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I'm pretty vertically challenged @ 5ft 4" and have enjoyed my Cotic Souls (all 3 of them).
But this 27+ and 29er thing has me curious, are there any better frame deal then the current Cotic MK1 small frames@ £299?
I thought it was the current version of the solaris that was 27+ compatible rather than the mk1?
No, the Mk1 works too. They did all the testing on the Mk1. Mk2 is a bit slacker (although a works components headset in the Mk1 would be pretty much the same, I think) and has a bit more clearance, but b+ works on the Mk1 and they will soon be selling the wheels/tyres seperately too (£600 quid though, I think).
£600 quid though, I think
wow, that pretty steep
B+ rims and tyres are both a bit spendy at the moment, to be fair. That price is for hope pro2 evo hubs, wtb asym rims (29mm internal rear, 35mn front) and trailblazer tyres, plus the tubeless kit. Not sure what it would cost to buy all that seperately, but I suspect it's getting up there (once you add labour to get it all built).
Check out my thread on the subject. I'm using SSC 25mm internal rims with 2.8 trailblazers and they work really well so you can do it relatively cheaply
So are you curious about riding a 29er out a 29er frame with 27+ wheels? Or both?
I have recently built up my first 29er, not even had a go on one before, and its a mk1 Solaris. I find the bike much more fun than I was expecting, it is faster than my 26 fs on most things but I would still raster my 26er for anything DH. I find the (all be it crap) wheels rather flexy and that compared to stans on my 26er. With the same rims on both bikes I would expect my 26er to be much stiffer and much more confidence inspiring. The Solaris is still fun and more suited to a quick blast in the woods.
Both
29er initially, I was wondering how it compared to the Soul, and you seemed to have summed that up perfectly. The fact that it's more fun than you expect, might just sway it for me.
The 27+ bit was something to try at a later date, especially given the price of rims and tyres at the moment.
I don't think you would have any regrets with a Solaris. Such a fun, capable bike. A quicker, stable Soul if you like. I've ridden mine in Torridon, Ben Damph, Arran, Nan Bield and Sticks Pass this year.
I test rode a Soul some years back and although nice it didn't set my world on fire. I bought a Solaris as an n+1 bike in '12. A winter bike, trainer, XC bike, something to save the expensive FS, etc, etc. and quickly fell in love with the big wheels. My FS saw less and less use until I sold it last year.
I have a spare ProII / Arch EX wheelset (now running ProII / Flow EX on the Solaris) which I'm going to strip and build up a B+ set. Probably looking at £300-£350 all in but I'll have existing hubs and rotors to use.
Intention is to swap between wheelsets depending on the ride, conditions. Having recently contacted Cotic about B+ they echo that suggesting B+ suits rockier, technical terrain wereas 29er wheels for faster, smoother rides.
Get one, you won't regret it.
As a Solaris owner I don't think you'd be disappointed.
I've got a Mk1 Soul I'm about to upgrade to 1x11. Tried an Orange 650B at Kirroughtree last week and the idea of a 29er/27.5+ Solaris really appeals.
29er for long days out, 27+ for trail centre fun. If I had any money left I'd do it for sure.
I'd echo the various comments above, a really capable, solid, fun bike.
There's a post or two on the Cotic blog about the 27.5+ wheel/tyre sizing. They were on the Mk1 frame.
It's something I'm considering for mine (a Mk1), I'm holding back partly because of cost, (there's limited rim & tyre choice ATM, when there's more I think the price will drop) but also I'm undecided as to whether to have a dynamo hub on the front and whether to go with a rigid fork, that's axle "standards" related though as there's currently only one dynamo hub that fits 15mm maxles.