While best-known for its freeride and DH bikes, Canadian brand Knolly has had its Endorphin 140mm all-mountain bike in its range for a couple of years now. For 2010 it’s going further – this is the prototype Endorphin XC. While the general profile, including the unique-to-Knolly double linkage, looks a lot like the regular Endorphin (now known as the Endorphin AM), the XC has less travel at 125mm, a slightly steeper head angle and, most importantly, a lighter tubeset.

This prototype – put together just hours before Interbike – is made from the ever-popular “stuff lying around the factory” tubeset, but production bikes will have somewhat more in the way of butting and shaping. Target frame weight is 2.7kg (5.9lb) with an RP23 shock. Picking up on the growing trend for long front/short back suspension setups, the Endorphin XC will take up to a 140mm fork. The Endorphin AM is a great-riding bike – we’re looking forward to seeing this one finished.

And in the “finished” category is Knolly’s DH race bike, displayed in 2008 at about the same stage of development as the Endorphin XC is now. The 8.4in travel frame has had a lot of work put into it in the last 12 months and the finished product looks very smart indeed. Knolly held a competition to come up with a name for the bike, with “Podium” being the (slightly self-referentially) winning entry. Production Knolly Podium frames should be coming through any time now.

More details at www.knollybikes.com. Knolly is imported into the UK by Riding High UK.