Cotic Solaris project **some may find this offensive!**

I’m not sure how this will be received by all on here as it may be a bit controversial but here goes anyway…

The short story…I’m saving the pennies for a UK custom made frame in either 853 or 931/953 , which will be based loosely on the Solaris geometry but with a few personal tweaks and touches. I’ve ran my Rohloff for almost 10 years now without a hitch so I’d love to experiment a little more with a Bushnell EBB and some custom ‘internal’ routing but that for a future experiment.

Given that I’ve just started working for myself, every penny is a prisoner so I decided to start ‘playing’ with a standard Solaris frame which I’d been running the Rohloff on with a chain device.

My number one priority was to properly marry a Rohloff hub to the frame. Not with a stock horizontal dropout (Solaris Simple) which IME is a bit of a faff but with something specifically designed for the job. Over the years I’ve fitted Rohloff’s to every bike in my stable but always felt that I was fitting a round peg into a square hole.

After much fretting, I opted for a Swinging Stainless dropout from Paragon with Rohloff specific inserts and IMO it works and looks perfect. I also had all the standard cable guides removed and had some custom guide installed in the down tube. I lastly sand blasted the whole rig and sprayed it with a clear lacquer which I’m really loving the look of.

Surprisingly, the finished product is 1/3 lb lighter at 28.66 lbs inc Time Attack pedals

So…it is a Marmite thing for you?

[/url]
Untitled[/url] by Rosscopeco[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
Untitled[/url] by Rosscopeco[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
Untitled[/url] by Rosscopeco[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
Untitled[/url] by Rosscopeco[/url], on Flickr

28.5lbs? Sounds very heavy for what it is.

Interesting. The front end looks low to me but then I like mine high.

More importantly – wheels / tyres logo misalignment! What are you thinking of?! Nice paintwork on the house too.

I agree, 28.5lbs is a tad ‘heavy’ by todays standards but to put it in perspective I’ve lost almost half a stone over the last few weeks and it was free! I’m still a little fat but I’m happy!

Yes, the tyre / wheel aligement is socking, sorry 😳

dropout porn! I love those swingers.
Did you not think about a non-Rohloff dropout and using a Monkeybone on the brake mount? I think it looks tidier, but would it work with the inboard brake?

28lbs sounds about right for a steel frame with a Rohly.

Yeah even going for stupid light stuff will only lose you about 5lbs

My ragley td1 w/rohloff dropout and carbon rigids + rohloff is still 24lbs

Most of the weight difference will be in frame and forks

DS drop out looks neat, NDS looks rather clunky but I guess that’s a rohloff thing.
Nice anyway, always fancied a custom frame but reckon I’d make the wrong decisions at design stage and end up paying a fortune for something not 100% – I’m rubbish at deciding things.

Only a mother….

28.5lbs? Sounds very heavy for what it is.

The Brooks, dropper and rohloff with be at least 15lb’s of that 😆

Nice bike, big fan of swingers here too.

Did you not think about a non-Rohloff dropout and using a Monkeybone on the brake mount? I think it looks tidier, but would it work with the inboard brake?

Yeh, I ran the old rig with a self made Monkey Bone. It certainly made things a little easier and looked good but still a faff when the rear wheel needed removing.

Only a mother….

😆

Did you get it professionally laquered or was it a rattle can job?

My number one priority was to properly marry a Rohloff hub to the frame

…am I missing something here, or was this not done? I kindof expected to see some amazing Rohloff-hub-based gearbox contraption brazed into the adapted bottom shell of a bike frame.

That would have been amazing.

Instead all I can see is a fairly ordinary bike with a bit of dead badger to sit on… 😕

😉

Cowardly. No grass, weeds, shabby patio or fence in the picture. How can STW operate with pebbledash, painted wall and gravel in bike photos?

There are some grey stones in with the red tho – poor job 😀

Oh – the bike? Tidier than most for the mounting.

That looks close to what I consider a perfect bike!

Brooks + dropper is certainly something I’ve never seen before!

Did you get it professionally laquered or was it a rattle can job?

Rattle can, I’ll wait and see how it holds up, if it’s crap I can get it clear powder coated for £40 inc a quick sandblast clean.

Brooks + dropper is certainly something I’ve never seen before!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is a Ti brooks if that make any difference 😀

paintjob lets it down

No mud clearance ?

Personally I’m not keen on the saddle nor the silly mudguard on the forks, but that’s it really. In the main it looks like a neat bike, bit clean so get it dirty.

No mud clearance ?

Plenty, the same as the standard Solaris, if not a wee tad better as the chain line is a tiny bit longer to take the slack out of the chain.

Personally I’m not keen on the saddle nor the silly mudguard on the forks

Agreed! It doesn’t look the best but it keeps the mud of my face. I’ve yet to see an aesthetically pleasing mud guard

Just though that the tyre looked really close to the seat tube ?

I think it looks a lot better than it did with bits of rust everywhere – one of Cy’s reflective wrap stickers would look good I think. Visually the brooks and mudguards look weird but whatever works for you!

I considered custom before going for my first 29er but was completely unsure about geo so ended up buying a Solaris but would have def bought one with sliders if one was available. All the best with saving for your dream machine!

Looks like you’ve dropped the bb quite a lot by putting the rear axle higher up, which has seriously slackened the seat angle. Is it not a pig to climb on now?

Rickos – Member
Looks like you’ve dropped the bb quite a lot by putting the rear axle higher up, which has seriously slackened the seat angle. Is it not a pig to climb on now?

About half a degree I’d say. I’m surprised it hasn’t burst into flames altogether

Actually everything is as per the standard Solaris geometry. I spent a lot of time ensuring everything was kept the same. It still climbs like a mountains goat, although I cannie.

*Like*

Oooh, I like that. Anyone who does a cut-and-shut to stick Paragon dropouts on a Cotic to fit a Rohloff has to be alright in my book, good work. Plus: bonus nutter points for the Brooks/dropper combo. Splendid.

Paint job’s a bit boring though, you could have gone for something a bit less, well, grey?

love that. put a longer fork on and lose the spindly cranks it would be perfect

Disc mount on the pivot bit? If so that is neat.

Needs a proper colour paint job though that is duller than my mondeo estate.

It was sounding so nice until I actually saw those dropouts. Agreed they do an efficient job, but at a visual price.

And that mudguard…. wwyt?

Re the ‘boring’ colour, my thinking was simple in that if I get a nice pretty colour (like cotic orange which I love) then there will be lots of tears and snotters when it inevitably gets scratched and scuffed.

I think I’m a relatively careful person when it come to protecting the paint finish but given I have a propensity to topple most times I’m out it’s not long before I’ve inadvertantly marked the finish.

Maybe I should just GAPOB 😉

That mudguard, my one that only pokes out the back works fine.
Cut the front off and the ladeez will be round the block.

Actually everything is as per the standard Solaris geometry. I spent a lot of time ensuring everything was kept the same. It still climbs like a mountains goat, although I cannie.

Fair enough, must be the photo or something.