aaaaaaaaaand I’m spent. My last feeble objection is that the seat stays might not be thin enough (my eldest has a small Duster that just looks like the perfect steel hardtail) but more photos have shown that to be incorrect.

Cosmic black it is then(with some gold thrown into the component mix), but that dark metal looks dirty. Am I correct in assuming the stem should be slammed for function rather than fashion? Likely to pick up the Cotic stem and bars as I’m starting from scratch again unless anyone has a better pair for similar pricing?

“Am I correct in assuming the stem should be slammed for function rather than fashion?“

Depends on how long your legs are and how upright you like to have your back. I’ve found I ride better with my bars relatively high, even though I get quite low because my legs are long so my hip hinge point is fairly high.

All good points, but was just wondering if overall stack height was important to getting the right feel on longshot geo / other stretched & slack bikes… wouldn’t like to stick 3 spacers ‘just in case’ if its missing the point 🙂

I run 20mm of spacers undr a 23mm rise bar on a Geometron, so not necessarily. It’s personal taste, once you have enough weight on the front tyre that you’re cornering OK

Put the spacers on, move ’em about to see what works best. Keep enough steerer to allow this… you can always cut again later, once you’re sure of your setup.

That ‘dark metal’ finish looks a lot better in Metalheart’s photos than it does on the website.

Keep the photos coming Mr Metalheart.

Also rather excited by the Dark metal as I have just committed myself to one 🙂

Whilst I’m gathering bits up, anyone know what ISCG mount it is? Assuming ISCG 05, inline with their other frames.
Thinking of getting a OneUp chainguide.

ISCG05, yes.

I’ll add that info to the product page, thanks.

As for photos… yeah, current “studio” ones on product page were a bit rushed. Some outdoor photos are needed really, aren’t they. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to update them at some point. All three colours look amazing in the metal… still haven’t decided which to have myself.

Do you get to have one of each bike, kelvin? For “research”?

Photographing metal(lic) paint finishes is a difficult task.

im happy with (Richards?) studio shots, they convey accurately enough the colour of mine anyway. It changes with the light intensity, so it’s not static.

some ‘in the wild’ photos would be a welcome addition to the website though.

for the record, mine are also processed before posting…

good news: I picked up a bike stand from that there scotroutes. He’s a good sort (for a short feller….🤣 )

bad news: yeller warning for rain tomorrow and Saturday… and I won’t get to a steerer cutter/sfn insertion tool until Saturday neither.

I have a hacksaw and a SFN tool but not good enough for you, eh?

I have <i>some</i> standards…

sandy has a park steerer cutting guide so thought I might as well do it properly for a change. Which means that that won’t get done until tomorrow.

plus, thought you were working this weekend.

Right, I had a bit of a mare with the build. It’s been knocking on 6 years since I last built a bike (the mk1green Solaris as it happens) so I was more than a little rusty. Cant recall if I’ve ever cut a steerer tube before but needless to say it took me about 30-45 minutes before I committed….

things just just took longer than expected and I ended up with the dropper post still to cable upthis morning.

and then I managed to completely knacker the front brake pistons (added an adaptor you don’t need on the mcqueens) and had an emergency visit to Bothy Bikes in Aviemore to buy a new one. Being a bit of disc brake novice I need some assistance in cutting the hose and bleeding. However Bothy Bikes were complete **** stars, let me use their work stand and gave me instruction and assistance. And all with me being known to them, but not really exactly what I’d call a customer. So above and beyond the call of duty and saved the day. Thanks guys!

so it was after three before I managed to venture out.

i can’t really give much of a write up as a) I was a bit frazzled after the build and b) the forks need the H & C settings sorted (in fact, they need set up properly period). This somewhat jaundiced my experience, and I only managed out for a couple of hours and didn’t really put it (or me!) under pressure.

anyway, my thoughts: it’s definite improvement on the mk3. No vagueness of steering, much better position for climbing, HA inspires confidence. And it was definitely a lot faster than the Sherpa with 2.8” B+ HR/DHR Maxxis rubber.

no pics, just didn’t have the time, as soon as it was finished and operational I was out on it. Might get some back garden weed shots done if I get the time.

I loved the demo of the previous version. Would love a go on this but fear I’d be writing a cheque* shortly after

*no not really a cheque but you get the idea

Lovely build Metalheart. Certainly worth the effort and faf. How long and slack does that look. It just looks right ! Long gone are the days of toe overlap on 29ers.

Hopefully a two week wait to go..

Did you spray anything in the frame to protect it? Or are Cotic pre-treated?

One last question to THE owner (Metalheart) – have the seat stays got a brace? Looking back through the piccies on the Cotic site the green one seems to have a brace, the others not – I’d rather not have it but could you clarify?

It looks mint that build. And has me hoping they never release a Ti version …

(I would ask Cotic again but have already embarrassed myself by asking what the rear disk mount was, only to find a perfectly good picture 2 minutes later :-D)

@cokie I believe they’re coated internally from the factory from some searching i was doing the other day.

Wishbone seatstays… Definitely no bridge. There is a brace at the dropout, which Cotic have used for a long time.

I know what you mean in the pics brassneck.

I’m wondering if that is on the size Small frame only?

I think the green one (small?) has a small brace between the stays cos the they appear to join straight onto the seat tube rather than the little stubby tube that forms the top of the wishbone.

Aah, hadn’t noticed that. Size specific details like that are the sign of good design.

Size specific – that makes sense, good spot.

@brassneck: Definitely no brace on mine (large). I also thought it was small size only.

@cokie: no idea. I’ve had, er, a few cotics over the years and never had any bother with corrosion (mind you I don’t run mine through salt). Even the mk1 Solaris which I trashed the headtube paint with cairngorm grit on my first bikepacking trip hasn’t been that affected. Im planning on putting on some frame pro, but to protect from chips etc., and because I’ll probably run with a frame bag as now I’m used to one and it keeps shit off your back.

Does anybody know how to set up a roughcut McQueen HLR fork?

some hints/tips would help..😭

Just put everything in the middle settings and ride the bloody thing!

Just put everything in the middle settings and ride the bloody thing!

thats exactly what I tried. Then all on, then all off, then on/off then off on… didn’t seem to make any difference…. 😬

How tall are you @Metalheart?

I’m 6’2″ and used to ride a large mk2 and I’m not sure whether to go for a large or an XL.   The XL is *hewuge* compared to the old L – the reach is best part of 8cm longer.

I run an XL nomad atm, and the reach on the XL Solaris is ~5.5cm longer, but if the stem is 35mm then maybe knock a CM off that and just accept that bikes are about 4.5 cm longer nowadays.   Doesn’t sound like much, but I’m aiming to run the Solaris as my long-distance/bikepacking 29er, and put the Nomad away for the big rocky action.

So much indecision 🙁

@chevychase: I’m six foot (give or take a couple mm). I was in a quandary over whether to medium or large. I was advised to speak to Paul who said the new frames were designed to run 35mm stems and large was the one for me. I was a little wary of how it would feel. My mk1 medium was way short (in retrospect), my mk3 (60mm stem) is pretty much there for all day bikepacking (which is what it was built up for). The new bike doesn’t feel any different reach wise (the mk3 large got longer before even longer still). So I’ll give you the answer I always give: give Cotic a call and chat it through. I’ve actually taken my own advice 🤣

eta: I could’ve fitted a 170mm dropper post, there’s plenty of clearance. A medium would’ve been too small….

K.  Ta.  I’ll be giving them a bell. 🙂

Wonder why they don’t offer 170mm droppers as standard (IIRC they offer 150’s) – always good to have more rather than less IMO.

Need to figure out a system to bikepack with a dropper now too.  Can’t see my alpkit koala doing a dropper post much good.

With Cotic you can get (within reason) what you want. With my previous SolarisMAX I wanted a set up (2x boost) that wasn’t on the ‘customise’ menu. Cy sorted me out (then as my bike was the first B+ build out the door stuck a photo of it on the their news page highlighting it was non-standard saying ‘we can do this….’)

whilst I’m, to an extent, a known quantity to Cy it’s not sufficient to warrant ‘special treatment’. If you want a 170 and you are speaking to them about size, ask. Worst is they no… 🤣

Revelate have just taken out a dropper post rear harness thing. Drop Andy at backcountry.scot an email he’ll fill you in (warning, it ain’t going to be cheap though). Backcountry are the uk agent/importer and they just took delivery of a revelate batch last week (picked up a front harness and stuff on Saturday).

@ chevychase this article any interest to you:

Bikepacking with a Dropper Post, The Complete Guide

Back to the topic of the Solaris everyone 😀

@metalheart more pics please including close ups of the colour in natural light please, I fancy that colour as a future build.

Cheers

Ordered, M in COsmic Black – going for a JPS build :-D.

Missed the boat on a Tripster last time I bought and spent 9 months waiting for the frame to chug across, not doing that again.

Any idea what frame weight these are coming in at for a Large?

@philb88 4.9lbs for a large

@metalheart so been out on it yet? Hows it ride???