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I’ve kind of lost interest in my Cotic. I still enjoying riding, but can’t be bothered washing & maintaining this, and after a good ride I no longer look at it fondly before hanging it up in the garage.
It’s a 6 year old Solaris. The obvious upgrades targets would be the 3x10 drivetrain, 19mm internal width wheels (Q/R rear), rockshox reba fork.
The question I’m asking myself is:
Keep it and treat it to some updating and a powdercoat.
Retire/Sell it and get something new.
What would STW do?
buy a 180mm gnarpoon.
Sell it (getting good price in current market)
Be without bike as can't find another one to buy (no bikes in current market)
Sell it (getting good price in current market)
Be without bike as can’t find another one to buy (no bikes in current market)
haha! When you put it like that...
Let me go and put WANTED ads in the Classifieds
I loved my mk1 Solaris (only replaced it with a longshot one this year) but I did tweak it. The two things that made the biggest difference to feel rather than just being incremental were a slackset and a change of bars (740 flat to 760 riser).
Actually, thinking about it, it was the combination of the two and upping the fork travel to 120 all together that really changed the character, but I’d say the first two had the most change individually.
Maybe fettle before powder coating and still deciding you don’t like it?
Singlespeed it
You will thank me later
what weeksy said. Gnarpoon enduro sled, its the only way!
Changing the chainset and wheels will do bugger all to make you fall in love with it again.
Sell it.
Nice stealth ad by the way
I never loved mine tbh. It's really good but for whatever reason we've just never gelled in the same way that my Soul or Hemlock did. Couldn't tell you why.
Equally I don't love my full suss but for some reason that doesn't matter, it's like I totally appreciate invisible competence in that, but from a hardtail I want something different. More, or maybe less, I don't know.
It's got til May probably to blow me away or it's getting sold. Which might be quite difficult, because I never ride it because I don't love it.
I've never really gelled with mine either but I think it's because my old Soul is still so much fun and perhaps the Solaris XL frame is too cumbersome for me. Anyone want to swap their mk2 large frame for an XL one? 😉
Easy answer. I'll sell you my Nomad 4 😉
hardtailonly
Full Member@northwind … swap your Solaris with your old BigWig if you like! 😆
I didn't love that one either! TBH the whole reason I sold it and got the Solaris was I was hoping for something that did the same job just with some pixie dust or whatever. I mean yeah the Solaris is a little nicer but it's still just basically doing the exact same job much the same way. I guess I've had at least 10 different hardtails but only 2 I loved and now everything else gets compared to those 2 bikes. And not just the bikes, but the times I had with them- lots of firsts, lots of learning, anything I get today won't really have that chance to shine...
OK so blatantly it's not that I don't love my Solaris, it's that I don't love being in my 40s 🙂
I’ve kind of lost interest in my Cotic.
Address in PM.
Courier at your cost, obvs.
So clean it and put it to one side for a bit? I'm always thinking about selling my 8yo hard tail as my modern fs is a generally more capable bike. But then I'll get on the hardtail and be reminded that old geometry is great on Thames Valley woodland singletrack and older, steeper hardtails climb brilliantly.
Sell it.
It's a dinosaur now.
Singlespeed it
This, strange as it sounds, it changes the way you ride the bike and also takes away the worry over cleaning!
Clearly:
Retire/Sell it and get something new.
and similarly
OK so blatantly it’s not that I don’t love my Solaris, it’s that I don’t love being in my 40s 🙂
equals
buy a 180mm gnarpoon
My Gen 2 solaris started with 2x10 gearing, x fusion slide forks and stans arch ex wheels. I liked it but it never really made me go wow. I've since changed to 1x 10, fitted a dropper post and taken in off again and built it up as a 27.5+. The 27.5 plus wheels were a lot of fun but a bit too heavy and slow on roads for the from the door riding I now do. Since COVID happened I've built it as a rigid and have just recently bought some new Rockshox SID forks. This current iteration with the same wheels, dropper post, 1 x 10 and the new forks is easily the best build yet. I think the X fusion forks were too flexy and generally struggled a bit in the rough stuff.
The biggest change for me was probably changing to 1 x 10. I'd dismissed it for ages but couldn't believe how much better it rode. I haven't ridden an original solaris but I can't see me ever wanting a new longshot solarisMAX. It might be better downhill than my gen2 but it's also nearly a pound heavier and is stiffer. I think its a very different bike. For normal xc rides here in the midlands (near the chase) my gen2 in it's current build is spot on. I don't think I would be saying that if it was still the same original build.
i have one. i want to sell it. it feels positively dangerous after riding newer bikes
Seriously, if you want/need another bike then get one, but keeping a decent xc bike is always a good idea. Especially now when we are staying local. Treat it to some upgrades, 1x, wider rims, fork service etc and it'll feel good again.
3rd recommendation to singlespeed it, with rigid forks :). You'll be fitter in no time and it'll need next to no maintenance 🙂
Thanks for your thoughts!
Had a rethink, I reckon the lack of interest is probably more to do with the kind of rides it's been on over the lockdown year. Lots of what we'd call gravel rides, but nothing remotely requiring an actual mountain bike.
I’ve still got a mk1 Solaris - currently in the loft waiting for new paint and a rebuild. I’ve had a few really nice hard tails since chameleon 29, scout 290, and yet could never quite bring myself to sell the Solaris, as for some things it is better than them - xc and bike packing in particular. Looking forward to building it up again with slack set, carbon xa elite wheels that I got super cheap on eBay and a new 11 sp group set.
Another 'singlespeed it' here too. It's cheap to try and does make you ride differently. To be fair there hasn't really been much scope for fun rides out recently, at least not up here as the weather's been so wet and horrible.
Thanks all! Any suggestions for rigid forks? 😊
Yup, another recommendation to singlespeed it. I did this with an old Inbred frame I wasn't sure what to do with. Now - especially now - I'm riding it as my main bike. An old-geometry but comfy frame with spare parts makes an ideal go ride from your door bike. The only sophistication mine has is tubeless and hydraulic brakes. Simple to look after. You won't regret it.
Paint it a pretty colour.
Always feels like a new bike for a bit when you do that.
Agree on the singlespeed idea. Make it a proper winter slop bike. Singlespeed it (32/19 is good in the slop), add a rigid fork, mudguards and grippy tyres (even mud tyres).
I use mine for night rides too, it can make a relatively easy climb on a geared bike into a much more of a challenge and teaches you to keep momentum better when riding over trail obstacles as you don't have the luxury of bail out gears.
It's great having a bike you can just grab and go for a local ride no matter the weather then just put it away again till next time. Where you just pick off the big bits of mud, add a bit of chain lube and then off you go again.
Also a bike like this is great for nipping to the shops or pub (remember them) or riding with the family.
I wouldn't be without a rigid singlespeed as they're just so cheap to maintain, robust, handy and fun.
Exotic are pretty cheap and good from memory. I have a pair on the wife's bike. Not full carbon but still decent.
Yep, Exotic are good for the money with a range of options - from all alloy, carbon legs to full carbon depending on budget.
Sounds like you’ve already decided ...new bike day beckons methinks.
Lots of what we’d call gravel rides, but nothing remotely requiring an actual mountain bike.
Singlespeeding it will make it worse. As counter-intuitive as it sounds, SS needs decent hills.
I got a pair of Exotic carbon with bolt through and disc mount for £100 off the bay. Good quality if you can put off with the front brake judder (very flexy)!
If anyone is selling an older Solaris I'm interested...
My Mk1 Solaris is running Travis Prong carbon forks and carbon Jones loops. It's currently my only MTB so has been used for everything from the odd trail centre to bikepacking. I do have sus forks for it but they haven't been used in ages
Converted my Soda to singlespeed a month ago and it has found a new lease of life in the slop - ridden it every day so far this year. Spend a minute cleaning the chain when I get back and then just hang it up for the next ride. Not gone as far as rigid forks mind - I'm impartial to a bit of suspension on the front (set of coil pikes bought off a mate years ago).
Another vote for Exotic, yes they're flexier than some but that's not really a bad thing in a rigid fork. I used mine... eh, considerably harder than you're supposed to, for quite a long time, and they never missed a beat.