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Knolly Chilcotin: Build Information, Photos and Set-up Thread

356K views 1K replies 204 participants last post by  MarkMass 
#1 ·
I guess now is the right time to start a new thread...
 
#1,057 ·
Knolly Newb here! Cant wait for my foot to recover from being broken all winter!
Heres the build:

Medium Green Chili w CCDBA CS
170mm Lyrik SA
Hope E4 Brakes 203/180
Full XT drivetrain (2x10)
Gold Hadley hubs laced to Flow rims (gold looks aweseom with green!)
2.5 Minion up front and 2.4 High Roller2 in rear
KS Lev 125 post
Rocket V saddle
Atlas bars
crappy kona stem (60mm)
CC 110 headset

weighs 34 and some change. i think some people are lying about their wieghts...
 
#1,059 ·
My build has evolved quite a bit over the last year. I have recently replaced the Hammerschmidt by X01. This is the bike in its current form:

Frame: Medium Chilcotin, blue
Shock: Cane Creek Double Barrel Air Climb Switch
Fork: Rock Shox Lyrik RC2DH 170mm
Brakes: Magura MT8, with 200mm rotors front, 180mm rear
Drivetrain: 11 speed X01 cassette, derailleur and shifter
Cranks: Shimano Deore XT, with 32 tooth e13 chain ring
Pedals: Crank Brothers Mallet DH
Wheels: Stan's ZTR Flow EX with Schwalbe Magic Mary (front) and Hans Dampf (rear), both in Super Gravity
Seat: Fizik Tundra 2, mounted on KS Lev 150mm dropper
Cockpit: Thomson Elite X4 50mm stem, Easton carbon bar & ODI Rogue lock on grips

Total weight: 14.5 kg (32.0 lb).
 

Attachments

#1,066 ·
Meet Arleen...
Frame...Medium Green Chili
Fork...Lyrik 170 solo air RC2DH
Shock...CCDBA cs
Drivetrain...XT 2x10
Brakes...Hope E4 brakes
Headset...CC 110
Wheels...gold Hadley hubs>flow rims
Tires...2.5 Minion up front ; 2.4 High Roller out back
Seatpost...KS Lev 125
Saddle...WTB Rocket V
Pedals...HT MEO1T
Bars...Atlas
Stem...some random kona 60mm

her...34ish pounds
me...5'10.5" ; 31-32" inseam ; 195 pounds...

Still rehabing my foot and ankle that I broke at the beginning of December. Just starting to be able to stand up over small rocks and stuff on the downs. I almost puked twice pedaling to the top of the ride today because im so out of shape from being injured and medicating on the couch all winter. Today was my first real ride since November. Cant wait to be able to rally this sexy beast!!!
 
#1,067 ·
Chilcotin Day Glow Yellow. The dream come true!

After a long time of dreaming about Knolly, finally it's come true. Here's a new Chili day glow yellow frame. Waiting for brakes, shifters, and crank.
Start building soon and will update the post.
Great thread really help me to made a choice in building and gave some support in days of waiting ;)

Yellow Purple Magenta Bicycle frame Musical instrument accessory

Yellow Green Text Font Photography

Yellow Colorfulness Pink Line Snapshot

Green Bicycle frame Graphics Bicycle Graphic design
 
#1,068 ·
Hey Jerelk, nice get on the Chili. Welcome to the Knolly Family.
Was wondering if you had looked at the Warden instead though?
Let me put it differently, why the Chili over the Warden with the hype over 650B and all?
 
#1,069 ·
Because it's all hype and marketing? The chili is an awesome bike. I was chatting with someone the other day who had a good amount of time on a warden and likes the chili way better. He said the chili, podium and endo all feel "familiar" to switch between depending on the ride you have planned. He never got comfortable on the warden.
 
#1,075 ·
No need to get in yet another 26/650B discussion here. After another 2 great days on the Chili this weekend, this is going to be one hard bike to replace. I still love the idea of a Warden, but as a third bike in stable rather than a replacement. For the days I just want to plow through our super chunk like I'm on a DH bike, the Chili gladly complies. The Chili is still a very desirable bike, and I'd be willing to bet the sales numbers will show that.
 
#1,077 ·
Completely missed my point...I'm simply curious as to how the Warden rides in comparison. I have zero plans to replace anything. I have a Chilcotin and a Podium that kick a$$ and will be riding for years. I actually just bought a Woodie for the Chilly because of all the blow jobs it's been getting. That said, I follow the DH World Cup closely and I'm very interested to see who's going to be killing it this year and on what rig. It was pretty fun watching the World Champs in South Africa last year with riders on single crowns, 650B, full DH bikes, and the prototypes from Devinci.
 
#1,084 ·
Final Build

Product Tool Bicycle part Bicycle fork Bicycle frame
Bicycle Wheel Tire Bicycles--Equipment and supplies Bicycle wheel rim
Bicycle tire Bicycle handlebar Rim Line Bicycle part
Bicycle handlebar Bicycle tire Bicycle frame Wheel Automotive tire
Bicycle Wheel Tire Plant Crankset
Bicycle Bicycles--Equipment and supplies Bicycle tire Bicycle handlebar Bicycle frame
Bicycle Wheel Tire Bicycles--Equipment and supplies Bicycle wheel rim
Automotive lighting Handwriting Automotive tire Motor vehicle Font
Bicycle Tire Bicycle handlebar Bicycle tire Bicycle frame


Finally finished the building and got my new Bike! Already have couple of rides and it's feel amazing!

Here a bike set up:
* Frame Size & Color: XL Day Glow
* Fork: 36 Fox Talas 160
* Brakes: Shimano XT 200/180
* Cranks: Shimano SLX + Race Face Narrow Wide 32t
* Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M786 Medium Cage
* Pedals: Saint MX80
* Stem: Kore Repute 50 mm
* Handlebar: Answer Pro Taper 780 DH Custom Murder Bar
* Seatpost: Race Face (want to upgrade to KS LEV)
* Saddle: WTP Pure
* Cassette: Shimano XT
* Headset: Cane Creek 40
* Grips: Odi Rogue
* Front Tire: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5
* Front Rim: ZTR Flow EX
* Rear Tire:Maxxis High Roller DH 2.3
* Rear Rim: ZTR Flow EX
* Hubs: Hope Evo 2
* Weight 32.6lbs / 14.8 kg

Rider: 194cm/6.35 84kg/185
 
#1,085 ·
I switched to a smaller chain ring and when shortening my chain I did the two largest cogs with suspension compressed without threading through the rd. The chain is looking short to me, but it is also a saint on a 36 tooth cog. I can't remember what it looked like before, but it shifts fine. Is my chain too short, or is this just what the saints look like on the 36t?

Bicycle Tire Wheel Bicycles--Equipment and supplies Crankset
Bicycle Wheel Crankset Bicycles--Equipment and supplies Tire


Sorry about the shitty quality.
 
#1,086 ·
I switched to a smaller chain ring and when shortening my chain I did the two largest cogs with suspension compressed without threading through the rd. The chain is looking short to me, but it is also a saint on a 36 tooth cog. I can't remember what it looked like before, but it shifts fine. Is my chain too short, or is this just what the saints look like on the 36t?

View attachment 882319 View attachment 882320

Sorry about the shitty quality.
That is without a doubt too short.
 
#1,087 ·
I didn't think a m820 Saint RD could handle a 36t rear cog? That's why I bought a Zee.

What's the chain look like when you put it in the big cog though? That's a more telling picture.



EDIT: Sorry, didn't realize the pic had both small cog and big cog shots. I agree, that looks pretty damn tight.
 
#1,088 ·
Is it shifting OK? At that angle, it looks like the cage and/or top pulley would make contact with the largest cog on the rear cassette. I would double check the clearance when you downshift from largest to second largest cog in the rear. Click the shifter, look at the cage for clearance, then give the cranks a 1/2 turn and see if the chain drops down without any issues.

The first pic looks like you could add 2 links and the RD would still be able to take up the slack?
 
#1,089 ·
Thanks guys. I definitely thought it looked way short, but wasn't sure if it was just from running the 36 with the saint. I'll just order a new chain and add 4 links to this length, removing till its right. Weird that the big big measuring method didn't work, I've never had a problem with it before.

Edit: Shifts fine. Dialed in all the screws without the cable hooked up, always has worked well for me. I chalk this up to the saint just being a burly rd, no need to add stress, though. Also, the saint has the mode converter, like the zee.
 
#1,090 ·
In kind of a pickle and figured fellow Knolly owners could help. I bought my first Knolly last year, a black Endorphin with CTD, and have loved the ride. I own two other bikes, a DH bike and a carbon race Hardtail. Recently, I have been tossing up the idea of downsizing. Plan is to sell all three bikes, buy a more aggressive 29'er HT for the trail rides and a Chilcotin for the laid back trail rides/ once a year DH runs. I don't DH as much as I used too, but I enjoy having the bike when I do. With that being said, have any of you made this switch? Seems the Chilcotin can be built to suit. How does it handle flowy trail with jumps and such? Sounds like it shines in the rough stuff.

Hope this makes sense!
 
#1,092 ·
In kind of a pickle and figured fellow Knolly owners could help. I bought my first Knolly last year, a black Endorphin with CTD, and have loved the ride. I own two other bikes, a DH bike and a carbon race Hardtail. Recently, I have been tossing up the idea of downsizing. Plan is to sell all three bikes, buy a more aggressive 29'er HT for the trail rides and a Chilcotin for the laid back trail rides/ once a year DH runs. I don't DH as much as I used too, but I enjoy having the bike when I do. With that being said, have any of you made this switch? Seems the Chilcotin can be built to suit. How does it handle flowy trail with jumps and such? Sounds like it shines in the rough stuff.

Hope this makes sense!
For the amount of DH you do/plan on doing, I would just focus on your main riding style, and just demo a DH bike for the day/days you go (just cause it sounds like you are doing it less). The chili is no slouch but I have tossed around the idea of getting a nice 140mm bike (say an endorphin...hehehe) for the longer days with more climbing. If you have found yourself under gunned with the endo (for everything besides DH), I would consider the chili, otherwise, I think you might be happier with just keeping the endo.

Good luck with whatever decision you make. You cant go wrong with a knolly.
 
#1,091 ·
The chili is a great bike for everything but the best/worst DH runs. It can do those too, but will be less forgiving than a true DH bike. Depending on how much you would be climbing with it, I would say go with a 180mm fork and set it up on the beefy side so it doesn't hold you back on the DH. If you also need to climb with it, put a fork with travel adjust on it, or be prepared to walk if the climb gets pretty steep. I have a 170mm Lyric with external lower cup and the bike does pretty much everything I want it to. I will most likely be putting a 180mm Talas on it so I can climb in 140 mode and still keep similar handling for the downhill.
 
#1,093 ·
I have the 2014 180 Talas on mine and it's perfect for AM and DH ...... I wouldn't use it as just a DH bike, but for what you're doing, it's a great bike......... I take mine around our local trails, and took it to NorthStar a few times last year for some lift runs........ it's awesome!
 
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