The green Solaris is a medium. Which is great for 2-3 hour jaunts but at 6′ I found to get the right reach I had to push the seat back and this made the front really light on really steep stuff and in truth it was a little short for all day trips.
So I got a SolarisMAX in large. Being the first built B+ out the door of Cotic it made their front page:
[url=https://flic.kr/p/R81C2j]SolarisMAX[/url] by CoticLtd, on Flickr
Only for me to get it and stick a lovely white saddle, barend grips ( 😯 ) and luggage strapped to it then ridden for hours on end and left out in the open while I snuggled down into my tent or bivy bag…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ShWTsq]
Packed and ready to roll[/url]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/SFvPpt]
SolarisMAX after its 100 miles maiden voyage on the Moray Way[/url]
andysandes – Member
Loving the thread. Have a rocket max and it is the dogs wotsits.
Just got a Solaris max frame (xl) has anyone had issues with clearance of break leavers/shifters on the top tube?
Running two spacers but they’re hitting the top tube
Hi five fellow RocketMax owner. Dog bits indeed 😀
Low 5 for top tube clearance on the Solari though. Have the same issue on my Large (20″) 456. As many spacers as would fit under the stem didn’t cut it so higher rise bars (think they’re 38?) and levers more horizontal than needed and helped. Still fouls a tad but not enough to do any damage. Pain in the arse not having that space when riding tough. Tall top tubes are shite on a mtb!
Well it’s Friday again and I’ve been enjoying my 2 week old flare more with every ride. It’s perfectly suited to what I mainly ride – forest trails with tight switchbacks etc… I’d spent years in retromtb land thoughrougly enjoying 26″ wheels and skinny tyres and prior to this bike didn’t really get on with my Curtis 29er so the flare ‘lite’ was the obvious choice despite considering all the other ‘flavours’.
This time last year I owned 8-10 bikes, now I have only this and I don’t think I can say anymore than that….
Thanks peeps for the thumbs up on my bikes its nice to see I’m not the only one with a bit of a cotic addiction!
After having a few bfe’s in various colours I thought I had built my perfect pair of bikes with the escapade and a rather nicely specced rocket … well that was until they released the solaris max and then metalheart ordered his and cotic posted pics of it on social media ..damn you lol
I’m now the 6th person in my group of riding buddies to own a Solaris all built up in very different ways, it just shows you how versatile the frame is.
Mine with the plus tyres is a bit of a hooligan of a bike and after seeing Kayla could fit 26×2.8’s in the back of her flare I’m getting another wheelset made up for my rocket to make a mini-max rocket ,hopefully will have it sorted by the middle of next week and will post some pics up when it’s done 😀
well that was until they released the solaris max and then metalheart ordered his and cotic posted pics of it on social media ..damn you lol
If it makes you feel any better about things your Escapade build is making me twitchy… If I hadn’t just donated the Soul and sold my TCX due to space limitations I might have pressed the buy button on one now… Cy…. 😉
I’m off up to the Cotic demo at Dalby tomorrow to try out some of the bouncy bikes, as I’ve been pretty much a die hard-tailer for the last 10 years……wife is hoping I don’t like them too much 😈
So 26+ means the biggest bounciest tyres you can fit into a BFe 275 ?
I think so although I don’t have any 650B wheels to try in it! They’re the wheels with 2.8 Rangers I used in my Flare. You might be able to squeak a 26 x 3.0 without a chain device though.
I really don’t need another bike, this is my only one at the minute after stripping my Soul 26 to build it and selling some other stuff and I know I prefer HTs, but I’m having impure thoughts involving a matt green Rocket with 26+ wheels and black bits and maybe purple pedals with a small Hulk sticker in place of the headtube badge… Hulk smash!