Fugitive
Knolly
Introducing the "Epic Trail Smasher"
Doing things right is always top of mind for Form3 and Knolly alike, so the Fugitive project started out with a plan to clearly envision the next several years of their alloy mountain bike frame construction. This was an incredible opportunity to optimize an alloy tubeset that would support Knolly’s no compromise engineering approach and how to apply it over multiple years of bike releases.
The result is a line up of bikes optimized for high performance across multiple future models and frame sizes and effectively raises the industry bar on the quality, features, and detailing of alloy mountain bike construction. Knolly is well positioned to dominate their category for years to come.
The Fugitive is the first release of this new era and takes the 29er trail bike to a whole new level. This trail smasher punches well above its weight by laying down unparalleled up and downhill traction paired with increased climbing efficiency.
CLIENT
Knolly Bikes Ltd.
ROLE
Visual brand planning, Product line planning, Industrial Design, Mechanical Design
Compatibility
Forward and backwards compatible... that's how we roll. Want to run a front derailleur? No problem. Are you single ring for life? No problem. Upper chain guide? No problem. Lower bash guard? You get the picture.
Titanium Pivots
Just a tube!? The Knolly seatube greatly pushes the limit on standard tube hydroforming. Working with the one of the best alloy frame manufacturers in the world allowed the team to iterate through the challenges and produce a visually cleaner and stronger suspension interface than previously achieved.
Threaded BB Shell
Visually cleaning up this region of the frames was paramount to aesthetic goals. The use of wide hydroformed tubes and a forged shock mount allowed for an increase in stiffness and reduce the required welding. The injection molded downtube protector double functions as a cover for internal battery chamber for electronic shifting systems.
Uninterrupted Seat Tube
One of the great benefits of the Fourby4 system is that it allows our frames to have full length, straight seat tubes. That means whatever your rider height/seatpost length combination is - it will work on a Knolly. Shorter riders rejoice - you can have a 150mm dropper post too!
FOURby4 Suspension
This latest iteration of the FourbyFour suspension visually simplifies the linkage components. Iterative refinement led to great reduction in physical space taken up by the chainstay yoke. This new arrangement allows for massive tire and seat tube clearance while maintaining the desired amount of lateral flex characteristics to meet performance goals.