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Hi all
Ive got a gen 2 cotic soul (and an ebike, but that's a whole different thread) which is sat unused in my shed which I'm really loathed to get rid of due to sentimental reasons.
It's currently set up with 120mm rebs (straight steerer 1 1/8") and 2x10 slx with slx disc brakes. No dropper. Hope pro2 on Stan arch.
Basically the fork has had its day and I dont see it being usable again, the drive train needs a complete change (chain cassette, cables, BB) and I'm thinking how else can I use this bike. It never really ran well on a 2x set up, maybe the chain line wasn't right for the frame, I'm not sure.
I'd like some ideas on how I could repurpose this bike, for minimal money, as a run around. Maybe single speed rigid? What would I need and what's available? How much would I need to spend?
I had an mk1 Kenesis Decade Virsa frame hanging up in my shed and the same quandary as yourself.
I built a low budget 1x9 full rigid, mostly from the spares box.
DJ forks (420mm a/c) proved to be too short to get the handling right. The bike initially rode best with 120mm travel forks in my experience.
So, I went fully rigid steel mullet.
Found some 29" Kona project 2 steel (485mm a/c if memory serves) forks from 'Bikesandbuddies' and fitted a 27'5" front wheel. It sets the front end up just where you will remember it was.
Here’s my repurposed Cotic BFe 26er in singlespeed Klunker mode. Built up using a mix of eBay parts, cheap stuff off CRC and the parts bin. Now used as the commuter bike. I love it.
Look at a Cotic Cascade.
Fling a rigid fork on, put new drivetrain consumables on (still cheaper than a whole swap), put some suitable tyres on and use it for mixed road/fireroad/trail rides.
Fling a rigid fork on, put new drivetrain consumables on (still cheaper than a whole swap), put some suitable tyres on and use it for mixed road/fireroad/trail rides.
This is sort of what I did with my mk1 Soul - it got hand me down components from other bike upgrades (currently rocking hugely unfashionable 3x10 XT), some skinny gravel-esque tyres and mudguards and sits in the 'bit too rough for a gravel bike, not rough enough for my LLS 29er' niche.. That said, I've not ridden it in quite a while though...
I grovelised my Soda. Rigid forks, flat bars (with bar ends inside the brake levers for "on the hoods" position), 650b wheels with 47mm Gravel King SKs. It was already running 1x10.
Fast as ****, and quite a lot of fun. Now replaced by a more traditional gravel bike, but I still miss it.
Oddly enough I have some straight steerer 26 Revs and a full 10 speed SLX drivetrain (ok, Deore front mech) for sale if you were just trying to recreate what you have but actually working.
Pm me if interested
I always liked my soul rigid- I used a 29er fork to give it effectively 130mm geometry. 2x ought to have worked well on it btw, not sure what the issue was but it worked grand for me. I'd do it 1x though.
If you want to suspend it then u-turn revs are pretty much the perfect Soul fork- light enough, strong enough, decent performance and adjust from 100 to 130mm. Not so easy to find in good condition, now- I ended up buying a frame-and-fork purely to get the fork, though tbh it was still cheap.
@squirrelking, don’t mind sharing the credit!
In answer to @jefwachowchow though, it’s a Surly ECR 29+ fork, probably could have got away with a shorter a2c but liked it to be fairly slack still.
Still riding my Mk1 Soul, now running 1x, but can't bear to get rid of it...
@tuboflard, sorry. I got my '@'s muddled .I had the same thoughts it seems. Initially built mine with DMR trailblade and a 26" wheel. It just felt too steep and twitchy.
I found the 485mm a/c and a 27.5" wheel set the head angle between 68.5 and 69 degrees hit the sweet spot.
Can’t get rid of mine either. Mk2 it was stolen during lockdown 1 and managed to find some twerp selling it on marketplace last spring. Came back 1x10 with new slx cranks!
I do still have a spare pair of fox float for it.
Unable to part with my Soda. Now running it singlespeed. Stanchions on Pikes a bit shot but found a shop in US selling new CSU for $72 so am hoping to give it a new lease of life as rigid is not my cup of tea. Plan to run it 1x during summer as a gravel bike.
Microshift: shifter/cassette/mech from CRC & a rigid fork.
Brand new microshift or ten speed 1 x drivetrain would be better than replacing new chainrings etc on the old stuff.
Bung some rigid forks on like the blue soul up there and you have a fun doable bike. You could even singlespeed it if you fancy it
My Soul mk1 is built up as fab little singlespeed for quick blasts on the local hills. I'd really love to find a modern hardtail (29 or 27.5) that has the same kind of zing... my current Sirius and previous Solaris just feel a bit dead in comparison.