Pretty pleased with my handiwork even if it did take me ages to do and stopped me riding it most of last weekend. I do confess that it looks like a clown’s bike – I still remain unconvinced that 29ers work in small sizes. Time and a lot of riding will tell 🙂

Managed to get it sub-22lb which isn’t bad for a steel frame. Judicial use of CRC vouchers and team trade accounts has helped keep weight down without completely blowing the budget.

Done a little blog about it too

NB. Photos deliberately taken on trails so at least you can’t criticise the state of my lawn 😉 Although I do allow you to criticise the photos if you like, cos they’re rubbish

Solaris by Sokster_, on Flickr

Solaris by Sokster_, on Flickr

Solaris by Sokster_, on Flickr

Solaris by Sokster_, on Flickr

you had me up until the negative rise stem

can you bunnyhop it?

List the spec please?

You said ‘team trade account’ are you racing it?

RD – not just a negative rise, a 25 degree negative rise 😯
Float – a bit, but I can’t really bunny hop very well anyway

Spec –
Forks – Reba RL 100mm
American Classic Race wheels
Bars and stem – Ritchey pro and USE flat bars
2 x 10 Shimano with KCNC cranks
KCNC post and Sella Italia saddle
Shimano brakes

Eyerideit – not too sure on racing it, I’m only 5’6″ so I’m not sure whether I’ll get it to work well enough, it’s gonna depend on the course. As I do endurance stuff if I can get it to work then there should be a big advantage of keeping rolling. But then trying to move it when tired is gonna be harder too.

Nice bike!

What front tyre is that please?

Tom – front tyre is Gaex Aka. They came on my friend’s second hand Anthem but don’t seem to like going onto Stans rims. Popped on mine dead easily. It’s pretty heavy so if you’re bothered about weight I wouldn’t go for it but I reckon it’s going to be great summer tyre and looks pretty good for resisting thorns.

I had those rebas on my swift. Do you find them flexy? They made me crap myself every time I grabbed a bit of front brake. I swear they flexed 7 or 8 cm back under braking. 😯

Nice bike, but that -25deg stem just seens a bit daft IMHO

Thing is you look at the bar height relative to the saddle and the stem makes sense.

Nice build, but small framed 29ers just look odd.

I think for short riders, (and I can’t believe I’m saying it) a soul with 27.5 wheels fitted would make more sense. I feel dirty.

Very nice indeed, I like the neg rise stem- purposeful!

i think small 29er look better! and the stem looks cool, i’m 6ft and run a -12 stem, nothing worse than having bars in the sky like a shopper bike. not sure how its under 22pounds mind! 😉

Matt – Rebas seem ok so far but I’ve not ridden it on anything big yet. I’m also fairly light as MTB-ers go so hoping they’ll be ok.

Yeah, the stem is bonkers but as said it’s to keep the bars low. I had an adjustable stem to try out different -ve rises, it’s amazing how much difference it made dropping it that low, both up and down hill. So looks weird, feels good. Saddle just higher than the bars.

Good effort Rachel, that looks really nice (allowance made for silly wheels and stem)

Does this mean you’re retiring your Soda? Please say no!

22lb is not too shabby for a clown bike even in midget size.

Jon

I like that.

At 22lbs makes my XL look most portly 😆

A rather boring question if I may …..

Does using an integral lower headset cup cause the fork to fowl the frame?

I ask As I may swap out my external Hope cup for an integral one as a) I don’t currently use a tapered fork and b) it would drop the front end a touch.

That does look properly tiny – and I’m only an inch taller than you

I was running my Scandal 29er with a -17 degree stem, i.e. horizontal. I rather liked the look of that so set up my El Mariachi the same but then found I needed a stack of spacers under the stem to get it high enough so ended up reversing it to angle upwards.

Oh – and is there enough clearance between the fork dials and the underside of the frame, it looks like they might hit.

Mark / Scot – yep, the forks do foul, only on the side with the lock-out adjuster though. Have actually just stuck a bigger bottom cup in it as the lower headset might have got the bars down a bit more but they made the headtube angle a tad steep and I kept over steering and sending myself flying over the top. Forks don’t foul and I might steer better but lost a bit of the drop I had.

I like that.

What’s the standover like?

Oh – and is there enough clearance between the fork dials and the underside of the frame, it looks like they might hit.

Would be a deal breaker for me – my 15inch Rock Lobster did the same until I changed the headset.
You’re bound to stack it on that side sooner or later!

Standover height is good, no probs. Have a 400mm seat tube and only about 20mm off the limit. That’s more post than on my Soda.

Lovely example, and Superlight. Nice job.

Ive actually come to like my negative rise stem, a large Superfly with a -25 120mm stem, it shouldnt work but somehow it does…

Looks good, did you do the Enduro 6 on it at the weekend? I’m sure i saw a small Solaris, together with a small Soda being ridden by the AQR team/s?

I’m only 5ft 4″ and fancy trying one to see how it compares to my Soul. Which i have managed to get to just over 22lbs as well. 😀

Looks good, but I’m a little unsure about the stem.

I do confess that it looks like a clown’s bike – I still remain unconvinced that 29ers work in small sizes. Time and a lot of riding will tell.

Looks great to me, really like it, and nice to see one that’s not orange colour like the ones my local trail buddies ride. Also n’owt wrong with the neg-rise stem if it works for you. 😀

Vortex – I was at Enduro6 but not riding. You saw the other small Solaris that was made as a prototype ridden by Kate Potter for the Cotic – A Quick Release team. I can’t possibly go that fast.

As far as the stem goes, it works and gets me in the right position with a load of grip. Whether it’s aesthetically pleasing or not is more of a Marmite debate.

I thought I wasn’t seeing things, I think the small size looks good, what crank have you got on it?

Cranks are KCNC 170mm. I was a bit limited in my choice as wanted a double but with a really little inner ring for upcoming endurance races. Good impression so far, nice and stiff.

Looks lovely. Bit smaller than my xl in blue!!

Nice! I occasionally run that tyre combo but with the Ralph on the front.

I think it looks a bit daft. Can you get enough weight over the front end with that position? Can you actually ride it as opposed to just hold on and pedal it? Although I guess that’s one of the benefits of big wheels.

Just doesnt look like it’d ride well at all.

I’m sure Cy Cotic said 29ers don’t really work for shorter folk. Hence why they initially didnt make them any smaller than a “medium” size.

David – I’ve put a bit more about it’s riding and the comparison with 26″ in my blog, link is at the top. It all depends how you want to ride. Throwing it around? Not so much. Lapping up the miles on some epic rides? Yep. Depends what kinda riding floats your boat.