Knolly Endorphin

Endorphin 6.0

The Knolly Endorphin is the first bike in their line to get an upgrade and sets the tone for a new generation of bikes yet to come from the Vancouver-based company. The Endorphin hasn't seen a redesign in a couple of years and looks nothing like the previous model. That is because 80% of it has been changed. Talk about a makeover.

At its core, the new Endorphin is a trail bike that ranges in travel from 140-160mm in the front and 135mm-150mm in the rear, and comes in both MX and full 27.5" options. One thing that remains is that the new bike incorporates the Fourby4 suspension platform for which Knolly is well known.

Knolly is known for having human centric sizing that optimizes reach, stand over height and geometry for their target market. So while this bike will still cater to a range of heights, it is crystal clear that it was designed with smaller "fun-sized" people as the focus. Specifically for heights ranging from 4'11 to 5'10 and people who seek a playful, versatile bike. The size range is from x-small to a limited production of large frames.

What's so significant?

At first glance, this bike looks nothing like previous models as it lacks the unique kink in the top tube that made Knollys so distinguishable. In addition to that straightened top tube, the down tube also has a less pronounced S-bend to it, giving the bike a cleaner, smooth aesthetic. A second major and very welcomed change is the lack of bushings. The new Endorphin is the first Knolly that has bearings in every suspension pivot and they are covered with CNC'd titanium bolts for a nice added touch. A third noticeable change is the one-piece rocker link that used to be two pieces on previous models, adding rigidity while decreasing lateral stress on the shock mount.

Knolly Endorphin Highlights

• Available in mullet or full 27.5" wheels
• Aluminum frames only
• All frame sizes support 175-200mm dropper posts
• Fourby4 Suspension
• Size specific chain stay length
• SRAM UDH compatible
• Unified monoblock rocker link
• Mounts for tools under top tube
• Cable routing and threaded BB
• Post mount 180mm rear brake mount
• 157Trail rear end spacing (aka Super Boost Plus)

Build Kits

The Endorphin comes in three build kits, available in three beautiful colors: RAW, Sea Foam and Champagne. The full 27.5" build comes with full Shimano Deore and Marzocchi suspension. Of the three options, this bike comes stocked with the most travel at 160mm in the front and 150mm in the rear.

The two mixed wheel builds come with either a full Shimano Deore or XT spec for an added 1,300 CAD. These two mullet bikes come with less travel, provided by a 140mm Fox 34 in the front and 135mm Fox Float X in the rear.

All three builds come with the same DT Swiss M1900 wheelset, SDG Bel Air V3 saddle and an SDG Tellis dropper. Smalls and x-smalls come stocked with a 170mm dropper, which can be swapped for a 200mm if your inseam allows.

See the full builds here.

The bike I was given is the full XT mullet in size small with a different cockpit and wheels than what will come stock. Specs are below:

• Fork: Fox 34 Factory 140mm
• Shock: Fox Float X Factory 135mm
• Brakes: Shimano XT 8120 with 203/180mm rotors
• Seat Post: SDG Tellis 170mm
• *Saddle: SDG Bel-Air V3
• Drive Train: Shimano XT 12 spd 10-51T (30T chain ring)
• *Wheels: DT Swiss M1900 29" front (15x110) 27.5" rear (12x157MS)
• Front Tire: Maxxis Assegai 29" x 2.5" MaxxGrip EXO+
• Rear Tire: Maxxis DHR II 27.5 x 2.4" MaxxTerra EXO+
• *Stem: Spank Split 50
• *Handlebar: Spank Oozy 800
• *Grips: Spank Spoon

*Products not to spec on the bike in photos

Pricing

• Full 27.5 Deore - 5,599 CAD / 4,199 USD
• MX Deore - 5,999 CAD / 4,499 USD
• MX XT - 7,299CAD / 5,499 USD

While the build kits focus on the lower to mid-range of travel bikes, the frame is designed to run 50, 52.5 and 55mm stroke shocks that are 185mm in length. This directly translates to 135, 142 and 150mm of rear travel, and can be combined with a 150-160mm travel (27.5" wheel) or 140-150mm travel fork (29" wheel). Basically, the options to make this bike your own are numerous and you can mix and match to find the ideal combination that works for your riding style. Knolly is more than willing to answer any and all questions about this if you reach out to them.

Geometry

The numbers change ever so slightly when looking at the full 27.5 build vs the MX. Head tube angles are between 64-65 degrees and the effective seat tube angles are between 75.5 -76.5 degrees. In the neutral position, the bottom bracket height is at 343.5mm. Changing the shock setting from neutral to a slack position will change the angles by half a degree and drop the BB height by 10mm.

Stand over heights are significantly smaller than similar trail bikes, which is in line with Knolly's goal of suiting riders with smaller inseams. Size small stand over for the full 27.5" build is 697mm and 688mm for the x-small. Stack heights start at 598mm for the x-small and increase to 621mm for the large for an aggressive feel.

Wheelbase on the small mullet is 1,202mm making it slightly longer than my current bike and adds some stability to the ride. Chainstay length is 428mm and increases by 4mm increments when moving up in sizes.

The reach numbers are on the bigger size of what I've seen. The small MX build has a reach of 440mm and an added 4mm on the 27.5". Looking at their size recommendations on their website, I'm actually at the tail end of an XS.

First Impressions

This bike took a few rides to start feeling right as I was adjusting to a new life with Shimano brakes and trying to optimize my position for climbing. As a fun-sized person, the 440mm reach is borderline outside of my comfort zone and has made climbing the biggest challenge so far. Pedaling is a big part of why I ride, so I still need to make adjustments to the cockpit in order to find the right configuration for me.

The Endorphin has a smaller suspension set up than what I currently have on my Stumpjumper evo but the progressive geometry, tire selection (Assegai and DHR II) and mullet combo makes me feel at home when descending. In steeper sections, I can feel the bike is capable of more but the Fox 34 has me nervous and a bit squirrely up front so I am having to be cautious and tone down my riding accordingly. It's still a trail bike at the end of the day so I can't expect it to perform the same. I'd be very interested to see how it rides with a Fox 36 instead.

I'm learning what that Knolly traction is all about... and it feels great. On low angle terrain, it's very easy to trust the bike to stay planted through a corner and with a smaller chainstay the bike is very nimble. While I wouldn't say the bike is particularly lightweight, it is highly maneuverable and easy to whip around the trail. I can see why this bike would appeal to playful riders who love to jump.

So far, the Endorphin has handled most of what I've thrown at it and I'm looking forward to riding it into winter and on a variety of terrain to see where it thrives best. Full review coming after more time on the bike.

More details on the new Endorphin here.