• This topic has 23 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by benp1.
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  • Cotic Solaris Mk1
  • russyh
    Free Member

    So having picked up a Solaria Mk1 from the classifieds a month or so back.  I am really enjoying riding it, it was purchased as a cheap winter hack and all day distance smasher.  It handles well but understandably gets a little out of shape on some of the local off piste stuff.   Now, understanding it’s never going to really be a hardcore hardtail.  Has anyone run a Mk1 with an angle headset and a slightly longer fork?  The frame is Ok for 120mm (currently running 100). But from what I have read running at 120 places the BB a little high. Idea being slackening the head angle should bring this back down slightly (?) but also give some more stability at speed.  What I don’t want to do is ruin the bike, as it is fantastic around our local hills, riding with my kids.  Hence the question really, if I ruin the ride  maybe I would’ve been better looking for a BFE?

    swanny853
    Full Member

    I bought a 2deg slackset and a 120mm air shaft for mine about 18 months ago. Fitted the slackset straight away and that has been pretty much all to the good- a little adjustment period where it feels a bit slower through the flicky stuff but you readjust and the better steep/fast handling remains.

    Finally upped the travel back in june- I’m less sold so far as I feel like the whole bike ‘sits back’ a bit much, but I think I’ve got a bit more playing around to do with pressures and tokens before deciding.

    The one real downside I did find is that, being at the top of the size range for a medium, the slackset just nudged the bike into feeling a touch shorter than I would like.

    russyh
    Free Member

    Thanks Swanny, out of interest what Slackset did you use? I was considering just a 1deg set with a 20mm increase in form travel to give me an extra degree.  Which should make the HA around 68deg? And a BB not too far from 100mm travel height

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    yourguitarhero
    Free Member

    Is this a MK1?
    Was looking at it as a replacement for my Titus Fireline which was stolen.
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Large-Cotic-Solaris/273980897800?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

    swanny853
    Full Member

    I used works components. I think someone on here said at some point something along the lines of ‘if you use a 1deg set you’ll always wonder if 2 would have been better, if you use 2 at least you’ll know’. Made sense to me so that’s what I did- I think you’d be happy with it.

    Ygh, pretty sure that’s a mk2, which I think isn’t a million miles from a mk1 with an angle set and a few other tweaks.

    russyh
    Free Member

    Anpther issue with running 2 deg over 1 is the reduction in reach as mentioned.  Plus with a longer fork I would be dropping the ha back even further which is really detracting from its designed numbers.  I really don’t want it to compromise it too much in any one way as it’s a lovely bike.  Better I change to something more trail orientated if that’s the case.

    But I do agree there would always be that ‘I wonder’ itch

    andrewh
    Free Member

    I’ve got a Mk1 with 120mm Manitou Machette Pro forks and standard Hope headset.
    Love it. Nothing to worry about, the handling is still spot-on with 120mm

    willt
    Free Member

    Has anyone ever drilled a hole out to fit an internal dropper?

    ukdegbro
    Free Member

    I have a Solaris MK1 with 120mm Reba’s and 35mm stem. Absolutely love it, handles fantastically (and this is from someone who started his cycling in BMX).
    Personally I don’t think there is any need to change the head angle, it handles anything as it is. Everyone has their own perfect feel though, but try it without first.

    Wanted a Boost version so can run wheels from another bike. Wanted a Mk2 not the new Longshot as I wanted it exactly the same as my MK1. Now using MK1 with rigid carbon forks and 38c tyres as a gravel bike.

    I ran a Brand X MK2 dropper – no need for holes and really stealthy as the cable goes under top tube to the valve connector near post clamp, and so easy to fit or remove.

    As you can probably tell, my favourite ever bike of a long list. At 5 foot 7 inches such as long bike should feel unwieldy but it just doesn’t 🤓

    andrewh
    Free Member

    With regards to the hole drilling, no, but Swarf Cycles in Peebles fitted some bottle mounts to the seat tube without any problems. Cotic advised not to fit some under the down tube for a crud catcher though.

    breadcrumb
    Full Member

    I ran my MKI Solaris at 120mm and didn’t find the BB high.

    The frame is sitting in the shed, I might build it up as a SS at some point.

    russyh
    Free Member

    So, I’m going to try lifting the travel of the forks first.  Albeit the BB already feels a bit high, so I was hoping the angle adjust headset would bring this back down.  With the added benefit of giving me a slightly slacker front end…well benefit as I see it as I think the bike would benefit from being a couple of degrees slacker.  Wouldn’t want to over cook it, ultimately everything is a compromise.  Really wondered if others had done the same, fully prepared to be told I’m a twit and if I wanted a harder hitting hardtail I should’ve bought a BFE

    cy
    Full Member

    If you are concerned about BB height and seat angle but want some more confident feeling handling in the steep stuff, I would stick with the 100mm forks and go for the 2 deg angleset. I used 1 and 2 deg Works anglesets in the Mk1 Solaris when I was working on the Mk2 geometry and neither do anything mental to the handling, but it sounds to me like you just want a little more confidence when things get hectic. If Longshot geometry has taught me anything it’s that travel doesn’t matter all that much in steep tech if the bike shape is right, so if you like 100mm, get the 2 deg headset. It will knock the head angle back to about 68.5 but steepen the seat angle by 0.5 and drop the BB by about 4mm.

    NormalMan
    Full Member

    I bought my mk1 back in 2014. Loved it with 100mm forks but had adjustable X Fusion Slides and so tried 120mm and never went back.

    Yes, the seat angle was a bit slack but it never really bothered me or was that noticeable unless jumping from bike to bike.

    Sadly mine was stolen 2 weeks ago. Really miss it.

    If anyone spots a green medium with XT, loads of black Hope bits, tan wall ardents, cotic stem/seatpost and renthal bars, please give me a shout.

    russyh
    Free Member

    Thanks Cy, ultimately I probably need ‘another’ bike and keep the Solaris as you intended.  It’s fantastic really, just some of the stuff I ride…quite rightly it wasn’t designed for.  That said one of the reason I bought the bike was so I could hit my local XC loop, ride with the kids and do some longer distance events.  Basically I want one bike to plug the big Gap beneath my enduro bike.  Reality is I probably need another…something like a BFE.  Longshot geo works for me, just as a second/third bike I’m pushing my luck with the wife.

    LimboJimbo
    Full Member

    I have a Mk1 running 100mm forks and have been mulling fitting the 2 degree Works headset. Could anyone advise the model I would need? My current Hope headset has a zero stack top cup and an external lower. I’ve only got about 10mm free steerer tube to play with though, so I’m not sure whether it would work.

    chrismac
    Full Member

    I have mk1 with 120mm fork and a works -1.5 headset. Works really well

    russyh
    Free Member

    That’s what I wanted to hear Chrismac!  I’ll get ordering the bits

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    I’m just wondering if the same thing would work on a Mk1 Soul (1 1/8th” straight steerer). I run it with a 140mm Pike and thoroughly enjoy riding it. I know it’s tragically out of date but I think the £3000 or so to get a modern equivalent, which would slightly improve just a few aspects of my usual rides will be better spent on holidays and skills coaching.

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    Mk 1 Solaris was my gateway into 29er.

    I never really had many complaints about how it rode, but I was a different rider back then. 100 was too short for me, 120s were just enough. I wanted to fit bigger tyres than the rear would take, and the stand over was kinda limited.

    ayjaydoubleyou
    Full Member

    Currently got an angleset in mine with rigid forks, great handling bike for forest work and climbs like an ebike (I assume, last ride I hit 15mph moving average on it)
    With 120 forks it handles well but does feel a bit high in the BB, but this is in comparison to my bird.
    Southern berm carving full susser vs peak district rock climber was always going to yield a difference there, regardless of the fork.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    “That said one of the reason I bought the bike was so I could hit my local XC loop, ride with the kids and do some longer distance events.”

    I’ve yet to find a real downside to using a seriously slack hardtail for that kind of stuff – but it works far better when the going gets gnarly.

    russyh
    Free Member

    So my local loop is a bit of a classic xc MTB ride, in fact I used to ride the same trails as a lad in the early 90’s. The Solaris in standard form is epic for this.  It’s an 8miles loop straight out my front door. I know the same loop is soul destroying on my HD4 with proper tyres.  Climb is hard work and the decent is fast but bike makes it a fun sponge.

    I think a Solaris on steroids could be a middle ground compromise on a budget.

    benp1
    Full Member

    Still running my Mk1 as my only MTB. Still love it

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