[Closed] Sizing on Solaris/Sherpa and Forks ...

I have a 2017 next gen Sherpa.....it came in 17, 19, 0r 21 inch which equated to Medium, Large or x Large. I'm 5'10", and have the 19", set up with 780mm bars and a 50mm stem, it fits me well, but wouldn't want to go bigger. I bought second hand, and asked on the stanton fanboi facebook page to cadge a wee shot on local riders large and a medium first. I'm in West Yorks if you want to sit on it.
They were designed around 120mm fork, 100mm would steepen the HA a tiny bit and lower the front end which could be corrected with some spacers. But personally id stick to 120mm.
Great all rounder, comfy for long days but IME goes down and along better than up. (this could be the burly wheels and tyres, or just reflect my fitness!).

Review of new Sherpa on Hardtail Party

I'm 185cm (a sniff under 6'1")

I had a gen 2 sherpa in 19" and tried a few cockpit settings before eventually settling on a 60mm stem and with Salsa Sweep bars rather than a straight (a personal thing). Had Fox 34's up front and tried it in both 100mm & 110mm travel.

In truth I liked it but didn't love it. For me, I struggled climbing on it. The front was trying to wheelie and so pointing up, I constantly had my chin on the stem. (t'was awsome going down though)

The new gen 3 have been tweeked a little to climb better according to the Stanton pitch.

I wouldn't want it any smaller and so I'd maybe be looking towards a 21" XL as you're a bit taller.

I have had a Next Gen Sherpa, a mk1 and a mk2 SolarisMAX (and a first Gen Solaris for that matter).

1st Gen Solaris I loved by by Christ it had a wandery front end on the steep ups! That was a medium. I got a 19” Sherpa (originally with a 50mm stem/straight pin and as soon as I threw a leg over it I knew it was too short. I changed to 55mm stem and that made all the difference!) with 100mm forks. The SolarisMAX mk1 was bought and built as a (bike)pack mule with 120mm forks and a 60mm stem.

Between the two the Sherpa was more fun but the SolarisMAX was more comfortable, especially on looooong days the saddle.

I then got the LLS version of the SolarisMAX (with 130mm forks and 35mm stem) and that was way better than any of the previous. Way better, both up and down. Totally transformed my riding.

I’ve not tried another Sherpa but I’d check toptube/reach carefully.

Think SolarisMAX is designed around 120-140mm, so wouldn’t recommend 100 forks as it’s below their stated minimum.

I liked the LLS SolarisMAX so much I bought the ti version (put 130mm HELM’s on it). Just about to try 140mm Trace36’s on it as I’ve just got my 150mm HELM II’s for the full sus.

What travel is dependent on what and how you ride I guess. I’d suggest something that can be adjusted personally so you can try different travel and decide which you like best.. 🤷🏼‍♂️

ETA: oh, I’m a couple mm under 6’. On large SodaMAX/SolarisMAX.

Thanks all. Appreciated and seriously helpful. Luckily the Sherpa went on wrong direction price wise - as I’ve got a bit more thinking to do.

I'm 5'11" and on a medium mk1 Solaris. It was OK with a 100mm fork but the current 120mm definitely suits it much better.
Love it by the way, highly recommended

I wouldn’t look at the size, like L, XL, etc. Look at the reach and ETT. The most recent Solarii are big long bikes, the Sherpa’s and older Cotic’s quite a lot shorter.

I'm 5' 9" (ish...) 31" inseam, on a medium MK2 Solaris, fits perfect.

Built it up with 100mm forks and it was good, but then changed to 120mm and it's way better. Great bike, probably the best I've ever had.

Got a hankering to go back to full suss though.....

I can highly recommend a Solaris. I'm 5'11" on a large LLS Solaris Max, with a 35mm stem and 130mm fork. I think if I was much shorter I'd want a medium, but as it is the large fits really well. Can't comment on other fork lengths as I haven't tried anything else, but the 130 rides nicely. Goes up hill well and down even better, easily the best hardtail I've ever ridden.

You have swayed me to the idea of a Solaris in L. And the early Solaris actually sounds perfect - which I guess will be as difficult to find as snake poop on the horizon ... The new ones look awsome but very shiny and with a lot to get used to.

I’m the same height as you and have a Solaris mk2 in XL (soon to be up for sale 🤭). I rode it with a 120mm fork, 50mm stem and in-line seat post which worked well. I found it great for long distance xc rides but a bit ungainly for anything fun and twisty. If I was buying again I’d definitely go Large. The old Stanton Sherpa sizing didn’t seem to work for 6ft1.5 but the more recent sizing looks much better.

I have a 2nd Gen Sherpa which I ran for quite a while with an 80-100mm suspension corrected rigid fork. Tbh it rode fine, definitely didn't feel weird. Currently have it with a 120mm sus fork and it feels more trail worthy but still fine.

I guess what I'm saying is it'll probably be ok, it's not going to become awful plus minus 20mm. Also you need to factor in the axle to crown height and offset.

You have swayed me to the idea of a Solaris in L. And the early Solaris actually sounds perfect – which I guess will be as difficult to find as snake poop on the horizon …

If you can’t locate one I’ve a large mk1 SolarisMAX in the loft.

You mind find this of interest:
https://www.cotic.co.uk/product/solarisMAX1#sizing

I had (and sold on this site) the mk2 solaris and was always amazed by that bike. I’m 5’11 and rode the M - wish I’d got the large but it was just about ok. Did absolutely everything on it. Welsh Marathon rides and long distance xc epics, xc racing and smashing it around on more technical stuff. All in plus mode.

Talked myself into a LLS max just before lockdown last year. Thought it would be more of the same, just better.

It’s not. It’s a good bike but doesn’t feel as geared to big days or racing as the mk2. I had to up my fork travel to 140mm too to solve a neck ache issue. It’s perfectly comfy but just doesn’t feel quite as efficient as the old one.

That said - it’s the bike I own that does everything pretty well. I did 3k miles on it last year so it had to be doing something right for me to keep pulling it out of the shed!

I watched HTParty’s Sherpa review last week as thought maybe going back to something like the mk2 - but was put off a little by the reviewer continually falling off and breaking his finger! Despite saying it was the best HT he’d ever ridden!

If it helps, I'll add my experience:

I have a 19" Gen2 Sherpa with 120mm fork and 35mm stem. I'm 6'1" with pretty normal proportions.

At the very, very beginning, I found the front wheel lifting on one particularly steep climb, to the extent that I swapped to a 50mm stem. In hindsight it was just me not being used to the slacker HA. Back to 35mm now and once used to the new geometry, it has never been an issue since. Positioning the seat forwards does make a big difference

I've ridden a few longer bikes but to me the Sherpa just feels right in terms of where I put my weight. To me it feels spritely and nimble* (and therefore lots of fun) and, like someone said above, deceptively capable on the downhills. I think a 100mm fork might not help in that regard

*After I sacked off the Plus setup and went back to 29x2.3

I have a 19″ Gen2 Sherpa with 120mm fork and 35mm stem. I’m 6’1″ with pretty normal proportions.

Seriously? Wow, that would be seriously short for me (@1” shorter). I run a 35mm on my large SolarisMAX, but I think that is about 40mm longer (ETT).

In hindsight it was just me not being used to the slacker HA.

Gen 2 is, what 67.5? That’s not exactly what I’d call slack...

Not having a go, genuinely curious.

I can highly recommend a Solaris. I’m 5’11” on a large LLS Solaris Max, with a 35mm stem and 130mm fork. I think if I was much shorter I’d want a medium, but as it is the large fits really well. Can’t comment on other fork lengths as I haven’t tried anything else, but the 130 rides nicely. Goes up hill well and down even better, easily the best hardtail I’ve ever ridden.

Exactly this!

I have a 19″ Gen2 Sherpa with 120mm fork and 35mm stem. I’m 6’1″ with pretty normal proportions.

Seriously? Wow, that would be seriously short for me (@1” shorter). I run a 35mm on my large SolarisMAX, but I think that is about 40mm longer (ETT).

Yep, I'm with @metalheart ,not ganging up on you @cb200 but I'm the same dimms as you and tried a 35mm stem on a 19" gen2 Sherpa and found it waaaaay too short (like I was almost bolt upright).

Different styles, different smiles I guess.

Gen 2 is, what 67.5? That’s not exactly what I’d call slack…

Yeah I know, it was just slacker than the previous bike, and it took some adjusting.

Seriously? Wow, that would be seriously short for me (@1” shorter). I run a 35mm on my large SolarisMAX, but I think that is about 40mm longer (ETT).

Yep, I’m with @metalheart ,not ganging up on you @cb200 but I’m the same dimms as you and tried a 35mm stem on a 19″ gen2 Sherpa and found it waaaaay too short (like I was almost bolt upright).

Different styles, different smiles I guess.

That's fine 🙂 Re. styles, most of my riding on the Sherpa is on dirt forest DH type stuff, with some peaks and trail riding thrown in when I get the chance. Like I say, I tried a 50mm stem at one point, but really didn't like it. I've also had an extended loan on a much longer (495mm reach) bike and found it more stable, but not as nimble..

@cb200 I find it interesting that the thing that I really hated is what you like.
It would be a boring world if we all agreed on everything 🤪
Oh, and everyone is entitled to their opinion (even when they’re wrong... 😂🤣)

Hi!
Really glad I found this thread.
I currently ride a Santa Cruz Chameleon which I rally like but I'd like to go back to riding a steel frame. Had a Cotic Soul back in the day and really loved it ... today's bike are of course very different.

back to the topic: I'm thinking of getting a solaris max or a stanton sherpa. i'm 5'10 and with the solaris that'd mean that i should go for a Medium. I've talked to cotic and the also suggest a medium. stanton would suggest a 17'' frame although the 19'' frame's dimension is much closer to the medium solaris. of course the solaris is to be used with a 35mm stem and the sherpa doesn't recommend any stem length.

so i'd be happy to hear recommendations regarding sherpa vs. solaris but also regarding frame size.

the riding i do: I live in the city so before/after every ride i have to cover around 3 miles to get to the hills / woods / trails. i mostly do 10-20 mile loops with lots of fire roads, and some steep uphill and downhill sections in between. no jumping, no bikeparks.

I am the same height and have a large SolarisMax which I am always complaining about on here as being like a tank. I think the problem is I used to have a medium Soul which was a little small but chuckable.
I really should have bought a medium SolarisMax which I think might suit you better. I don't hate mine enough to sell it but I often wonder if my objections would be answered by dropping a size.
Strangely, a bike tempting me if I did sell would be the Chameleon. I sat on a Large in a bike shop and it felt much more comfortable.

Interesting, thanks for sharing your thoughts! Frame size really can be a difficult one to figure out. My brother and I are the same size and there where times when we'd ride the exact same bikes - only that he would always ride a larger frame than me. When I tried his bike, I hated it - when he tried mine, he hated it ....
Regarding the Solaris Max I'm 100% sure I'd go for the medium. If I choose to go with the Sherapa, I think I would have to go with a 19" as the 17" would be shorter than my chameleon.
With the chameleon some people of my size go for the medium - other go for the large. I find the medium suits me very well and I could be very happy for years to come .... only that I'l like to have a steel frame .....

i’m 5’10 and with the solaris that’d mean that i should go for a Medium.

I'm also 5'10" ... (swear I used to be 5'11", but life is cruel) ... and ride a Medium SolarisMAX (well, now a SodaMAX, I swapped everything across) ... sizing is bang on ... even though I ride a Large Rocket. Depends what you want I think... but I definitely ride a hardtail in a different way to big travel full suss bike, and my sizing requirements differ because of that. Also, I did have input into the Longshot SolarisMAX sizes, as I never felt quite right on any size of the old Cotic hardtails that came before it (always felt between Medium and Large sizes, so rode a custom Medium Long frame, perks of the job), so it had better fit me!

Sounds good, kelvin, thanks! Did you ever look at the sherpa geometry and noticed that the 19'' sherpa is almost identical (only shorter chainstays) to the medium Solaris? And it's recommended for riders from 5'10 to 6'2.

What do you use the Solaris for? Many people call it very 'downhill focused' and I wonder if it also makes for a good bike for longer routes in less demanding terrain ...

I’m 5’9” and ride a 17” Sherpa with a 50 mm stem. Fit for me is spot on, in that it is small enough to throw around but long enough for long days on the bike with bikepacking kit etc. Personally no way I’d have wanted the 19”, but as many woman my height is in my legs (32” inseam) rather than my back so the reach of the 19 would have been too much. However, some people (men?) with shorter legs have at a similar height have found the standover height of the 19” to be an issue.
@p20 rides a medium Mk2 Solaris at 5’8”. He would have got the 17” Sherpa but probably with a slightly longer stem.

Neither of us were fused by the MAX geometry of the modern Solaris. But both the older Cotic and the Stanton (I’ve got the 853) are excellent. We haven’t ridden our full sus since getting them! (We’ve both come from old 26” Souls - these are a massive improvement and the Souls were good bikes).

What do you use the Solaris for? Many people call it very ‘downhill focused’ and I wonder if it also makes for a good bike for longer routes in less demanding terrain …

In the summer I use the SolarisSodaMAX for everything. It is much better on the downhills than older versions of the Solaris, but I've personally never found there to be a trade off in terms of climbing or all day rides. The most recent version has a slightly steeper seat tube, and more mounting points, both aimed at climbing and map crossing use, rather than anything downhill focused.

Oh... fork choice... I use a 130mm fork... going longer or shorter will change things, of course.

@Kelvin - I have a very different view. Coming from the green mk2 which I thought did everything very well - going to the medium longshot (first version).

The Mk2 was definitely a better XC ride. Even if the new version pastes it on descents. That said, I will still pull it out for an all day trundle and put 3000 miles on it in the first year! So it has to be doing something right.

Did you put 120mm forks on the new version? That's Cy's favoured setup for a fast XC SolarisMAX build.

6' on a large smax. Perfect seated and standing fit for me with a 35mm stem. Definitely wouldn't want it shorter but neither longer. When I looked at the stanton options they all seemed to have shorter ett for the same recommended size which was a deal breaker for me as I hate feeling cramped sitting down and didn't want to have to slam the saddle all the way back. As yourself and ahsat said, I think the proportions of the various parts of your body are as big a factor as overall height for bike fit tho.
Other thoughts on the bike - love the short stem on it, nice quick steering and the feeling of being behind the wheel when descending not going over it! Definitely confident downhill but the enjoyment definitely not restricted to that at all - a great allrounder imo. I'm constantly fiddling with tyre set up which changes the character quite a bit. The only thing I'd like is sliding dropouts so I could a) try single speed at some point and b) shorten the chainstays to give myself the best chance of learning how to wheelie and manual. The slightly longer stays are my excuse as to why I can't and I'm sticking with it!
Come to think of it, a sodamax with sliding dropouts could be my perfect hardtail. Kelvin, seems you're the man to talk to to get that arranged!
Definite plus for the Stanton is you can swap the dropouts I believe.
Good luck 🙂

Interesting how preferences are so different: one thing I don't really like on the chameleon are the adjustable dropouts: first of all there are no markings to make sure you adjust left/right evenly. it's also difficult to use a caliper in that area. also it adds 6 bolts that have to checked and greased - i like low maintenance. worst of all they cost around 80 (!) euros. so in case you have a bent hanger it won't be cheap. although the thing is massive so probably hard to bend.

on the other hand I can try various chainstay length - which I have to do yet. I've been running it at 420 since the beginning. I'll replace the chain this weekend and move the cianstays to full extension and see if that difference is to be noticed.

seems like people are complaining about the long stays on the cotic max. I think I heard an interview with cy where he mentioned that the stays need to grow as the front end grows to keep you in the middle of the bike. makes sense i guess...

Come to think of it, a sodamax with sliding dropouts could be my perfect hardtail.

No SodaMAX in 2022 I'm afraid. There are no free slots to get any built for years, and the price would end up much higher than the last version. Much higher. So nothing on the cards. Which I find sad, as I love mine, but that's where we are.

Back in the days of the Simple (I still have mine, in a custom size, which I'm never letting go)... sliding dropouts and EBBs were looked at, and prototypes built using them, but they were rejected outright after testing. And track ends aren't happening again either. It's a tensioner if you want to run singlespeed now, it's your only option, and that's not going to change. Sorry.

I wouldn't say I'm complaining about the chainstays, I'd just be curious to try them shorter to see how it affects the bike (and my ability to manual!)..
I get that it's added weight, faff and things to possibly go wrong with some sort of adjustable system but I like the idea of it in theory. One other thing on chainstays is that it makes alot of sense to increase them as the front centre increases to maintain front/rear proportions. But this is extra headache and cost for manufacturers. I reckon you probably get a chainstay best suited to the size of frame the designer rides and then it's applied to all sizes. Cy's tall, Dan less so?!

I've heard elsewhere there are no sodamax's on the horizon, Kelvin. Shame but I haven't got the pockets for one anyway so probably for the best!

You'd need very deep pockets as well! Perhaps one day the supply issues (raw materials and workshop slots) will calm down, and timing and pricing will become reasonable again. I'm not holding my breath though.

As for designing around a "base size" and just extrapolating it to the other sizes, Cotic/Cy doesn't do that. Multiple sizes are prototyped and ridden by the team.

Kelvin - That was definitely a bit of idle speculation on my part... but would it be the case that if there weren't any cost implications that cy/cotic or any other manufacturer would keep a consistent chainstay length through their whole size range? Or is it a compromise across all sizes that can help frames (understandably) be built to a budget?

With full-suspension frames, it's definitely "easier" for all sizes to share the same rear end (cost and stock wise), not sure that's the case for hardtails, assuming you're building enough of them. The idea of size specific chainstay lengths is superficially appealing, but I'm not sure it really makes any real difference. People get far too excited about short stays, as there was once so much focus on them. Slacker headangles (and longer forks and shorter stems) are the reason we need longer stays (in my non engineer opinion), so reach/size isn't the key thing/determinant when it comes to chainstay length.

This is really interesting. Been looking at 'modern' bike sizing. The medium SolarisMAX seems insanely long, and all the riders here are bigger than me, even though its theoretically my size.

even though its theoretically my size

How tall are you?

The whole small/medium/large thing needs to go... while it is handy for some people to find which size to try, for others it gets in the way. I don't even ride the same "size" if comparing models from the same brand (that's not just a Cotic thing). Just because you're a "medium" on one bike doesn't mean you're a medium an another bike... even if you're in the height range recommended for it. Bring back demos! Damn pandemic.

Trek and Specialized have smart size guide help systems, and they both recommend I try out multiple sizes (Trek give me an option of 2, Specialized an option of 3 different sizes). Neither of them say that a Medium, or an S3, are "my size", and leave it at that.

5'7" after lying down for a while if I'm wearing thick socks.

The whole small/medium/large thing needs to go…

So true. And some consistency in measurements. As an aside, On One quote the Big Dog unsagged, with a fork A-C that doesn't match the manufacturers A-C for the same fork. A medium grows to an insane reach by the time you use the correct numbers and factor in sag etc. The small is no longer than bikes 5 years or older. So either I'm way off on how long I want to go, or there isn't a bike out there for me anymore. Kudos to Cotic for putting there measurements on the site that include various forks and make it clear if it's sagged or not.

5’7″ after lying down for a while if I’m wearing thick socks.

Yeah, you could easily be on a Small or a Medium SolarisMAX, depending on fork length and the handling you're after. Hard to tell without a chat through about what you're used to and what you want out of a new bike. I'd guess at Small with 120mm forks and a 40mm stem for mostly map crossing. Medium with 140mm forks and a 30mm stem for mostly tech fun.

+1 for cotic having the most comprehensive and well explained geometry table I've come across. Some other brands give no clue as to whether theirs is at sag or not. In a perfect world cotic would also include a table not at sag as while I understand it's good for comparing to full suss numbers, it seems that alot of other brand's hardtails are given unsagged so it's a bit more difficult to compare. But, y'know, you can't have everything!

kelvin, can you share any information on new or additional colours coming anytime soon for the Solaris max?

Green. Dark but with some subtle sparkle. Pre-orders already open. There’s a mock up on the product page (click the colour swatch), and as soon as a frame is finished and air freighted over, they’ll be some photos of the real thing.

Green. Dark but with some subtle sparkle. Pre-orders already open. There’s a mock up on the product page (click the colour swatch), and as soon as a frame is finished and air freighted over, they’ll be some photos of the real thing.

Froggatt Green (plus some more Supernova Orange). Shipment due for dispatch sometime February. According to last update iirc.
Preorders have been open at least since late August <cough> I believe </cough>...

Have you ordered a new frame?

Have you ordered a new frame?

Who me?

All I’m going to say is that nothing in your (quoted) post was news to me... 🤪

Not that you can get one, so this is a rather pointless question, but... those with sodamax's, what are the noticeable differences, apart from it being a bit lighter?

I'm 5'7 on a small Solaris with a 40mm stem 140mm fork. I was torn between which size to go for but on advice from Cotic I went with the small. Have only ever ridden medium size bikes, (usually in between sizes) but the small Solaris is the longest bike I've owned and it fits great. I also have a small Rocket Max too

SodaMAXs are like SolarisMAXs but just a bit more so...

Are they three times better? No?

Is it the best hardtail I’ve ever owned? To me; yes.

Not quite as laterally stiff. In fact, I’d still consider the SolarisMAX a better ride, just not as light, especially if responsiveness in the singletrack is your thing.

Ah, at least I'm not missing out too much 🙂

You can take mine from my cold dead hands though. I love it. But will be moving all the cheap burly parts off it back onto the SolarisMAX frame, and then build the SodaMAX back up light for big long rides in the summer (hopefully).

+1 for cotic having the most comprehensive and well explained geometry table I’ve come across. Some other brands give no clue as to whether theirs is at sag or not. I

I'll see your lack of sag info and raise you this:. Ragley have changed the geo and recommended fork travel a number of times for the BigWig over the last few years. The A-C they quote for the geometry has never changed from 540. A bit long for the 100mm they recommended years ago and a bit short for the 140-160 they now recommend. The for hasn't changed either. I can only assume the angles have got steeper so that they end up back in the same place with the longer fork but who can tell!

Yeah, you could easily be on a Small or a Medium SolarisMAX,

Ha, welcome to my world. You'd think being between sizes would make things easier. I beg to differ

I think the small would be the ticket. I'm thinking my next hardtail will be a 'down country' type thing 120ish fork, good for mashing out miles but enough for downs and ups and also makes the less fun stuff more fun (like my bmx when I was a kid - curbs, stairs, you name it.)

18" reach just sounds mad for me. Then again a 15.5" seat tube seems really short. Apparently Sonder's designer (Neil?) Is very similar in build to me and makes medium 'his' size. The small SolarisMAX is about the same in the important numbers. The good news is, back in the before times, the leftover smalls often go discounted! Ah, the good old days, when stuff went on sale!

But will be moving all the cheap burly parts off it back onto the SolarisMAX frame, and then build the SodaMAX back up light for big long rides in the summer (hopefully).

Have to smile at this as, at present, the SodaMAX has Trace 36’s and Specialized 2.5/2.6” rubber. Not exactly ‘light’ 🤦‍♂️

Was planning to move the Traces on to the new frame though (need to finally get my Helms serviced and back on the SodaMAX for then though).

I don't really have anything useful to add 🤣 but I am enjoying all this Cotic love/info as I'm currently eagerly awaiting a BFeMAX frame which I'm confidently expecting to be awesome.

Since a recent spell of bad luck on the bike front I'm currently back on my medium 2008 Soul frame, running as a single speed with 100mm forks. It's tiny, and bloody terrifying at times when pointed downhill, but I love how it pedals and general ride feel.

+1 for cotic having the best geo table. and I agree that it could be even better if it also listed the geo unsagged. at least that'd make it more compareable. i made the effort and 'calculated' the unsagged geo for a medium Solaris Max in BikeCad and it'd be as follows:

head angle: 64.7
seat angle: 73.t
reach:447
stack:619

doesnt look so long or low now .... only slack really.

For a short while we showed the sagged and unsagged figures for the Soul (RIP), to make it easier to compare to other people’s listed unsagged hardtail geom… but it proved to confuse more people than it helped. So we now stick to sagged only, for easier comparison to our (and other people’s) listed full suspension geom. And because when you ride a hardtail, the forks sag. The riding geom is what matters, and sagged geom is a good starting place for understanding that, and how the bike will handle. The unsagged head angle of a long travel hardtail, like the BFeMAX, is, for example, very misleading.

I was also looking at Solaris Max, Sherpa and also the Stanton switch9er. I spoke to someone who has ridden both &and suggested for someone coming from gravel riding the Sherpa is the more manageable bike for a first time buyer. Solaris Max looks great but the reach with a 120mm bike might be a bit long compared to the off road bikes I'm use to.

Can the Solaris Max fit 29x2.7 tires like the WTB ranger that bikepacking.com digs? I do not think the switch9er or the Sherpa can go larger than 29 x2.5?

Anyone have the geo numbers for the previous gen Solaris Max or where to get one in North America?

I do not think the switch9er or the Sherpa can go larger than 29 x2.5?

No. The Sherpa is quoted as 2.4 max. I have 29er 2.35s in mine and there is definitely some wiggle room, but 2.5+ wouldn’t be feasible, I don’t think even on something very low profile.

I have a pretty slack gravel bike and though there is a bit overlap between the gravel and the Sherpa, I find the Sherpa incredibly capable and have ridden it in NW Scotland, the Lakes and Quantocks trails.

@pizzagrinder - Cotic keep all the specs for all their bikes on their website.

https://www.cotic.co.uk/product/archive

Only place I can think of for previous gen would be e.g. Pinkbike. Check findthatbike.co.uk and see if someone on here will ship it to you. There is an owners group on faceache I think, where they buy and sell. Cotic ship fairly cheaply, although not as cheap as the before times. Plus they knock off the VAT.

Stanton site mentions the Sherpa can 2.5 and in another spot 2.4. hmm

I like the older solaris max as that was more of an xc trail bike and I've had people tell me the newer one is more short travel Enduro bike with some xc touches to the geo. As a first time proper ht buyer people suggested the Sherpa. I dig the frame space in the 17, which should fit me as someone around 172cm. But I think Id prefer the unsagged reach of the switch9er and solaris max. I also really want to ride with at least a 2.5 rear. I'm use to 29x2.5 & would rather not go narrower.

Did they not make the 1st Gen SolarisMAX in small? Just looked at the archive and only have from M up. 5'9" and taller. Odd. Why do they hate shortarses?

like the older solaris max as that was more of an xc trail bike and I’ve had people tell me the newer one is more short travel Enduro bike with some xc touches to the geo.

The new one is definitely in the new school err, downcountry, style. Seattube approaching 75, headtube around 66. Supposed to be good for xc mile munching without sacrificing more technical ability. I can't really comment cos I haven't ridden enough of that style - had a go on one and it was very nice. With the right offset fork and a short stem it does seem to counter the slower, floppier steering of the slacker steering angle on the flat.

There is (was) a Sirius 4G in the classifieds that is about halfway between.

My understanding is the Sherpa with a 130mm is more the down country bike while the new gen Solaris Max even with a 120mm leans more short travel Enduro vs the Sherpa. The Sirius' stack might be too short for my liking. If only the Sherpa had the reach of the Switch9er and the site was more clear if 2.4 or 2.5 is max. I don't have mud to ever worry about.

The sherpa with a 130mm would end up at about the same angles as the SolarisMAX with the 120? Anything else different about the geo?

@pizzagrinder - I can’t get to my Sherpa till Monday (didn’t spot the 2.5 v 2.4 thing), but when I do I’ll send you some photos with the clearance on my 2.35s.

A YouTuber mentioned he had 2.5 in his a d had some clearance for a 2.5wt in the comments section. But yes that would be neat for a pic.

The Solaris Max has a longer more Enduro style reach while the cotic looks more like a modern xc bike in terms of reach.

The switch9er looks good too but I'd like to have two wheelsets. One 29x2.5 for XC and the 27.5x3.0 for the chunkier trails. Sherpa and Max can but I don't think the switch9er can like the other two. Nor can two bottle fits but the geo with a 130mm fork seems perfect for what I want to do, chunky xc and xc trail.
🥴

I've had a 29x2.6 bontrager se4 in my smax which fit fine but haven't tried larger.

I think there's a guy, @reeksy ? who I think has an smax and a swith9er who could give you a bit more info. I think he had a comparison write up a while back. Could be worth a search..

How much space was there with the 2.6? A few sites say the ranger 29 x 2.6 measure out to 2.7. It's a good tire out where Im at near Vegas.

Tbh I can't remember, but I wasn't worried, and we have mud. And the se4 was quite a bit more voluminous than a 2.5dhf if that helps

My understanding is the Sherpa with a 130mm is more the down country bike

This is the problem with 'downcountry' - nobody even knows what it means 😄

Interesting. The Sherpa is shorter, both reach and ett. Although if you go from the 500 a-c to a 130mm fork, the steeper HT and longer fork increase the stack, which puts the ETT in the same ballpark. Ends up with much shorter reach of course.
The fly in the ointment is the BB. They quote 54mm drop with the short fork. Put a long fork on it and it's going to end up really high. Don't know how that'll feel.

This is the problem with ‘downcountry’ –

To be honest, I don't know what enduro, trail, XC mean any more either. The lines have become so blurred. To me, enduro is a short travel full suss. Trail is whatever you happen to be riding on the Trails at the time. XC is a short travel HT with fairly upright angles. Downhill is pretty reliable though, as is DJ.

Xc to means usually more flowly trails that doesn't require much travel. Since I'm in the desert our trails are more rougher than and more xc meets trail riding. pinkbike defines downcountry bike as a short travel bike you can ride on a lot of trails all day and not feel under gunned.

Interesting. Question of emphasis, I guess. I've always heard them described as developing from XC, good at going down, good at going up, more capable on trails and technical single track than true XC but mostly emphasis on their efficiency. Pedalling and so on. So all day riding.

The Sherpa was 20% off for black friday - maybe boxing day.