* I say new …. technically this is the case but I’ve had the frame since July after preordering it 😳

I bought this frame from the fantastic guys at Stanton Bikes to replace my Cotic Solaris. I just didn’t gell with the Solaris for reasons I won’t bore you with.

The bike is currently built with a burlyish array of parts; Flow rims, Reverb, Bolt though Salsa Cromoto hans Dampf etc and as such it weighs as pictured just shy of 28lbs.

The plan is once the wather improves to swap out the Cromoto for a SID RCT3, that I need to space down to 110mm, and a lighter set of Stans wheels & tyres

Play would be to end up with something around 26lb …. well thats the plan 😉

The rather easily shot pic below (whilst clean) was prior to its maiden run over the testting trails here in Suffolk 😆

Fro the off the bike felt more at home than the Solaris did with a 100mm reba. I can only speculate that the slacker HA suits me betterer 🙂

The frame retails some of the spring that I felt the Solaris lacked whilst feeling quick from the off.

I have been riding my Puffin a lot over the last few months so it may be down to that but I didn’t feel beat up in anyway, in fact I felt more encouarged to ride it like a BMX out of the saddle.

The frame is beautifully finished and I love the green – looks lovely in the sun 8)

Despite being a 21” frame I can’t say I found it too gate like. I’ve a longer reach than leg so its often a bit of a compromise between ST length and TT length with TT length being preferable.

The saddle in the picture isn’t at hiding height 😉

Flame away 🙂

Interesting, wouldn’t have thought of build one up like that.
Not convinced that SID’s, for a larger lad (I’m going by the need for 21″ frame) are the best/stiffest option & for gawds sakes don’t spacer them down!

Love those frames & especially in that colour.

I’m a complete Stanton fan boy these days (had a Slackline and now have a Switchback). Both I’ve had have ridden really well.

I came close to buying a Sherpa – the green is lovely.

Interested to see how you get on with this as I keep drifting onto the Stanton site to have a look at them. I would really want a 120mm fork on there though and i’m not sure it’s designed for that.

The frame is good for 120mm thats what my SID is currently configured at but I had planned to run 100/110mm as its not a “gnar” bike or atlas thats not what I want from it.

The SIDS are bolt through and by the time summer comes I should be a svelte XC whippet …… 😕

Fair enough. Can you get decent size rubber in the rear? All the pics I’ve seen have an xc style tyre in there.

Thats ^^ a 2.1 X King on Aa Flow rim with room for mud. From recolection it has more room than the Solaris did but not as much as my Skookum.

Edit >> Its a 2.2.

Which is a 2.1 in measurement. I know I run the same on my Curtis! Great tyre for mud clearance in a tightish frame

Nice looking build!

It comes up pretty big. I would say it was larger than the Ardent I had on before.

120mm forks are fine, we’ve built a few with 130mm (Travel reduced Pikes & Fox 34’s) without any problems & had great reports back from customers, but I guess it depends what you’re after & how/where you ride.

From Mr Stanton himself r.e. tyre clearance (I emailed to ask him when I bought mine):

I’d say a 2.3 is best, more than that you’ll run a risk, but it is dependent on the width of your rim… the spacing is 77mm, on the Slackine 853 it was 80mm, the Slackline 631 is 85mm

Also the frame was designed around a 100mm or 120mm fork as I recall, and should ride fine with either. If you mostly ride flat XC type stuff though 100mm would probably be a bit better; it’s REALLY slack for a 29er with a 120mm fork, and can feel slightly floppy on the climbs. Descends extremely well like it though. In fact, it’s **** hilarious to descend on. Still going to drop mine to 100mm though.

You didn’t get a Curtis in the end then?

Snap! Built mine up fast ‘n fun. Feels slack with 100mm forks. Loving it so far. Think I will get the Crests on the rear replaced with Arch EX, but otherwise spot on for me.

Nick

@ Candodavid – I had a change of heart towards going fully custom guided primarily by cost 🙁 That said I believe I am much closer to knowing the detail around exactly what I will be after … when funds allow!

@ Nick – Love it! I had considered swapping out the Flows for Crests for summer but think Arch EX rims might be a better option. If funds allow, which I cannot see happening 😉 then maybe LB rims but more than likely Stans 😆

Yeah, LB rims would be nice. I’m only 10 stone and the Crests are taking a bit of a battering on the rear. I’ll get them straightened first and see how long they last.

Looks nice. Is that Thetford or Tunstall? 😉

(If it’s Tunstall it looks a lot more family friendly than when I used to frequent it)

Know what you mean about the Cotic – I didn’t get on with mine. Bookmarking this thread. 🙂

For what it’s worth, I had Crests on my Solaris. Personally I wouldn’t go near them again – they were an absolute pig to build and seemed to flex quite a bit while riding.

Yes they are light, but I couldn’t live with the flipside of that particular coin.

Hmmm, might have to see if I can hunt down a demo bike somewhere. Swarf Spline 29 also seems to fit the bill but seems difficult to justify versus the Stanton given they appear very similar.

@ PMJ – Its taken in the car park of BCP 🙂

@ PMJ – Its taken in the car park of BCP

Makes sense. Still head over there when I go and see the folks (they’re just outside Bury).

I’ve ridden in some amazing parts of the world, but for some very strange reason the flat, sandy off-piste singletrack of Thetford is still one of my favourite places to ride. Great 29er territory too.

letmetalktomark…..Nice build and that colour is very appealing! Interested to hear how the Sherpa handled with rigid forks.

I’m about to ‘upgrade’ my Solaris too, I’ve had it since it first came out but it’s just not hitting the spot for me. I originally ran 100mm reba’s on it but am now running a 29+ tyre on a dually rim on carbon 475mm rigid forks. Given the size of the tyres I’m not far away from the original head angle when I ran the Reba’s. I don’t think I’m much slower on the rough stuff, although there’s a bit off vision blur!. On the very techy slow stuff it feels significantly faster as you don’t have a head angle that bobs up and down, trying to pitch you OTB.

I need something that has a shorter back end, with slacker head angle and ideally offers less weight on the wrists when running rigid.

Help me decide….Stanton Sherpa v Stooge…I just can’t decide.

@ Ross – as I mentioned above I feel more comfortable on this as pictured than I did my Solaris with a 100mm Reba up front.

I appreciate that running rigid is not for everyone but for me and where I ride it works. Now that’s not saying that I’m not looking forward to trying my SID as I think the slacker HA will make the bike feel more stable – something I didn’t really get from the Solaris. Maybe emperor’s new clothes/shiney new toy syndrome maybe not.

I would have thought that the Sherpa and Stooge are completely different beasts, no?

Yes, I suppose they are marketed as being different things but IMO they both share some similarities i.e short(ish) chainstays and slack(ish) head angles, especially given that they are both ‘short travel’ frames.

Being more of a full rigid rider I’m beginning to see the benefit of these kind of set ups / geo in terms of your position on the bike, especially when you still need something that’s well planted on the climbs yet capable on the slow techy stuff.

Is there such a thing as a perfect geo / frame? Nah, it’s just a load of compromises. I just need a change to get my mojo back!

Got up close & personal with all the Stanton frames at Bache Brothers at Lye Cross, they are lovely looking frames with some unique touches when you look closely

Bache Brothers at Lye Cross

Woah, they still going? (In fact I’m surprised Lye Cross remains at all, rather than a six-lane feeder route to the Hell-mall!). Sounds like they upped their game with Stanton etc, last time I went there was about 20 yrs ago and I barely wrested a dusty M-Trax from their musty stock of mostly Falcon BSOs and suchlike.

OP – that is v nice looks built for no-nonsense all-day ragging and is a great colour. Weigh-in?

.rOcKeTdOg – Member
Got up close & personal with all the Stanton frames at Bache Brothers at Lye Cross, they are lovely looking frames with some unique touches when you look closely

I was looking at one in Basecamp bikes in Grantown on Spey yesterday and thought the same. Really nice green as well.

Malvern Rider – Member

Bache Brothers at Lye Cross

Woah, they still going? (In fact I’m surprised Lye Cross remains at all, rather than a six-lane feeder route to the Hell-mall!). Sounds like they upped their game with Stanton etc, last time I went there was about 20 yrs ago and I barely wrested a dusty M-Trax from their musty stock of mostly Falcon BSOs and suchlike.

under new ownership for the last 3 years, all top quality stuff now and really nice guys in there, all the dust has gone! the Orbea Rallion they have as a demo looks lush!

First up, confession time, I love my Solaris. However I do really like the Sherpa and if I hadn’t had a hankering for a Cotic for a fair while then it would have been a tempting alternative.

Enjoy your new bike OP.

Thread resurrection 🙂

Thinking of an XL Sherpa; Letmetalktomark what do you think of yours? And would you know the standover and headtube length please? Thanks

Any excuse!
Here’s mine, with 120 Rebas, comes in at 27.1lb.

Hi Gary – whats the headtube length and stand over on the 19″ please 😀

EDIT: and that’s a good weight with dropper and 2 x 10!

Andy: HT is 140mm. Would need to measure stand over. Where would you like it taken from?

Andy, standover height at cranks is 31″
My headtube is 122mm
Yes I’m very surprised but I’m running tubeless on lightish wheels.

Mark at the cranks to compare with Fudge please? Mark how does the ride compare with your Solaris / Pipedream.

Fudge not doubting your figures, more impressed than anything else. Your build does look proper quality 🙂

Here’s my build detail
2015 Rebas Rl 120mm
Xt crankset
Slx brakes
Slx shifters/derailleurs(clutch rear)
Hope pro II evo hubs on WTB st i23 29 rims
Hutchinson Toro tubeless
Thomson Carbon Trail bars
Thomson 70mm stem
Mallet 2 pedals

All new after selling my bandit 26″

I re-did mine, now full XT, Hope Arch EX, 100mm SID, Renthal carbon bars. Don’t know whether it’s worth trying a dropper post next?

Nick

Nick I would recommend the Thomson dropper, I’m very impressed with it and despite being a doubter about 29ers and the perched on feeling the Sherpa is nothing like that at all, very nimble, fast and confidence inspiring.