Interbike – Lost Files Part I

Ok, so this is a twisted time line of a narrative. In order to keep some semblance of sanity I’m trying to form some logical pattern to the mish mash rag tag madness from Interbike. For this post I want to talk about a few bikes we saw that have really tickled our fancy. And guess what? They are a local brand.

   Knolly Chilcotin. I have a Windy Pass sized pink pocket rocket for this bike.

So the Endorphin has been getting pushed and pulled in two directions in the past. Knolly found that people were either trying to build it up as a light trail bike or as a burly All-Mountain bike. This forced it to become no master of either. This year they have decided to split the Endorphin into the Endorphin SL (lighter yet still trail aggressive) and the Chilcotin which is an aggressive 6” All-Marketing super beast.

   Knolly Endorphin. 6.2lb with shock. Tapered headtube and 68 degree head angle with a 140mm fork.

For anyone familiar with the Chilcotins then the name of this bike maybe a little misleading at first. But whats in a name really? We should all know that names mean F-all after learning of Shimanos radical Dyna-Sys re-naming. Anyway, back to Knolly. You maybe expecting the Chilcotin bike to be a light weight roller for smooth trails that go on for days and days. Well Knolly like to ride more than the smooth flowing front country of the Chilcos. What they say is this bike is designed to load up the camping equipment, pedal off into the sunset, poke some sausage on an open fire then next day schralp some gnarly ridge line trail off the beaten path…if you want to. It’s simply about the freedom of somewhere like the Chilcotins.

Anyway, here’s the details and vital statistics…it is 6” travel, has a 67 degree headangle and 14” BB when used with a 160mm fork…However, changing the position of the shock can alter these numbers to a gravity sexual 66 degree head angle and 13.5” BB!!! Boner! This is exciting stuff, but only eclipsed only by the fact that it comes with BOTTLE CAGE BOSSES!!! Seriously this may seem like a tiny and insignificant detail but over the past 12 months of having bike with a bottle cage I can’t imagine myself going without.

   Sick colours. There was this fluro green as well as a fluro yellow. More manufacturers need to simplify there colour schemes and offer bikes with colors that are brave and fun. A lot of bikes have really nice graphic packs that look great from afar but it looks cluttered and lasts no time at all.

The Endorphin SL is designed for the kind of rider who wants to have a bike that is competitive on XC loops, epics or races (like the BC Bike Race for instance), but who doesn’t want to loose the fun of the fair on the downs. Yeah yeah, I know you have heard it all before from every other manufacturer, but maybe because these bikes are designed and built in North America then there could be some truth behind it. These bikes are slowing growing some traction world wide but thats incidental to the fact that they are made by guys like you and I who love the rugged dank trails of the West Coast. Rather than bikes being designed and built to suit the lowest common denominator, or the totally fairy euro market who still believe rolling resistance rules over traction when it comes to bike design, these bikes are designed for you by you…hang on, thats a catchy phrase may be I should register that?

   What was really cool as well was seeing the Knollys draped in more local produce like Chromag. Stems and seat posts were all over these bikes like a rash picked up from the Las Vegas late night buffet. Here is the new Moon saddle from Chromag. It has a subtle curve in the top which takes pressure off your cooch when you are in the saddle for long rides, but having the slight tapering or drooping nose means you can still have plenty of nose for when you are trying to keep traction on those steep loose climbs. So clever, so comfy. My balls love Chromag. I’ve had one of these on my DH bike for a little while, but I realized if I was going to put it to good use then it should be on my pedal bike.

So thats enough from me. It’s time to load up on more coffee and weird times in the valley of the weird. For now I’ll leave you with some random photos from Day One…and some booth babes.

   Me and Jens Voight are like this.

   $8000 bike made of MAHOGANY and WALNUT wood. Ron Burgundy would commute to work on a bike like this. I was going to save this one for the commuter piece I’m trying to do (love you Brian)

   Santa Cruz are offering this awesome raw metal with clear coat on their Driver 8 and Blur LT. So so sexy.

   Talking of sexy.

   Err…virtual bike training? I’d rather leave now thanks.

   So far the worst looking nice bike at the show. Twenty6 had this on their booth. I vomited in my mouth a little when I saw this. But I suppose it was a shrewd move on their behalf seeing as there is now a photo of it up on this here webber thingy.

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Do you like what you see or the way Seb sees it?  Want to take the pressure off your cooch?  Take a load off here..