Cotic Solaris by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

Cotic Solaris by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

Cy’s ex demo. New wheels and forks (Stans Arch EX/Reba 2012 RLTs @ 100mm), everything else taken from my C456. Went for a 2×9 (22/36) short term until I decide if I’m manly enough for 1×10.

Things I know

1. Brake and – especially – reverb hose need a major trim
2. Hans Dampf 2.35s are big. Clearance to mech is minimal. Expect some new rubber in my life in the near future
3. Spacers on top of stem. No idea about how many I’ll need. Reckon not many from the feel of it, so fork’ll get chopped in a few ride.

Things I don’t know
1. How it rides. Other than like a bike but feels a bit odd on a quick spin up and down the road
2. How Nic from Revolutions in Ross puts up with me changing my mind and supplying him with the wrong bits time after time 😉

First ride tomorrow. Excited? Just a bit. Now have a rocket and a solaris, I’m such a fanboi 😉

Looks great.

I would like to touch it in an entirely inappropriate manner.
Regarding front mech clearance try it in the middle ring and contemplate 1 ring up front. Since I’ve had my 29 I’ve not needed a granny.

That´s beautiful, I hope you enjoy it. That funny feeling on the road will disappear after a few rides.

I like how you have your garden came supplied with a bike stand. The bike looks great you lucky boy.

Must. not. buy a 29er frame.

This thread is not helping me from trying to stop myself buying a new frame 😀

Very nice bike you have there!

looks great 🙂

Thanks all. The rationale – although that’s over-stating my bike lust to be fair – was after the rocket, I wanted something completely different. I just wasn’t riding the 456 at all, but always have loved hardtails. So hopefully this’ll be a fun middle ground especially in the FoD.

1×10 is my aspiration. Said it before, Malverns are bloomin steep but reckon with a 36 out back, prob be okay.

I couldn’t justify a new one, but when the ex-demo came up for silly money, I couldn’t help myself…

Regarding front mech clearance try it in the middle ring and contemplate 1 ring up front

Which one is the middle ring on a double setup? 😛

The bike looks ace!

I wondered why that big ring had no teeth on it!

I do agree in seriously considering a single ring – it’s great.

I need that bike in my life… Seriously nice bike dude. Enjoy riding it.

Looks like a muscular brute with the straight bars.. Well jell.com!

Crikey. I looked at this thread and then have just bought one (another ex-demo). Having repeatedly refused to contemplate 29ers as well. And these new-fangled 2×10 setups.

Thanks for the shove, Alex!

Very, very nice indeed.

If you do swap out the Dampfs I might be intrested.

I can;t see anything to complain about there at all, looks ace.

See how I get on tomorrow. Might dremmel a bit off the mech that’s for top pull and is closest to the tyre, might short term just get a diff tyre before 1×10 decision. Coming off a 150mm FS, I reckoned I’d want some cushioning hence the HD’s.. only 100mm on the forks as well. I remember when that was A LOT!

That look very nice Alex, just finished putting my FF29 together.

Report back here tomorrow, please. It it L or XL?

If you happen to try a Smorgasboard rear I would love to know how it sizes up against the Hans Dampf. Quite fancy trying some of them for the summer, but there is bugger all clearance on my Whyte with the On-Ones so I am not sure if I would get away with them or not!

Love the look of the Solaris. If it had a 142mm rear spacing option I would be right out after one (I have a spare set of wheels in that size, which is limiting my choice of hardtail to a massive extent!)

Want……sigh……….

Looks lovely. Much prefer the orange to the current blue or green.

Enjoy!
That will make 2 of Cy’s ex demos/ prototypes on the Malverns, might see you out on it some time to compare notes. I hope you like it as much as I do mine. I am running a 3×9 setup as I am an old git – I would struggle with 1×10 .

Looks shit

It’s a medium. Shall report back.

Simple, sophisticated and classy… what’s not to like 🙂

Nice build Alex, bars look good. 😉

It’s like a grown up version of my soul

full ride report needed when you have been on it tomoz

Popped into my local bike shop this afternoon and they have just had a Soul, Bfe and a lovely green Solaris in. Must resist….

http://www.facebook.com/bachebrotherscycles

Thats lovely. 36 is a big old ring on the front with the bigger wheel size though! 😕

How long before you sell the rocket then…. 😉

My FF29 earlier today. It’s a lot of fun 🙂

Solaris – First ride by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

Post ride update. I’ve ridden hardtails for ever, Steel Kona’s from the 90s, Ti loveliness ending in a Cove Hummer, a bunch of alu frames and finishing with the ‘araldite and string’ Carbon 456. Fork lengths have gone from 80mm to 150mm. So I’ve pitching the Solaris against all of these.

Quick lab of the Verderers Blue trail in the FoD, then a couple of hours on singletrack ranging from ‘ooh quite nice and dry’ to ‘woooahhh slippery death wet’. Here’s what I learned:

1. Big wheels do roll better. Noticeably faster on the flat, or less effort for the same speed. Maybe not as nimble in the corners but…

2. ‘She needs a firm hand on the tiller sir’ is how I’d describe the handling even with a 100mm fork. Don’t get me wrong, it’s sweet and carve-y, but I missed a couple of apexes through being tentative. Once I’d dialled myself into pushing the bar and letting the bike hold the line, it was fab. Chasing a fast mate through a pedally /twisty section I managed to stay with him. The momentum takes you to the corners and the carve takes you round. It was fun. Not amazing, not ‘wow life changing’, not conclusive but fun.

3. Big tyres and wheels take more than a bit of edge off the lumpy bits. Not FS like obviously but bits where on HTs before I’ve ‘braced for impact’, it rolled over stuff with just a ‘trail is here’ clatter. I even managed a few jumps none of which fused my ankles so all good there.

4. The front mech clearance was an issue as expected. One I solved in the best traditions of the bodger everywhere by attacking it with a hacksaw. Lopping off an extraneous bit I didn’t need solved the problem even when mud became proper gloopy. So those tyres are staying on.

So even with new bike myopia and exposure to endless hype, after one ride I can sort of get it. What the Solaris does is put a big smile on my face and is SO different to the Rocket that it’ll be a pleasure to ride either of them without wondering which one to choose. I’ll take it for a bit of a rocky bash on the Tuesday Malverns night ride, but I don’t suspect the bike/components will be the limiting velocity factor 😉

So, it rides like a nice bike. Goes fast. Handles sweetly. Responds well to being attacked by a hacksaw. Is quite orange. It’s not going to be my only bike, but it certainly is going to be what I ride at the HONC.

In summary, the bits when I was really enjoying the ride was because the sun was shining and me and the bike were whizzing through some dry, twisty singletrack. At no point did I think ‘wow this 29er thing is ace’, I just thought ‘riding bikes is ace, and this is a very nice one’

Oh that’s nice than John.. how’s it ride?

Things I forgot
1. I never used the front mech other than to keep the chain on. See how I get on in the Malverns, but 1×9 with a 36/34 was fine in the Forest.
2. I’m not selling the rocket. I am lucky enough to have two fantastic bikes. Be a disaster not to find time/places to ride them both. A lot.

Coming off a 29er Lynskey, it seems to manage steep, sharp climbs a bit better & seems to clatter down just as nicely. That’s about the extent of my ability to notice things ;o

I still want a dropper post though…..

Hmm yes the Solaris climbs way better than the 456. I think most of that is because it doesn’t have a mahoosive 150mm fork on the front. I love my dropper post.I can also never get over the sheer geeky joy of how it works either 🙂

Thanks Alex! Can’t wait to pick mine up……

When do you get it? Assume it was the ‘L’ ex-demo?

Yes. Just as soon as I recover from some recent surgery! Am thinking of making a spectacular recovery to get up this weekend….

Just a question on dropper posts – a new world for me – is yours a Reverb? If so, what flavour is it – there seem to be an enormous number of types.

it’s the one off my old bike 😉 31.6 diameter, 4 inch drop I think, about 350mm of post total. Left hand lever but I run it on RHS underneath bar. Bought from Merlin, prob can find you a link…

Hope you’re back riding soon 🙂

Alex
Must have been you I asked about clearance of Hans Dampfs on sunday at the FOD.(Was on a Trek 29 SS)
My solaris should be here by the weekend so will be in the FOD to give it a run at the weekend all being well.
Happy 29ing

Hi Dave 🙂 I think I was in a bit of a rush – someone had just mentioned cake 🙂 After hacking the mech (thanks to PAB bike shop for loan of their ‘favourite tool’) I had no issues at all with clearance and dowies etc was pretty mucky. I’ll likely be there Sunday so will might see you out. Good luck with the build.

Cheers Alex – typically the weather improves while I am off. That’s helpful on the reverb – I can work it out now thanks, the post length got me.

Cheers and happy riding.