[Closed] It's bigger and more orange than the sun: my XL Solaris

Looking good bol!! Give us some update on how it rides. Looks good in orange 8) hope you enjoy.

That looks great. To me, 29ers look right in Large and Xtra large. Whereas 26ers look right in small and medium. Hope it's fun to ride.

Looks good, what's the crack with that front mech cable and the microwave not matching the rest of the kitchen appliances?

Thanks guys.

Mark, that's just a full length inner sleeve that stops the cables getting sticky in the slop on bikes that have cable stops. The microwave is evidence that I'm not as exacting with my home appliance purchases as I am with the bike ones.

Now that is a really lovely build, enjoy 😮

Oli, top tip, wrap a temp piece of inner tube around base of down tube when clamping bike in roof carrier.
In time and without, you will see scratch marks in laquor from clamp.

Looks crackin by the way.
Good work
😆

i hate not being well enough to buy new bikes. 🙁

tis gorgeous tho. 😀

🙂 looks great!

niiiiiiice

wrap a temp piece of inner tube around base of down tube when clamping bike in roof carrier.

OMG that looks ace. I used to think that 29ers looked so wrong. That looks so right.

Looks like a less burly version of my bike in a wendy house / on a pedal car. Nice!

only 24lb!!! Good that's what I wanted to hear

I'll confess I'm turning into a weight weenie and big wheeler convert all at the same time....

The 24lbs bit is largely a result of having a lightweight groupset, wheels and finishing kit, most of which was left over from a previous more weight-weenie build. Nothing that isn't strong enough for a clumsy 15 stone oaf, but lighter than it would have been if I was buying everything new. The frame is pretty light for steel though at about 5lbs. A fair bit lighter than the Pace for example.

wrap a temp piece of inner tube around base of down tube when clamping bike in roof carrier.

Good point. I learned that the hard way with a spanking new Stumpy a few years ago. Helitape already applied to stop haste catching me out again.

Another one that learned the hard way here! Also if you put the chain onto the big ring it protects the teeth and stops the chainring eating through the clamp. 🙂

Nice looking bike that.

Very niice. Orange loads better than the blue.
Any tips on where you got the forks?
Tapered with maxles in 29er (especially RS) seem a nightmare to get hold of...
but fairly nichecore I will concede...

Really looking forward to riding one at the Cotic demo day, that looks lovely.

These are actually the straight steerer 2012 Rebas wearing a Hope 'top hat' crown race adapter, which makes them fit like a tapered version. Probably not as stiff, but I'm not sure I'll notice, and it's a bit more versatile. They're nice, but I'd probably recommend the Black Box version if you can find / stretch to them.

Stunning build! 24lb is amazing, any chance of a spec list?

Nice one Bol, I'll prob stick with my old and flexy, but super plush Reba SLs and a clever top hat til I can find and stretch to decent one.

Black box good then they say?

Ideal fork list getting longer and less possible...
29er. Maxle. Taper. 80 - 120mm. RS. Black Box. Maybe even U-Turn.
Dreams can come true... in my mind.

Black box good then they say?

Yes. I've had BB Rebas and Revelations, both of which were fantastic.

any chance of a spec list?

Sure. The only new additions were the chainrings, bars, front mech and spokes/nipples:

- Rockshox Reba RLT 100mm QR15 forks with Push Lock
- Full SRAM XX groupset, including brakes (185/160), with 39-26 chainrings and high mount front mech for clearance
- DT Swiss 240/Stans Crest/supercomp/brass nipples wheels with 36t ratchet upgrade
- Specialized Ground Control tyres (S-Works front, Control rear) set up tubeless
- Hope headset and QR seatclamp
- Easton EC70 flat wide (685mm) bars, Haven 70mm stem and EC90 seatpost
- Fizik Gobi carbon-railed saddle
- Aligator Cables
- Shimano XTR Race pedals
- Specialized Rocca lock on grips

I think that's about it.

Hmmmm that looks lovely,,,,, although i do prefer the Blue one 😯

That's a silly light build for a XL Steel 29er 😈

Oh & dibs on the frame if you sell it 😆

Good work bol! Hope you like it as much as I do mine 🙂

Looks great, though I reckon you could probably save another 1/2lb shortening that front brake cable 🙂

Have now ridden it round the block and can confirm that it is still very orange but it'll be Thursday before I can ride it properly, which feels a long way off.

Very nice bol.

Trust Thursday will see 'proper' photos also?

Surprisingly un gatelike for a XL.

Glad the medium looks so 'petite'.

Roll on batch número duo...

Looks great, how tall are you?

Cheers Metalheart. I'll do my best re the photos - limited by iPhone and lack of flair.

KZP, I'm 6'4". I've been riding a 21" Scandal for the last couple of months, and this is a bit longer and lower, so a bit more standover, and a little less gate-like.

Well it had its maiden voyage this evening. What a hoot. Cy certainly kept his word when he said he was building a 29er Soul. It feels just the same as my Soda did, just rolls better and is easier for a big talentless oaf to maneuver at low speeds. With the DT/Crest wheels it spins up just as fast as well. New bike love aside, I can't see me giving this one up in a hurry. Thanks Cotic.

Hi Bol.How would you describe the ride.Is it fairly fogiving or harsh.I ask as i currently have a XTC 29 Alu which i find to be a bit too hard.I was thinking a steel frame would be a bit kinder to my back than an aluminium race frame is.

Extremely forgiving, in the same way as the Soul and Soda are, despite the large diameter seat tube. The carbon post makes it all the more so. No sign of back ache for me after a three hour ride. I came home the other night questioning the need for a full suss (as I always seem to do when I ride a new Cotic after riding a different hardtail for a while). Haven't done an all dayer on it yet, but I expect it to remain very comfy.

Pete, I hear that there'll be a secondhand orange medium one kicking about come July if you're interested...

Have you taken the plunge Metalheart?

Have you taken the plunge Metalheart?

Ask me that come monday. as per mtbr I saw/handled a blue medium frame in the flesh today (by chance rather than design). I'm rather smitten.

I think I'm gonna go for a temp orange frame. I have pretty much all the other bits sitting here and its driving me mad.

A fool and his money is easy parted I believe...

bol, plunge taken 😆

HHhhmmmmmmm !.

She look niiiiccccee.

Enjoy, you lucky soul you.

🙂

Heres mine. Its maiden voyage was this morning.

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Very nice (for a 29er anyway!) - enjoy. I love my Soul.

Looks nice Scienceofficer. What are your first impressions?

Ordered mine today. Medium orange. Should be here on Thursday.

[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6834247180_b0b1a084f5_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6834247180_b0b1a084f5_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/77564901@N06/6834247180/ ]Solaris built 0138[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/77564901@N06/ ]Metalheart-UK[/url], on Flickr

Now that looks very nice. 😉