[Closed] Cotic choice

What sort of riding do you do. What do you ride now?

Yeah - ok I was avoiding that.

Everything from Sundays with the kids on roads and paths to trail centre red.

I was fun and can't decide whether I want the heavier but flicker Bfe or the long and light Soul

Current ride - Speciallised hard rock

I’d have the Soul if you can afford it. The new one seems to cover most of the Bfe ability.

Soul

Soul.

Solaris max - sorry

Either will be a massive step up. From what you’ve said Soul. FYI I have a BFe and my next bike (n+1) will be a Cotic torn between what though, Escapade, Soul or Solaris Max

IMO you can “flick” the Soul as much as a BFe. I wanted a Soul but they discounted end of line BFe’s so I bought one (£300 vs £450 I recall back in 2012). Love it but would have been equally happy on the slightly lighter Soul

I have a BFe.

You want a Soul.

The Soul sounds perfect. Don't make the mistake of assuming the Soul is some sort of lightweight XC machine. It's far from that. It's designed for long hard rides in the Peaks and will easily weather the type of riding you've mentioned, and far more burley too. The BFE is basically an even more gnarly hardtail DH or Enduro machine.

Soul.

Of the two you mentioned for the riding you describe, Soul. It may be the lighter option but it’s fully capable of, say, Ardrock. It’s s tough tesilbike that just happens to be light. The BFe is a monster with a bomber build, hence the name ‘beefy’. 😀

I think your all probably right - I just love the low standover and stance of the BFe

It's like the BFe is taunting me to go big...

But then the soul... the classy lady at the bar

Hmm

Thanks everyone

Any extra opinions always welcome

I’ve had a soul and bfe,
Bfe is a proper brute of a bike and the soul is a proper do it all bike, not as harsh ride .
I liked the bfe but loved the soul

Cheers

I have a Bfe; it is more than I need...

I have two BFe (not the latest frame). I love that it can do everything I can and then some!!

The soul for who I am

The Bfe for who I aspire to be

I have a Soul. I want a Soul. You should get a Soul.

What forks take your fancy?

The soul for who I am

The Bfe for who I aspire to be

Excellent 🙂

You might want to look at it from a fork travel perspective, what are you intending .. 120mm go for the Soul, 140mm BFe

EDiT: I see @kelvin beat me to the question

I was thinking 120 soul or 130 BFe

Soul then. If you're only thinking 120 or 130mm forks, and want a one bike to do it all, the Soul fits the bill.

soul, you know it makes sense. 8)

Collected my new soul from them yesterday...... just saying .... 8)

Love my mk4 soul.

The soul for who I am

The Bfe for who I aspire to

It's true but I've a DH bike for that sort of stuff

<insert spanner>

Solaris Max frames were on offer at Cotic a couple of days ago.

Otherwise, definitely Soul.

Whilst you wouldn’t normally hear me advising against a SolarisMAX the ones on offer (of which I own one) are the ‘old’ geo and as such doesn’t really compare directly with the new geo Soul or BFe.

My own contribution to this recommendation is this: if you have to [i]ask[/i] which one to get then it’s definitely the Soul (it’ll do what you want). 😀

I'd say Soul as well.

I have an old battleship Grey BFe from way back in the day. It is a tank

I love it but it is not really a do it all bike its a downhill hardtail

BFe. Yes, you can build it up heavy and indestructible with the right/wrong parts but you can build them up light as well and they can do anything. I love my old shape 650B BFe (on 26", for life, it's not dead, etc...) and it gets used for everything from all day 70-odd mile 'gnarmac'* potters to local DH races (I have a few sets of wheels which makes a difference to the all-roundyness of the bike!)

* right on-trend, me 😆

Ironically the extra weight if the BFe doesn't put me off

Bizarrely both are lighter than my current Alu bike

I was worried the front on the soul might be a little steep to be truly "modern" but then is that just a fashionista thing rather than a real riding concern.

Demoed the old soul - with a 140 fork - and the new BFE last year and thought I knew but then a new soul and

I'd definitely get the Soul if you're set on 650b and have the funds.

I was worried the front on the soul might be a little steep to be truly "modern" but then is that just a fashionista thing rather than a real riding concern.

The BFe and the Soul both have the same head angle. BFe has steeper seat tube and more BB drop to suit a 20mm longer fork.

Ironically the extra weight if the BFe doesn't put me off

Ironically, that isn't [i]actually[/i] ironic, it's just a fact that the extra weight of the BFe doesn't put you off 😉

Surely everything about the B[b]Fe[/b] is irony?

Wahey! 😆

Ok maybe it isn't ironic...

It is just a twist to the narative.

When it was first released, the soul was the long travel, hardcore hardtail for people who wanted/needed more than just a XC frame. It still is, and the riding it's capable of is probably beyond what most people will get it into.

The BFe, as people have said, is for really full-on riding. Trouble is, having it in the line-up means that people assume the Soul is the lightweight xc-only machine, and it really isn't.

I think your right nedrapier

The two bikes are almost too close

If the BFe was optimised around a 160mm fork or was much much heavier I wouldn't look at it but it's just in touching distance and makes the soul look more XC than it probably is

It's Cy's fault, for sweating for years and years making them both lighter than most other steel bikes of similar capability[i] (or making them both more capable than most other steel bikes of the similar weight, take your pick).[/i]

I owned a BFe once upon a time, and have ridden many a Soul. The Souls always felt nice, super comfy yet fast and nimble. On the other hand, my BFe always felt a bit harsh to ride.

Yes, the BFe is going to be stronger/stiffer, but unless you're riding park I doubt it'll make much difference to you. If you [i]are[/i] riding park, you'd have more fun on a different bike altogether. I know there will probably always be people that like 'hardcore hardtails' but full sus bikes are so good these days that I can't imagine a circumstance where I'd rather a BFe over something with rear sus. YMMV of course.

Get a Soul.

[i]The soul for who I am

The Bfe for who I aspire to be[/i]

This.
I've spent quite a lot of time on both (relative to how new they are). I loved the BFe and if they hadn't sold out of medium blues I would have had one there and then after the demo. However, once I'd tried the Soul, it was blatantly obvious that its a much more forgiving ride than the BFe, which as a 10 stone, 42 year old who doesn't huck bikes off the shed roof anymore (although I used to - see below), I don't need the brick outhouseness of the BFe, and the geo is similar enough that there's absolutely no issue chucking a Soul down steep loamy tech.

Which is why I now have a halfbuilt new Soul in my office. 😀

Gratuitous Mk1 BFe pic from back in the day:-
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Kelvin your right in many ways - they are two excellent bikes both of which I think I would be very happy with.

Because of the engineering rigour with which they are made they are very broad and overlap in their capability and hence why they are competing in my mind.

I think I probably know that the Soul is the right bike for me but that the BFe has a look and feel that is proper cool.

JonEdwards

Is that both 5th Gen comparisons.

Like you I'd have bought the BFe straight away but out of stock and now have the headache.

Your clearly a more skilled rider than I and I think you are probably 100% right and I should get me a soul.

Yup. I think I was the first member of the "general public" to get hold of the latest Soul on demo! (the joy of having mates in high places!)

Jon

Whilst at 35 I'm not ready for my pipe a slippers, with the day job and the reality of life I am not going to be launching off any sheds anytime soon.

As much as I lived the BFe and think it's a beautiful bike I think I know the Soul is probably the right choice

Incidentally - what colour frame did you go for?

This thread has led me to change my next bike from a bfe to a soul. And I’m 100% sure it’s the right call too.

don't get the BFe, the handlin won't be much different, it'll be heavier, you won't do anything on it you couldn't have done on the soul etc etc.

but most importantly, there's nothing worse than a steel frame that doesn't give you the comfort a steel frame should. it's just a drag. get the soul. be comfortable and not beat up at the end of a ride.

nb, i've never owned either, but i have owned a 2 too heavy too rigid steel hardtails...

@alex IMHO is has to be Orange

I don't need the brick outhouseness of the BFe

I don't think anyone does tbh. As someone who would rag the shit out of this type of bike, and is relatively heavy @ 15st, i'd still go Soul all day long. Unless you like crashing into walls - the BFe is complete overkill 😀

<not helpful post> Never ridden a soul but my 2012ish 26" BFe never fails to make me grin like an eejit </not helpful post>

I think it is amazing really how much love there is for both bikes.

Having ridden the BFe I can say that I thought it was a great bike and a lot of fun. I would agree with everyone who says that it is heavier and more than I would need or use. The only "problem" - if you can all it that - was that whilst it is heavier I didn't feel it was heavy and whilst it was more than I needed it was still tremendous fun.

So that is why despite knowing that the Soul probably is the right choice I have felt so torn.

Having said all of that I would probably have fun on either!

Buy Both 🙂

It isn't just the strength though - the BFe is stiffer, which some prefer, particularly with a longer fork trying to twist the frame about. And the BFe is optimised for 20mm more fork travel (steeper seat angle and lower BB), so if you prefer how a longer fork feels (I'm liking 150mm travel on my hardtail) then it's probably the better choice.

I doubt you'd break either in normal riding, even with some hefty cases and hucks.

Love the look of the new be... But...

I bought a new soul in Mercury. It looks gorgeous, took it for its first ride last night...
It's awesome. Apart from the saddle.

I have the bike we first tested the Mercury finish on. It's lush. Still looking great after plenty of abuse as well. Photos can't do it justice.

I love my Mk5 BFe, having owned a Genesis Tarn and tried a number of other alu 150mm hardtails whatever the static weight the BFe rides lighter, has the most compliant feel and best ride up, down and along...

To be fair I bought it before the new Soul was released and as I wanted to reuse a 150mm fork and non boost wheels the new Soul would not be a contender.

Being a Cotic convert I'm sure you will love either!

Every1 I see riding a Bfe looks like their having such fun

&

I was gonna go 130mm for the fork

BFe is NOT some kind of brick sh.t house, I ride mine for everything inc xc all day rides.

You can put a 130mm fork on a Soul and you won’t die or the frame disintegrate.

Buy the bike you WANT. Either will be just fine 8)

Soul will happily take 140 - it’s rated for it. It’s usy more than is sensible though, 120-130 is usually a happier place for the bike. I failed to catch fire at 140 for a couple of years before trying shorter forks though...

Theyre both loveky

Inspired by this thread, I left the Rocket in the garage and dragged the BFe out round the woods today. Of course it can do 'normal' XC style tides, even if an XS BFe feels like a BMX after riding the Rocket.

It IS a brick poocabin of a bike though...

[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4610/28040932219_9a04485875_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4610/28040932219_9a04485875_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/JHT7dB ]2018 01 21 bike 10 02[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/robpaul/ ]Rob P[/url], on Flickr

Im glad it inspired you and that is a lovely bike

I think they are both so capable that they cross over so much

The soul is so tough it will do all I could throw at it

The Bfe so tough but still lighter than many more xc/trail spectrum bikes.

Cotic have made 2x fantastic bikes and I'd probably have a blast on either but just need to choose 1

Where are these SolarisMAX frames on offer?

http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/solarisMAX

Limited sizes available now though....

New Solaris coming...

Just as well I've at least decided it's 27.5 so I don't have to add that in!