Bike Review:

Knolly Chilcotin

Burly full 29er

Stopped in North Vancouver to check out the Knolly Chilcotin. This is their burliest full 29er and I was excited to check it out on its home mountains. With 170mm of travel front and rear and a parts spec mostly to match

Descending:

On the descents is where the Chilcotin should come alive and it does. This is one of those bikes that needs speed, at least for me riding a size large. And I would opt for a medium next time. Seymour has a range of trails from speedy jumps, tight tech, skinnies, and of course features. While some pedal strikes can be expected I was surprised by the amount of times I hit the bash guard on the descent. 

The first trail I rode was a moderate speed jump trail and that was a good introduction to the bike. I found the ground after over shooting a drop so I added some compression to the rear shock. I started out just under 30% sag and was closer to 25% by the end of my time with the Chilcotin. The chilcotin carried speed nicely and made quick work of the jumps. This is a big bike and similar to the Transition Spire added confidence when speeding toward a large lip. I could see this being great on the Blue steel jumps in Bellingham as well as dirt merchant and aline in Whistler. The next trail was much slower and rockier. 

On Slow speed tech moves the Knolly did a good job of tracking and while the backend felt long on the climbs and in the air I didn’t think about around switchbacks or skinnies on the downhill. 

At high speeds I really enjoyed the Chilcotin’s ability to track and the long bike was very stable. This was good as long as the hits weren’t too large, it was at that point the low bb again reminded me to watch out. That continued when I arrived at some rock faces that felt more like dropping into a bowl at a skate park. And these slower speed features again had me second guessing my sizing choice. Over all the Chilcotin loves speed and the four by four suspension does a great job of tracking the ground even when you’re trying to scrub some of that speed. 

Who the Bike Is For:

Well the first thing that comes to mind are those riders that like their bottom bracket on the ground. While the high bb position gives a much more neutral feel. 

For a bike with dual 29 inch wheels this felt much more like the mixed wheel Trantion Patrol around corners and at speed. This can certainly be a benefit when try in eeck out more speed. It’s definitely a Enduro rig for more technical terrain or even if you want something that leans more toward shuttling and bike parks. Lastly the burly alloy frame is a plus for those looking for a robust platform and the finish quality is about as boutique as it gets. 

Final Thoughts:

Sizing is going to be important and if you can get on a demo before purchase I would recommend it. Dialed bike Service in North Vancouver can set you up. I saw a reach well outside my preference but wanted to approach this Knolly as any other “large” bike because that’s what many riders will do. The seated climbing positions was good but down hill it just felt long. The low bottom bracket is another thing to consider.  This wasn’t my first time on knollys four by four suspension and while it did take more time to setup than some it does reward the process. High speed check, chunking trails check, bike park why not the Knolly Chilcotin can handle it. 

Check out other 29ers offered by Jenson USA