a big part of the frame redesign, and the new bikes have a much more modern fit with 25-30mm longer reach numbers on all sizes. The bikes also gain increased trail thanks to a 1° slacker head tube angle and a shorter offset fork. Seat tube angles have been increased to an effective 76.5°, and chainstays are 5mm shorter.
With both wheel sizes, tire clearance is listed as 2.6″. Fittingly, both builds come stock with 2.6″ rubber, either with WTB Trail Boss tires for the T7 or Schwalbe Hans Damp EVO for the T8.
Elsewhere, the frame has fairly standard specs like a threaded 73mm bottom bracket, ISCG 05 mounts, Boost 12 x 148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing, and a post mount rear brake.
The pricing on the two builds is very enticing, and you won’t get there without a few house brand components thrown into the mix. Fortunately, Polygon’s Entity components have proven to be pretty good including their tubeless rims which are included here in a 35mm width to match the 2.6″ tires.
Siskiu T7
At the entry point, the Siskiu T7 checks in at only $1,899. That includes a RockShox Recon Boost fork, Select Plus shock, and nearly a complete Shimano Deore 12 speed drivetrain (with an FSA chain, and non-series Shimano FC-MT510-1 crank). That crank is a big upgrade over the Prowheel crank on the previous T7, as is the 1×12 drivetrain. Brakes have gone from Shimano to Tetro HD-M735, but with Shimano rotors.
Siskiu T8
The Siskiu T8 is more expensive, but still a bargain at $2,399. The upgrades include a Fox 34 Rhythm Boost fork with Float DPS rear shock, and the drivetrain gets a level up to Shimano SLX 1×12. You’ll also find upgraded Tektro four piston brakes, and Schwalbe tires.
For those in the U.S., Polygon says that their main dealer is Bikes online, where you’ll be able to order the bike directly once it’s available.
Learn more at Bikesonline.com.
