‘Pole’ is Finnish for pedal, and we’ve been doing an awful lot of that on the Pole Evolink 140. It’s not often a test bike gets as much ride time as this one has endured — so why do we keep jumping aboard the thing? Well, in the first instance the 140 caught our attention by simple virtue of being the longest and slackest 29er out there. With a 1,310mm wheelbase, our size large is within a few millimetres of the Longest Mojo/Nicolai Geometron. Its chainstays are unfashionably elongated at 455mm; the 510mm reach is as long as an XL Mondraker Dune; and the head angle is super slack for a 29er, at 64.5 degrees.
The twin-link suspension design is interesting too. The lower link pivots around the bottom bracket, resulting in fairly low levels of chain growth, especially towards the end of the stroke. This means less pedal kickback and better sensitivity when hammering through rocks.
Normally, reduced chain growth means less pedal efficiency, but the Evolink actually pedals quite well thanks to a supportive mid-stroke in the leverage curve. A soft beginning third sticks you to the ground nicely, before it firms up after sag. We ended up running just one volume spacer in the shock to prevent the mid-stroke from becoming too firm — though this did cause us to bottom out occasionally.
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Need for speed
With active suspension and long, slack geometry, the Evolink positively begs to be ridden fast. Letting off the brakes is key to getting the most out of it, as is leaning forward to weight the front wheel. The slack fork and short stem (35mm) mean a conscious effort is required to keep pressure on the front wheel, especially on flatter ground. This takes practice, and we experimented with a longer 40-50mm stem to bring the weight balance forwards. Once you have the knack though, this bike rips — especially in rough, steep terrain, where the balance is perfect. The slack head angle keeps the front end remarkably unfazed by random rocks, and the long chainstays do a similar job with the rear — boosting predictability and calmness when loose terrain conspires to knock the Pole offline.
Partly because of those longer chainstays, it’s not the keenest bike to manual, but it’s totally possible with practice. Similarly, it’s not the easiest to get round really tight switchbacks, though they’re always achievable with the right technique. Lift, skid or hop the rear wheel, and even the most hairpin of bends can be negotiated without too much time penalty.
Climbing capabilities
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