First Look: Allebike Alpha Polestar Edition Gets Extra Gold, Limited to 100 Bikes

The Polestar name might not ring any bells if you're from North America or don't follow the car world, but they began life as a Swedish racing team that saw plenty of success behind the wheel of Volvos before being bought by them in 2015 and steered towards being a high-end electric car brand a few years later. Their first "production model" (only 1,500 were made) was the Polestar 1, a hybrid-powered coupe with an understated look that hid a carbon fiber body, Akebono six-piston calipers, and electronically-controlled dampers from Öhlins that added up to around $155,000 USD. In other words, fancy, expensive, and exclusive.

The much more accessible Polestar 2 came next, a four-door electric sedan-ish car that could be considered a Tesla alternative. And if you want Öhlins suspension on your Polestar 2, all you need to do is check the option box at checkout.

So, how much was Polestar involved with Allebike in the development? "The bespoke lightweight and rigid carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) frame is co-engineered and co-designed by our teams at Polestar and Allebike and offers a solid and responsive ride," the press release states. ''With modern geometry, developed for the popular “downcountry” class, this bike is ready to tackle any terrain." But given that Polestar is an electric car brand, I'm sort of surprised that this isn't an e-bike.




The new bike's suspension layout appears to be an updated version of what's used on the standard Alpha, with a Horst Link system compressing an air shock on both. It's worth mentioning that while all versions of the standard Alpha come equipped with a remote lockout to firm up the rear-suspension, the Polestar Edition gets a custom-tuned TTX1Air shock that's more adjustable but skips the remote in favor of a lever on the shock. That's paired with a 130mm-travel RXF 34 m.2 fork, and both have been painted "Swedish gold" to go with the upgraded "Performance Pack" that you would obviously choose for your matching Polestar 2.

The rest of the build is equally fancy, with either an XTR or AXS drivetrain, a wireless AXS dropper, carbon wheels, as well as a 50mm stem, and an 810mm wide handlebar.




On the geometry front, there's only one set of numbers to look at because there's only a medium-ish size available at this point. That gives you a 466mm reach, 612mm stack height, and a toptube length of 630mm. There's also a relatively relaxed 65-degree head angle, 75-degree seat angle, and a long 470mm seat tube that might limit dropper post choice for some riders.

We've got an Allebike Alpha Polestar Edition on the way for testing, so stay tuned for a full-length review. But not tomorrow, I promise.

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Reviews and Tech First Looks Downcountry Bikes