[Closed] New Bfe first impressions !!

Of course there isn't much give, it's a hardtail! Your legs are 95% of your rear suspension, your rear tyre 4%, your frame 1%. Ergo, sit down less!

The new colour is great. Forks are a sensible length too. Lots of gears though! 😉

ha ha yep fair one, ive had full sussers for the past 3 years so just need to mtfu lots i think !!

as always comments/opinions welcome

Should have picked up that dog turd before you took pictures.

Nice colour. It's not gritstone like, but it's good looking all the same.

thegreatape

its actually soil filling a hole which mutley dug !! 😈

Looks good.
It might just be me but the forks look really long on the pictures. Much more than 130mm!

The more I see of these, the more I think about getting rid of my Soul and replacing it with a BFe

As you were then.

wisepranker..... im confused by my forks to.

the came as standard on my 2010 stumpy full susser(secondhand to me though)

on the specialized sit it says they should be 130mm, when i take a tape measure to them, the stanchion measures just short of 150mm of which I can use apart from the last 5mm??

is there any way of finding out for sure what travel they are??

is there any way of finding out for sure what travel they are??

If they have 150mm of stancion showing and 145mm is usable, I'd say that they're the 140mm forks. I may well be wrong, though.

I switched to the BFe after 5 years on a FS. First ride felt a little firm but after that it just felt totally natural. The FS feels very sluggish now. What size tyres and what pressure ?

Looks good. Slap a Hope bashguard on and lose the light! 😉

For comparison. Here's my large Soul with 130mm fork:

[img] [/img]

jambalaya im running 2.3 eskars which come up quite large!!

This is a medium Soul with 140mm forks: [img] [/img]

Are you sure they aren't 150s? That would explain the wheelie tendency!

just been out and measured them again.

145mm of stanchion showing and can get to within 5mm of full travel.
q/r to??

EDIT loving the souls by the way !!

chiefgroveguru would you mind measuring yours if you get a minute?

cheers

steve

On ride frames I think you're just getting used to it. When I got mine I was concerned about harsh ride from comments on here but the bike has been fine and I've ridden further and for longer than I ever did on the FS which is exactly why I bought it. My 150/120 forks measure about 165 to stantion top at max travel. The wheelie sensation could be the fact that when you pedal the bike moves forward immediately vs a slight lag with FS as suspension takes a little of the pedal stroke ?

Probably bard to see geomtrey here

[img][url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6939126922_3ac57b5d93_c.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6939126922_3ac57b5d93_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/78861811@N06/6939126922/ ]Dark Peak 2012[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/78861811@N06/ ]JambalayaPhoto[/url], on Flickr[/img]

jambalaya you could be right !!

very nice bike by the way!!

Looks great although the forks are to long and the bars are to high which is probably why it wants to wheelie all the time.

Try lowering your bars and using some shorter forks, that should solve it.

cheers david.

cotic say the bike will take forks upto 160mm i think.

wouldnt fancy it with them that long tbh !!

Never really ridden FS, but while the BFe is a pretty 'direct' frame it isn't as harsh as some - it's certainly a tiny bit more compliant than my previous Mr Hyde which had huge alu girders making up the back end.

If you want another fork length comparison, these are 150s on my (mk2) BFe - the frame is an XS though so that might make the forks look even longer.

[img] [/img]

EDIT - I know David and others have a strong view on the BFe/Soul geometry and long forks, but with mine running 150mm forks, a flipped 70mm stem and flat bars I really don't have issues with it either looping out or handling like a barge. To me it's only marginally slower handling than my old frame running fairly stiff 100mm forks on similar frame geometry -

[img] [/img]

slainte 😀 rob

some nice bikes being posted up here !!! keep them coming.

im going to go out for a longer ride tomorrow and will report back later.

so far im very happy with it, the finish of the frame is excellent and the paint looks like it should last well.

cheers

steve

I'd agree with David 's remark about the height of bars, mine looked like yours when I first built it up, wheelied at will and worse still on anything like a slight incline so I quickly removed the spacers, dropping the stem and bars by 30mm. I think this has made a big difference to the front end. My BFE is running with a 140mm Pike and feels very planted on the front.I'm running a simple 1 x 9 with mine and soon changing to a 1 x 10 with the new Shimano Zee kit.

Looks a nice build well done with the BB.

cotic say the bike will take forks upto 160mm i think.

I know, whether it rides well like that is another question.

What forks are they? If they are floats then I'd get a 20mm spacer and drop them down to 120mm, that would be a good middle ground.

they are meant to be 130mm forks.

will drop one of the spacers tomorrow,they are 20mmeach !!

trouble i have is that I dont like having to much weight on my hands as I have a dodgy wrist from being knocked off my bike years ago!!

Renton - nice bike (I had one for about 3 years). It is harsh at the back, and doesn't ever feel like an XC steel frame. I kinda liked that, as it picks up nicely.

One little thing I noticed is that you look to have about 40mm of spacers under your stem, and have gone for a 44IESS headset, further slackening things out. Perhaps switch one of the spacers above the stem, or both even, and just play around with the geometry that way?

Oh, and one last thing, the routing of your rear brake is making me itch. Please sort it out.

will drop one of the spacers tomorrow,they are 20mmeach !!

Yeh, do it. Take one of them stem stackers out to.

gavinb whats up with the brake routing?? have I done it wrong?

right come on whats up with the brake routing??

rear hose round the outside of the chainstay is usually considered best...

I love my Bfe! Went up to Cwncarn the friday just passed and was pleasantly surprised how well it handled the track.

Here's a vid: http://www.pinkbike.com/video/264414/

Along with a pic of the bike: http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/8081120/

Had the bars on my Soul Small quite high to start with, and it felt all wrong. Dropped it down to one 20mm space underneath the stem (a nukeproof funnily enough) and all's good. Have also just moved from 120mm to 140mm forks and so far any concerns i had about the front lifting or the front wondering have not surfaced, but its early days.

To the OP, what size BFe is it?

Am I correct in that the sizes are medium 17.5 and large 19?

Hi all, ive just bought a 2012 bfe built it with 160 coils and have to say its not the way forward unless your going to use it as a all mountain big hitter . I ride a tracer 2 usally and have not rode a HT for years ,yet found the bfe easy to ride fast ! It turns quick even with 160 vans in it but it dont like steep climbs wheelies everywhere !!! I took it to mayhem to race this weekend and the whole time i spent on it i was thinking it would be a mega bike with 140's and low wide flat bars ! Great bike but back to full bounce for me !!!

pushironwill- I think you may have your set up wrong for your kind of riding. I'm running 150 revelations dual air and I find it climbs great, no unintended front end pick ups and only when I want to wheelie or manual it does with ease. I'm riding 30 mile local loops and loving it.

The forks do look pretty damn long, definately 130? But I ran my BFe with 150s and a short stem, and it gave me no bother climbing-wise. Would definately get the bars down as low as you can first of all though, nice easy swap.

Im sure its set up wrong and with a little more time spent on it i know for sure its going to be a great ride. I needed a easier bike to ride mayhem with than my tracer and being no xc guy thought it was my kind of HT to use and get more use out of after the weekend ! It is a nice bike !

Rear brake cable looks like it could lose about 10cm, as there looks to be a big loop in front of the fork.

Anyway - its a new build, so I'll just look away (and try to stop itching) 🙂

ahh got you now !!

yep that is one of the jobs i need to do however after hearing all the horror stories on here about bleeding shimano brakes etc im a bit worried to do it !!!

to who ever was asking it is a large !!

Im 6 foot 1 and it fits me fine with a 65mm stem.

cheers

steve

I've ridden a BFe with 160mm forks, and it was a lot of fun. Diddy stem required though.

Renton, try lowering your stem if you're lifting the front wheel too easily.

Oh, I see Northwind has said the same already...

Tricky Dicky, where did you get the Zee from?

About the "give" end, does it feel like an aluminium hardtail? Everybody says that steel HT are much more pleasant when rolling over harsh stuff than aluminium ones (rocks, roots, etc)
Is it also this way in the BFe or is it so overbuilt that you dont get the advantages of the steel?

Renton, nice bike and I've got to say how refreshing your honesty is - most post about new bikes don't have the critical pieces of info.

I've been watching your Bfe posts and others, hankering after this kind of build. Years a go I has a Cove stiffee and sold it as it battered me to pieces.

I like my comfort, and am a bit chickensh*t over obstacles and drops, so with your critique about the harder ride you've probably saved me building up a frame and throwing money at something I don't really need.

Good luck with it, it looks fantastic.

[b]pese88[/b] - Member
About the "give" end, does it feel like an aluminium hardtail? Everybody says that steel HT are much more pleasant when rolling over harsh stuff than aluminium ones (rocks, roots, etc)
Is it also this way in the BFe or is it so overbuilt that you dont get the advantages of the steel?

Thanks for the reply jambalaya, good to know that despite being overbuilt (good for durability) it is still quite comfortable and bumb-absorbing.

Hi all thanks for the replies!!

Can I just point out again that this is my first impression of the frame and its based on a quick 5 mins spin round the block.

yes I do find it hard but i am coming off full sussers which ive been on for over 3 years and my riding style has adapted a such.

I probbably said the same thing going from a hardtail to a full susser!!

Im going to take it out this afternoon for a longer spin nd do some cockpit fettling to try and sort it out !!

please dont let my impressions put you off buying a Bfe though, its a fantastic looking frame and the build quality and finish are excellent.

I guess I just need to mtfu massively and get it pinned!

One thing I will say is that everytime I look at it the thing makes me smile,Ive not done that over a bike Ive owned for a long time !!

Those measurements for the fork suggest you have a 140mm float fitted. IIRC the float can be raised and lowered by installing a plastic spacer - my old float 140's measured exactly 145mm, so I'm guessing yours have had the spacers removed by the previous owner.

In my experience as a former soul & Bfe owner I'd suggest you also have at least 30mm too many spacers under the stem.

@renton, so it felt harsh riding on tarmac (round he block?) !

yep and up the grass hill up the back of the house too !!

like I said ive got to get used to it, jumping off the kerb my legs were doing all the wrong things as I was expecting 5 inches of travel to soak it all up !!!!

I think Cotic have swapped from 631 to 'Fm' for much of the new BFe.

I don't think if this makes a difference you would notice it on tarmac.

I am fully confident you'll love it, the fact it's different to the FS is a good thing 8)

chiefgroveguru would you mind measuring yours if you get a minute?

148mm of stanchion showing on Float 140RL at full extension.

140mm forks and low bars is spot on for trail riding on my MK2 BFe. If you are looking to change the forks you should definitely consider some travel adjust that go from 100-140. I wind mine down to 95mm when attempting to DJ and ride around the BMX track.

140mm was adequate for riding around in the Peak when I went last. I was plenty comfortable and fast enough downhill, faster than the blokes on their 180mm FS bikes when coming down rocky tech sections. Granted I would have been faster on my FS but I wouldn't have been so smug.

Zee on back order at present 18 bikes sorting delivery for August
Rich

Here's my new BFe:

[img] [/img]

I've only been out on it once and first impressions were really good, but a little let down by the forks, which along with the wheels will be changed in the not too distant future.

Nice build there buddy.

how do you find it then ??

is your handlebar higher than the seat ??

do you find it wants to lift at the front quite easily??

Thanks, it's still a work in progress, but I think it's a lovely bike. I've got the seat dropped there, but it was up and down like a tarts knickers while riding so I think I'm gonna get an uppy-downy seat post! It's been a while since I had a hardtail and compared to my DH bike it was weird (as expected), but it was certainly fun on anything downhill and picks up speed really well. It was a bit of a slog up-hill but I put that down to my lack of fitness, which will (hopefully) improve. I didn't notice the front trying to lift, but then I ride with my weight slightly forward (I think).

Cheers for the reply.

What is up with the forks and wheels then

What are they too as could be interested.

Cheers

Steve