Good review Deniz, and I am flattered to be not named in the article as the shit-stirrer.
There are a few points I wanted to mention.
1\. Why are straight top tubes betterer than non straight top tubes? We talk about efficiency of shapes, but then don't seem to care about any other tubes with shaping except the top tube. And can we all agree that this is the current 'style' rather than some objective statement?
2\. I just want to restate my point regarding sizing. Sure, you might not design a bike sized like Knolly, but a fair review would be to review the intended size, not the reviewers sizing preference. Kind of like a reviewer saying they like off-road driving better so they take the 911 GT3 around some logging roads. Sure, that's the reviewers preferred 'thing' but it doesn't speak to the design intent of the vehicle and therefore not the best review.
3\. "Rebound was set to 4 Clicks from closed on the Z1 and 6 Clicks from closed on the Super Deluxe. Fast but not unique." I always thought 'closed' meant slowest speeds and this is how suspension manufacturers describe the speeds, closed = slow. Do you perhaps mean the opposite of what you stated? I am also on a Z1 and Super Deluxe Ultimate Coil and those seem like slower rebounds to my understanding. I might be confused on this.
4\. "It has burlier stanchions than the 36 but it's not as stiff as the 38" I believe the claim is that the Z1 is heavier than the same stiffness 36, not stiffer. They use a lower grade of alloy to keep costs down and wight up, not making it stiffer.
5\. "SDG Tellis V2 at 170mm was immediately swapped for the 200mm version to test and I think it is the post that should be specced on the bike to begin with." Doesn't this speak to the sizing element? Knolly doesn't intend for riders as tall as you to be riding this bike . . .
6\. "I prefer shimano's higher-end chains with Hyperglide+ and extra nickel coating. My XT cassette and XTR chain bike shift noticeably smoother, especially under load." Shimano doesn't even claim this. And a Deore chain has all the exact same shaping as the higher spec chains, but either doesn't have hollow pins (which make no difference in performance) or more expensive coatings for wear purposes, not shifting quality. EDIT: I might be oncorrect about the Deore chain, but from SLX on up they have no performance difference in shift quality. Deore might be the exception to that.
I want to note I enjoyed your review and first look, and the discussion regarding sizing on the first look. And the bike sounds like something right up my alley for how it feels/rides.
June 6, 2024, 11:55 a.m. - BarryW
Good review Deniz, and I am flattered to be not named in the article as the shit-stirrer. There are a few points I wanted to mention. 1\. Why are straight top tubes betterer than non straight top tubes? We talk about efficiency of shapes, but then don't seem to care about any other tubes with shaping except the top tube. And can we all agree that this is the current 'style' rather than some objective statement? 2\. I just want to restate my point regarding sizing. Sure, you might not design a bike sized like Knolly, but a fair review would be to review the intended size, not the reviewers sizing preference. Kind of like a reviewer saying they like off-road driving better so they take the 911 GT3 around some logging roads. Sure, that's the reviewers preferred 'thing' but it doesn't speak to the design intent of the vehicle and therefore not the best review. 3\. "Rebound was set to 4 Clicks from closed on the Z1 and 6 Clicks from closed on the Super Deluxe. Fast but not unique." I always thought 'closed' meant slowest speeds and this is how suspension manufacturers describe the speeds, closed = slow. Do you perhaps mean the opposite of what you stated? I am also on a Z1 and Super Deluxe Ultimate Coil and those seem like slower rebounds to my understanding. I might be confused on this. 4\. "It has burlier stanchions than the 36 but it's not as stiff as the 38" I believe the claim is that the Z1 is heavier than the same stiffness 36, not stiffer. They use a lower grade of alloy to keep costs down and wight up, not making it stiffer. 5\. "SDG Tellis V2 at 170mm was immediately swapped for the 200mm version to test and I think it is the post that should be specced on the bike to begin with." Doesn't this speak to the sizing element? Knolly doesn't intend for riders as tall as you to be riding this bike . . . 6\. "I prefer shimano's higher-end chains with Hyperglide+ and extra nickel coating. My XT cassette and XTR chain bike shift noticeably smoother, especially under load." Shimano doesn't even claim this. And a Deore chain has all the exact same shaping as the higher spec chains, but either doesn't have hollow pins (which make no difference in performance) or more expensive coatings for wear purposes, not shifting quality. EDIT: I might be oncorrect about the Deore chain, but from SLX on up they have no performance difference in shift quality. Deore might be the exception to that. I want to note I enjoyed your review and first look, and the discussion regarding sizing on the first look. And the bike sounds like something right up my alley for how it feels/rides.