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Home | Product Reviews | All Mountain Full Suspension | Knolly Delirium T | ||||
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Submitted by
Shelly
a Cross Country Rider
from Mill Creek
Date Reviewed: 2/16/2008 8:17:49 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | anyone I can ride well |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Strengths: | Well being a chick, my response will be different from all of the technical mumbo-jumbo the guys here have posted already. I have to say that I noticed immediately how well the bike climbed (I went from a Rocky Mountain full suspension to the Delirium), even though it is about 10lbs. heavier. The other very obvious trait was how it just rolls over obstacles! I couldn't believe how smooth and easy this bike was to ride on my first ride. I really didn't think that I would notice such a big difference, but I did. I have now had the bike 1.5 years, and still love how well this bike flows through the trails. I enjoy mountain biking even more now with my Knolly. |
| Weaknesses: | A little heavy to pick up and put on top of the car. That is why I take my husband riding with me. |
| Bike Setup: | You would have to ask the husband. But I do have pink spacers on the headset. |
| Bottom Line: | I highly recommend this bike to everyone, especially women. Most women think that it will be too heavy to climb up hills, but it pedals so easily and smoothly, you won't notice the weight difference. Ride the bike, and you will never want to ride another. |
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Submitted by
Michael Collins
a Weekend Warrior
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: 12/7/2007 1:34:39 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Got Dirt? |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $2500 |
| Purchased At: | Pedal Power Bikes and Boards |
| Strengths: | I'm over the 3 month period now, so time for a couple of comments... The Knolly is WAY stiff. It goes where you point it. I ride alot of ATV double track. If I drop the front into one rut and the rear into the other rut, there is no flex, or squirm, I just shift weight a little and the rear climbs out of the rut with no problem. The bike is very plush and very active, but it does not sap power. Noel has done an outstanding tuning job regarding isolating pedal and brake forces. The Knolly is about 5 pounds heavier than my 06 Rocky Mountain Slayer, but the Slayer feels heavier on the trail and climbing.( The Slayer has a Pushed RP3 on it too, so WAY better than stock, but it still is not even in the same game as the DT.) While both will "bob" when you stand and hammer, the Slayer uses a lot of travel, you get a bit of a pogo feeling, on the DT more of subtle rock if that makes any sense. Movement is minimal in comparrison. This is with a DHX5 Air, and I expect it to get even better when the CCDB goes on. Braking on anything is amazing, but on rough steeps it is just unreal. Rear end stays planted, no chatter, no jack just glued to the ground. Again on the RM the back end tends to "skip" over rocks and roots and this is with the PUSHED RP3. I have quite easily cleaned climbs on the Delirium T that I struggled to get 2/3-3/4 the way up on the RM. It just digs in and goes. Rear end stays nice and active, so you just power over the ruts, roots and steps. Shifting to out of the saddle, you just seem to naturally fall into the proper position to balance front stability and rear traction. If you have the legs the DT can climb it. With this bike you feel like you're in a cockpit, not riding on top like a horse. This is quite noticable in the tight tech stuff. The handling is very precise, the bike can be controlled by a light touch on the weight shifts, no severe heavy inputs needed. No ghost shifting. Not even once. I may get a bit of noise if things go out a bit but never a missed or unwanted shift. Quick adjust with the cable adjust barrel's and we are good to go. Again in comparision, on the Rocky Mountain, both bikes have SRAM drivetrains, but if things are not pretty much perfect, I get ghost shifting on occasion. Same whilst under power, not often but enough to notice; if your in the rough and make it squirm and you may catch a different gear. With the Knolly SOLID - not a one missed. |
| Weaknesses: | Downsides? Not really, more a bit of nit-picking. Weight. Even though it pedals lighter it is still a solid bike. The bigger you are, the less this will probably bother you. Cleaning - this can be a bit of a pain. Lots of nooks and crannies - especially the BB / F deraileur area. This area is a bit of a crap magnet - it can get pretty packed with mud and dirt. Good collection area, however I have never had a problem shifting even with a severe build-up. The seat tube angle has some good and bad points. Good, when adjusted for proper fit / leg extension, you are in an almost perfect pedaling position, however when you drop the seat it drops forward. This is awesome for the steeps, but when I drop the seat an inch or two for a bit of tech, the cockpit can feel a bit tight. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Many BMX Kona Kilauea Norco Wolverine Rocky Mountain Slayer ( 2006 ) |
| Bike Setup: | Large Black Ano frame Magura Wotan fork Cane Creek Double Barrel rear shock Fox DHXa 5 rear shock ( spare ) DT Swiss 340 /5.1 wheels Kenda Nevagal 2.35 DTC Front and Rear Magura Louise BAT brakes 203mm F&R SRAM X9 Trigger Shifters SRAM X9 Rear Deraileur Shimano HONE front E-type deraileur Shimano Hone cranks ( 2 ring version ) 22 / 34 SRAM 980 11-34 casette SRAM 971 chain Dark Cycles Arachnid Pedals E13 DRS Thompson X4 70 and 90mm Post Sunline V1 medium (1.5") rise handlebar ODI Rogue Lock-on Grips AMP 1 & 4" drop remote adjustable seatpost WTB Pure V Race saddle Red Ano Dangerboy Maple-Leaf bar-end caps Red Ano Headset spacers Red Ano Hope Seatpost collar. |
| Bottom Line: | Outstanding. Best bike I have ever ridden or owned. The support provided by Noel and all of Knolly Bikes is second to none, if you have questions call them. I did, and I bought mine without a test-ride and never even having seen one outside of the web. Best blind purchase I have ever made, and probably ever will make. |
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Submitted by
Tom Dibley
a Weekend Warrior
from Southampton, UK
Date Reviewed: 11/17/2007 8:54:26 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Anything Whistler |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $2850 |
| Purchased At: | FanatyCo |
| Strengths: | A follow up review from two down |
| Weaknesses: | A follow up review from two down |
| Bottom Line: | I just thought I'd drop an update from my reveiw you'll see just below. Three months in and I'm more convinced than ever, that this is the best bike in the world. I just went to Moab and rod cross country and climbe silly steep climbs faster than other fit looking guys (i'm 230lbs) on Specialized Epic's, then turns around and rides down faster than guys on full on downhill rigs. Man, this thing is AMAZING!!! My next bike is a Knolly for sure. |
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Submitted by
Lim Shi Hong
from Dali, Yunnan, China
Date Reviewed: 9/9/2007 9:10:52 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $2500 |
| Purchased At: | Different Bikes, Vancouver |
| Strengths: | Quality of build is the best I've seen on an fs. Climbs better than my ht ss and descends like a dh bike. The bike works with you, not against you. Doesn't bob even when you stand up and mash the pedals, I've found out that propedal is not a necessity for climbing or flatter trails. Super plush suspension. Cable routing makes perfect sense. Full seat tube. Easy full adjustability, head angle and chainstay length. Makes other fs bikes dream of being reborn as a Knolly in their next life. |
| Weaknesses: | After I've gotten my Delirium T, I pretty much cannot stop thinking about riding her, all the time. This is not a bad thing. I wish I've bought this bike earlier. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Dekerf Implant(I know it's a ht, but it's more hardcore than many fs out there including my RM Slayer), RM Slayer. |
| Bike Setup: | Small, ano black Delirium T, 66rc2x, x9, truativ chainguide(I had a drs but found that I only need only ring to climb anything), other stuff that'll break and need to be replaced way before I'm done with this frame, if ever. |
| Bottom Line: | I've very little to add to what all the Delirium riders have said about this bike. This is one amazing frame from a company who knows what they're doing. This bike has exceeded all my expectations of a nice frame and more. Do not be offended by the 35lbs+ weight of the complete build, this bike pedals better than most bikes 10lbs lighter. The suspension does not bob, but still soaks up all the bumps. The handling is smooth and predictable, makes me feel almost invincible when I'm on my bike. And yeah, it's one scary fast bike if you let it be, but yet tracks and balance super well when you're going slower than a snail as well. This bike is really quiet, no creaking, clanking or any other 'normal' noises that you'll expect from a bike with this many linkages. And he!! yeah, this is one SEXY bike, but it doesn't end there, she rides as good as she looks. I really feel that this bike can read my mind. I know some people think that the price tag is a little steep, but you get what you pay for and you do get your every hard earned penny's worth. Customer service by Noel and co. is by far the best I've come across in the bike industry or any industry, for that fact. Noel answered all my inquiries for months, yes, months, way before I decided that I wanted to buy a Knolly. He even came in on his day off to put my frame together so that it could be shipped to Hong Kong in time for my pickup, talk about taking care of your customers. I just couldn't imagine the owner of any frame manufacturer taking that much time and effort just to sell you one frame and making sure that you're happy with it afterwards as well. For sure, my next bike(if I need one) would be a Knolly. So if you're looking for an am/fr/dh/adventure bike now, do yourself a favor and check out a Knolly. They are solid, well balanced, superb handling bikes that'll give you years of riding pleasure. Your only regret would be not getting one earlier. Ok, that about sums it up for now, I'm going to go ride my Knolly now. |
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Submitted by
Tom Dibley
a Weekend Warrior
from Southampton, UK
Date Reviewed: 9/7/2007 1:14:28 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | CBC |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $2850 |
| Purchased At: | Fanatyk Co, Whistler |
| Strengths: | Rides like a down hill bike when going down hill, rides like an all mountain bike up hill. Strong and sooooo stiff!!! Super adjustible different....boutique. |
| Weaknesses: | erm......seriously, this is the best bike I could possibly own. |
| Similar Products Tried: | FSR Elite, Foes FXR, Giant AC, Santa Cruz Heckler, Yeti 575 |
| Bike Setup: | 66, Rohloff (oh yes), King, Brooks saddle, Formula Oro Puro |
| Bottom Line: | I have owned loads of nice bikes and have always wanted a turqoise Yeti (I know this is a Knolly review). I eventually built one up for my trip to Whistler, but only 6 weeks after buying it, it snapped. I was forced to buy a new frame. The only one in Whistler that would work for me was this Knolly Delerium T. Being from te UK, I'd never heard of such a brand. I took 24 hours to think about it as the cost was very high. I plumped for it and purchased it. A week later I have heard noting but praise from fellow riders who know the Knolly brand. I have been riding it hard and it keeps coming back for more. Lots more. It pedals really well, but handles like a DH rig when plumeting down hill. Having the Horst Link four bar suspension, is the way forward. When you own this bike, you realise everything about it makes so much sense. Superb cable routing, outstanding bearing quality, superb welding and geometry. It weighs so much more than I would normally have considered, but when a bike rides this well, weight honestly does not matter one bit. So okay, it's not going to win an XC race, but that's not what I do. It's inspiring. I am becoming a better rider because of this bike. My long love for Yeti is fading and a new love for Knolly is growing. What else could be great about this bike? The company behind it. Noel Buckley is a top chap who created the idea and builds the bikes in Vancouver. I sent Knolly bikes an e-mail telling them how happy I am with my new frame and Noel himself responded 48 hours later appologising for a slow reply as he was in Europe, I presume at Eurobike. He offered for me to call him with any questions about the frame and even suggested meeting in Vancouver with my bike to get the shock set up for me. Now that is customer service to an extreme level! I'm hooked. I have been a frequent author on www.yetifan.com, but perhaps Knollyfan.com is on the books eh? top flamin chilli's marks for this bike. Lots of cash? Yeah, but you get oh so much for your money. Please feel free to e-mail me (tom@dibley.com) with any questions I might be able to answer and visit www.tomdibley.com for pics of my awesome build. |
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Submitted by
Andy
a Racer
from Mill Creek, WA
Date Reviewed: 8/31/2007 4:18:01 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | too many to pick one |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Strengths: | Quality, workmanship, engineering, durability and most importantly function. Noel and his team are great!! |
| Weaknesses: | None, period. People comment about the price, but you get what you pay for and these bikes are priced comparably with others in the same class. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Litespeed, Rocky Mountain, Santa Cruz and Knolly. |
| Bike Setup: | Rock Shox Lyric U-Turn, Cane Creek Double Barrel, CK hubs, Thomson post, Easton carbon bar, Hone cranks, SRAM rear derailleur, DT 5.1 rims, XT brakes. |
| Bottom Line: | I am the owner of two Knolly Bikes. One V-Tach and one Delerium T. Both are the best bikes I have ever had the pleasure of owning. I use my V-Tach for Whistler and shuttling. The Delerium is for everything other than XC racing. If Noel built an XC race bike, I would have one of those as well. The V-Tach (I know I am reviewing a Delerium) has been going strong for almost 3 years and I have had the D-T for almost a year now. I have ridden it hard and for many miles and it still is as good as the day I bought it. It weighs in at 36 lbs and pedals like a 26 pounder. But it rides like a 6" travel bike when it gets rough. I must comment that during my first visits, to my favorite trails on the Delerium, I was cleaning them as I never did before. Therefore I really love this bike. Anyone who wants to buy the BEST all mountain bike made, should by a Delerium T. Noel builds great bikes that will never disappoint their owners. Great job Noel!!! |
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Submitted by
Trevor
a Downhiller
from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: 8/30/2007 9:26:43 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | secret loams |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Strengths: | Too many to list: - perfect cable routing guides (seen too many bikes where this is overlooked) - full seat tube is wicked in the winter (no telescoping post) - 135x12 axle and burly rear-end design makes for super stiff rear end (Knolly uses better quality and bigger bearings than almost any bike company) - 6.5" of rear travel nice balance for a bike that can do all-day 32km technical xc rides (the famous Comfortably Numb in Whistler) or also ride pretty much anything the Whistler Bike Park with confidence - super short chainstays (16.4" to 17.2") gives this bike incredible handling in the shortest position. it feels incredibly nimble for a 6.5" bike, like a hardtail with travel. - adjustable head angle nice touch to allow a more climbing-friendly or more DH-friendly angles, depending on what you're riding that day - beefy replaceable dropouts and super-thick derailleur hanger are very tough, plus cheap in the unlikely event you need a new one - ICSG chainguide mounts and e-type derailleur allow for setup of solid dual-ring chainguide - Knolly's 4x4 linkage seems to put very little stress on rear shocks and bushings -- shock bushings ("DU"s) seem to last forever on these bikes |
| Weaknesses: | - decals could be more durable - frame weight could be an issue for very very light riders (around 9.5lbs with coil) - not the cheapest bike out there, but you're gonna have to pay more to get a bike this good |
| Bike Setup: | Totem Solo Air, Saint Cranks, X.0, Mavic 721/729 with 2.35" DH Nevegals / xc tubes = 38-39 lbs |
| Bottom Line: | This bike can be built up quite differently depending on what you're riding. With different wheels especially and also changing head angle and chainstay length, the bike will feel radically different and the weight difference could be large. Here's taking it far ... freeride: Totem or similar, DH rims & tires, DHX Coil, medium chainstay length, slacker headangle ... 38-40 lbs epic riding: Lyrix or similar, allmountain wheels, DHX Air, short chainstay length, steepest headangle ... 32-35 lbs ---- In one line: Best bike I've ever owned. If I could only have one bike to do everything from all-day xc rides to downhill-type stuff, I would take this one without even having to think about it. Look at the only things I could come up with in the "Product Weaknesses:" ... just very minor things. |
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Submitted by
Derek
a Downhiller
from Vancouver, BC
Date Reviewed: 8/22/2007 2:53:58 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Godsmack |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Strengths: | eyebrow raising control in steeps, low speed super technical turns, fast turns, jumps, etc, etc |
| Weaknesses: | None after 8 months riding. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Nomad |
| Bike Setup: | RF Atlas bars, 50mm RF stem, 66 SL1 ATA fork, King DH hubs/Alex Supra D rims, Maxxis 1.35" super tacky, x0 triggers and RD, RF Atlas cranks. |
| Bottom Line: | I mostly ride the vtach in bike parks and on the gnarlier shore trails. I ride the DT on the rest of the trails I hit. I avoided trying a DT for a while thinking I could just ride the vtach on everything and grunt a bit more on trails where a smaller bike would be more appropriate. Sure one can ride a big bike on most trails, but I was completely amazed how much more fun the DT was on most of the shore and Squamish where slower average speeds and pedaling is more common. I ride it in the slackest position, with a dhx air shock, mid chain stay position and the bars as low as possible. It has the same predictable, inspiring vtach handling, while being expectedly more nimble with the lighter frame and build. the same confidence building feel as the vtach in high or low speed turns, super steeps, unexpected do or die low speed manuals, in the air, and super technical anything. Initially I thought I’d have to take it easier on the DT, but it's taken everything I’ve thrown at it. No problems on some harsher 10 foot+ drops and rough high speed turns. I’m repeatedly blown away by my DT and Vtach, when people ask about the ride now I often suggest people just try one out, I think all my praise gets hard to believe. |
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Submitted by
Limone Flemming
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: 8/21/2007 8:32:35 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | 7th Secret |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $2600 |
| Purchased At: | Different Bikes |
| Strengths: | This bike climbs as well as any 'race set-up' cross country bike, yet will descend much tougher terrain than a lightweight XC bike. Construction is top of the line, and customer service is excellent. Frame size is perfectly proportioned for a petite rider. Buy this bike if you value high quality, want a strong performing bike for climbing, descending; whether Whistler DH park or Comfortably Numb, or North Shore, or Vancouver Island. |
| Weaknesses: | none |
| Similar Products Tried: | None really, Kona Bear Dee-Lux, and a hardtail. |
| Bottom Line: | Completely happy with this purchase, and haven't sacrificed any type of riding by buying a 'big' bike. |
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Submitted by
Karen
a Downhiller
from Surrey, B.C., Canada
Date Reviewed: 8/21/2007 8:22:08 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Boundary, North Shore, N.Vancouver |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Purchased At: | On Top Cycles, North Vancouver, B.C. |
| Strengths: | Nimble, adjustable, full length seatpost, locally tested, grown,and built, amazing ride, love it more every time I take it out. |
| Weaknesses: | None as of yet. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Not much compares. |
| Bike Setup: | Juicy 7's, RC2X 66, Mavic 729 front and rear with King and Hope hubs, Azonic bar and pedals, Raceface post, rear coil. |
| Bottom Line: | I talked to a heap of people about full suspension bikes when I began my search for my first FS and the list I had in my head quickly dwindled. Then it became a choice between the V-Tach or the Delirim-T. It being a locally tested bike was a huge thing for me. I test rode a couple bikes; but I kept coming back to the Knolly. It always stood out. Owner of Knolly was super about getting me a good fit as well; lots of follow up. For my first full suspension I have absolutely no regrets at all; and have recommended Knolly to anyone considering a full suspension bike. |
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Submitted by
clark
from squamish
Date Reviewed: 8/20/2007 10:32:42 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Strengths: | high-end fabrication and materials throughout thoughtful design elements overbuilt adjustable head angle and chainstay length massive lateral stiffness very active suspension neutral pedaling and braking pedals like its 5 pounds lighter than it is continuous seat tube progressive suspension, even throughout travel customer service (best there is) |
| Weaknesses: | may be overbuilt and heavy for you, depending on what "all mountain" means to you |
| Similar Products Tried: | there aren't any |
| Bike Setup: | 66, loaded |
| Bottom Line: | this frame is ridiculous. its the nicest bike i've ever ridden, in any category. feels deeper than 6.3", super plush and active. pedals like a light trail bike, but descends like a ninja. tracks exactly where you point it, rails corners, very stable yet reacts instantly to input. feels perfect right from the first ride. impossible to bottom out! feels like a stealth version of its big brother, the v-tach. the perfect all rounder if you like long trails rides with hard descents. "the one" bike doesn't exist, but the delerium is perfect for 80% of the riding we do around here. |
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Submitted by
Paul Turner
a Downhiller
from Bellingham WA
Date Reviewed: 8/20/2007 8:06:43 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Mexican Ninja |
| Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only |
| Strengths: | Stiff rear end, incredibly light weight, exceptional suspension performance |
| Weaknesses: | addictive |
| Similar Products Tried: | iron horse seven point, kona stinky, turner dhr |
| Bike Setup: | dhx air rear, marz 66 front |
| Bottom Line: | This bike owns the all mountain catagory. You can literally ride everything on the mountain. I rode it all day on Seymour, and it was amazing. On my first ride down I was hitting lines that I had only considered before. To call the rear end stiff is an understatement. The back tire tracked as well as the Turner DHR. This bike handled drops, skinnies and rock gardens like a fifty pound dh rig, but climbed like a twenty eight pound cross country ride. This bike is amazing. |
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Submitted by
James Mattox
a Weekend Warrior
from Springfield, MO
Date Reviewed: 5/16/2007 5:51:38 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Every one of them. |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $2600 |
| Purchased At: | speedgoat |
| Strengths: | This bike is very, very efficient. It will ride like a cross country bike, climb like a goat, and soak up almost any hit you throw at it. It ride like my XC race bike. I was, and still, am impressed every time I ride it. Every aspect of this bike has been milled over with a fine tooth comb. The way the cables are routed and protected from crashes and syspension travel. The geometry. The full length seat tube that places the seat up there when you need it, but tuckes it forward and away when you don't. Ride one. You will see. Buy this bike if you want the best all mountain bike out there that will do the XC stuff as well as the drops. |
| Weaknesses: | NOT ONE! I would not change anything and that says alot for me. I alway think I can make something better. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Kona Coiler, Santa Cruz VP Free. So many others, but that is what I accually owned. |
| Bike Setup: | 66 Bomber up front. Pimplite wheels, Race face. X9 Drive. WTB Tires. |
| Bottom Line: | I used to ride a VP Free and am in the outdoor industry, so I have ridden several bikes over the years. I had the VP free for about a year. I really liked the bike, but have retired it for a Delirium-T from Knolly. Thinking about going out and rideing 50 miles of single-track on the VP Free would make me sick to my stomack. With the Delirium, I cannot wait to get to the trail head. I have to be frank; there is no other bike on the market that can even come close to competing with the Knolly. Everything on the bike is perfect and well thought out. You will be bleeding brake fluid on any other "big" bike on the market. All the suspension linkage on other bikes cause the brake lines to flex, and over time, break. I used to replace my brake lines every three rides. The Knolly frame has the cables placed in such a way that it will not wear them out. This is a big deal to me in that I used to have to keep cable in my pit box and if one breaks when you are 50 miles out. It sucks. That is only one of the smart aspects of this bike and if they put that much thought into where to run a brake line, imagine what else they thought of? It soaks up anything you throw at it and the pedaling. I cannot say enough. This bike rides like my XC race bike. It climbs just as well. I don't expect you to believe me. You just have to ride one. It is truly amazing. It is the only bike I will ever own. I have access to anything on the market and I choose the Knolly. You will be making a mistake if you get anything else. Don't get me wrong here; there are some great bikes out there. The technology is amazing. Then there is the Knolly. It is in a class of it's own. James |
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Submitted by
Jesse Keefer
a Weekend Warrior
from Galiano Island,BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: 2/19/2007 4:47:23 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | CBC |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | 4000 |
| Strengths: | Great suspension action, great on all kinds of terrain, pedals extremely well, craftsmanship is flawless and you could not ask for a nicer company to deal with. |
| Weaknesses: | None that I can detect. I was skeptical about having one bike for everything but this bike shines on all kinds of terrain. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Giant Reign, Santa Cruz Blur LT |
| Bike Setup: | Marzocchi 66 fork, Sram, DT wheels, RF components |
| Bottom Line: | This bike was not cheap but unlike the offerings from major manufacturers it is built to last and is back up a small yet very well-run company. The bike is a real head-turner and does everything I could ask for. |
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Submitted by
Fred Schuldt
a Downhiller
from Asheville, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: 1/26/2007 12:02:22 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | no white bikes |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $2600 |
| Purchased At: | direct from mfr |
| Strengths: | Truly a multi-purpose rig. Extremely stiff rear triangle. Highly adjustable. Full-length seat tube. Ideal geometry for all-mountain riding & race DH. |
| Weaknesses: | none. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Yeti AS-X Balfa Two-Step Spooky Motorhead Sinister Splinter |
| Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Z.1 RC2 ETA fork, Hope Mono-M4 brakes, RaceFace Evolve DH ISIS cranks/BB, SRAM x.9 shifters/rear der, XT E-type front der, Time ATAC "Z" pedals, Industry Nine Enduro wheelset, Thomson post & stem, RaceFace riser bar. |
| Bottom Line: | The frame came in a serious box. Triple-layer corrugated with big rigid chunks of some new space-age paperboard keeping my frame from slapping around inside. The paint is beautiful, shimmering electric blue. As a CNC guy, I love all the CNC’ed pieces. The bottom bracket extrusion is a work of art. The serial number is milled in during the CNC operation! I have never seen cables routed this well. Having probably assembled over a thousand bikes in my bicycle shop career, I wish they were all done this well. They go exactly where they ought to, awkward bend-less, and are well-protected from laydowns. I clocked out early to snatch a maiden voyage from encroaching winter. My first impression was that the Delerium felt exactly the way I wanted it to. The front end came up when I pulled on it, yet stayed down when I pointed it up the steeper climbs. It felt very neutral in the air, so much that I found myself hucking off waterbar kickers to blind backsides. The DHX Air 5.0 surprised me, feeling extremely supple and balanced with a Z.1 RC2 fork. The bike never felt unsettled, and never did anything sketchy. The next day, I checked out some Shore-type stuff. The ride up included this crazy-steep climb I didn’t expect to clean. I started riding up with the intention of high-marking. I stopped when I got to the top. I can’t think of another bike I could’ve climbed that hill on. The Knolly eats up steep ridgeline descents. On a 15-foot ladder drop to tranny, I had to really nose into the transition, and it was very easy to position the Delerium in the air. On long twisty skinnies, I can tell exactly where my tires were. On a fresh loamy road gap, which ran into a rocky creek bed crossing, the Knolly felt very intuitive, very easy to place. It was the most satisfying first two rides on a new bike ever. I have loved it from the start. The more I ride the Knolly, the more I want to ride it. It makes the technical moves easier, the big moves less scary, and the fast gnarly stuff a little faster. The rear end tracks amazingly through rocky sections of trail - I am able to feel the suspension working, rather than sloppily bouncing from boulder to boulder. I love this bike! It excels at everything I want it to do. |
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Submitted by
Bruce Muehlchen
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: 12/8/2006 4:46:43 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Saw Blade |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | Different Bikes |
| Strengths: | - Engineering & fabrication - Plush, active suspension - Adjustable geometry - Handling and balance - Strength & lateral stiffness - Customer service |
| Weaknesses: | - Price (like most fine things) |
| Similar Products Tried: | Blur, VP Free, Nomad, V-Tach, RFX, Norco 6 |
| Bike Setup: | Light free-ride/all-mountain. Fox air front and back, 2.5 single ply Kenda's, Stan's FR rims |
| Bottom Line: | This is a very confidence inspiring ride. Within the first few weeks I was doing things I had been afraid to before. It has a very solid and balanced feel that seems to urge you to up your game. Amazing tracking and stability. Laterally the stiffest frame I have ridden. I love to climb and was skeptical of the seat tube angle until I tried it. As Noel pointed out, it is just an illusion. As long as you are on the correct frame size you will be in the right spot to climb efficiently. The Delirium T fits the all-mountain/light free ride description for the type of terrain we have here in BC. I am sure it would be considered overkill as an all-mountain bike in less rugged regions. But hey, it was designed for here! The bike built up a bit heavier than I had hoped at 35lbs, but that probably contributes to the sense of security it gives. The weight is not a noticeable factor when climbing and I was surprised to see no bobbing during out of the seat efforts. The rear suspension is very active and hooks up amazingly during technical climbs and braking. The geometry is easy and fast to adjust. It’s a nice feature if you want spend a day at Whistler. Just slacken the head angle and lengthen the wheel base in a few minutes and off you go. Noel is very passionate and knowledgeable about bikes. I had been considering another brand but after meeting him a few times through a friend I really wanted to support his business. My bike was one of four frames assembled at 3 am the day of his flight to Interbike. How’s that for customer service! I’d be surprised if I have a problem, but if I do I know I will be taken care of. This is a well engineered and beautifully fabricated Bike. I highly recommend you demo one before buying something in the all-mountain/free-ride category. |
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