Well, the Fugitive has escaped

We are freaking fired up to announce the release of the Fugitive, our first 29er, which delivers incredible traction, downhill stability and a smooth ride on any terrain. Our newest model was developed to meet the growing demands for a 29” so the Fugitive debuts with the highest level of pedaling platform of any Knolly model, yet it still maintains the legendary composure in the rough that Knolly is known for. Our riders wanted an epic bike that could take them into the backcountry, attack the biggest descents, efficiently climb steep technical trails and adapt to any route to provide a comfortable ride on long beautiful single track trails.



After determining rider requirements for a new 29er generation, we started from the ground up to design our Fugitive model. Considering past trends and manufacturing innovations, every Knolly frame part, feature, and production process was toiled over leading to significant investment in new molds and tooling. Current industry standards were reviewed, adopted and tweaked to produce a bike that’s worthy of a category in its’ own.



Knolly’s engineering approach involves a fresh perspective and a promise of achieving only the best. In an industry fixed on releasing new products as quickly as possible, we did something borderline insane. With the Fugitive model, we committed an extra 18 months beyond the normal new product development timelines to research and development.



Innovation through Partnerships

Knolly’s new pivot bushing technology was developed with Igus, the world leader in polymer bushings. Working closely with Igus, we developed a new pivot bushing advancement and when combined with their high end roller bearings, they deliver less friction and added durability for the Fugitive and all frames going forward. Igus products are used throughout the bike industry in frames, forks, rear shocks and other parts that rotate and/or slide.



Innovation through Pioneering

The Fugitive is the beginning of Knolly’s Gen 5 alloy and carbon frame platform, which meant a massive investment in tooling for the next phase. Our commitment to producing the best aluminum suspension mountain bikes led to pushing the boundaries of highly manipulated tube-sets and an extensive use of sophisticated forgings throughout the Fugitive’s construction. Every detail including the tube cross-section and width were designed in 2D and 3D to ensure uncompromised performance for the rider. The new seat tube, a key structural part of the frame, explores the limits of hydroforming technology. Throughout the frame, we sourced exotic aluminum alloys to deliver reduced weight, improved reliability and unlimited length dropper post compatibility. And using only the best materials, we incorporated custom CNC machined 6Al-4V Titanium fasteners to reduce weight and increase mid-linkage stiffness.



Engineering with Purpose

Knolly fully committed to the already existing 157mm rear hub spacing, branding it 157TRAIL, and was able to implement this with rear end heel clearance equal or better than existing 148 bikes. This decision allowed us to eliminate tire width and focus on designing the bike solely based on tire diameter. As a result, the Fugitive supports 29” wheels but it can also run 27.5” Plus x 3.0” wheels/tires with minimum compromise to the BB height.


“The 29er Fugitive is a product of years of research, design and engineering. We produced a bike that we believe will deliver unprecedented rider performance. The Fugitive has an all-star feature list that includes new suspension linkages and pivots, 175-200mm dropper posts, fully internal cable routing and 2 geometry positions. These features combined with our proven patented Fourby4 suspension, create a package that instills confidence in any terrain.” ~ Noel Buckley, Knolly Bikes CEO/Chief Engineer