Rider: Rhys Blair
IG: rhysblairmtb
Resides: Victoria, BC
Race Photos: @maddogboris
Nearby trail system and your favorite trails
There is so much to ride nearby including Harbourview in Sooke and Jordie Lunn Bike Park. In Duncan (a short drive from Victoria) features Prevost and Tzouhalem. My favorite trails are at Burnt Bridge in Shawnigan Lake.
What do you ride (type of terrain)? What's the intended use for your new bike?
I race Enduro
What model and colour?
Chilcotin 170 in Kelly Green fade
How tall are you?
I’m 6’2” and am riding a size large/S4. It fits like a glove!
What's your full bike spec?
-
Stem length (which stem?) 35mm Chromag
-
Bar width (which bar?) 760mm Chromag Aluminum
-
Dropper length? Fox 240mm
-
Is it dropped to the collar or 2” out from the collar? It is still about 2" above the collar even with all that drop (I have long legs)
-
Crank length? 170mm
-
What chainring tooth count? 32T
-
What rear cassette tooth count? 10-52
-
I ride We Are One Strife DH rims. I kept braking the enduro version but the DH have been bullet proof.
What other custom touches did you do?
-
Tire combo? The classic, Maxxis Assagai DH casing max grip front and DHR 2 Max terra DH casing rear
-
Grips - ODI elite flow. I am hard on grips and go through about 4 pairs a season but it has to be these and only these.
-
Brakes - Maven Silver. The stopping power of these brakes is truly amazing. It makes a huge difference in keeping the arms less tired on long race runs.
What do you love about your new bike?
The Knolly Chilcotin 170 is an incredible race bike—stable at high speeds, corners like it’s on rails, and an absolute joy to ride. I love it!
2025 Race Update
What a wild first half of the season—big goals, great results, and plenty of time doing what I love most: racing bikes and exploring new trails.
Things kicked off close to home with the Tzouhalem Island Cup, where I finished 2nd overall. It was a solid start to the season—tight racing on classic Island terrain, and I left feeling stoked and motivated. A few weeks later, I lined up at the Squamish Enduro and grabbed 3rd. That course was fast, physical, and super rewarding to race.
Then came Port Angeles, part of the Cascadia Dirt Cup. The trails were absolutely ripping—loose, fast, and rowdy, which suits me well. I was able to put together a clean day and came away with 1st place. It was a really fun time and an awesome venue.
The biggest highlight so far has without a doubt been heading to Europe for my first two UCI Enduro World Cups. It was an amazing opportunity and something I’ve worked towards for a long time. I wasn't sure what to expect but I gave it everything and ended up with 3rd place at Val di Fassa and 3rd again in La Thuile. Standing on a World Cup podium—twice—was really pretty surreal and a dream come true. The level is so high, and it was an awesome experience racing against so many fast and talented riders my age.
Big shoutout to Knolly Bikes —my Chilcotin 170 has been an absolute beast! Couldn’t ask for a better setup to handle the wide variety of tracks I have raced this year.
I’m feeling stoked on the direction things are heading. The second half of the season is packed with some big ones—including the Canadian Open Enduro at Crankworx, the final round of the UCI World Cup in France, and to top it all off, World Championships in Switzerland. I’m beyond excited for what’s ahead and super grateful for the support from everyone who’s helped me get to this point. I can’t wait to keep pushing, learning, and having fun on the bike.
For more updates about my racing, follow me on Instagram.
