Knolly Tyaughton Steel (Hardtail!)

Intro to Hardtailing

Nothing gets the NSMB Heckler’s Rock going like a good old hardtail review. You can feel the shirtless, beer drenched words screaming at you right from the screen. And they would mostly hold some value. It is no surprise to us that our reader base has been around for a while. Some of you build trails, some ride them super well, some even build your own frames. Most of you break parts quite successfully and often. So here I am with my ‘I’ll just have a fruity Guava Gose’ beer preference, having to write a steel, hardtail review.

"Get off the apple box kid. We were riding hardtails way before you were out of your diapers." Well maybe you were, but hear me out, grandpa. I love a shot-of-adrenalin to my system when I let myself fly (free-fall) down the trail at full tilt. The feeling of anticipation, the hit, the bounce and the question, of "am I going to make it around the next corner?" is what gets me to the top every-time, in the first place.

I generally prefer to do these risk taking, healthcare system stressing activities equipped with the most supple suspension and sticky rubber I can get my hands on. Why risk a success story? I can usually switch between the bikes at my disposal at relative ease. Assuming I've had enough time to adjust to each one’s character. Three bikes to choose from in the garage? No problem.. I’ll equip myself with the best weapon to tackle the day’s challenge… and it always is a challenge. Either uphill or on the way down. And I was rarely a guy who thought, a HARDTAIL is the right tool for the job.

Overview

The Steel Tyaughton is a basic bike. I mean that in the best sense of the word. The XT build I’ve been piloting has all the right ingredients with a familiar flavour. The 29” 150mm Fox 36 Factory Fork, the Full XT drive train and brakes, Industry 9 Enduro Wheelset, and Minion DHF/DHR II tires are all familiar and they work damn well around these parts.

The 468mm reach on the medium spreads my wings to the perfect span on the 780mm-35mm rise bars and a 40mm stem. The 110mm headtube length and a couple of spacers account for a tall front end which feels comfortable and confidence inspiring. As the fork sags further into its 150mm travel, my reach numbers increase and high stack setup comes in handy while plummeting down trails where a DH bike is right at home.

Climbing the Tyaughton

Fun!

Direct drive acceleration from the rigid rear-end is an incredible feeling on the winching part of the ride. Stomp on the pedals and the climbing mode engages without hesitation. Hardtails have a great way of motivating even the laziest like me to stand up and smash some harder gears between switchbacks because the reward is not only immediately evident but also fun. You can run your chain couple of cogs down the cassette on the regular and probably increase its lifespan as well.

I rarely found myself up on the 51t cog in general. Being able to push a slightly harder gear also helped with generating traction on looser ground of steeper pitches. Just like starting a car on 2nd gear on icy conditions, the harder gears give less mechanical advantage and allow you to put more power through the cranks for moves that require solid rear wheel traction. I didn’t weigh the Tyaughton on the scale because that seemed like a silly idea. It is light however, lighter than 32lbs and heavier than 27lbs.

The best part of climbing the Ty was how it handled switchbacks. The “shorter” rear end pivoted around the corners with it's tight radius. Like a tank spinning in circles, the Ty’s rear tire hugged the inside line like a champ while the front wheel took the long way around. "Don’t make me session uphill stuff," I kept telling the Ty, but it didn’t listen. I enjoyed the seated, standing, and the cornering position on the bike all the way the top.

Descending the Tyaughton

Pedaling the 64.5° HA, Ty-steel, at sag put me in the same stance as riding the long-travel full suspension 29ers I am accustomed to. The familiarity of the geometry erased the hesitation of picking this bike to ride in the first place. Once I accepted the fact that I would ride some sections slower and some not at all, I made peace with what I had brought to the fight. That wasn’t entirely true however.

Long reach, high stack brought the confidence back to the middle of the bike where I nestled happily for some of the rowdiest and steepest action around these parts. Getting chased by Cam on his Yeti SB150 is a fast, scary enough affair on the big bike but I was properly nervous for what I had signed up for.

The particular trail we decided to plunge down is a local favourite for how well it runs in the wet and how rowdy and fast it can be if you let it. The steeper sections link together with tight switchbacks that force you to ride the front of the bike as much as possible. Mid trail, there are a set of off-camber slabs that end-up on a diagonal 4-5 feet log-drop along a cliffs edge. It is not a big drop but it has technicalities that need to be sorted at speed. The run in has a g-out that test the longest of rear travels. If we add the hardtail in to the equation and stakes go up exponentially.

Knolly definitely did their tubing homework and the flex of the steel is noticeable on features like this. Not a suspension level squish but the landings were a lot more muted than I imagined they would be. Running 25ish psi in the EXO casing 2.3" DHR II with no inserts, I felt the end of the suspension they can provide beaded on to the I9’s Enduro rims. A bike like this can not be ridden like this on the Shore without inserts of the toughest kind. Ok, add to the cart some heavier casing tires too and life becomes rosier for this middle aged reviewer.

As we get to the bottom third of the trail, we realize that the recent rains have caused more damage than we anticipated. This is also the steepest part of the trail, positioned partially on a ridge line but dug in over the course of the years as a bit of a bob-sled track. Some corners are roots of the downed trees that you ride up on, some of them are armored rock that is quintessential Shore.

Things quickly go haywire. I try to ride the Ty as light as I can. I don’t want to flat on the rocks that have been exposed by a massive rut running back and forth across the trail. I have to stay focused, going over the bars is not an option. The Ty is super composed and lets me bunny hop and wiggle my way through most of the mess.

For a moment I think about stopping to take a photo of this carnage and mess. I lose focus and stay off the line I hoped to be on.. I shut my brain up and concentrate on the task at hand. But man it would make a sick photo for this review.

Part of me thinks I got away with murder here. I don’t think I can repeat this party for a second time just for the photo. I will for sure eat shit trying to show off for the camera. We approach a blind right hander between some trees and I can still hear Cam following me throwing some excitement words around. I realize, behind the tree roots is a fresh, deep, wheel swallowing hole. I somehow ride it out and stop.

The octaflugeron is showering us with its improbabilities.

Ok Cam. YOU are pushing back up for a photo...

Knolly put together a fantastic recipe to have fun on rowdy trails. No doubt. The geometry and the parts play well together to give you all the opportunities to get in and out of trouble. Do not let your talents run out as the hardtail will bite back if you are not watching. But this bike is so much fun approaching the edge of destruction and getting away with it.

What to Love?

There is alot of good things going for the Tyaughton. It may not make you a bike wizard immediately, but the excellent geometry combined with the proper parts, make this bike an easy +1 in the barn. Sure, I may not know the person who welded it or the one who painted it but they have done a terrific job on putting the frame together.

Hardtail hardship is a passage to some interesting friendships. Hardtails don't care for shuttle days or bike park laps or pissing contests to see who is going to ride the gnarliest feature. They have a way of uniting unique personalities that are up for rides that feed the soul.

• A 50km post-work epic to see if you can get lost and found before the light runs out.
• Fully loaded bikepacking trip through the Grizzly country
• Late fall alpine rides that push the limits of weather windows
• Showing up to a shuttle fest and destroying all the lines that big bikes are riding*

As much as a hardtail is a lone wolf, it also doesn't mind showing the big bikes how it's done on their home turf from time to time. The predictability of the stiff triangle also lends itself to getting really good at jumping as long as there is a good landing built. Hardtails don't like dorp to falts as much as the big bikes do.

Cross country peeps will enjoy the agility and acceleration of the lighter tires. I wouldn't hesitate to run a fast semislick on the back for big summer rides. Aggressive trail riders will need a beefier sidewall or an insert to generate more traction and comfort.

The versatility of the hardtail is obvious.

*less likely

Wishing for..

I wish Knolly had put a few more bosses on the frame for another water bottle.. maybe a tool pouch or a Wolftooth B-Rad cage spot under the top tube. I think it would benefit the namesake of the model. Chiclotins are a place of adventure and accessory strapping for most cyclists. Extra mounting options would be nice.

Sliding dropouts would be another cherry on top. It should be a no-brainer on any hardtail, but one at this price should definitely come with one. A sliding dropout system would also allow for 148 spacing if one wanted. Which is just about everyone...

The Steel Tyaughton is a wicked first gen hardtail from the Vancouver company. I wouldn't be surprised to see revisions as the model evolves. But its still a great option for the N+1. In the upcoming months I will be swapping the Steel frame with the titanium one to see if the excellent formula Knolly created can be improved on..

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