Solid Strike Black Star - Review

Solid have been around for quite some time in Europe, but a recent overhaul has seen them cutting down their range and joining the direct-sale snowball rolling out of Germany. Their 204mm travel Strike Black Star downhill bike is all-new for 2015 and appears to be an impressively priced machine that's spec'd with a BoXXer World Cup fork, a Cane Creek Double Barrel shock, and a SRAM X01 DH drivetrain for €3,680 (approximately $4,222 USD). The rest of the build includes bits from Solid's sister company, Reverse, including their wheelset and a carbon handlebar and seat post, that help to keep the price reasonable. The Black Star is a limited edition model that Solid has only planned to assemble two hundred of, so you best not hesitate if the bike's asking price has you interested.







Frame Details

Solid has used aluminum front to back to build the Strike frame - you won't find any carbon here - with a set of nicely machined rocker links and an integrated 49mm/56mm head tube. The bottom bracket is 83mm wide to match the bike's 150mm axle spacing, and the chain guide mounts to the older style ISCG tabs around the shell. Cable routing is very clean, despite it being mostly external save for where the rear shift housing disappears into the chain stay, which should make life easier for your mechanic when you need some work done. The 150mm wide dropouts are adjustable to offer either a 438mm or 448mm chain stay length, although a 27.5'' wheel will only fit in the longer setting, while a 26'' option will fit both. Solid has also hidden a rear derailleur hanger on the lower link, so it's always there if you need it.



The Strike's sizing might be a bit confusing for some due to the S/M, M/L and L/XL nomenclature, with it not being super clear for a rider who's used to automatically reaching for a medium or large sized bike. Solid says that their approach stems from making the reach of the Strike longer compared to their older models, and that an S/M isn't really a small sized bike in the traditional sense - it might fit some riders more like a medium would. The company does provide a load of information on their website when it comes sizing and setup, and even though they only do direct sales, you could probably glean more from this than some shop staff. Solid also configure the shock settings to your weight so you won't have to go out and buy a new spring right off the bat.


The Strike's Suspension Explained

The Strike's swingarm is connected to the front triangle by two burly looking links, and the 'Centre Force Suspension' system takes its name from how Solid claims that it centralizes the forces applied to the frame. The assertion is that the compression force from the shock pushing upwards, and force of the upper link rotating and pushing back down compensate each other rather than feed those forces back into the frame. Maybe they should have named it Compensation Force Suspension? In simpler terms, forces coming from the front of the bike through the top tube are being pushed down in to the top shock mount.

Solid says that there's a moderate amount of ramp-up through the majority of the travel, but that once it reaches 194mm it ramps-up so significantly that it's nearly impossible to bottom out. The linkage configuration, combined with the needle bearings in the Cane Creek Double Barrel's eyelets, makes for incredibly supple action with next to zero break-away resistance at the start of the stroke.

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Suspension and Handling

Anybody could guess from the geometry numbers that the stretched out Strike is going to be one hell of a stable beast, and the generously sized front end is the best fitting downhill bike to date for my lanky size. That said, it still doesn't feel as roomy as some of the contemporary enduro bikes out there that are so comfortable, and I wouldn't argue against even more length up front. The Strike is all about stability at speed, with its long wheelbase making for an impressively sure-footed ride when moving quick and when tracking over rough or off-camber ground. Mind those pedals, though, as I snagged them more often than I have when on different machines. The more speed you have, the more speed and fun you'll find when on the Strike, but the bike is a handful compared to other downhill rigs when things get tight. Yes, it can be ridden just as fast though mega tight sections, but it'll take more effort than some other bikes would ask of a rider. I don't feel that is going to be much of a hindrance for a skilled racer, but smaller riders, or those poking along at slower speeds, might find it difficult to put the wheels where they need to be on occasion.

The Strike has a first-class rear end that simply works well. So well, in fact, that it overshadowed the BoXXer's performance. We've had plenty of time on the new Charger-equipped BoXXer World Cup, nearly all of it without complaint, but this particular fork gets out of depth before the more controlled damping characteristics of the Double Barrel, and the CFS system that seemed to keep its composure longer than the front. I did drop in a few tokens to match the fork's ramp-up to the very progressive rear suspension, and that went a long way towards creating a more balanced ride.



There's nothing much to differentiate this bike from any other downhill rig in the air. It offers what you would hope for: stability and no untoward bucking or kicking when heading skywards from booters. Being the ground-hugger it is, it's not super poppy. That means that you won't be winning any boost competitions at the local jumps, and you'll need a decent sized sender to unnerve the gyroscopic motion of heavy-duty downhill wheels and the huge distance between them to get it fully sideways and back. The low slung and centralized weight sits directly between your feet, keeping the bikes centre of gravity in this area aids control when riding in to deflective terrain like crooked roots and angled rock. Kind of in the same way a Weeble wobbles but never falls down. This weight location also helps in corner and camber, helping you transfer more of the bike's mass into traction via the pedals under your feet.

Lousa, Portugal, has some gnarly and full-on downhill tracks, but it felt like none of them were wide open enough to really let the big Strike sing. It often felt like I was struggling to get enough speed to have the bike working at a level where it would feel more alive and spritely, but the tracks just weren't rough or fast enough to really light the bike up. That's saying something, though, because Lousa isn't short on rough, rocky terrain. It is going to take some big trails and big speeds to really feel the Strike in its element, and it's a bike best suited for serious tasks rather than smooth ''flow trails''.



Technical Report

• The four piston Magura MT-7 brakes offer a huge amount of power, and I liked the continual modulation from the lever. Power is nothing without control, and while Magura has always been lacking in the former and kings of the latter when it comes to their two piston offerings, they've managed to combine both attributes in the positively awesome MT-7 brake.

• Grip-wise, the Magic Mary tire is unbelievable when your pointing down something steep, loose and soft, and they still offer great control on compact surfaces like rocks and roots. The price for that traction is very poor rolling speed, but that's how it goes.

• SRAM's 7-speed X01 DH drivetrain is a great concept for pure racing, but if you have to pedal it around to and from your pick-up point or lift it can wear you down quickly. No surprise there given its focus, though.

• No problems to report with any of the Reverse products, and the carbon handlebar and seat post are a nice touch for the bike's price. The wheelset stayed true as well, and there's no dings or dents to complain about.


Pinkbike's Take:

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View additional high-res images in the gallery

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MENTIONS: @solidbikes @schwalbe @SramMedia @MaguraPassionPeople

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This bike was tested using a shuttle service in Lousa, Portugal. We'd like to give a big thanks to Brett Wheeler and his company Wheelers Mtb Holidays for helping us out and showing us the trails - Check out their Facebook page here.

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Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Reviews DH Bikes Solid Bikes Solid Strike