Is the Allebike Elize Polestar Engineered a fancy €8,800 lifestyle accessory or is it actually worth the price? And what's the big issue with it.
So you’ve bought a posh electric car, like the sophisticated, style-conscious Polestar 4 SUV. Maybe you’re an architect or a designer. The first thing you do is check if the brand makes a matching e-bike, right? Well, that’s what Polestar hopes its customers will do because, in collaboration with Swedish bike brand Allebike, it’s brought to life a limited edition eMTB to “match its SUV range.” Surprisingly, this isn’t the first mountain bike Polestar and Allebike have collaborated on, but this one is the brand’s first electric model. It uses Shimano’s EP8 drive system with a 750Wh battery, and it’s designed for “trail and enduro tracks.”
One glaring compromise is the fact that it’s only available in one size. Like a car. So if you’re not of Scandinavian proportions, you’re going to be left out in the Arctic cold. And that’s not the only big problem with the Polestar e-bike. It comes at a hefty price – €8,800 – and unfortunately delivery is reserved for countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), so that counts us out in the UK. To paraphrase Bullseye then, here’s a guide to what you could actually buy if you want one of the best full-fat electric mountain bikes.
The ultimate poser’s choice? And Allebike Elize Polestar Engineered mated to a Polestar 4.
Allebike Elize Polestar Engineered need to know:
- Carbon fibre frame
- It uses Shimano’s EP8 drive system and 750Wh battery
- Öhlins suspension front and rear, with 170/160mm travel
- Claimed 22.8kg weight
- Shimano XT 12-speed electronic groupset with Shimano XTR M9120 brakes
- RockShox Reverb AXS dropper with 170mm drop
- Pro Koryak E-Performance carbon 800mm handlebars
- Single frame size to suit riders from 170-190cm in height
- €8,800 price tag (but only for European customers)
The colourway attention to detail even extends to the suspension components, with the signature Polestar colour ‘Swedish gold’
Allebike Elize Polestar Engineered
So what is the craic with this limited edition bike? It’s not the first time an automotive brand has collaborated with a bike brand to launch a product, and it won’t be the last. But is this any better than some of the previous attempts? From the outset it looks fairly decent, the spec is up there with premium e-bikes, thanks to the Shimano XT electronic gears and RockShox Reverb AXS dropper. You also get Öhlins RXF38 m.2 29″ Air 170mm forks and an Öhlins TTX2Air, “Polestar tuned” 160 mm travel rear shock.
The geometry does seem to match its ambition, with a pretty slack head tube angle of 64.3º, and 442mm long chainstays. The seat tube angle is 77.5 degrees effectively, so it’s still got some climbing prowess in there. For the wheels, Allebike and Polestar have gone with DT Swiss HRC 1501s with a DT Swiss 240 hub. The tyres are Schwalbe’s Magic Mary 2.4in on front and rear. One glaring compromise is the fact that it’s only available in one size. Like a car. So if you’re not of Scandinavian proportions, you’re going to be left out in the Arctic cold.
So how does this actually relate to Polestar? According to Polestar, the bike features “Polestar exterior colour Space with dampers and details painted in the Polestar signature colour Swedish gold.” The more you know… They also said the choice of Öhlins suspension was to provide an “electric mountain bike [with] a thrilling ride and excellent off-road capabilities, just like Polestar’s electric performance SUVs.” Having never driven one I couldn’t possibly comment, but I’d hedge a bet on the bike being far more fun to take off-road.
And if you want to get your hands on one of these bad boys, you’ll need connections in Ireland, or just wait it out. It’s available to order for €8,800 for our friends only in the EEA for now, although there is “potential future availability in additional Polestar markets.”