Knolly’s New Fugitive Is Versatile and Fun
Knolly’s new Gen 6 Fugitive just launched. The Fugitive is their mid-travel trail ripper, perfect for flow trails and black tech alike. It’s not quite an enduro bike, but it’s enough bike to get you out of trouble in most scenarios. More pedal-friendly than a Chilcotin, burlier and more stable than an Endorphin. The Fugitive is bike for those that just want one bike to shred everywhere.
Fugitive Gen 6 Key Specs:
140 or 125mm rear wheel travel
Sizes S - XL
Four colours - Raw, Anodized Bronze, Dad Jeans Blue, Chameleon Purple
64.75º HTA, 76.75º STA, 430mm-442mm chainstay
29” wheels
140mm or 150mm fork travel (depends on shock)
SRAM UDH hanger
Size-specific chainstays
Super-Boost Rear hub
Long travel dropper compatible
Tool mount under top tube
What’s New on the Gen 6 Fugitive?
Gen 6 Changes
Gen 6 is Knolly’s latest generation of bikes, pulling together all they’ve learned and using the latest technologies to make the best bikes they possibly can; the new Fugitive is no different. The standout changes in the Gen6 Fugitive are immediately noticeable, starting with the introduction of a straight top tube. Falling in line with modern bike design, this straight TT not only enhances aesthetics but also makes for a low standover height. Another significant upgrade is the monoblock rocker link, CNC’d from a single aluminum piece instead of two, enhancing frame stiffness while reducing lateral loads on the shock, potentially extending shock and bearing lifespan. Moreover, the upper linkage now features Enduro bearings instead of bushings, ensuring smoother and more dependable performance for the long haul.
Frame Features
The Fugitive Gen 6 gets a slight bump up in rear wheel travel from 138mm to 140mm, and adds a shorter travel 125mm version, but its intentions largely remain the same. Rolling on 29” wheels, it’s their mid-travel all mountain machine. Because modern mountain bikers always want more drop, Knolly have increased dropper insertion on all models, and most frame sizes will swallow a 200mm post down to the collar.
Things we know and love still stay, because why fix what isn’t broken? The alloy frame still uses a Super Boost rear hub spacing for excellent stiffness properties, a threaded BB shell for ease of service, removable ISCG mounts, and a 44/56mm headset for easy to source spares. A 2-position flip chip allows riders to fine-tune their geo, and the suspension still uses Knolly’s time-tested Four By Four linkage.
Suspension
The Fugitive uses Knolly’s Four By Four linkage still, one that’s known for its ground-hugging traction, but has seen some tweaks for this latest iteration. Pedalling responsiveness has increased by 15%, meaning the Gen 6 Fugitive should be easier to climb, especially when standing up and laying the power down. Also, Knolly have changed the leverage curve to increase sensitivity and bottom-out resistance, and to allow the bike to get into its mid-stroke more easily. This ties in with the pedalling responsiveness, meaning it should still have great traction sitting in that mid-stroke, but feels more supportive.
Geometry
The Fugitive Gen 6 sees a bunch of changes, some small, some bigger. Head angle slackens out by 0.25º to 65.5/64.75º on the 140mm bike, but reach grows by 7mm to 492mm on a size L. Seat angle sits around 76.75º/76º which is around the same - slacker than the Chilcotin, since the Fugitive is designed to be pedalled up, down and around, rather than just straight up. The bigger news is the size-specific chainstays, which start at 430mm on the small frame, and grow to 442mm on the XL, keeping the ride characteristics roughly the same over the size range.
Check out our model pages for full geometry charts.
Build & Spec
The Fugitive Gen 6 comes in five different builds - four in the 140/150mm travel spec, and one at 125mm travel, as well as frame only options in each travel configuration with the option of a Performance or Factory Float X shock, plus four colour options and four sizes.
Starting at $5,999 the Z1/Deore build comes with a Marzocchi Z1 150mm fork, and Marzocchi air shock, Shimano Deore 12sp drivetrain and four-piston brakes, SDG dropper post, and burly DT Swiss M1900 Spline wheels. Moving up to the Performance/GX spec at $6,999, it gets a Fox 36 Performance Elite fork, and Float X performance shock, SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, Magura MT5 brakes, and the same DT Swiss wheels, SDG dropper, and Race Face Aeffect cockpit. For $200 more, the Factory/GX build upgrades to factory suspension, and for $7,499, the Factory/XT build uses Factory Fox suspension, a Shimano XT 12sp drivetrain and brakes, and Spank 359 wheelset. Finally, the 125mm Factory XT build uses an identical build kit to the 140, but instead uses a Fox 34 Factory fork, and a shorter stroke Factory Float X shock.
