Seven Cycles has introduced the SolaRay, a titanium hardtail mountain bike that pushes the boundaries of frame design, with features said to deliver real performance benefits beyond aesthetics. The SolaRay uses a distinctive truss design at the bottom bracket for stiffness, paired with a “FlowState” rear end and asymmetrical dual-diameter stays for improved traction and vibration damping. In addition, buyers can choose from 36 different geometry configurations for a near-custom fit.
Seven Cycles SolaRay
“We’ve been building the SolaRay for a few years, without a way to order them on the website,” Rob Vandermark told Singletracks via email. We spotted the SolaRay on Seven Cycle’s Instagram page, and reached out to Vandermark, who owns the company with three business partners, for comment.
The post mentioned multiple frame design features that set the SolaRay apart from other titanium bikes. But, before we jump into those features, the first thing that stands out is Seven’s truly unique frame design on this hardtail mountain bike.
At the front of the bike, as is common on many titanium bikes, the headset is external. However, moving back from the headtube, the toptube drops down at a much more aggressive angle than similar bikes in the category. The drastic plunge of the toptube makes it look more like a dirt jump bike than an XC hardtail, giving the SolaRay an aggressive look with a tall front end.
Moving back from the toptube to the seat tube, we find another unique design. Rather than heading straight down to the bottom bracket, the seat tube curves back and meets the downtube several inches above it. Another piece of titanium tubing, bent in an opposite direction, is welded in above the bottom bracket, creating an S-shaped illusion in the area.
FlowState, seat stays, and the EightEx Effect
Vandermark said this is their “truss” design. While it looks unique, he says it also adds significant stiffness at the bottom bracket, making the bike quick and responsive to pedal input.
This design also helps lay the groundwork for Seven’s “FlowState,” the brand’s term for the rear triangle. However, “triangle” is intentionally left out because, as Vandermark put it, the “FlowState” of the SolaRay acts more like a parallelogram than a triangle. “Fundamentally, most of the benefits come from the vertical travel provided by the compact rear end,” he said. “This ‘flow’ improves tire traction because the vertical movement helps keep the tire in contact with the terrain.”
The FlowState also incorporates Seven’s Moto Stays. These seat stays feature an S-bend in three dimensions rather than just two, providing a smoother ride and greater traction. They are also asymmetrical, with the non-drive side stay sitting significantly higher.
Seven also uses its dual-diameter stays on the SolaRay, claiming a 40-60% increase in stiffness compared to their bikes with single-diameter stays. Essentially, they are using 25mm tubing on the non-drive side, and 19mm tubing on the drive side of the frame. Vandermark said the use of larger tubing is possible because they don’t have to fuss with fitting a chainring on the non-drive side. The larger tubing doesn’t affect tire clearance, chainline, or chainring clearance and adds only 24 grams.
“The benefits far outweigh the weight,” he told us. Vandermark didn’t mention fork travel numbers, though it’s likely the SolaRay will come in around 130mm.
Like all of their bikes, Seven Cycles offers multiple geometry options to ensure the perfect fit. Regarding the SolaRay, they call it the EightEx Effect. Essentially, they have 36 sizes of the same bike, depending on the geometry configuration the customer prefers. That makes it hard to pin down a geometry chart, as there isn’t necessarily an option to click “Size: M” on their website. All Seven Cycles bike frames are handmade in the USA.
Vandermark urges those interested in a SolaRay, or any of Seven’s bikes, to get in touch with them or a local dealer. Pricing information is unavailable.
But will there be a 32” option?
Building bikes is what Vandermark has done for the last 40 years. He started with Merlin Cycles in 1987, which was a good place to start, considering they were the first manufacturer of titanium bikes.
After Merlin, he moved on to Seven Cycles in 1997, building 35,000 bikes over nearly 30 years. And they do it all – gravel bikes, road bikes, bikebacking, fat tire bikes, mountain bikes, titanium, and carbon. You name it, Vandermark and Seven have likely done it.
Including 32” bikes. While it isn’t currently in Seven’s lineup, Vandermark confirmed they are working on a very big-wheeled version of the SolaRay. And it will be available sooner than later.
“We’re working on our first two 32” SolaRays as I type,” he said. “We’ll include that wheel system as an option once we have a decent photo bike available in the next month or so.”
At the time we corresponded with Vandermark, he was still getting the SolaRay’s product page up on Seven’s site. Information about the bike’s price, build, and ordering details can all be found there. Vandermark said that once an order has been placed, customers should expect the standard seven-week lead time.
1 Comments
1 day ago
That is a shame...