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Interbike Dirt Demo 2007 - Day 2 Bikalicious

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Words and photos by Cam McRae

Early on in my nsmb.com adventure, I'd get on a bike that wasn't my daily driver and feel completely lost.  These aren't my grips!  Wrong pedals!  What's with that lever placement!  You don't really call these knobbies do you? Little differences made it really challenging for me to feel comfortable on a bike first time out and figure out if it's any good.  Finally it seems I can get over grips little set up details and settle in enough to ride almost any bike - but some issues are insurmountable.

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We got any early start on day 2 and I went directly over to Knolly.  The little company that could has their 6" Endorphin in production and I was eager to see what their interpretation of a mid travel bike would be.  Noel Buckley is a North Shore rider from way back but he's also savvy enough to realize that the globe only has one Shore and that to sell this bike he'll need to be able to appeal to all.  To that end the Endorphin comes in four trim packages; College, Pro Trail, Pro AM Light and SL Trail.  The frame begins as a 140 mm travel (5.5") machine that weighs in around the 7 lb mark - depending on the size and shock spec. 

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The Endorphin's siblings have found a loyal following on the Shore and elsewhere.  They are solid, dependable and responsive frames that are also finished very nicely.  All Knollys have generous stand over and they come in 5 frame sizes so everyone can have a bike that truly fits. They pedal well thanks to the Four-By-Four linkage (which despite some significant differences bears a resemblance to the Horst Link configuration you'll find on Specialized bikes), uninterrupted seat tube and a seat angle of 72 or 73 degrees.  Word of mouth from owners has given Knolly traction in a slippery and competitive market.  The problem was that bikes like the Delirium T or V Tack weren't for everyone.   Perfect for the Shore, these bikes have a limited appeal in many parts of the world.  Enter the Endorphin to bring some Knolly sensibility to a light versatile ride.

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I was on the Pro All Mountain Light build and I found that this was the build most suited to a rider coming from the Shore.  The Marzocchi AL1SL fork can start with between 140 and 160mm of travel and with a 20mm axle it was nice and stiff.  I haven't been a fan of Marzocchi air forks but this one delivered the goods beautifully.  I wasn't ready to conquer some of the really nasty lines off the top at Bootleg on the Endorphin but further down I began to feel right at home on this light and playful machine.  Little climbs were a welcome and pointed down it has the trademark Knolly solidity.  This is a Knolly I could really learn to love - with the right set up.  Pete Roggeman was on the Endorphin with the SL kit.  Skinny tires, a longer stem and lighter components make this ride more skittish on rough terrain but Pete was really having problems.  We swapped just before a steep loose section and I immediately got into trouble.  With some tripodding I managed to save my skin from the desert grater but just barely.   Pete was complaining that the front wheel wanted to jam into corners and he couldn't get any flow.  Once my heart rate settled I realized the brakes were reversed and swapped levers is something I can't get used to.

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I jumped back onto the Pro AM build for the bmx track and the Endorphin continued to impress.  This is a bike you could change from a trail ripper to a Shore monster without much trouble.   Knolly's Endorphin is right on the money.

Later in the day I had arranged to meet Andreas Hestler for a ride on Rocky Mountain's new big bike - the Flatline.  It wasn't love at first sight for me but the angular lines and the long, low-slung attitude of the Flatline was growing on me after seeing droves of them rolling around Bootleg on day one. 

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We interrupt this article for a short rant about Dirt Demo
The shuttle line was more than a two-truck wait and none of us wanted to stand in the dust and wait for half an hour for to ride up with the other armoured cattle so we decided to pedal and trudge to the top.  Andreas pedalled the whole thing of course but this beast, with only one chainring and a rowdy build - was too much for me.  I think it's time for Interbike to address some transportation issues for the Outdoor Demo.  On day one the truck drivers weren't communicating and they would sit and wait for up to 20 minutes at a wide spot in the road rather than finding a more efficient means of getting up and down.  Companies have limited numbers of bikes and having them standing in line is a terrible waste of time.  Another issue was the number or XC and light all mountain bikes in the trucks.  The climb is not a bad one at all so saddle up that 29er princess and get pedalling - the shuttle should be for bikes that are 35 lbs and up.  Another gong show was the shuttle bus back to Vegas.  Later in the afternoon on Tuesday the wait for the bus was at least two hours.  If you want dealers, shop staff and media to come out to the demo you are going to have to treat them better than that.  Let's see way more busses, three shuttles and drivers with radios for next year.  Bootleg is a great place for the demo and more riders are coming as a result.  It's time to respond to the new numbers and make the necessary arrangements.

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Once we arrived at the top I realized I had lost the keys to our rental car.  Out in the middle of the desert with a car with no keys.  Shitshitshit.  Then a kid from Norway had flatted with no gear.  He borrowed a tube from somebody and the gear to swap it from me.  Then he broke the presta valve on that one and I gave him another tube. This is the desert people.  Things are sharp and bony - flats will happen so be prepared. While this was happening I was on the phone to the rental company and it was looking like they were going to have to send a locksmith out from Las Vegas. Ouch.  Finally we were on our way and it became clear that the WTB tires on the Flatline were pumped to about 60 psi.  Despite this Andreas got a flat part way down - as he did when we rode together at Bootleg in 2005 - and our no flow ride continued down hill in all the wrong ways.  I started to get a feel for the Flatline further down but not enough that I could tell you much about it.  At the top where things were exposed and nasty I managed to dial lines that had stumped me earlier and the bike felt capable but I didn't explore the limits at all.  The good news is that we're supposed to be getting a Flatline to test shortly after Interbike.

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After some inquiries I managed to locate my keys where we had lunch - avoiding what would have been a massive gong show.   Now that we could relax Fergs wanted to do some shooting with Hoots Jay. 

Cam McRae - keep scrolling for more words and photos from Ed Snyder and David Ferguson.

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Foes Fly
Day two in the dust started off to with chance to ride down some of the roads less traveled in mountain biking. I scored a Foes Fly for the opening shuttle and was excited to see what its capable looking frame could do to tame some of Bootleg’s rougher trails. At first glance the bike looks heavy but just like the women in Vegas, looks can be deceiving. Underneath the solid looking frame is a lightweight trail eater just waiting to be run hard.

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The Fly sports the 2:1 leverage ratio Curnutt rear shock an the particular Fly I was on was handing out 6” of travel in the rear. The production version is slated to come sorting a 3.5” stroke rear damper that will provide 7” of bump eating goodness. The frame also sported a copy of Shimano’s new low profile shadow rear derailleur. More on that setup later from the show, but suffice it to say to provided an excellent transmission. Stroker brakes rounded out the parts package and handled the stopping duties with aplomb. Lots of feel at the lever, easy adjustment and plenty of power for the sketchy ridge line descents here in the canyon. Mating those binders to a floating rear brake arm is winning combination.

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On the trail the bike was a joy to ride. The light weight made it very flickable and it tracked lines like a champ. Picking lines was a matter of pointing the very solid front where you wanted it to go and hanging on as the suspension worked its charms on the chunder beneath you. The rear of the bike is very progressive and despite the different feel from other designs it was easy to get used to and inspired you to push the frame harder right away. At the top of the trail I was on the front brake too much and the handling suffered a bit (the fork had a bit of dive to it). Once I realized the bike could handle what I was throwing at it, I got off the front binder and the frame really came alive. At that point it started to float over even the roughest sections and it had me at my limit as a rider well before we came any where near its potential.

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Overall it was a great first ride of the day and I came away impressed with the bikes low weight, snappy handling, solid air manners and capable suspension. Now only if they’d had a copy of the Foes DH to ride and not just drool on…Intense Socom.

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For the afternoon ride Cam was a slated to head out on a ride with Rocky’s Andreas Hestler on the new Flatline DH bike. The rest of us went scouring for rides that might keep up on the way down. I managed to be at the right place at the right time and come away with an Intense Socom sporting coil suspension on both ends. We were set to shuttle up on the big bikes but when the line looked like a losing proposition we took off up the road in an effort to beat the riders in the shuttle line to top.

I’m not going to lie and say climbing a big bike with one ring in the front to the top of a desert fire road on a sunny day with a full pack on was a fun experience, but it was memorable and rewarding in the end. Earning your turns has a way of sneaking up and you and making you feel good at the time you least expect it. Fergs earned top billing by winning the hill climb (with camera gear) and riding virtually the entire way up. Well done Fergo. And yes, even I arrived at the top before the shuttlers.

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The intense was a good climber. It does bob but it’s not annoying or entirely unexpected on an 8” travel frame and the rear coilover provided great, steady traction on even the loosest surface. A capable pilot could spin this bike to the top of many shore climbs. Once at the top the fun really started. We were on the same trail we ran in the morning and familiarity coupled with the Intense’s fine suspension allowed me to clean a few sections I had trouble with in the morning. The coil suspension linked to the VPP system s has a markedly different ride an the Foes but no less enjoyable.

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Up front a Travis handled the steering/suspending chores and led the rider to look for more challenging lines if they presented themselves. The bike was well suited for the conditions and didn’t balk at being hammered through the rough stuff. There was a loud creak emanating the from the linkage near the BB that I expect was a result of the silty conditions combined with two days worth of random test pilots doing their worst.

Once we hit the bottom we got to head out through a section of dirt jumps. I wasn’t looking forward to them but a funny thing happened on the way to the forum… the Intense flies like a champ. This revelation lead me to hit the gas and go for it. By the end of the set I was having fun and even tossing the tail out a bit. A great capper to some good days of riding.

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Intense bills this bike as a platform for the rider who might want to do a little DH racing but more often just wants to shuttle and ride the gnarlier side of things. It certainly lives up to that billing.

Ed Snyder

Now it's time for the Sands.  Speak to us here.