LOCALadk Magazine

Summer 2019 LOCALadk Magazine 23 LOCALadk zmierczak, a Keene resident and frequent riding partner. "They're ver y aggressive riders who like to push themselves, and push in a fun, no-pressure way. And on long adventures, even when it gets hard, no one's going to quit." They applied that attitude to expanding a rough trail network, bushwack- ing, mapping, and cutting more trails. But this wasn't pure joyriding. They saw mountain biking as a recreation draw that could power the local economy. " We were interested in positive change as much as the idea of adventure," says Courtney. But they also wanted mountain bikes that could handle rugged Adirondack terrain: steep uphills and rollicking de- scents. Both Courtney and Jeff rode Trek Superfly hardtails, a type of mountain bike with front suspension but no rear shock. Soon, they were wrenching on the Superflys to add modifications designed for their local singletrack. And then the light bulb went on: why not build bikes for the Adiron- dacks right here in the Adirondacks? And who better to do it? Jeff, the engineer, supplied decades of experience in manufacturing and developing high-performance materials for specialized components. Courtney brought a craftsman's artistic vision and critical problem-solving skills. In early 2016, they founded Solace Cy- cles. That spring, they headed to the United Bicycle Institute in Portland, Oregon, a national leader in training bike me- chanics and designers. And they brought their own designs, ready to build a prototype. " When we went out to build the bikes, they looked at us like, are you sure about this? " says Jeff. "There were all these rules that we didn't know enough about—and frankly, didn't care much about." When the Solace team returned home, they put the pro- totype through field-tests. They also ramped up market research. For that, Courtney built a bike-sized jig. Picture a wooden platform topped with two L-shaped pieces that hold a front wheel snug like a narrow bike rack. Two rulers—an x- and y-axis—slide up and down, back and for ward, to pinpoint specific locations on the bike. Courtney uses a laser level, the same tool he employs in cabinet making, to pinpoint and measure data points that produce a bike blueprint. They logged this information—head tube angle, chainstay length, bottom bracket clearance —from dozens of mountain bikes into a database Jeff designed. Then they field-tested the lot, honing in on the unique elements that suited their goals. As the design evolved, they had to ID suppliers who could provide the inventor y to take bikes to market. Headaches persisted through 2017. Custom frame makers couldn't han- dle Solace's volume. U.S. suppliers couldn't deliver on their specs on time or under budget. The solution? Bike frames sourced through Maine's Car ver Bikes, made in China. "Peo- ple want that Adirondack stor y, and we get it, but it's not for no reason," says Courtney. Jeff continues: "The bike industr y in China is ver y mature. Ever yone except full custom shops is using them—virtually all the frames in the world come from there." And the Chinese-built frames significantly lower the price of the bike. Supply chain complete, Solace had a fully built, ready to ride bike: the OM-1, a first-generation model was named for Otis Mountain. The hardtail features Solace's trademark yoke, which accommodates three-inch wide tires in either 27.5-inch or 29-inch diameter wheels. The bike also has a 410mm chainstay—which Solace claims is the shortest avail- able in the bike industr y. This feature brings the rear tire closer to the rider's center of gravity; on-trail, this translates to a generous sweet spot that makes it easier to keep the front tire down on climbs and harder for the rider to launch over the handlebars on downhills. There's more: a titanium frame —which offers corrosion resistance for salty stretches of pavement or winter-like trail conditions—and long-travel front suspension that can be dialed down to 130mm for up- hills and opened up to 160mm for descending. In 2018, So- lace sold 20 OM-1 bikes.

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