Sanderson website not much help.

I’ve been offered an 18″ Soloist with 120mm RS Revs at a good price. I’m 6’3″ with shortish legs, 32″ inside, but long body and arms. I like long top tubes and bikes I can throw about. I’m a hooligan but fancy a crack at this SS malarkey.

Too small?

And yes I know I should just go try it, but it involves a lengthy journey and I don’t want to jerk the guy about.

All answers welcome but preferably sensible ones. 😉

Hopefully answers your question albeit in a round about way:

I bought a 16″ soloist from this website. Great bike very flickable but a bit too small. Loved the bike so much I bought an 18″. This is with a 100mm eqv rigid fork.

I’m a fairly average 5’10” which suggests an 18″ would be a bit too small for you – sorry.

PS – I’ll have my 16″ up for sale soon if anyone is looking

A mate has what I think is an 18″ soloist, he’s around 5’10” as well, and it seems to fit him well, 100m sus fork.

You say you like long top tubes and bikes you can flick about.. So maybe the 18″ with a longish stem? If you’ve got short legs as you say you shouldn’t have too many issues with seatpost lengths, but you probably should be looking for a 20″ I’m guessing – what sizes are your other bike(s)?

Really great bike, but too small for you IMO.

I am 5’11” and ride an 18″ but really I think I am ‘between’ their sizes: the 20″ would be too little standover for me, but for whatever reason, the top tube is an inch shorter on the soloist than it is on their geared xc frames and i have a 100mm stem on mine to make it feel stretchy enough for me.

If you have long body and arms and like a long reach you will feel well cramped on the 18″: it has only a 22.5″ top tube. According to the website even the 20″ has ‘only’ an 23″ top tube.

I would look out for an on-one inbred or scandal: much longer top tube in relation to seat tube length and also great fun to ride. T’wife has a slot-dropout inbred and frame weight is near enough the same as the white (ie not the 853) soloist.

Thanks guys.

My thoughts were that it was too small. Looks short in the top tube too. Plus I’d want a shortish stem as well. Which would just make it feel more cramped.

Shame really as it’s a really nice build for really good money.

PS: my Blue Pig is a 20″. But slightly too big for all dayers, but fine for a couple of hours mainly going down making motor bike noises.

Sale is nothing to do with me, but I noticed there is a luuuurvely looking 29er scandal singlespeed in 20″ size in the classifieds, £850 iirc.

What the others said. I’m also 5’10” and have a Soloist 18″.

Just to confirm the above, I’m 5’9″ with a 31″ leg and find the 18″ Soloist a good fit. I think that while you’d be ok with saddle height, you’d find you’d need a long stem.

I didnt realise the Soloist was so different to the geared frames in geometry – thats a shame as was thinking of a geared sanderson to compliment the SS.

Under £820 @ Merlin atm http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/bikes/mountain-bikes/sanderson-single-speed/sanderson-soloist-single-speed-bike.html

Any recommendations for a bike with similar geometry to an 18″ soloist but with gears (I have a funny feeling its going to have to be a cotic soul)

8) 😉

I really like the Breath – just a bit disapointed its not the same geo.

What is different about the Soloist geo?