A rare break in the Wet Coast weather provided an opportunity to get out for a solo test ride on the new pig ... uh bike. I'd planned to go for a short spin, and wound up playing for 3 hours! Whilst en route, I managed to squeeze off a few pics. Around here, a popular saying is, "if you don't like the weather, wait an hour". I left the house at 1pm, with nice blue skies above me. The weather changed about 3 or 4 times during the ride!

A few pics to start:

1. (1:05pm) After a bit of blacktop, I hit the first dirt. Yeah, it's just a dirt maintenance road, but at least there's no cars or exhaust to deal with.

2. (1:10pm) Skirting an industrial park, I can see Mt. Baker off in the distance in Washington state.

3. (1:22pm) The start of the singletrack climb!

Kn.

(1:45pm) The clouds roll in mid-climb. The moss, ferns, fog and just a bit of sun for backlighting add a dreamy quality to the world:

Kn.

Top of the climb, and we're back to sunlight!

1. (2:08pm) The Knolly gets introduced to higher learnin' on the university campus at the top o the hill.

2. (2:10pm) Trailhead, time to go whee.

Kn.

1. Wheeee!

2. Wheeeeeeee!

3. A nice, easy log ride. Fairly innocent looking from above ...

4. A little higher off the ground than I was ready for on a solo ride with a brand-new bike, though.

Kn.

Sunset comes damn early this time o year!

1. (3:07pm) Starting to get dark in the forest already!

2. (3:30pm) On the road home. Why do the hills always look so much smaller from the bottom?

Kn.

MMmmmmMmmm ... dirty.

Kn.

With that view of Mt. Baker, I assume you're in southern BC?

Ah the BC fog. I'd love to shoot in that some day.

Have a great new year on the new ride.

Nice pics Ken, Burnaby Mountain was where I rode my V-tach for the first time last week. I need to get your home number as I went for a shuttle day with Scott and Andy today. 3 V-tachs, one run down corkscrew/pingo/pangor and a second run down Neds. Good times by all although my mind is playing all sorts of games with me concerning dropping my front wheel into things. I am convinced I am going to end up over the bars and fracturing my spine again. @$##@$.

I assume that all systems tested OK on your initial run?

TJ

With that view of Mt. Baker, I assume you're in southern BC?

Yeah, right at the east end of Vancouver.

Kn.

How does the Knolly ride? What a great looking bike.

Ah the BC fog. I'd love to shoot in that some day.

Have a great new year on the new ride.

I imagine you get a lot of chances for fog photos in the east, too! The best times are when the sun breaks through brightly enough to produce 'pillars' of sunlight through the fog.

Kn.

Nice pics Ken, Burnaby Mountain was where I rode my V-tach for the first time last week. I need to get your home number as I went for a shuttle day with Scott and Andy today.

Check your private messages - ph numbers and email info coming your way.

3 V-tachs, one run down corkscrew/pingo/pangor and a second run down Neds. Good times by all although my mind is playing all sorts of games with me concerning dropping my front wheel into things. I am convinced I am going to end up over the bars and fracturing my spine again. @$##@$.

I assume that all systems tested OK on your initial run?

TJ

I was pretty useless today after the last couple of days of riding, carousing, then riding again. Figured I'd be better off staying inside for the day. Hmmm ... actually got some of the mess in this house cleaned up!

It took me a couple of months after the spinal to get the nerve to huck something small again. First trip back to Whizzler I couldn't get myself to drop the Rutabaga or Schleyer rock. Totally psyched out, and that was over 5 months after the crash. The mental game gets hit harder than you think it will. Don't push it, it'll come back in little steps.

Kn.

We'll see. I haven't been here long enough to ride in any of it yet.

Great looking machine there!

Congrads on getting it dirty!

02/3 Bullit feel like an XC rig. The Knolly remains stable and glued to the ground regardless of what you're riding. Unless you grab some air. I stayed on the ground during my test rides. K'Endo broke his back trying a stunt with air. He said his rig is a svelte 44 lb. Mine's being painted, should have it in the next week or two.

The bike feels light, solid, no flex at all, and creates a confident grin....seriously. The challenge will be to not get overconfident. :rolleyes:

Jim

nice way to start the new year. :)

pretty bike. 44 lbs?! that's 2 of my bike. :eek: :D

happy new year Ken.

rt

How was it while grunting up the hills? I never rode a beefy bike like that. My VT is as beefy as I've gotten. The VT is great of climbs but would think something bigger would be a dog. But boy do I envy you on that descent! :D Sweet pics by the way....almost made me cry! I WANT IT!

as many of our trails are in Provincial Park (i.e. no vehicles allowed) forests with only fire road access. I've not tried to grunt up yet, but a few strokes on a borrowed one surprised me at the comfort and ease of pedalling; I know Noel designed it to climb, not just descend. The only drawback is the weight. Jim

How was it while grunting up the hills? I never rode a beefy bike like that. My VT is as beefy as I've gotten. The VT is great of climbs but would think something bigger would be a dog. But boy do I envy you on that descent! :D Sweet pics by the way....almost made me cry! I WANT IT!


Well, mine climbs like a mid 40lb bike. I have a 888 on it, I honestly do not have any climbing inspirations for it. When I rode it on the same trail as Ken has pictured while being fun I was positive it was the wrong bike for those XC oriented trails. However when I was shuttling yesterday with the Knolly I knew I had made the right choice!

I think if I put a breakout+ or something like that on the front, as well as a lighter wheelset/tires then the vtach would be more suited to all mountain trail usage, but it is really designed as a freeride rig!

as many of our trails are in Provincial Park (i.e. no vehicles allowed) forests with only fire road access. I've not tried to grunt up yet, but a few strokes on a borrowed one surprised me at the comfort and ease of pedalling; I know Noel designed it to climb, not just descend. The only drawback is the weight. Jim


Bwahahahah you make me laugh Jim. I knew I should have let you pedal mine up the hill. I would have happily been on your enduro for the uphill part of the journey!

Only 44 pounds?

That makes it 3 pounds lighter than my Shore. I want a 2 minute head start on the climbs.

pretty bike. 44 lbs?! that's 2 of my bike. :eek: :D

happy new year Ken.

rt

Ha! You got ripped off then. You buy bikes by the pound, don't ya know?

HNY2U2!!!

Kn.

Answers to various q's about how it rides:

I'd already test-ridden the pre-production models a few times, so there really weren't any surprises when I got mine. Descending is great, just point and shoot and the bike does the rest - very confidence inspiring. Climbing is okay and definitely much better than anything in the category (40+ lb DH/FR pigs)

While riding flat sections and climbing, I was looking down at the suspension for signs of pedal bob. There is none. Even on a steepish climb with an intentionally poor pedal stroke, bob was something between none and imperceptible. I verified this by reaching down with one hand and pinching both the linkage and seatpost between my fingers. Any significant movement would be felt at the fingertips. Nada.

I tried climbing a bit with the suspension in the middle setting, then spend a minute fiddling with the bolts that adjust head angle/bb height and steepened the head angle by a degree. Noticed a definite improvement in climbing! Tired out a lot less over the remaining climbing.

Descending is excellent as expected. Haven't had a chance to really push it yet, but the frame is solid and predictable in its handling. You don't really notice the bike at all, which really is what you want while riding - simply responding to rider input without having to 'fight' the steering.

There is one thing, and I'd have to say it's probably unique to me. The BB is in somewhat of an odd position when I've got the seat extended for climbing. I find the pedals are further forward than I'm used to. It doesn't seem to affect my climbing efficiency, but I have noticed that my calves sure seem to feel the climb more than ever! That said, I'm about 6 ft, riding a medium frame, and if I were on a large frame I expect this would not be an issue. I test rode both the medium and large and found descending more comfy on the medium so chose that. In my decision process, I elected to buy a descending machine that can climb okay, so climbing ability and comfort were not the primary considerations.

Kn.

Ha! You got ripped off then. You buy bikes by the pound, don't ya know?

HNY2U2!!!

Kn.

i thought bikes were like women's bathing suits - the less there is, the more it costs. :D


rt

Mine's being painted, should have it in the next week or two.

Jim

There was a rumour started that you might have the frame already ... based on your earlier post in brakes:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=570992&postcount=8

Any updates yet? We'll have to set up a build session!

Kn.

There was a rumour started that you might have the frame already ... based on your earlier post in brakes:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=570992&postcount=8

Any updates yet? We'll have to set up a build session!

Kn.


Nah, he must have been bluffing. Or he bolted the gustavs onto his enduro.....

i thought bikes were like women's bathing suits - the less there is, the more it costs. :D


rt

Oy ... I don't wanna know how much it costs for those 'Brazilian style' suits. What, about 3 square inches of material?

Kn.

as many of our trails are in Provincial Park (i.e. no vehicles allowed) forests with only fire road access. I've not tried to grunt up yet, but a few strokes on a borrowed one surprised me at the comfort and ease of pedalling; I know Noel designed it to climb, not just descend. The only drawback is the weight. Jim

Ride the Knolly up to the top of Mt Gardner! Are the trails on Gardner off limits to bikes now?

On my 3rd successive day of riding in below-freezing temperatures. Soooooo colllldddd. Will wear the ski gloves today D.

as Mt Gardner is all I gots. So far I don't think the trails are off limits, but one I "rode" was like riding the Grouse Grind. 4 hours of major up hike-a-bike, and then down using the hiker-provided braided cord so as not to fall down the I&$#&# cliffs. But I enjoyed it, I must be daft.

Yesterday had to do the road as there's lots of ice in the forest hidden in the leaves, usually just on the worst corners. today = armour or more road riding. And you're right, it's cold.

Jim

Nah, he must have been bluffing. Or he bolted the gustavs onto his enduro.....

Yea he got my hopes up, well Jimbo send me off an email when you do get it. "Hopefully" I'll have a Super T bolted up by then. Got my shock set correctly, man what an insane difference between the this and the old pipeline. Going to have to start setting some money aside for a Knolly.......

Sweet ride!
Sweet write-up!
Happy New Year!

Thanks for the Passion hit, Ken!
Great ride!

Glad to finally see one of those shiny V-tach's gettin' dirty. That's pretty cool that you can change the HA setting so easily. We'll have to find some time to get it muddy on Fromme in the coming weeks. My rear shock is out for service, but should be back in the saddle in a couple weeks. Hopefully we'll have a lil less of the white stuff by then too!

this pic makes my nose bleed, must be the seat altitude.........
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=47598&stc=1

The photo location is the top of a decent climb. The trail head is just on the other side of the building in the background.

Having an uninterrupted seat tube combined with the 4x4 linkage so you can run a full length seatpost to put it up to a proper height for climbing and slam it all the way down for the descents. Nice.