PREVIEW: 2012 Knolly Chilcotin
Bike: 2012 Knolly Chilcotin
Size: Medium
Intended Use: All Mountain and Freeride
Geometry:
- Chain Stay Length: 16.9″
- Head Tube Length: 4.6″
- Stand Over Height: 28.7″
- Seat Tube Length: 16.9″
- Effective Top Tube Length: 23.5″
- Wheel Base Length: 21.9″
- Stack: 23.0″
- Reach: 16.5″
When it was time for me to send my trusty Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon out to pasture earlier this season, I struggled with choosing its replacement. I wanted to try something different. My first choice was the Knolly Endorphin, a slimmed down 140mm-travel machine with aggressive geometry and a weight that would cooperate with long days at high altitude. As a new model from a small company, however, production on the Endorphin was a bit of a crapshoot, and I needed a bike now. There happened to be a medium black Chilcotin available at that moment, so I said, “Send it!”
Joe Hanrahan on the Knolly Chilcotin, Moab, Utah.
A little background…
I first laid eyes (and hands, butt, and feet) on the Knolly Chilcotin in September 2010 at the Interbike tradeshow. As a 160mm-travel bike with good looking geometry and a beefiness that comes with its North Vancouver pedigree, I couldn’t wait until they were in full production and available. So I waited…and waited…and waited some more.
After their North American contract welder (SAPA in Oregon) got out of the bicycle business altogether, Knolly made the tough decision to take their production overseas. And after months of searching for a satisfactory manufacturer in Taiwan, Knolly was able to find the right manufacturing partner, and has been able to take advantage of the top-shelf tubing and shaping technology available in this facility to improve the tubesets of their frames. So more than a year after their introduction, the first batch of Chilcotins finally hit North America.
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Comments:
Questions? Comments? Tell us what you think.
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April 25, 2013 at 11:56 pm
Would love to see the complete review – has the tester of the Chilcotin had enough time on it? I am thinking seriously about a Chilcotin and would love further information on your impressions.
May 10, 2013 at 9:27 pm
Interested in follow up. Especially a comparison to John’s experience in the nomad.
May 14, 2013 at 6:31 pm
Would love to read a follow up as well.
May 16, 2013 at 9:08 am
Hey guys, I won’t be writing a long-format followup because I sold the Chilcotin last fall, not too long after writing the above review. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the Chili. That bike was a blast. Stiff, low, good geometry; but as I mentioned in my writeup, the suspension was tuned for traction, not pedaling speed and efficiency. The Chili is a great All-Mountain bike with a bias towards downhill manners (and some low speed uphill techy climbing). I climb a lot on fairly smooth Park City trails and I race Enduros and some worthy SuperDs, so I need a frame that has a little more pep in its step. I’m willing to give up a little squish for that.
All that said, I just built up a Knolly Endorphin with the kit that was on the Chilcotin. Its got 140mm rear travel and Konlly tuned the 4×4 on it to ride more efficiently. It suits my needs a lot better for an everyday ride, as well as something I can take racing. I’ll have a good long-term writeup on the Endo later this summer. If you have some more specific Chili or Endo questions let me know.
May 21, 2013 at 11:03 pm
Thanks Joe!