[Kntr]

They look pretty sweet. Anyone own one, ride one, etc. Any info would be appreciated.

The only thing I dont like about it is the seat tube angle but the effective angle isn't too bad. Can someone explain how the seat tube angle can be 58 but the effective seat tube angle can be 72?

 

[PoserNewbie]

Looks nice but the frame is heavy for its intended purpose. 14lb frame???

 

[Kntr]

http://www.knollybikes.com/vtach_geometry.html

Frame weighs around 12lbs.

 

[MMcG]

Lots of info on these on mtbr.com - designed by a Northshore rider I believe.

 

[rigidhack]

Sweet frames, very expensive, but from what I have read they are worth it. There was a thread on one of the boards where a guy was describing an XC ride he did on one with a 888!

 

[sn0wboarder]

What makes that frame better then any other frame thats in the $2300 price range?

 

[legend_killer]

the true seat tube is 58* but the line from the BB to the seat is 72*
look at line SL

 

[oly]

plenty of info on MTBR, as well as the designer......

 

[OGRipper]

I was able to check one out in person at Whistler but only did a parking lot test. The guy said he does some machining work for Knolly and was stoked that I recognized it, he let me cruise around outside the village a little bit but didn't want me to take it on the mountain (which I can understand). Build quality seems pretty high, it's clear a lot of work goes into them. The website has a lot of good information. You can tell they really understand what riders want - lots of tasty details. Didn't seem any heavier or lighter than other bikes in the range. They are relatively expensive and I have no idea about availability. Promising for sure, could be great rig.

 

[Tarpon]

They look pretty sweet. Anyone own one, ride one, etc. Any info would be appreciated.

The only thing I dont like about it is the seat tube angle but the effective angle isn't too bad. Can someone explain how the seat tube angle can be 58 but the effective seat tube angle can be 72?

I have been riding one since late December. Some Vancouver friends I ride with were demoing them in the spring of '04. I was impressed enough to try one myself and was hooked. It is by far the best bike I have ridden (from among an RM Switch, Bullit, and Demo9). Build quality is as good as you will find and the overall design seems to be nailed. Noel, aka Knolly, built it to be the ulitmate Northshore bike. It does well at Whistler but it is not a purpose built DH bike.

If you do a search you might find the review I posted back in December or January. After putting in a lot more time on the bike, numerous trips to the Shore and Whistler it continues to impress me. Basically, the bike is rock solid; the rear end is very stiff due to the 4x4 linkage. The BB is also a little lower than a lot of FR bikes and it runs a little less sag than a DH bike. The adjustable head angle and chainstays give you a lot of options to tweak the setup.

The seat tube angle works out because it does not intersect the BB. The idea was to get a proper seat position at full extension for climbing while moving the seat forward, out of the way of the rear tire, when dropped (it's also easier to get behind this way). Weight for the frame and shock is 12-12.5 lbs.

Feel free to PM me if you want more info.

 

[Tarpon]

Forgot that I also posted a review in the Freeride forum here not to long ago. Here is the link:

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120559

Also, there is a V-tach owner in Missoula. Goes by the name of 'gonzostrike' on mtbr.

 

[Kntr]

Pic?????

 

[Tarpon]

Pic?????

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105823

 

[Kntr]

TARPOON,
I see you use to ride a Bullit. How does the Knolly compare in all aspects. Please explain.

 

[Tarpon]

TARPOON,
I see you use to ride a Bullit. How does the Knolly compare in all aspects. Please explain.

I had a Bullit for about six months before I test rode the V-tach. The Bullit was a significant improvement over the RM Switch I had before; it pedaled better and was more plush in the back. The Bullit had a Shiver up front.

I ended up taking a demo ride on the V-tach last year up on Mt. Seymour so I was able to compare it to the Bullit on trails that I had ridden before. Three things immediately jumped out at me:

1. The lower BB height was more comfortable/controllable
2. The linkage was much stiffer so the bike tracks very well
3. No brake jack added another level of control to the ride

Overall, I rode better than I ever did on the Bullit (same trails); places I struggled before were now easy/easier the bike was very confidence inspiring. At the end of the ride I gave Noel my deposit for a frame. The Vancouver natives I usually ride with on the Shore (four people) all bought V-tachs as well. Two of them sold Bullits, one an RM7, and the last a Brodie.

 

[gonzostrike]

I have a V-Tach from the same run as Tarpon's. I got the invite on the frame offer about a week after I'd ordered a Scream last season. because it was going to be a while before the V-Tach was ready, I kept the Scream and rode that last season. prior to the Scream I had an '02.5 Bullit (1st year of 7" travel 5th E version) that I rode for two seasons w/ Super T Pro up front and 2-ring setup at the crank. Scream had 888R that now is on the V-Tach.

I've spent a bit of time on friends' VP-Free rigs. No serious gnar riding, but enough time to get a feel for the geometry, etc.

The V-Tach is an unbelievable piece of work. Noel has taken the best of FSR (active / detached rear wheel under pedaling and braking) and the best of monopivot (clear straight seat tube for full seatpost, improved lateral and torsional stiffness), added additional linkage members to both allow the straight seat tube and increase torsional and lateral stiffness, and created a bike that rides extremely well. I am running mine at the short wheelbase (17") setting and the 67deg HA setting, and it's crazy stable on choppy dh. Britt, you know Dead Man's -- I was ripping through the nastiest big rock chunk sections with so much speed that I was blowing through turn entries. the rear wheel stays stuck and doesn't twist or jerk around, it just moves up & down in its suspension path. on skinnies it's crazy stable and no questions about what your rear wheel's up to.

I'm not a DJ guy so I can't comment on its jumping ability, but on typical DH style airs from rollers and hips, it's perfectly stable in the air and completely predictable.

I haven't ridden a Demo from Specialized, but I'd crap my drawers if I found it to be better for FR... and for the amount of DH I do, I think the V-Tach is perfect.

it pedals extremely well and I have done quite a few XC style rides on it. Britt, I've done 3 Larch from my house (near Mount & Johnson on southwest side) several times, the climb is longer but the V-Tach is surprisingly efficient.

I'm going up to Fernie BC next week and can post more about its ski hill performance after that trip.

picture below from Lake Como near Darby

 

[Incubus]

The knollys are hot. If you're not in a super rush maybe you should wait to see Turner's highline. DT and Neol had the same idea in mind when designing the highline and V-tach. That being: Long travel FSR link frame with a full length seat tube. The 6pack design has limitations as to how long a shock you can use before you start giving up stand-over. Noel's solution to this problem is obviously the 4bar linkage. Looks like DT will use a swing-link of sorts as seen on turnerbikes.com.

 

[Kntr]

Gonzo,
When you heading up to Fenie? We are planning a trip too. Can you compare the Vtach to the Bullit and Scream as much as possible? Two of my friends ride them and I have had a little time on both. One of my friends is considering the Vtach, also. I love my Fly but its 3 seasons old and I need another do all bike. I have really narrowed it down to the VTach, 05 FLY, and Highline. I want at least 7.5" of travel. The only thing I dont like about my 02.5 Fly is the long wheelbase.

 

[gonzostrike]

Looking like Tues-Wed-Thurs right now. going up with Neil Davies, probably will hit the Fish on the way to ride w/ Tim Killen there and then up to Fernie. I need to find out for sure today, so I can get my dog to a dogsitter on Monday. heh.

V-Tach compared to Bullit: NONE of the rear wheel flex/flail that the Bullit suffers under strenuous conditions like some of the rocky chutes on Dead Man's, or when hitting chicanes ("switchback" in the Greg Minaar dialect) at high speed. NONE of the pedal feedback when pedaling into a square, ledgy obstacle. MORE stability in cornering. MORE nimble in singletrack that's tight & twisty. The only downside compared to the Bullit: well, it's heavier by about 4.5 lbs on frame alone... but not noticeable when pedaling, not at all.

V-Tach compared to Scream: better standover on V-Tach, better cornering on V-Tach, weight on V-Tach sits lower and makes bike feel more stable -- Scream sits tall with weight up taller making it feel tippy and unstable compared to V-Tach. also, as with Bullit, NONE of the negatives of singlepivots -- no pedal feedback on ledgy obstacles hit while pedaling, and smooth braking if you hit stutters.

The Bullit is a slower-handling trail bike that can take a dual crown fork. It's a jack-of-all-trades but not really especially great at anything except being affordable and being a good beginner's FR or DH bike. Compared to the V-Tach it feels and seems like a bargain basement special.

The Scream is a big-drop, big-hit bike that pedals pretty well but is really most at home doing HUGE Shore stunts, and not much else.

car analogy:

Bullit is a 1991 VW GTI that has been hopped up engine-wise and suspension wise but still shows its age and limitations when it's pushed hard, but it's affordable and lots of people can get one.

Scream is a Willys Jeep. Good at its one thing, not so good at others, built for a purpose and not much else.

V-Tach is a repeat race-winning Subaru Rally Race Car, plain and simple.

Your 3 finalists are all excellent choices. The Highline will be a winner, for sure. I have a 6-Pack and it's so good it makes me think of selling the V-Tach. The '06 Fly ought to be a good improvement on your older "rear shock through the bull's eye" model. And the V-Tach simply just has all the bases covered. Honestly, I think it would be very hard to choose among the Highline, Fly and V-Tach. if you set your sights lower and said Iron Horse Sunday, SC VP-Free and V-Tach I could tell you to ignore the other 2 and just get a V-Tach... but...

 

[dw]

The Knollys are very sweet bikes, no doubt.

For gonzostrike, keep in mind that the Sunday is a RACE bike. Not intended for climbing, only takes 1 ring up front. Although I must say, the thing does pedal sweet. Now if you said 7POINT in that statement, I'd say you probably haven't ridden one. I dont think you could go wrong with either a VTach or a 7POINT.

Dave

 

[gonzostrike]

that (single ring) is a big part of my point, Dave. some of the folks here in Missoula were considering Sundays as FR/DH bikes, but most of the folks here riding such bikes are using only one ring up front. I'm in the minority running two. I'm one of the few who pedals his big bike uphill, most of the rest push or shuttle. which makes me the dumb, masochistic one I guess... heh.

nobody here has a Sunday or 7Point so I can't comment on the literal comparison. but I will say that I'm thinking about getting a Hollowpoint Mk III frame to replace my XC HT frame, since I'm so old and my back doesn't really enjoy HT riding any more, and since I've heard phenomenal things about the Mk III. the price ain't half-bad either.

I have no doubt the Sunday pedals better than the old Big Hit-styled DH bike that Iron Horse made last year and previously. one of my friends has one and it's definitely not a trail riding machine, more a gravity sled than anything else... meant to pedal downhill, not uphill.

 

[Kntr]

Im with gonzostrike. Everyone I ride with rides big bikes uphill; 2 guys with Flys, RMX, Scream, Bullit, 2 Big Hits, 2 Demo 9s, etc. If the Sunday took two rings a few guys would own one. Most guys around here want 7.5"+ travel with 2 rings. One guy wants a M3 with dual rings.

Im goin back to Whistler in a few weeks. I talked with Noel and Im going to check the Knolly out. I might come back with one.

 

[Tarpon]

Im goin back to Whistler in a few weeks. I talked with Noel and Im going to check the Knolly out. I might come back with one.

Let me know when you are headed up and we can try to get some of the PNW Knolly gang together to finish brainwashing you.

 

[Kntr]

Ill be in Whistler Aug 27,28,29 and then at the North Shore Aug 30,31. I really like the white and orange striped Knolly.

 

[Tarpon]

Ill be in Whistler Aug 27,28,29 and then at the North Shore Aug 30,31. I really like the white and orange striped Knolly.

That's one of the weekends I'm targeting. I'll PM you the week of the 22nd if I wil be up there.

 

[Kntr]

The choice is starting to get a little easier.

Foes Fly $1700
Highline $2100
....Knolly $3200

I thought the Knolly was around $2500. All the reviews Ive read said $2500-2800. Anyway. I still really like the Knolly.

 

[snowskilz]

im pretty sure the 3200 price tag is for canada. much cheaper in the us of a

 

[xy9ine]

nope. its $3900cdn / $3200usd. not cheap.

 

[Kntr]

I want a white Knolly with a 06 white 888. That would be SUPER dope.

 

[Brunettes]

Lots of info on these on mtbr.com - designed by a Northshore rider I believe.

OMG now I'll have to get one!!!

 

[sikocycles]

When will the Turner Highline be out?

 

[Kntr]

When will the Turner Highline be out?

Ya, I wanna know too. What he said.

 

[oly]

Im also anxious to see the HL make production. Word is that they are tooling up in Oregon to start building the bikes. We race with a couple guys that work where the frames are made and they confirmed its in proess.... how far along?? That they didnt know. Keep an eye on the Turner forum on MTBR.... dave gets in and gives us updates from time to time....

 

[partsbara]

regarding the knolly... nice, but definately overpriced...

 

[Kntr]

These companys like Knolly and Nicolai are so overpriced that they dont sell many frames. If their prices were lower I would bet they would sell more frames and make more money in the long run.

I read that Nicolai only sold 60 frames with the Roloff hub last year. They sold a lot of their other bikes but only 60 with the gear box. Yes, 60..... if they were a little more reasonable......

 

[Monkeybidnezz]

The choice is starting to get a little easier.

Foes Fly $1700
Highline $2100
....Knolly $3200

I thought the Knolly was around $2500. All the reviews Ive read said $2500-2800. Anyway. I still really like the Knolly.

Dang, the Knolly sounds nice but that was a sticker shock for me too...defntly couldn't justify spending 2x more than a fly...

 

[Incubus]

The knolly at $3200 is still $100 less than the msrp of the demo9.

BTW, Turner only sold 75 RFXs the year before it's hiatus from their line-up. Some people just don't want to spend thousands on a freeride bike. Getting that first dent/scrape on a $3k+ frame must sting like a mofo.

 

[dlb]

I dont want to take anything away from anyone with posts regarding Knolly's, they sound like true peices of art, and as a Turner dealer myself, the Highlines are gonna be right there at the top, I also have a 6 Pack/RFX, great bike. I did a small shoot-out with several bikes I had (Bullit, Pack and a 575) and the Pack came out my winner for the trailbike slot, for my big hit bike, I have a VPX. I think I would have a hard time finding any of the above bikes being any better. Cant speak about the reliability of all those bearings yet, but the frame has been great. This bike pedals as good as any bike I have been on and yet it has almost 8" of travel. Intense's biggest problem has always been alinement, probably not a problem with the Knolly or the Turner. The cost is about the same as the Turner. The VPX has more trail friendly geometry than its SC brother the VP Free making it a great bike in the tighter Shore like riding. It just feels very playfull. I havent felt any brake feedback with the VPX like you do with the Bullit, like what gonz mentioned. Someday after I get somemore parts and another fork I will ride the VPX and RFX back to back and see if I really need all those inches in the back!

 

[gonzostrike]

These companys like Knolly and Nicolai are so overpriced that they dont sell many frames. If their prices were lower I would bet they would sell more frames and make more money in the long run.

I read that Nicolai only sold 60 frames with the Roloff hub last year. They sold a lot of their other bikes but only 60 with the gear box. Yes, 60..... if they were a little more reasonable......

dude, if you took out your calculator and added up all your chi-chi "upgrades" on your various bikes you've owned, you'd find that you've probably already bought 3 or 4 V-Tach frames over the past 5 years.

but seriously,

Noel has no problem selling his frames. you can slag him on price if you like, but I see that as a bit childish.

and comparing it to an overcomplicated Nicolai just ain't right, man. the V-Tach isn't overcomplex.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have a V-Tach and a 6-Pack. the suspension feel and ride are very similar. since I tend to do more techie DH than FR, I'm considering selling my V-Tach frame in favor of a DHR, but the fact that I run 2 rings up front and am used to that keep turning me off the idea of a full-on DH rig.

the V-Tach feels more low-slung than the dedicated FR big hit rigs like a Banshee Scream or a Norco A-Line. it corners with more suppleness in its suspension compliance, and with more control in its wheel path (no torsional or sideways deflection felt). it's probably as well as I could do for a bike to suit my huge travel situations of techie DH and FR riding, even if I don't do the huge drops that Noel designed it to handle.

 

[gonzostrike]

The knolly at $3200 is still $100 less than the msrp of the demo9.

BTW, Turner only sold 75 RFXs the year before it's hiatus from their line-up. Some people just don't want to spend thousands on a freeride bike. Getting that first dent/scrape on a $3k+ frame must sting like a mofo.

yeah I'm not too keen on shuttling nowadays.