{"id":2026573,"date":"2026-07-04T09:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T06:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2026573"},"modified":"2026-07-04T09:51:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T06:51:00","slug":"new-seven-cycles-solaray-hardtail-mountain-bike-features-a-unique-truss-design-and-36-custom-geometries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2026573","title":{"rendered":"New Seven Cycles SolaRay hardtail mountain bike features a unique truss design and 36 custom geometries"},"content":{"rendered":"
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All photos courtesy of Seven Cycles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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 \u201cFlowState\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/a><\/figure>\n

Seven Cycles SolaRay<\/h2>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been building the SolaRay for a few years, without a way to order them on the website,\u201d Rob Vandermark told Singletracks via email. We spotted the SolaRay on Seven Cycle\u2019s Instagram page<\/a>, and reached out to Vandermark, who owns the company with three business partners, for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019s truly unique frame design on this hardtail mountain bike.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

FlowState, seat stays, and the EightEx Effect<\/h3>\n

Vandermark said this is their \u201ctruss\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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This design also helps lay the groundwork for Seven\u2019s \u201cFlowState,\u201d the brand\u2019s term for the rear triangle. However, \u201ctriangle\u201d is intentionally left out because, as Vandermark put it, the \u201cFlowState\u201d of the SolaRay acts more like a parallelogram than a triangle. \u201cFundamentally, most of the benefits come from the vertical travel provided by the compact rear end,\u201d he said. \u201cThis \u2018flow\u2019 improves tire traction because the vertical movement helps keep the tire in contact with the terrain.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FlowState also incorporates Seven\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t have to fuss with fitting a chainring on the non-drive side. The larger tubing doesn\u2019t affect tire clearance, chainline, or chainring clearance and adds only 24 grams.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe benefits far outweigh the weight,\u201d he told us. Vandermark didn\u2019t mention fork travel numbers, though it\u2019s likely the SolaRay will come in around 130mm.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"Close-up<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

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\u2019t necessarily an option to click \u201cSize: M\u201d on their website.\u00a0All Seven Cycles bike frames are handmade in the USA.<\/p>\n

Vandermark urges those interested in a SolaRay, or any of Seven\u2019s bikes, to get in touch with them or a local dealer. Pricing information is unavailable.<\/p>\n

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But will there be a 32\u201d option?<\/h2>\n

Building bikes is what Vandermark has done for the last 40 years. He started with Merlin Cycles<\/a> in 1987, which was a good place to start, considering they were the first manufacturer of titanium bikes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After Merlin, he moved on to Seven Cycles in 1997, building 35,000 bikes over nearly 30 years. And they do it all \u2013 gravel bikes, road bikes, bikebacking, fat tire bikes, mountain bikes, titanium, and carbon. You name it, Vandermark and Seven have likely done it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Including 32\u201d bikes. While it isn\u2019t currently in Seven\u2019s lineup, Vandermark confirmed they are working on a very big-wheeled version of the SolaRay. And it will be available sooner than later.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working on our first two 32\u201d SolaRays as I type,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll include that wheel system as an option once we have a decent photo bike available in the next month or so.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time we corresponded with Vandermark, he was still getting the SolaRay\u2019s product page up on Seven\u2019s site<\/a>. Information about the bike\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!–<\/p>\n

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All photos courtesy of Seven Cycles 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 \u201cFlowState\u201d rear end and asymmetrical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,274],"class_list":["post-2026573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-singletracks-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2026573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026573\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2026573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2026573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2026573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}