A Long Pole

[Jpez]

Imagine how many actual failures there has been. Estimated 2000 frames in the wild (which is probably generous), 10+ very vocal online user failures, and likely 50 or more "quiet" failures? An estimated 3-5% failure rate?

There are a lot of people that don’t do social media of any kind so their stories would fly under the radar for sure.

It’s a shame it’s all come to this because I always respect people that push boundaries and try new ideas even if it is a gamble.
But as someone else said it’s how issues are made right that makes the difference. The fact he’s still selling these frames astounds me.
I would at least think he’d put a hold on further sales of these frames until a solution is found.

 

[oliosky]

There are a lot of people that don’t do social media of any kind so their stories would fly under the radar for sure.

It’s a shame it’s all come to this because I always respect people that push boundaries and try new ideas even if it is a gamble.
But as someone else said it’s how issues are made right that makes the difference. The fact he’s still selling these frames astounds me.
I would at least think he’d put a hold on further sales of these frames until a solution is found.

For sure. Shitty situation, with an arrogant bellend running the show who doesn't seem to have the personal capacity to admit that he has made a design/engineering mistake. I wouldn't be surprised if the actual failure rate is closer to 10%, especially on the larger size frames. The stink associated with Pole bikes can't be washed off with "management changes". Its done.

 

[Jpez]

For sure. Shitty situation, with an arrogant bellend running the show who doesn't seem to have the personal capacity to admit that he has made a design/engineering mistake. I wouldn't be surprised if the actual failure rate is closer to 10%, especially on the larger size frames. The stink associated with Pole bikes can't be washed off with "management changes". Its done.

Not defending him in any way shape or form but he must in a hard position. Admit there is a major design flaw and recall the bikes which would more or less financially destroy the business in one foul swoop or keep trying to deflect and ride it out and hope he can salvage the situation.
Wouldn’t want to be in his situation.
At least he’s not being a complete And utter Chunt and offering to punch out customers and critics like the Sick guys did.

 

[Wake Jake]

Evil managed to do it but that took time and plan to ensure things went as well as they could. I think Leo should have stayed behind the scenes and put up a fresh face. Given his somewhat tarnished image from being outspoken in the past.
I don't wish these guys anything bad I just want to make it known to him and others what the process is like.

 

[Boom King]

It will be a tough road out for Pole. They have identified crap customer service and failing frames as their two major issues. Who would have thought that product quality and customer service were important to business success?

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[hifiandmtb]

Because bespoke, pretty & slack is all you need to create a market in MTB World.

 

[fatboyonabike]

I heard they were thinking of a name change too, to try and shake any animosity towards the platform design or engineers..
now going to be called "Shafted Bikes"...If you can't get a POLE between your legs, At least you can still get SHAFTED!

 

[Asininedrivel]

Evil managed to do it but that took time and plan to ensure things went as well as they could. I think Leo should have stayed behind the scenes and put up a fresh face. Given his somewhat tarnished image from being outspoken in the past.
I don't wish these guys anything bad I just want to make it known to him and others what the process is like.

Was going to bring up Evil - good example of a brand that was dead in the water and brought themselves back with transparency, communication and looking after customers they'd burned. If Pole can do the same....?

I think in the post Sick bike world being outspoken and having any issues with your brand just paints a big fat target on yourself. Leo has definitely made the road back tougher for himself than it needed to be.

 

[moorey]

Because bespoke, pretty & slack is all you need to create a market in MTB World.

This isn’t about the Grim Donut.

 

[hifiandmtb]

GD ain't pretty.

 

[moorey]

GD ain't pretty.

Agreed. We’re in the minority though I suspect.

 

[Wake Jake]

Was going to bring up Evil - good example of a brand that was dead in the water and brought themselves back with transparency, communication and looking after customers they'd burned. If Pole can do the same....?

I think in the post Sick bike world being outspoken and having any issues with your brand just paints a big fat target on yourself. Leo has definitely made the road back tougher for himself than it needed to be.

They turned it around with doing all the right things and effectively relaunched the brand with all new models.

I don't see being outspoken necessarily being a bad thing in the right environment. It is does make you an easy target on the internetz.

My frame will arrive back for inspection on Monday. So watch this space over the next few weeks.

 

[Boom King]

They turned it around with doing all the right things and effectively relaunched the brand with all new models.

I don't see being outspoken necessarily being a bad thing in the right environment. It is does make you an easy target on the internetz.

My frame will arrive back for inspection on Monday. So watch this space over the next few weeks.

What has happened with your brother's frame?

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[Wake Jake]

What has happened with your brother's frame?

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It was sent back. First they said they didn't have it after 3 weeks. After that took them 10 weeks after him busting them to look at it. Was initially refused a refund. He notified Finnish Consumer Affairs who look at his case. FCA told them it had been too long already for a resolution and to issue a refund. That then took them 4 weeks to process

 

[hifiandmtb]

Easy process then - what's to complain about?

 

[Boom King]

It was sent back. First they said they didn't have it after 3 weeks. After that took them 10 weeks after him busting them to look at it. Was initially refused a refund. He notified Finnish Consumer Affairs who look at his case. FCA told them it had been too long already for a resolution and to issue a refund. That then took them 4 weeks to process

I'm not sure Leo is the man to fix all of that. Maybe he should sack himself.....

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[brawlo]

IMO Leo needs to just step back and be a silent owner, but I know he likes to get his hands dirty. I watched the whole Stamina debacle unfold as I was super happy with my Taival. Plus there's not many factory options out there for a big bopper like me. To me it looks like they just rushed in, took all the orders they possibly could and just slowly went into the task of churning them out. IMO they should have just said they would take say 300 orders and left it at that. Fix any issues that arose and churn out some more. If they were able to turn them out quicker, then release another run and just keep limiting the sales so that they didn't keep people hanging in the wind for so damn long and could create some warranty inventory. It seems they're stuck between trying to keep new orders satisfied and pulling some frames out of the production line for warranties, but taking a preference to the former.

Of course, Covid has thrown a huge spanner in the works for a lot of people. A lot of chit chat about them and other brands, I don't think people are giving any leeway for the transport/supply issues that Covid has created. I haven't seen Leo really throw any explanations out there for the "Covid effect", just more or less being evasive and blaming others rather than just saying sh!t's f***ed up ATM so please be patient

 

[Tubbsy]

All the internet I've seen on the topic seems to focus on the Stamina - but what of the Machine?

Same construction, but haven't heard much noise about those failing?

 

[beeb]

All the internet I've seen on the topic seems to focus on the Stamina - but what of the Machine?

Same construction, but haven't heard much noise about those failing?

They had a whole bunch more screws supporting the joint didn't they?

 

[Tubbsy]

They had a whole bunch more screws supporting the joint didn't they?

I thought the screws were only in the pre-production ones, and then they decided the glue was enough.

Could be mis-remembering tho.