PRESS RELEASE: Knolly Bikes
It’s 2019, you’ve got dream trips brewing on the horizon, fresh lines on your bucket list and you’re fired up to purchase a new ride to do it all. We get it, there’s plenty of options out there… it’s almost overwhelming. This year at Knolly, we wanted to deliver an offering that stood above the crowd. New riders ask us, what makes your bikes different and better? The answer starts with our CEO/Head Engineer, Noel Buckley (who is equally at home crushing janky tech trails as he is crunching numbers and geo). Noel scrutinizes what currently exists and then approaches product development from the ground up. There’s no compromises and he obsesses over the details. This means new materials, molds, tooling and standards in the quest to make the best product available. How does this translate onto the trail? Here’s rider feedback about our legendary, patented Fourby4 Suspension system:
“There are lots of hyped suspension concepts on the market these days, and they often change from year to year as designers and engineers re-brand, re-design, and launch bold new ideas… The Knolly 4byFour suspension just works, and damn well. Up, it's efficient and tracks the ground; across it eliminates harshness and adds confidence; down, it just plain rips.” - Dale Mikkelsen, President WORCA
This year we’re offering new category bikes that are game-changers and embracing proven models with fresh, fun colour choices.
The Fugitive, Knolly’s first 29’er
Knolly Fugitive with 157 trail and 29/27.5" compatiblility
Our recently launched Fugitive comes in two options, both designed around the same frame. There’s the 120mm travel version for trail riding and a 135mm travel option for all mountain/enduro terrain. Both models feature our legendary Fourby4 suspension design and are packed with new features such as an integrated frame guard, Di2 battery storage, titanium pivots and 157TRAIL rear hub spacing. This wider spacing creates more lateral stiff wheels and offers the ability to run larger tires. For more details, reviews, or to get your Fugitive now: Click Here
Build your own custom dream bike or chose from our build kits and customize your suspension package.
We have a very flexible relationship with our factory, so we chose to have some fun with our best selling models. We’re offering something for everyone. Want to stand out? Check out our limited edition Pink sparkle Warden or Dune Buggy blue Endorphin. Want to rip in style? Look at our edgy army green Warden or metallic black gold Endorphin (think back to the John Players Special formula one cars or to a galaxy far, far away - whichever you like). Check out the full line and get ‘em while they last. The pink sparkle and Dune Buggy blue versions (colors chosen by our GM's daughter) are a very limited run of only 5 frames each.
Act now if you want to own one of only five pink Knolly Warden frames Click Here
Our Warden Carbon in two new colors.
We also have our legendary Endorphin back in stock.
Click Here
CACHE our new Titanium Gravel Grinder
We are launching a new type of Knolly, a gravel bike that delivers a ride experience similar to our mountain bikes. To differentiate our CACHE from the cattle, Noel custom designed a titanium bike with a longer front center (like our off-road products), which when combined with a shorter stem gives the bike amazing handling characteristics and total compliance. Every tube on this bike has been manipulated to our standards which means our Cache will go harder and farther. Check out the full specs and don’t miss out on our first shipment: Click Here
For more information about our brand, our story, pricing and geometry: https://www.knollybikes.com/
MENTIONS: @KNOLLYBIKES
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248 Comments
If you want to go touring or exploring an area, they make a lot of sense.
Road bikes are boring and annoying with all the cars, mtb's are slow and boring when on tarmac. Gravel bikes will make all types of routes fun, no matter if it's a dirt road, tarmac or an xc trail.
Plus you will see much more on a gravel bike as you'll cover much larger areas with higher average speeds on dirt roads than you will on an average XC lap.
The industry has become lame and likes to sell trail bixe. it is not shocking that the gravel grinder is the new big anouncement.
how long till pink bike is just about cycling (road bixe too) and not about going big
Knolly podium has been my dream bike for a long time. I saved my duckets up to by a new podium frame and by the time i was ready to purchase it didnt exist... so I copped a carbo aurum.
To build a factory that can do all the metal work required for bikes is a massive investment, and something that's beyond the scope of significantly larger brands. We all like products made domestically, but moving production to Asia is something we've seen almost every company in every industry do for 35 years. So singling out one company seems unfair.
@KNOLLYBIKES I’m not calling you out for doing what everyone else in the industry did... I’ve been around for a while in this bike world, I understand. But, I think it’s sad, and it isn’t what I’m looking for in a bike. Once upon a time companies made what they sold, not so much anymore, it’s pick a vendor and have them make it for me.
Would we love to see the same product built here in our back yard? - absolutely but until that is a possibility we will continue to work with these amazing companies to produce world class products.
People keep bemoaning the costs of domestic... FWIW I picked up a custom steel frame from Tonic Fabrications for less than $2k last spring, and the dude makes IT ALL in house. He even makes his own dropouts, derailleur hangers, etc. Just one example. Hey look, that machine work on the Knolly headtube is cool, but I’m certain there are TIG welders in CA/USA whom could build those frames to your standard. Not my brand to steer, but at the end of the day if a machined logo is what it takes to differentiate from the rest of the market, I think you’re chasing the wrong mojo. Bikes are really friggin’ good these days, it seems all the brands are chasing the same thing, lowering costs.
i'm running 2.8" tires on a 135mm QR frame,how big of tires do you need?
So we used an existing standard, applied it properly to trail bikes with engineering and design then found the gains were far more than those touted by 148. We don't think 157TRAIL is BS at all - in fact we believe it is the farthest thing from it and you will start to see more companies adopt it in the near future.
edit - oh I see the I9 option is 28 hole. What was that about wheel stiffness again? lol
One of the reasons why you haven't seen an update of the 157 rear end is that man companies can't without a dramatic re-design of their bike which takes time.
Remember what I said about options? Yes, we spec the I9 Enduro-S with a 28h set up. If you haven't had the chance to try the wheel, I'd recommend it. It works for my 230LBS frame. You will find that it is a better wheel than many other 28h options but if you aren't a fan of that, we offer Industry Nine wheel upgrades to anything made by I9 including the Enduro 305 and Carbon wheels which offer a much stiffer ride. Or perhaps you'd rather our less expensive Spank Oozy 345's that we are now offering as a 32h J-bend option. It is about providing them and recognizing that our customers are as varied as the locations they are from. The best option of all though is for you to purchase (or not) our bike and vote with your wallet. You are free to choose an inferior product but we'd really love to help you elevate your riding game by getting on a Knolly.
If you are going to convince the thinking consumers like me to buy into 157 then it will take more than simply demonstrating that 157 is stiffer than 148. I need to know if that stiffness is necessary. When I present an idea to my boss, I have to demonstrate a problem or need then quantify my solution as expecting to meet or exceed the design requirements in a measurable way. You guys put more effort into this than other companies, I will give you that, but it's still only half way there. In fact the complaints I read here and there are about wheels being too stiff.
I9 makes an excellent product and I don't doubt it works for you just fine. But I also have no reason to believe a boost spacing wheel wouldn't also.
I'm still not clear on information about flipping the chainrings on some cranks. It seems to be glossed over on the website.
If there is something in this section (pulled directly from our Fugitive page on our website) that glosses over the flipped ring aspect please let us know and we will update it. With SRAM and Shimano both offering a 157 compatible drivetrain now you can be sure that you will see more companies adopt it.
Cranks and BB for the Fugitive
With our new 157TRAIL rear end the chainline on the Fugitive and Fugitive LT is in the 55-57mm range with 56.5mm being optimal. There are a number of ways to get cranks to fit our frames so here are some helpful facts:
The new SRAM DUB system has a bottom bracket, cranks and chainring combination that works perfectly. All the DUB BB's are the same but SRAM has an X01, GX, and Descendant 7k crank with a longer axle and a spacer (it is called SB+) that works with 157TRAIL.
A standard SRAM crank with a zero offset chainring - One-Up and Chromag both have a great option - will work but it does limit the largest ring size on the front to 32t.
Any direct mount Raceface crank with a flipped Direct Mount ring will work. Raceface rings come with a 3mm offset so when the ring is removed and flipped (the teeth profile works like this as well) it becomes a -3mm offset and the chainline works on the Fugitive. For a 1x system you can run a flipped ring on the Next SL, Next R, and Turbine cranks with a 134mm axle, or the Atlas and SIXC with the 136mm axle, or the Aeffect and Ride Cinch cranks with 137mm axle. For a 2x system you can run the Next SL, Next R or Turbine with a 143mm axle and a Boost spider.
Shimano offers their cranks with a +3 option (the part number should have a "B" on the end like this: FC-M8000-B). The axle length and BB are the same as their standard cranks so the offset is worked into the chainring mount. This system will work as both a 1x and a 2x option on the Fugitive. NOTE: this set up requires one spacer between the BB and the frame on the drive side. Maximum size chainring is a 32t ring with this setup. The XTR, XT and SLX cranks in this configuration work on the Fugitive.
FSA has 5 different MTN cranks that work with our 157TRAIL rear. Their system is very simple - you simply move one spacer from between the crank and the spider to between the spider and the BB to provide the right chainline.
Also the snow camo on the Warden is pretty cool and the Fugitive I bought is beautiful.
shop.knollybikes.com/collections/frames/products/warden-carbon-frame-grey-grey?variant=19522777841762
While they might look similar to a Lynskey - when you really look close there are some significant differences in the tubing, the shaping of the yoke (their's is a straight plate - ours is 3d shaped) the weld at the join between the chainstay and the yoke, their cable are external - ours are internal, they use stock dropouts - ours are custom designed. And you can't see it in the picture but there is a lot going on underneath the yoke.
I love my Fugitive and need a new DH bike soon too, so my fingers are crossed for the resurrection of the PODIUM. How long do I hold by breath??
You can’t look at the angle of our seat tube (which is designed to accomodate up to 200mm dropper posts. 150-175 on our small frames) to determine our seat tube angle (just like a bunch of other bikes on the market). You have to look at the numbers.
To make it simple, if i'm a tall rider needing an XL frame and set the seat at 800 mm from the BB (or maybe even more), where will the 76° line from the BB pierce the seat/seattube/seatpost? If at the stack height (at the effective top tube line, like all other manufacturers measure their effective seat tube angles), this is wrong. If it will go through the centre of the seat, this is okay then. But given at how the industry measures this (so at the stack height), i'm not very optimistic.
The catch is that the 76° effective angle becomes much closer to 70° for very tall riders with such a slack actual seat tube. And the seat gets very far behind. THIS is what negatively affects the handling since the rear end then squats even more and slackens the bike even more again, making it worse at climbing. And it is also the reason why I, as a tall rider, can't look at the effective seat tube angle, that all the manufacturers provide (and very rare manufacturers provide an actual angle). Because it's useless.
Please prove me wrong, but i have been proven right far too many times in regards to this topic.
EDIT: to nitpick, a 200 mm dropper at a slack angle has less effective drop than a 200 mm dropper in a much steeper seat tube. And, since the seat doesn't move away as much, a steeper seat tube actualy also needs more drop as well.
Why is the Delirium discontinued?
Their website does a great job explaining why all their new frame designs will be going to 157 - www.knollybikes.com/engineering
Our 157TRAIL rear end is only 2mm wider than our 142 and is narrower than most 148 bikes on the market.
On the two new Knollys that I’ve demo’d, I’d rub a hole in the frame with all of the heel contact. My size 48 shoes just don’t work with 157!
>Proceeds to show Fox fork and shock ahaha.
Looks amazing though! Red Lyrik would have been wicked.
Was Lynskey Performance Designs ever brought up as an option to be who built your Titanium frames?
Cheers.
All these bikes look great but where is the new 180/180mm aluminum Delirium 29?
I would rather get Nicolai.
@scottzg:
Nothing on the page redirects or indicates that there's another page for the bike with better information, it's confusing!
Bike looks sweet.
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