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I just wanted to write a few words about my new Bfe Max and how its going so far.
My last hardtail experience ended in disaster, It was a whyte 529 and I think I ended up selling within a few months as it beat me up. However, keen to try another hardtail I started looking around to see what was available and it just so happened that Cotic were releasing the Bfe Max.
I purchased it as a frame only from Cotic, had some issues trying to get a bottom bracket in and as it turns out the tap that cotic were using was a bit worn. Cy very kindly sent me a tech t shirt for the issues I'd had.
Bike is built up with 150mm pikes, slx 12 speed, Magura mt5 brakes and Bontrager comp 30 wheels fitted with 2.6 XR4 tyres.
Its not light by any means but it is made of steel and I'm sure the tyres weigh an absolute ton.
Size wise I fell between a large and XL, measured against my current at the time bike the Large seemed suited best and after confirming with Cy that's the way I went.
Once built up and having a quick spin I thought I'd made a mistake, the bike didn't feel as long or big as my current bike and I was starting to have concerns that I'd made a mistake. I think it was down to the steep seat angle and feeling very much over the BB rather than slightly behind it.
However two decent rides in and a bit of perseverance and I'm now loving it. The bike feels really good and planted to ride, there is no flop to the steering despite the slack head angle and it rips berms like no ones business.It also climbs well too. I'm totally unfit at the moment so probably not pushing the bike anywhere its limits but it really has made me enjoy riding again.
One notable stand out point from last nights ride was me getting some air, Im normally a wheels on ground rider but we found this cheeky bombhole on one of the trails and jumping out the other side I was getting around 2 foot of air and landing it really smoothly.
In the next few weeks I might extend the fork out to 160mm and try a set of narrower and lighter tyres to see how that makes it feel.
If you are after a a decent long travel 29er hardtail then seriously give the Bfe Max some consideration
Cheers
Steve
Encouraging to hear as i'm currently in a market for something similar.
Very disappointed in the lack of pictures though.
I think if I was having problems getting a bottom bracket into a brand new frame due to a manufacturing fault, I'd want a new frame, not a t-shirt.
I think if I was having problems getting a bottom bracket into a brand new frame due to a manufacturing fault, I’d want a new frame, not a t-shirt.
It wasn't a manufacturing fault it was a combination of my hamfistedness and a slightly worn thread cutter.
To be fair to Cotic Cy also offered to pay for the frame to be re-chased after I'd messed up trying to fit the bottom bracket. Cant be fairer than that.
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try a set of narrower and lighter tyres to see how that makes it feel.
Don't. 2.4 is as small as I'd go, and you're a bigger guy than me. there's no advantage to be had by narrower tyres, especially on a hardtail.
FWIW my first couple of rides on my 2019 Clockwork (27.5) where the same. I'd bought a large, and between the wheels it looked enormous especially with 2.6's on it, then I sat on it an immediately thought the ridiculously small stem must be all wrong.
My handling experience then became similar to yours, very stable fast and fun. My Spark feels long and head down in comparison and is very much a speedboat versus battleship in comparison. Horses for courses...
very nice enjoy 👍🚴
Very nice. I recently bought a last of the older cosmic black LS geo Solaris. So impressed by how right everything has felt from the start.
Funny, I sat on mine and it felt normal right away, just had that bit of extra length I wanted over my old hardtail. I have 2.35 Schwalbes on it, which are kind of skinny looking compared to the Maxxis 2.5s I have on other bikes, I'm a bit suspicious of them, am considering wider ones
I screwed my BB in most of the way by hand, no issues with that at all.
Looks ace!
Sounds ace!
Looks lovely. So tempted, but its a shame they stopped doing them in that blue.
Proper hardtail that.
That looks like a cracking bike. Any bike that helps with air time can't be bad 😁
XR4 tyres are on the lighter side in the 2.4 version. I don't expect the 2.6 would be heavy.
It's the SE4 which has the sturdier casing.
XR4 tyres are on the lighter side in the 2.4 version. I don’t expect the 2.6 would be heavy.
It’s the SE4 which has the sturdier casing.
Thats interesting to know, I just presumed that as they were massive they would weigh a ton !
If anything you might want to go with heavier tyres, they could be a bit squirmy in corners.
I ran the 2.4 pumped up hard over lockdown and it was great though.
Now that is a nice hardtail...