If You Thought Steel Was Out of the Game, Wait Till You See Cotic's SolarisMax MTB

Folks, today we'll be looking at a machine that, believe it or not, is completed out of nothing more than steel. Yes, steel, just like the kind of bikes you may have ridden when you were a kid, well, sort of as technology has come quite a long way since we were kids. With these advancements in technology coupled with specific properties of steel, this material is still making a stand as solid bikes.

While some manufacturers are hard at work devising all sorts of new methods to handle carbon fiber and aluminum, some under-the-radar teams are exploring the optimization of steel bicycles. One such team is Cotic, a crew from out in the U.K. that has literally made it their mission to bring steel back to the world stage. One way to see how they're doing this is to check out one of the bikes they produce, the SolarisMax hardtail MTB.

Now, if you haven't had a chance to check out the gallery and you do so, try not to get too hung up on the pretty colors; this bike is so much more than that. For example, you already know steel is used to build the frame, but what you don't know are all the little things that make the SolarisMax what it is, and that has a lot to do with geometry.

To get a better idea of how this bike may be sitting underneath you, for a medium frame, you'll find a head tube sitting at 66 degrees, with a seat tube angle of 75 degrees. You're then faced with a reach of 461 mm (18.1 in) and a wheelbase of 1196 mm (47 in). However, there's a catch to these specs as they all depend on the sort of build you end up buying and the amount of travel your fork carries. As a rule, the more travel you have, the slacker the head tube and seat tube angles.

As for the sort of drivetrain and other components you'll find strapped to a SolarisMax, this all depends on your budget and the type of riding you embark upon. To give you an idea of what you'll find, the least expensive option, the Bronze build, features a microShift groupset tuned to the sound of 10 speeds. This includes an Advent X H-Series cassette with 11-48T, 30T Shimano Deore chainring, and Deore brakes with 180 mm (7.1 in) rotors. With a RockShox Revelation RC fork with 130 mm (5.12 in) of travel, 29 in Wolfpack Enduro tires, and a few in-house components and you're being asked to dish out 2,250 GBP (2,933 USD at current exchange rates).

At the opposite end of the spectrum, your future SolarisMax can be equipped with a Sram Eagle GX AXS groupset tuned to 12 speeds and inclusive of a 10-52T cassette, Sram Guide brakes with up to 200 mm (7.87 in) rotors, and rocking a RockShox Sid Ultimate with 120 mm (4.7 in) of travel. Add some proprietary gear and a pair of WTB 29 in tires, and you have a machine worth 4,219 GBP (5,501 USD).

Don't have that sort of cash? Just grab a rolling chassis for 1,493 GBP (1,946 USD) and throw on your favorite components. And if you're curious as to how much a SolarisMax weighs, Cotic doesn't mention much as it all depends on the parts you add. However, the manufacturer's website does state that a large-size frame weighs 5.8 lbs (2.63 kg) with the rear axle included.

While some folks believe that steel is outdated, teams like Cotic ensure that this building material remains on the scoreboard. With bikes like the SolarisMax, it's really no wonder. Heck, if this machine is anything I imagine it to be, I'm sure it sticks to terrains like a mountain goat. What about you? Would you be seen riding a steel bike in today's world?