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Have some money burning a hole in my pocket and considering a soul or should I go Bfe or rocket or even the single speed version. I could even go to the ti version!
My MTB pedigree is through steel bikes in the main having currently an old kona cindercone 97 and a kona unit 29-er. I also have an old Klien attitude V.
yes... maybe no...
depends.
other bikes are available.
I've had both and preferred the Bfe.
I've had both, the BFe was OK but the Soul was a bit special. Neither one of them was exactly what I was looking for though. But that's OK since you have no idea what you're looking for either 😉
should I [s]buy[/s] try and demo a soul and some other steel HT's?
FIFY
My personal opinion is that the Soul is the pick of Cotic's range. If you're looking for a top notch, batch built steel hardtail, with bags of class, great geometry and a very versatile ride, then the Soul is it. I loved mine and should never had sold it, but hey ho. It's such a versatile bike, working equally as well with a 100mm fork for fast trail/XC riding as well as with a 140mm fork (I had a Pike on mine) for aggressive AM riding. The subtle changes in geometry were well managed by the overall lay out of the bike and endowed the bike with just the right character for the amount travel the fork offered.
The BFe is the bike you buy if you either a) can't quite stretch your budget to the Soul or b) intend to launch it off some pretty big shit. I don't think many people riding BFes specifically [i]need [/i]the BFe as the Soul is pretty tough already; but if there is an element of doubt, or indeed if you prefer something that gives quite a stiffer ride compared to the Soul, then the BFe is a good choice.
Really need Jon Edwards to comment here as he's probably got more experience on all Cotic's bikes save for Cy himself, and is one of the few riders who actually needs the BFe in his garage, as well as all the others (I think he owns one of each hardtail including the Ti?)
I have a BFe, love it. Have posted plenty of times on it in various HT threads as have others if you wish to search.
The Bfe is so good I personally don't know why you'd spend the extra on a Soul, I've never ridden one but don't feel the need to try it.
The Bfe is so good I personally don't know why you'd spend the extra on a Soul
It's quite a bit lighter and the ride is quite different, not necessarily better, just different.
Saw your other thread - Put the £ away, set yourself a weight and performance target and use the new bike as motivation.. ; ) gives you time to decide as well as being faster on it when you get it!
The ride of the Soul is, 'in a word', sublime but the BFe is stiffer and handles the downhill bits better, more planted. Took mine to the Alps in 2011 and it loved it. Depends how hard you ride, and what terrain you mostly ride. 90% of the time the Soul was better, but that 10% was the most fun bits, so it was always my favourite for that.
Mark Forsyth - ex motorbike tester for Performance Bikes (okay Cotics don't have engines but the idea is still valid) - said that to classify as a 'great bike' it has to do something [u]really[/u] well. It doesn't matter what that is - power, handling, engine noise, whatever - but it must excel in something to make the grade. The Bfe does that.
Thanks for all the comments...
I guess the soul would get me back to that classic hardtail single track bike that was for me my kona cindercone (97).
does the soul handle similar to the classic konas?
does the soul handle similar to the classic konas?
I think I read somewhere (on the Cotic site) that the start point for the Soul's geometry was a classic era Explosif.
I have one and it's fine, I have a 2nd hand Love/Hate too and like that so would also look at a Prince Albert if starting oer. And there are lots of other choices too. Cotic is not the only game in town.
Love my Soul. Do it!
They're great, and I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed, but they're not magical uber-bikes so without knowing the specifics of where/how you ride it's impossible to guarantee it'd be perfect for you.
Like mikewsmith says, just try the various options and see how you get on - there are plenty of test bikes around, try 18bikes or Dales Bike Centre (where I got my Soul - top people and ace trails) for a real world demo. Good excuse for a riding trip too!
I'd recommend a soul unreservedly, I've ridden many many bikes in my time and it is the best all rounder I've come across by a large margin. I'm very impressed with mine as it manages to excel at everything I ask of it. You won't regret it.
I had one and it was ok
Prefer my singular Pegasus though 😀
I've recently finished building one up, but it does ride incredibly well, hard to describe, but it just feels sorted. Other choices were a BFe or a Prince Albert the Soul cost more than either, but a debt I had written off got paid unexpectedly.
I bought my Soul partly because it reminded me of my old Bontrager (a proper one, pre Trek). I love it. You won't be disappointed.
I'm curious to find out how a BFe feels compared to my Soul (as mine is built up in a rather beefy manner) but the Soul rides great, really great. Does any other steel frame manage to be quite as strong, light and versatile?
I love my Soul. Not over hyped at all.
And the service is top notch
chiefgrooveguru - MemberI'm curious to find out how a BFe feels compared to my Soul
I had both for a little while... TBH the BFe felt like a Soul without a soul. Still great handling and I can't really fault it from an objective point of view, but the extra stiffness just seemed to rob it of spark and made it feel like just another good steel frame.
And yes I'm well aware that's hippyish. Still waiting for my welder man to sort my Soda so you never know I might go hippy over that too but the BFe was merely excellent and I've come to expect better from Cotic 😉