Hi, I’m considering to change my 2 actual bikes for one steel hardtrail.

I live in the Pyrenees mountains.

Now I have a Mondraker Foxy (10 years old) and a Scott Scale.

I prefer Mondraker to go down and Scott to climb, but during the last to years I have rided only the Scott. I like the Scott because is simple but I don´t like her geometry to go down.

I’m considering:

• Orange P7 29: I think it’s very equilibrated geometry. Reynolds 525.
• Stanton Switch9er: very equilibrated too. Reynolds 631.
• Stanton Sherpa could be another option?
• Cotic Solaris Max: new geometry very long. Reynolds 853. Frame is 0,5Kg lighter that the others.
• Pace 529: idem, very long, similar to Cotic. Reynolds 853.

Cotic and Pace are Reynolds 853, it is very important?

Cotic and Pace have very long geometry, and I like to climg… it´s good for me?

Some one have tested some of this bikes?

Some one with the same doubts?

Thanks,

jaime

I think the Sherpa is 853 as well. It probably won’t ride much differently to the others, but it will be a bit lighter.

If you can’t demo one, then I’d just pick the one with the geometry that suits your style of riding, or the one you like the look of most. You probaboy cant go wring with any of them.

I would like to test the bikes, but… I live in Spain

How about a Production Privee Shan or Oka?

Just came on here to say get a shan but someone beat me!.

Made in Andora. Designed for big mountains. Perfect bike for you.

Love mine 😉

How about a Production Privee Shan or Oka?

This. My Oka is dope. Can’t fault it up or down.

My old Solaris rode like a dream.   My new Soda rides even better. – same geo as the SolarisMax.

Climbs really fast and I’m almost as fast downhill as I am on my Nomad.  Though that might just be taking too many risks because of being excited about a new bike 🙂

Stanton Sherpa. Seems fine on the descents, but it depends a lot on the forks.

Cotic and Pace have very long geometry, and I like to climg…

Cotic LS geo I find better for climbing than non LS. Better seat position keeps the front end down. I went from a mk1 SolarisMAX to mk2 (think I added about 12mm to reach) and it was seamless, didn’t feel that much different (until you point it downwards).

I also have a Sherpa, which I keep in B+, though I cant compare it to the Switch9er the LS geo is much more confidence inspiring (IME).

I have since sold the mk2 SolarisMAX and replaced it with a SodaMAX (which is even more awesome 😜 ).

The Geometry of the Sherpa and P7 are definitely on the shorter side of the norm these days, particularly the Sherpa. The Sherpa is more of an old school XC/Trail 29er and I’d think it would feel out of its depth pretty sharpish in the Pyrenees because of its shorter wheelbase and steeper head angle. Really for me it would come down to the Pace or the Cotic, the Switch9er is just too expensive for a 631 frame, no way I could justify paying more for an in theory inferior tubeset.

I faced the Pace/Cotic decision recently, admittedly between a Soul and the new RC627 rather than the Solaris and RC529. I went for the Soul as I owned a BFe before and it just had more wow factor for me. The sliding dropouts on the Pace, while a nice feature, did make think that it was one more thing to go wrong, and I just wanted the bike to be simple-ish and reliable. Not regretting it so far, the Soul is amazing. The LS geometry felt super-long when I first sat on it, but it is such an agile bike for something with this long a wheelbase, it just feels mentally stable at speed yet has the agility to jump/hop/slide on to another line. Haven’t ridden the Solaris but I would personally lean towards that, but to be honest I doubt you’d be disappointed with either bike. But of those listed, I’d definitely be choosing between the Cotic and Pace, rather than the others.

If it was me I’d be looking more towards the wheel adjustable 29er market so you can run both 29er&650b plus wheels on the frame which would definitely open up its use regards all round terrain etc xc 29er rocky days out chinky plus tyres to help with grip and comfort etc.

Orange or cotic Solaris or of corse the one I have a pipedreM moxie long very low and slack similar to the orange P7 29 er I’d say but a lot lower over all.

Check it out

For the dust and rocks of the Pyrenees I’d have thought you want burly 27.5+ tyres most of the time, long wheelbase, slack head angle and a low but not crazy low BB. In which case the Solaris MAX seems the obvious choice.

thanks everybody for your help, definitely I think my bike is a Solaris Max.

Now I’m not sure with my size. I’m 179 cm (5ft 10in) tall… I don’t know if I need M or L size. Someone had the same question?

I’m 178. I ran a M Mk1 Solaris with a 150 dropper. I take M in pretty much everything except SC where I’m usually L.  It’s an awkward size to be as you’re bang on the handover between M and L.  I’d drop info@cotic an email and ask about size advice if you’ve decided.  They’re really helpful.

I’m 172 and my long shot bfe is small with a 35 mm stem and I don’t feel cramped on it. I have a 150 dropper which just fits. Hope that helps.

Santa Cruz Chameleon.

Re sizing contact Cotic (I decided on size only after speaking to Paul).

LS frames are designed to run 30-35mm stems so if you have the standover (inside leg) I’d think large (but Cotic will know better than me, phone if you can, as above they are extremely helpful).

Im loving my Sherpa. So comfortable. Climbs great

Buying a current generation long, low, slack frame based on standover could result in some hilariously big frames! 😁  I know this isn’t what you meant, but it sounded funny!

As always, reach is king.  With the newer geo, designers are trying to change where the rider is inside the frame for the better, so applying old ideas about size to selection may not lead to best results. Even for people who habitually buy on numbers I think at the moment it’s worth at least chucking a leg over if you can. If not, the mfr advice may be the next best thing.

What is “mfr”?

Now I’m not sure with my size. I’m 179 cm (5ft 10in) tall… I don’t know if I need M or L size. Someone had the same question?

I’m a touch taller, and I’m on a Medium longshot SolarisMAX (where as for other Cotic models in the past I’ve sized up to a Large).

You need a Stooge, would be perfect.

Sorry!  ‘Mfr’ is an abbreviation of ‘manufacturer’.

Now I’m not sure with my size. I’m 179 cm (5ft 10in) tall… I don’t know if I need M or L size. Someone had the same question?

I’m a touch taller, and I’m on a Medium longshot SolarisMAX (where as for other Cotic models in the past I’ve sized up to a Large).

Kelvin – sounds like I am about the same sort of size as you but when I rode the medium flaremax, the reach felt great but the standover a little too low (I needed a longer dropper to the stock set up). What size dropper are you running? I only have a 32″ inside leg too…so normally proportioned for 5’11”