Polygon Collosus T Mountain Bike Dissected

POLYGON COLLOSUS T8

Words by Travis Reill | Video & Photos by Dusten Ryen

SPONSORED CONTENT

October 20, 2025

What started as one thing evolved into another, and a new bike was born. Bringing over their Independent Floating Suspension from the enduro and downhill bikes and bumping the travel to a proper 140/160mm, Polygon’s Collosus T series bridges a gap in its lineup. Call it long-travel trail, mini-enduro, or all-mountain, the Collosus T now sits squarely as Polygon’s aggressive trail bike.

Oh, and it is also carbon fiber.

As with all of The Loam Wolf Dissected features, this is a sponsored project that is intended to showcase the latest and greatest products in the mountain bike world. It is not intended to be an official review or endorsement of the product, but instead a chance for us to connect with the Polygon team to share their latest trail bike with our audience. Stay tuned for an impartial Loam Wolf review in the future once we’ve logged more testing time on the Polygon Collosus T8.

A BRAND-NEW OFFERING FROM POLYGON

Polygon didn’t intend for the Collosus T series to be the Collosus T at all. Initially, the brand set out to update its Siskiu series of bikes, but the development process shifted during the update. Following the urging of testers and members of the Polygon Factory Racing Team, such as Dan Wolfe, Polygon recognized an opportunity to fill a gap in its lineup.

The Siskiu series of bikes sits squarely as Polygon’s trail bike, with shorter travel, more conservative geometry, and a snappy pedaling platform. On the other end, the Collosus N was the big brother, bruiser of an enduro bike. Yet, nothing was in the middle, offering the pedaling efficiency of a trail bike along with the smashing capabilities of something like the Collosus N.

As development continued, Polygon switched directions, realizing a new all-mountain platform in the Collosus T. They also took advantage of the time to provide all the modern updates — geo adjustments, the IFS platform, UDH, and, perhaps most notably, carbon fiber.

Polygon Collosus T Mountain Bike Dissected

FRAME DETAILS | The Collosus T stands out from Polygon’s other trail bikes. Most notable, of course, is the brand’s first carbon fiber offering in this category. Their ACX carbon fiber frame allows Polygon to reduce weight, increase stiffness, and maintain strength. Polygon said they will also have aluminum options available, for those on a tighter budget.

The advantage of the stiffer ACX carbon frame is noticeable in the rear triangle of the Collosus T. Along with beefing up the rear, Polygon utilizes a one-piece rear triangle and re-engineered linkage system to enhance the overall stiffness of the frame.

ADJUSTABLE GEOMETRY | Polyon incorporated several geometry adjustments to let riders tailor the handling of the Collosus T frame. A flip chip at the top of the seatstay allows riders to switch between a dual-29” and mixed-wheel setup. Another flip chip – this one located at the shock mount – adjusts the height of the bottom bracket by 4mm. Lastly, angle-adjust headset cups change the head tube angle by 1°, adjusting it from 64° to 65° depending on preference.

In keeping with modern trends, Polygon made two more additions to the new Collosus T series. First is the addition of the Poly Pocket, the brand’s in-frame storage. They also designed the rear triangle around the UDH, making it simple to find derailleur hangers and allowing for SRAM Transmission compatibility.

These updates are visible across the entire line of Collosus T bikes.

Polygon Collosus T Mountain Bike Dissected

SUSPENSION PLATFORM | Knowing that an aggressive trail bike would benefit from more than the linkage-driven single pivot of the Siskiu series, Polygon brought its IFS system over from the Collosus N. The revised IFS platform for the Collosus T allowed better control of anti-squat, while offering improved small bump and performance under braking. While supple off the top, there is also good mid-stroke support, allowing the Collosus T to absorb some significant impacts without rattling the rider.

GEOMETRY | As mentioned, the Collosus T series has three separate geometry adjustment points, meaning it is capable of numerous geometry configurations. Discussed here is the geometry of our size Large Collosus T8, featuring 29-inch wheels.

Our size large has an effective seat tube angle of 77° and a head tube angle of 64°. That is paired with a 485mm reach and a 627mm stack. In its current configuration, the chain stays are 435mm long, providing a total wheelbase of 1248mm and a bottom bracket height of 338mm in the low setting.

Small and medium frames have a shorter 430mm chainstay length, while large and X-large see 435mm stays. These will be shortened by running the smaller 27.5 rear wheel.

BUILD OPTIONS | Polygon is known for its performance at an affordable price, which remains true for the new Collosus T series. While a carbon fiber option, frame updates, and a new suspension system raised the cost, no Collosus T sees a price tag over $5,000. In a world with $10k mountain bikes, this is impressive.

Their top Collosus T9 model comes with a Shimano XTR Di2 drivetrain and XTR brakes, Ultimate level Rockshock suspension, and a carbon frame. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another brand that can do that for under $5K.

Our Polygon Collosus T8 comes equipped with a 160mm RockShox Lyrik Select fork, paired with a Super Deluxe Select+ shock set to 140mm of travel. SRAM also takes care of shifting, with the workhorse mechanical GX drivetrain, complete with 165mm cranks (yes, thank you, Polygon, for shorter cranks!). Braking is handled with Magura MT7 brakes and 180mm rotors.

Polygon also ditched its wide and heavy Entity wheelset for its more modern MT6 alloy wheel build. These wheels are wrapped in Maxxis Dissector rubber, another improvement from previous Polygon bikes we’ve ridden.

Completing the build is a Race Face Aeffect bar/stem combo, a 170mm Trans-X dropper, and Polygon’s in-house Xtent brand saddle and grips. Polygon offers the Collosus in T6, T8, and T9 builds, all sharing the same carbon frame. The T6 retails for $2,999, the T8 for $3,799, and the T9 (with Shimano XTR Di2) for $4,999. See the complete builds below.

Fork: Marzocchi Bomber Z1 | 160mm
Shock: Marzocchi Bomber Air

Headset: FSA NO.76 | ZS 51/28.6 | ZS 59/40
Stem: Alloy
Handlebar: Raceface Aeffect R 35
Seatpost: Tranz X JD-YSP23KL 150MM
Saddle: Xtent CR-MO
Brakes: Shimano MT420

Derailleur: Shimano Deore RD-M6100
Shifter: Shimano Deore SL-M6100-R
Crankset: Shimano FC-MT6120 32T
Cassette: Shimano Deore CS-M6100 12-Spd 10-51t
Bottom Bracket: Included w/ Crankset
Chain: KMC X-12

Wheelset: Polygon MT6 Tubeless Ready
Tires: Maxxis Dissector

Fork: Rockshox Lyric Select | 160mm
Shock: Rockshox Super Deluxe Select+

Headset: FSA NO.76 – ZS 51/28.6 | ZS 59/40
Stem: RaceFace Aeffect R 35
Handlebar: RaceFace Aeffect R 35
Seatpost: Xtent Cr-mo
Saddle: Tranz X JD-YSP23KL
Brakes: Magura MT7

Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle
Shifter: SRAM GX SL-GX-1-A2 Trigger
Crankset: SRAM GX Eagle 32t
Cassette: SRAM GX Eagle XG 1275
Bottom Bracket: SRAM Dub BSA Threaded
Chain: SRAM GX Eagle

Wheelset: Polygon MT6 Tubeless Ready
Tires: Maxxis Dissector

Fork: Rockshox Lyric Ultimate | 160mm
Shock: Rockshox Super Deluxe Select+

Headset: FSA NO.76 – ZS 51/28.6 | ZS 59/40
Stem: RaceFace Aeffect R 35
Handlebar: RaceFace Aeffect R 35
Seatpost: Xtent Cr-mo
Saddle: Tranz X JD-YSP23KL
Brakes: Shimano XTR M9220

Derailleur: Shimano XTR Di2 RD-M9250
Shifter: Shimano XTR Di2 SW-M9250 I-SPEC EV
Crankset: Shimano XTR FC-M9220 32t
Cassette: Shimano XTR CS-M9200 12-Speed 10-51t
Bottom Bracket: Shimano SM-BB93
Chain: Shimano XTR CN-M9100 12SP

Wheelset: Polygon MT6 Tubeless Ready
Tires: Maxxis Dissector

Polygon Collosus T Mountain Bike Dissected

THE WOLF’S FIRST IMPRESSION

Okay, okay, this wasn’t technically our first ride — Polygon loaned us this bike back in April at Sea Otter. While we’ve been able to log a few miles on the Collosus T8, these are still only our initial impressions. A full, impartial review will be coming soon.

Yes, this has been mentioned, but an apparent change is Polygon’s switch to the ACX carbon fiber frame. It is clearly a high-quality layup, with clean lines and polished details that are typically seen on frames costing thousands more. While we don’t know much about the aluminum offerings yet, it is cool to know Polygon is covering all the bases, providing multiple options for riders of varying budgets.

We are also stoked on the attention to detail Polygon has shown with this latest offering. With various geo and wheel size configurations, in-frame storage, UDH, and a neat rear mudguard, the Collosus T is undoubtedly a modern, aggressive trail bike at a very competitive price point.

Polygon Collosus T Mountain Bike Dissected

The move to the IFS system was a risk well-managed by Polygon. The added support and tailored anti-squat kept the Collosus T an efficient climber. A steep seat tube angle and moderately tall front end kept me in a comfortable position for long days in the saddle. If and when the climb leaned to the more technical side, the IFS did a good job of balancing how much it sank into the travel. It settled in just enough to provide traction and comfort, while remaining high enough in the travel to pop up and over obstacles.

Descending was an absolute pleasure. Without a doubt, the IFS system worked well on the Collosus T, remaining supple in the initial travel, absorbing bumps well, and providing good amounts of traction. After pushing through the chunk and top bit of the travel, the bike had a very supportive mid-stroke, helping prevent harsh bottom outs. Undoubtedly, we found the end of the 140mm of travel several times, yet there were no big clanks or any indications that we had found the bottom.

Polygon Collosus T Mountain Bike Dissected

The carbon frame, especially the rear end, was significantly stiffer compared to the Siskiu T. This stiffness never fell into the “harsh” category; rather, instead keeping the Collosus T feeling fast and planted. It inspired a bit more confidence to push harder and faster.

Perhaps it was the fast-rolling Dissector tire spec (which we’re sure helped in its climbing efficiency), but the Collosus T picked up and maintained speed notably well while descending. It was an easy bike to pump, rewarding with a good boost of speed. We often found ourselves working the terrain rather than adding an extra pedal stroke.

Overall, we’ve been impressed with the Polygon Collosus T8 both up and down the hill so far, with no major concerns or negative traits to report. We’re excited to keep putting miles on this bike and see how it does in the long term.

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