Pole Bicycles Company has appeared on a Finnish insolvency registry today.
The filing appeared on Finnish legal case database
maksukyvyttomyysrekisteri.om.fi April 17, 2024.
As of yet, there is no notice of it on Pole's website or social media, but founder Leo Kokkonen confirmed the news in a message to Rob Ride's eMTB's
YouTube channel. Just three weeks ago, Pole
announced their Factory Racing team of Dan Slack and Onni Rainio.
Based in Finland, Pole Bicycles was created in 2013 by Leo Kokkonen, an out-of-the-box designer and passionate rider. Pole Bicycles are designed, engineered and manufactured in Finland. The brand has been polarizing at times (no pun intended), but the bike industry is better for having new, creative approaches in it. We have reached out to Leo for more information, and we wish everyone at the company the best moving forward. Hopefully they can find a buyer for the brand and/or the IP, and build on some of their progressive ideas.
Turnaround time was on par with Specialized, (but unlike Specialized they didn’t try to weasel out of the warranty).
This is more a reflection of the industry than of Pole as a company, at least in my experience.
I'll count my down votes later after work.
Thanks Leo!
Ugliness was the other 60%
Leo was 100%
That's like $300 an hour design time then manufacturing time on top of that. All because they didn't have proper product testing before bringing a product to market. Your replacement part is probably worth 30% of the entire bike.
This is how you bankrupt a company at the speed of light. Is it good they took care of their customer? Yea and no... If the product was designed right you don't need a $3000 replacement part lol. How many other customers are not getting taken care of now? How many times have they had to do this?
These mistakes pole has made... It's shocking they sold anything. But I guess there's people out there with more money than sense the writing was on the wall with this one.
Also curious how many chargebacks they have had and how that factors into their decision making
That vertical wall in front of the BB was a Friday Fails” waiting to happen
Specialized probably had a 2:1 ratio of warranteed Enduro frames. The only reason that didn’t bankrupt them is their size.
Look at costs of carbon vs. 6061. Then factor in buying volume.
Each of poles bikes is essentially a carbon mold. People will acknowledge how long it takes to make a mold. How costly it is. How prohibitive it is for companies to change design. Yet here's pole doing it...for every single bike.... It's literally insane. Companies say upwards of 100k for a new mold. Poles bikes? Under 10k lol. What? There's no money there. Pole could make more money running a traditional machine shop.
I legitimately don't know how they got investment in the first damn place. Athertons are doing custom geo for cheaper. Geometron has managed to make Bikes for years that are truly custom. Pole has the most expensive manufacturing process I've seen from any bike brand.
For those not acquainted with Scottish football banter youtu.be/tvreCDC61Zw?si=ls5_gTMurpF5CKxu
Yes, I had some warranty issues during the pandemic - but in the end, Pole sorted me out, and Leo even had the guts to have a personal phone call with me to explain the situation.
Wishing him the best on his future endeavours.
Not to mention the frame only price is up there with some decent complete bikes
The dude was an arrogant cockwomble, but I thought his bikes were cool. So cool, that I tried to buy one - a stamina 140. I got strung along like many others on that for a long time before they refunded some of my money.
No matter how cool I think his bikes are, I won’t be sending him any money.
Oh and anyone that mentioned anything critical on the fb group got banned, despite lots of good constructive criticism and learning that came from the unsuspecting prototype testers (customers).
I tried selling the frame on here but got almost zero interest, I think I’ll just build it back up and enjoy it.
My main issue is I could have afforded the Evolink frameset and I would probably have (I was undecided between an evolink and a Cotic RocketMax) had I not found a nice second hand banshee but the price of the current range is just way too high.
With so many good bikes out there, a brand has to mindful of aesthetics. You can deliver the same performance you did without making the shape of the rear chain/seatstay a protracted oval.
They could machine their molds for the price of 1 damned frame and make 1000bikea faster.
It was painfully obvious this was coming. Surprised it didn't happen faster.
I'm also pointing out that @2004 is a tool
i loved the look of Pole bikes and as much as i hope the team all dont suffer too much and get jobs asap.
from reading on line there are quite a few people who have sent money (and they are still taking orders on site it seems like, how can that be if they cant afford components according to leo on that video?) who will be shitting bricks at the mo, i hope they get sorted asap as well.
This is one of the reasons i wont send a small fortune to a lot of these companies tbh.
- GG customer
Thanks for this. I just got a Sonni in March and it absolutely rips. I’m gonna do the same thing.
That said, there will be a few smirks among those who dealt with Leo directly, who was known for being, err "controversial" in his customer service manner
What’s pleasing to the eye is not always pleasing to the touch.
The writing has been on the wall for years. Leo is a bad leader. Making custom one off parts and not charging for them is a great way to go out of business lickity split.
Also something people don't want to admit : selling bikes to people who abuse them isn't where the money is. You can't warranty that and be lucrative. The money is selling commercially viable bikes to people that use them 3-5 times a year and replaces the bike instead of performing maintenance. this is specialized and trek. Even small brands like devinci recognize this.
There's no money in people riding hard for bike manufacturers.
I'm not happy to see the companies close and leave customers in the lurch. But it is what it is. These brands aren't focused/capable on getting distribution on the level of the big brands. Brands like revel seem to understand how to get bikes into markets at reasonable pricing.
Revel isn't immune to the same downturn, but they are going to be more resistant just due to the fact they aren't an American centric or euro centric bike co.
It's crazy to me that pole is machining aluminum frames instead of their own molds and pumping out dirt cheap to manufacture carbon frames. Hell he could he doing what the athertons are doing and gluing up lugged frames like it's 1980.
Machining aluminum is slow and expensive. Passion needs to take a backseat to profits. I respect poles approach to customer service, but custom fabbing parts and not charging? That's crazy.
We get it, you don't like Pole... this isn't a Pole issue though, it's a basic business economics issue that's being compounded by historic levels of currency devaluation caused by nonstop money printing for the last 4 years or so. Pole isn't the first and won't be the last victim of this situation. The big boys will survive, but they'll feel the pain as well, and already are in fact.
Jesus kids today are soft AF.
Let's discuss completely unrelated companies in different markets. It's def coming for the athertons. Who could literally start printing titanium for anyone to keep their business afloat, something in super high demand. And their expenses are WAAY too high with off the shelf carbon parts..
Discuss whatever the f*ck you want, my comment had nothing to do with anything you're discussing so take your discussion elsewhere... and yeah, you kids are soft as f*ck, and dumb as f*ck. Go have a sook and a cry about Leo, and then find someone who gives a f*ck about your ignorance, but that ain't me.
Bonus dumbf*ck points for unironically contradicting yourself in consecutive posts though, that was good for a chuckle.
"he could be doing what the athertons are doing and gluing up lugged frames like it's 1980"
"It's def coming for the atherton"
"And their expenses are WAAY too high with off the shelf carbon parts"
Imagine that, the dude who's trying to fight with someone on the internet, doesn't understand sarcasm. Or when he's being made fun of.
Ok let's discuss everyone but pole in a pole article.
But sure, go on and tell us more about how Leo f*cked your girl and you're mad or whatever your Pole issue is, no really, I care so much about your opinion.
You responded to a comment about the larger economic issues being faced by small brands with a single sided diatribe about Leo... you were never even in your element kid. Go play Roblox or whatever children like you are into these days.
Listen here lil critter you aren't intimidating or scary. You are trying to be tough on the internet. There's literally, not figuratively, nothing more pathetic than a dude frothing at the mouth over a comment.
I'm making fun of you. Stop giving me fuel you fool
You're not making anyone mad, and nobody is trying to intimidate you... you're not making fun of anyone.... you're just a joke. You went from barely coherent ranting about "Leo" like you're first name bros with the dude from Pole to something about school shootings and people trying to fight you, you're just highlighting what an epidemic mental illness is among kids these days. Talk to your parents, talk to your guidance counselor, get help lil guy.
Yet here you are defending his honor. He has an account, he's a grown man, he can defend himself if he feels the situation warrants it. Maybe he'll wife you up.
Right now you acting like a swifty for a bicycle brand. You're nuts. Unhinged. Why so mad is only game
Like I legit don't know. I didn't rant a out Leo. Or attack him personally. I said he's a bad leader. That's just factually accurate by the history of Pole. It's not even controversial to most people.
Pole couldn't get bikes to people because their production methodology was dumb. Deal with it. Grow up.
Who's the other small brand suffering this problem that isn't doing exactly the same business strategy as Pole? GG? The guys paying barrelli to market their bikes in a country where they don't have distribution?
And no, you've never explained anything to me, and you still aren't making anyone mad... you're a comically ignorant, mentally unstable, fool and all you're doing is showing your ass. Seriously, get help kid... you're obviously desperate for attention and really need someone to talk to who'll at least pretend to give a f*ck about you, go get some help.
Of course the guy telling people to "get help" is the guy playing the tough guy schtick. Calling people pussys and defending another man's honor. Youve never defended him once? It's all you have been doing? Doing your best " leave Britney alone!!!" Lol calling others unstable and you can't even stay on a topic you're so mad.
You still can't tell me what small brands are going through the same thing as pole. Kona? Not exactly a small brand.
It's funny everytime a small poorly ran company goes out of business there's people like you that constantly rail about how everyone is closing their doors tomorrow.
So how about it? What other brands are going out of business tomorrow because pole can't sell bikes?
Next, go ahead and quote where I said any other brand was going out of business tomorrow or anything close to that.
You're all over the place dude, from a weird hard-on for Leo to school shootings to people trying to fight you to thinking you matter enough to random people online to make them mad... you've been off topic since your first comment bro, and have never come close to getting on topic. We just saw GG meet the same fate, and with the economic climate we're gonna see this hit every brand to varying degrees. The "topic" is simple... as I said from the start, don't be surprised if Pole is just the next domino to fall and it's gonna be rough roads ahead for a whole lot of brands.
I guess we can definitively say the whole retard role isn't just a role play thing you do online... it's a lifestyle that you're deeply committed to. Get help little guy.
Do you have any clue what that costs?
Conveniently ignore the part that doesn't fit your ridiculous rhetoric.
And here's the ableist nonsense because you can't win an argument. I've legitimately never seen someone lash out like this over such a benign comment.
Learn to control your emotions bud. This has gotten to the point where it's just sad now. I won't respond further you can continue frothing because I said something negative about Leo that you don't care about? I guess? Nonsense. You don't even have a freaking point. Guerilla gravity is all you got. A company that paid yoanne a bunch of bikes and bucks to ride and promote in a country they have distribution to sell bikes.
You are right though the entire industry is for sure heading for major collapse because 2 poorly run companies with unorthodox costly manufacturing methods went out of business.
You're such a sharp mind I'm sure you will go far in life. All the best.
Get off the internet, talk to your therapist or talk to your parents about getting you a therapist, and get some f*cking help... you're an absolute mess lil dude.
A lot of swearing and lashing out for someone with no emotional investment.
Dial 988 for your sake. This is pinkbike. If you are getting mad at a literal meme website, the lolcow of MTB websites if you will, maybe take your own advice.
I eagerly await the next reply full of effin and jeffin with 0 actually relevant to say. That's if you havent been arrested for being methed out in public... Which definitely fits the vibe you are putting off lol
But hey, in the last week, Specialized has announced 50% off bikes and accessories (off.road.cc/content/news/specialized-slashes-mountain-and-gravel-bike-prices-by-up-to-50-per-cent-14791) and that sure didn't have anything to do with your lover loverboy Leo, just with the market conditions I talked about... and it's gonna hit other small retailers so can't match those deals and end up taking even more losses. So yeah, I was right while you were just crying... take the L and move on with your life.
Stay off the drugs and stay out of jail lil guy.
Now you are just repeating things I've said to you. So unoriginal... Typical American intelligence. Not an original thought in your head. Maybe someone will show up some day and tell you what to think.
Go vote Trump you knuckledragger
Tell you what, lil guy... whatever it is that you need me to say to get you to shut up and go away, let's just pretend I said that shit so you can f*ck off back to under whatever bridge you crawled out from.
It's kinda wild.
I mean you are acting like a Trumper. That's why I said it. You're mad on the internet.
You are so stupid you literally think an annual clearance sale is the biggest bike brand in the world going through hardship. Rofl. They are clearing out $30 frames.
You can keep your head buried in the sand, and have a wank and a cry about Trump or whatever you wanna do... I really couldn't possibly give a f*ck any less about your opinions here or elsewhere. I'd just really like to stop seeing notifications on my dashboard that you're continuing your unhinged rant. So yeah, like I said, whatever you need to hear to f*ck off back to where you came from, let's pretend I said that.
Tl;Dr: I'm cursed and shouldn't set my sights on any brand.
Leo could ride too, but often these guys dont do well with the 'customer facing/front of house' stuff.
Best of luck to all involved.
When I was deciding on an ebike it was between theirs and the Levo.
Their change from Brose to the Bosch motor made me buy the Levo and now I’m glad warranty wise..
docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQNLSoxqC8yH5fW8VACzBlSFAMsoBVsFAg3mdts-kEP-9Kq4Ivj1VrWwYA4Q7Es-n1zcF_Izzow_cuI/pub
I found this interesting.
Why So Many EV Companies Fail
youtu.be/G4d5yV2BXdI?si=624pEOlGBcbbcNDo
judge for yourself. many are very small, but there are still a ton of "big" brands
You could give me 10k an say build yourself your dream bike, an you know what? There's NOTHING out there from bike companies I could choose.....
would very likely be a custom builder making me a 'homer'.......