This Budget Hardtail Exceeds Expectations! Polygon Xtrada 7 Review!

This Budget Hardtail Exceeds Expectations! 2022 Polygon Xtrada 7! Thanks to @bikesonline258 for sending me this excellent bike for review! Buy the Xtrada Here: https://bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/Ryj96y Recommended Upgrades: PNW Rainier 27.2mm Dropper Post: https://alnk.to/eDMVr3K Front Tire I Run 29x2.4": https://amzn.to/3CufaFx Rear Tire I Run 29x2.4": https://amzn.to/3vQFpVE Clipless Pedals I Use: https://amzn.to/3KKDBlh Links are affiliate links meaning I earn a small commission off any purchase you make. It costs you nothing extra, but helps support this channel! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100806 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ I finally got to ride the Polygon Xtrada 7, and today we'll talk about my first ride impressions of the bike. First impressions are important right? I took this bike to Slaughter Pen with the intent of sticking to beginner friendly XC trails because that's what this bike was designed for, but that plan quickly changed. Spoiler alert...I had a really good time on this bike. We'll start up here with the fork. Their is a warning sticker on it saying for "leisure XC riding only" which makes sense on a beginner XC bike. Obviously I didn't heed that warning, but I would advise you to follow such warning stickers. If you're new to riding and never experienced a nicer fork, then this thing is very suitable. I found it reacted more to medium and large hits, or instances when I push into it harder for more pop. Over repeated small bumps at speed it's a bit harsh, but it performed admirably considering the price. Even though it isn't high end, I appreciate it being an air sprung fork to offer tuneability for different rider weights compared to a cheap coil fork. For the beginner rider learning the sport...this fork will serve you well! Something I forgot to mention in the last video is the fact that this bike shifted perfectly out of the box. I didn't make a single adjustment to the drivetrain and had zero issues shifting. Let's get to climbing. It handles this task very well! The bike has a comfortable pedal position, and the front end doesn't wander like it can on really long, slack bikes. At just over 30 pounds this is one of the lightest hardtails I've had, so it was much appreciated on the climbs. No criticisms here. Pedaling around trails, this bike is quick! The engagement from these shimano hubs is seriously impressive given the price of the bike. I found myself in harder gears just having a blast trying to find muscles in my legs. I'm super grateful this frame isn't nearly as harsh as my Salsa Timberjack. I woke up today and my body wasn't howling in pain which I couldn't say after riding the Salsa. Handling is predictable and easy to navigate in tight and technical scenarios. I'm also happy I went with the XL size as it gave me a bit more breathing room to maneuver around the bike as needed. All those traits of the bike translate when it's pointed down as well. Obviously don't buy this bike if your descents are thousands of feet, horrendously steep, and just littered with rocks and roots. It's not a downhill bike, and I could see this fork being overwhelmed very quickly in such scenarios. For flowy downhill runs, this bike was exceptional fun! When approaching tech lines you're gonna want to pick lines carefully and wisely. With a slightly steeper head angle, you can't just point this thing into a rock garden and expect it to blast over everything...it's gonna take a bit more finesse. Speaking of downhill, you'll probably want to slow down or stop at some point. These 2 piston brakes are adequate for normal trails, but they aren't super powerful. You'll have to start braking sooner than you would on a more expensive setup, but as long as you're aware of that, they function decently. Riding without a dropper post was certainly a throwback. If you live in a relatively flat environment you can probably get away without adding a dropper, but my guess is most people will want to add one. I made due without, but it wasn't without it's fair share of dilemmas. I'd put it down to hit a flowy downhill section only to be greeted with a climb, or have it up to pedal efficiently and boom things get steep. I found keeping it somewhere in the middle for most the ride was suitable...just not ideal. Overall I'm really stoked on this bike! It far exceeded the expectations I had when starting the ride which is awesome. With any bike in this price range, it's going to come with some compromises, but a beginner could ride this out of the box and have a really wonderful time. The only two things I would recommend doing is the tubeless conversion and adding a dropper post then go enjoy some trails on this beautiful bike.