Polygon Cozmic RX 2.0

Cozmic (or should that be Cosmic?) may be an appropriate name for this bike. Polygon has a relatively new presence in Australia and for many riders the brand will be as foreign as a visitor from another cosmos. The Cozmic isn’t here to introduce foreign ideas or intergalactic concepts though. The wheels are round, there are two of them and they’re connected by all kinds of familiar faces and technologies. The Cozmic plays hard in the value for money stakes, but is the performance out of this world?

For me there are three kinds of cross-country hardtail frames. The most exciting is the lightweight, stiff and slacker head-angled variety. These let you crank hard on the pedals uphill, ping off the trail and won’t eject you on steep descents. The second variety is similar to the first but usually has a steeper head angle with longer chainstays. They’re comfortable, can be quick in twisty singletrack and put in a decent performance on most cross-country terrain. Last of all we have the ‘misses’, where for whatever reason something went badly wrong on the design table. Let’s not speak of them!

To hone in on the Cozmic from the get go; it floats ethereally between the first two 29er breeds. The 71-degree head angle and 440mm chain stays are not at the bleeding edge of progressive 29er geometry, but they are strong indicators that the designers are aware of the latest trends whilst being mindful of not throwing the baby out with the bathwater in terms of handling.

Frame construction on the Cozmic is somewhat more progressive and Polygon has put forward a truly classy frame for their premium cross-country machine. This is a $2,000 bike. I’ll say it again, $2,000. Despite the low price our large Cozmic frame weighed in at a scant 1,330g. According to Polygon it is made in Taiwan; the global epicentre of top-shelf carbon frame manufacturing.

It’s constructed with Toray brand carbon and various grades are employed to tune the ride. Toray T700 carbon is a popular choice for road and mountain frames. It is strong and can make a frame that is stiff, light and durable. Polygon uses a mix of T700 and T800 for the Cosmic. The higher the number the stiffer and lighter the frame can be, but this significantly increases production costs and can make the frame more brittle. Polygon also claims to use a small amount of T1000 fibre around the head and down tubes to make these areas especially stiff. This concoction of unidirectional carbon is finished with an outer layer of woven 3k carbon, which adds an element of impact and scratch resistance.

Contemporary Checklist

Both the down tube and the bottom bracket areas are huge, and just as you’d expect the Cozmic offers a very efficient and direct surge forwards when you get out of the saddle. The Cozmic is the first frame I have ridden with Shimano’s new DRD mount for the rear derailleur, which shows how up-to-date this frame is in terms of features. The DRD system eliminates the b-link of a Shimano Shadow rear derailleur and replaces it with a burly arm that is integrated directly into the drop-out of the frame. There are a few advantages to this DRD system. The burly mount for the derailleur is supremely stiff and does away with one of the pivots of the derailleur that could be susceptible to wear or failure. Of particular benefit to the Cozmic is that the DRD makes installing and removing the rear wheel a breeze. This is great for race-focused types that want fast and fuss-free wheel changes during a race. The prevalence of 142x12mm thru-axles does make for slower wheel removal than the skinny quick release of old, so at least some of this time is clawed back with the DRD. And yes, the Cozmic uses a 142x12mm rear axle. Again, stiff and very up-to-date thank you very much. Polygon also has the foresight to supply a spare traditional style derailleur hanger with each bike, so retro-fitting SRAM or older Shimano derailleurs is also possible.

The Cozmic does have a couple quirks to be noted. Firstly, there is only one bottle cage mount. The frame is a standard dual-triangle design and the front triangle has ample room to fit two bottles. It’s a mystery as to why this cross-country hardtail is missing the second mount. Sure, you can wear a hydration pack, but no serious marathon racer wants to carry a pack on race day if they can avoid it. Secondly, sizes are limited. The Cozmic only comes in three sizes and they run on the smaller side. We tested the large (19.5-inch), which is the biggest size they make. It’s close to ideal for a 184cm rider and could accommodate most riders from just under 180cm through to 190cm at the absolute maximum. Anything beyond that would be pushing the relationship between bike handling and stem/seat post length. Genuinely tall riders need not apply.

Online Intricacies

Picking the right bike can be hard, especially sight unseen. A key factor in the scorching good price of the Cozmic is the business model employed by the Australian importer Bicycles Online. As the name suggests, Polygon bikes are sold over the internet (or via a Sydney showroom). Bicycles Online import the bikes straight from Polygon and sell them direct to the public. The shortened supply chain and reduced overheads of online sale goes a long way towards explaining the sharp pricing found throughout the Polygon line-up.

Bicycles Online pre-assemble and tune each bike before shipping it out to the customer. Upon delivery, a bike like the Cozmic will need to have the wheels, seatpost and handlebar installed before riding. The tyres are already inflated, gears tuned and brakes adjusted. This is quite a different retail model to the big brands. As well as saving some money the end user also carries some risk such as buying the wrong size or even the wrong bike. With this in mind, Bicycles Online offers a 14-day no-questions return policy and they even organise to pick up the bike. Bike fittings, free after-sales servicing and saddles or stems swaps are the kinds of value added services that do not come with a Polygon. In this regard it’s up to the consumer to decide whether they want black and white bang-for-the-buck or extra value adds and service.

On the dirt the Cozmic uses its oversized skeleton and front and rear thru axles to good effect. Although not as light as a top-shelf race machine, the Cozmic feels far more agile than many bikes around the price point simply due to its front to rear stiffness. Out of the box (literally!) the Cozmic comes in at 11.44kg including pedals. It goes where you want, when you want, and it’s not shy about going up a hill or two if you choose the steeper fork in the trail. As an XC go-fast machine the Cozmic has all the fundamentals in place.

Polygon has wisely spec’d the excellent Schwalbe Racing Ralph tyres. They roll with ease, are reasonably light and have a nice balloon-shaped bag that allows low pressures for enhanced comfort and grip. A tubeless conversion kit would be the perfect treat to go with the Cosmic. Polygon has also included a remote lock-out lever for the Fox CTD fork. The lock-out mounts on top of the bar and it’s pretty big. It won’t win awards for its beauty (Fox have launched a streamlined revision for season 2014), but it is easy to use on the fly and allows fast access to the fork’s three settings (locked out/slightly firm/full open). On an XC hardtail it’s really nice to bomb downhill with a plush fork, then turn a corner and just a moment later take on a long climb with a locked out fork.

Race Pedigree

Polygon has enough confidence in the Cozmic frame that they have sponsored the Orange Monkey Pro MTB team, which is based in Europe. Orange Monkey has been riding the 2013 UCI World Cup circuit aboard the Cozmic RX 3.0, which uses the exact same frame as the RX 2.0. Not many $2,000 bikes can make a boast like that! It’s worth taking a moment to check the Orange Monkey Facebook page (OrangeMonkeyMTB) and looking through their photo gallery. The images from the Andorra World Cup round will make you want to get out and ride right away, and illustrate the Cozmic in its natural element. Although not available at the time of writing, Bicycles Online expect to receive RX 3.0 bikes shortly, and at $2,999 with a mixed Shimano XT/XTR spec it looks like a similarly strong value machine.

Some of this World Cup talk is truly lost on the RX 2.0 though. Regardless of the frame, the RX 2.0 is all about the privateer racer and social rider. Correspondingly the spec is more Sunday arvo than World Cup morning. Polygon has done a remarkable job in keeping in-house branded parts to a bare minimum on the RX 2.0. The headset spacers, lock on grips and comfy but heavy ‘Entity’ saddle are all Polygon branded. I found the grips to be narrow and a little hard, but the saddle was entirely agreeable and the generous padding should make most posteriors happy—spot on for the target audience.

As a race-oriented XC hardtail the Cozmic is likely to find itself below strong and experienced riders, but the sharp pricing means that it’ll also appeal to the comparative newbie. Fortunately the Cozmic can play either hand well. The frame stiffness and fork lockout will please the racer. Flip the fork into the open setting and the controlled travel, powerful Shimano SLX brakes and wide 720mm Ritchey bars ensure the descents can be enjoyed rather than survived. The handling is quite neutral and the rear triangle offers a surprisingly smooth ride that will keep all-day pluggers focused on their inner pain rather than their equipment. It’s a wisely spec’d bike.

A 2x10 drivetrain can be a gamble on a lower priced bike but it seems like a fair match for a lightweight XC hardtail such as the Cozmic. Stiff, light and responsive; it’s the sort of bike that encourages you to stay in the big ring and hammer, and the 38-tooth big ring should be appropriately sized for most Aussie based XC trail centres. Of course if you need a bailout gear, the 24 tooth granny ring is ready and waiting.

Polygon has indulged in an XT rear derailleur but down-spec’d the chain and cassette to Deore level parts. The rest of the drivetrain is all SLX. It is great gear for a $2,000 bike, and it comes with Shimano M520 clipless pedals too, which will really please riders that are newer to the sport.

The introduction of the more upmarket RX 3.0 will likely steal some sales of the RX 2.0. The RX 2.0’s frame is about as light and well featured as you’re likely to find on a $2,000 bike and the parts kit is strong. It’s primed for upgrades, but the value proposition of the RX 3.0 may cause folks to simply go for the jugular and take the higher spec bike from day one. As it stands the complete RX 2.0 is a light bike out of the box with great frame, fork, drivetrain and brakes. A few choice upgrades to the cockpit parts and wheels over time would deliver a really competitive beast. The online sales method will polarise some, but the value proposition will appeal to those thirsting for a great deal (and less thirsty for fluids). Cross-country riders who are confidently able to deal with issues relating to bike sizing and able to do some of their own wrenching will be hard pressed to fault the Cozmic RX 2.0.

Thumbs Up

Stiff and Light but still comfortable

All the mod-cons

Outstanding value 

Thumbs Down

Taller riders won’t fit

Only one water bottle mount

Online sales won’t appeal to all 

Specifications

Frame: AXC Advanced Carbon

Fork: Fox Float CTD RL 100mm

Headset: FSA Orbit C40

Handlebars: Ritchey 2X Comp Alloy 720mm

Stem: Ritchey Comp Alloy

Shifters: Shimano SLX

Front Derailleur: Shimano SLX

Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT

Cassette: Shimano HG62, 11/36 10-speed

Chain: Shimano Deore HG54

Cranks: Shimano SLX 24/38

Bottom Bracket: Shimano Press-Fit

Pedals: Shimano M520 Clipless

Brakes: Shimano SLX

Rims: DT Swiss X470 Double Wall

Hubs: Shimano SLX

Spokes: DT Swiss Competition 2.0

Tyres: Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.1

Saddle: Entity Cro-Mo Rail

Seatpost: Ritchey Comp Alloy

Weight: 11.44kg including pedals (Large frame 1,330g)

Available Sizes: S, M and L (tested)

Price: $1,998

Distributor: Bicycles Online (02) 8005 7467 / www.bicyclesonline.com.au