Will's Knolly Chilcotin Bike Check

Rider Profile

Name: William Trivett
Instagram Handle: @willtriv
Location: Rothesay, NB
Height & Weight: 5’11”, 195 lbs
Frame Size: S3 – Gen 6 medium fits much better than the previous generation

Local Trails & Riding Style

Home Trails: Poley Mountain, Shady Grove, Rockwood Park
Favourite Trail: Tribute
Riding Style: Old-man – just trying to make it to the landing 🙂
Intended Use: Lap after lap of bike park and any trail with time in the air

Bike Specifications

Frame: Knolly Chilcotin 2025 – Ano Black
Fork: Zeb with FAST SC5 – 180mm
Rear Shock: EXT Storia V3 – custom-tuned with 475 lb spring at 65mm stroke
Headset: Hope ano Silver lower and Intend single piece zs44 upper
Handlebars: OneUp Carbon V1 – cut to 770mm
Stem: BikeYoke Barkeeper – 55mm x 35mm
Grips: Race Face Grippler 33mm– may the forest be with you
Brakes: Formula Cura 4 – 203mm rotors front and rear

Drivetrain:
• Shifter: Shimano XTR M9100
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M8100
• Cassette: Shimano SLX M7100 – 10–51T
• Chain: Shimano XT M8100
• Cranks: SRAM X01 165mm or Prowheel DMJ 160mm
• Chainring: NSB 32T Shimano 12-speed Narrow-Wide
• Bottom Bracket: Shimano MT501 / SRAM DUB

Chainguide: Blackspire Der Guide – long live the king
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH – silver ano

Wheelset:
• Rims: NOBL TR37
• Hubs: Onyx Vesper
• Spokes: Sapim D-Light / Race

Tires (current):
• Front: Vittoria Mazza – 29 x 2.6
• Rear: Vittoria Mazza – 29 x 2.3

Seatpost: SDG Tellis V2 – 200mm
Saddle: Specialized Power (replaced SQlab 611 active)
Seatpost Clamp: Knolly – Silver

Custom Touches & Rationale

Everything was chosen with purpose. I tend to keep costs down on consumables so I can splurge on the squishy bits. The SC5 damper is a standout upgrade over any stock damper I’ve tried. It’s probably a bit too good for me—I usually run the LSC nearly wide open for comfort.

I have a medical history of RSI from years of typing and gaming, so I’ve made choices to minimize pain and arm pump and claw hand. The OneUp bars, large Grippler grips, and Cura brakes all help reduce finger and wrist strain. Ten years ago, I could barely do two laps through brake bumps in a row. Now I’m doing 9-hour patrol shifts with as many laps as possible. The Cura brakes require minimal force to stop the bike dead and have only needed one bleed in two years of use. I also appreciate that I can easily get small parts from a Canadian distributor.

I’ve been on Shimano 12-speed mechanical for a few years now. It’s reliable and inexpensive compared to many alternatives. I’ve been alternating between 160mm and 165mm cranksets. I really like the 160mm for gravity riding and ground clearance. The riding we have here in the Maritimes suits higher bottom brackets and more clearance, but with 165mm cranks I can clean more of the impossible climbs at Rockwood.

The coolest and most unique touch? A custom top cap with artwork of my puppy. It was a Christmas gift from Matt (thanks Matt!).

Ride Impressions

This is my second Knolly, and both have been primarily used in the bike park. I love how quiet this bike is, even after repeated rough landings from 10–15m jumps. The stack height on the new Gen 6 Chilcotin is much improved—it’s easier to move the bike around in the air and stay in an aggressive position without feeling like I’m tipping forward. It’s also retained the signature quick turn-in I expect from a Knolly, with updated kinematics that help it float through chunky terrain even better.

Final Thoughts

This is my favourite bike yet. Some days, all it takes to get stoked for a ride is walking into the shop and staring at it for a few minutes. It’s exactly what I want in a bike, and I hope to take it on a few trips in the near future—including one back to B.C., near its namesake, the Chilcotin Mountains.