Solaris Skookum Sherpa - which steel 29er?

revmatt
revmatt Posts: 75
edited October 2014 in MTB buying advice
Hello all,

Would like to build a Steel 1x10 with the option to SS in future.

Current bikes are 150mm travel 650b and Inbred SS29er.

Choices narrowed down to

Cotic Solaris (but cool green colour out of stock until March 15)
Pipedreams Skookum (but worried about the 'frame break' for belt drive)
Stanton Sherpa

Does anyone have any experience of the geometry of these bikes? I love the ride of my SS inbred, long top tube short stem.

I'd like an all rounder, capable of riding an XC winter series but also penmachno and wales trails.

Budget no more than £500 max for frame.
Will consider 2nd hand.

If you have alternative suggestions, I'd appreciate some justification for my own education!

Thanks

Rev

Comments

  • Kai in the Borders
    Kai in the Borders Posts: 66
    I have a Cotic Solaris which I bought used and replaced the Soul that I had.

    The bike is very capable in a variety of terrain. I thought it'd be a handful in tight and twisty stuff, but it has been surprisingly good. It has a RS Revelation RCT3 fork on it which was set at 110mm when I got it. I'm now running it at 130mm and it is fine but will probably change it to the middle ground of 120mm (which is also the max travel rating for the frame, ahem!).

    I have also tried it as 1x10 (it came that way) with a 30t chainring and OneUp set up with the 42t cog at the back. But I'm spinner rather than a grinder so a recent 25 miler XC ride with almost 5000 feet of climbing soon convinced me to change it to 2x10.

    I'm also running it with a 50mm stem and 740mm bars which is probably helping with the handling quite a bit.
  • revmatt
    revmatt Posts: 75
    Kai,

    What size frame are you running, thanks for the helpful reply!

    Matt

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