What would you do?

I've got my heart set on an orange 2010 Cotic Soul.

They're sold out until March now. But I can have black (fine but really like the orange one), or could go for a BFe…

I'm planning on running it at 140mm as a hardcore HT and doing the same things I'd do on my Five, just sometimes I fancy riding a HT… The BFe would make more sense you'd think but being only 11.5st and I'm pretty light on my gear anyway – the Soul should be more than up to it and much lighter to boot!

Apologies for the brain dump.

My head says wait until March for the orange Soul. My heart says, new bike, new bike, new bike and doesn't care whether it's a BFe or a black Soul…

Thoughts?

Black ones are faster. FACT.

buy a black one thru us, and we can arrange to have it repainted (there's a cost there tho!!)

Cheers 18bikes but honestly, I've had a hard enough time convincing the mrs that £470 is not an insane amount of money to spend on a steel HT as it is!

(as I broke into "but it's 853 and the geometry is sorted and it's a long term investment" she kind of folded her arms and gave me that look of "who are you **** kidding but fine, go on…")

go black, then repaint later? that spreads it a bit…

What you need is to order the 2010 in the colour you want, but have something special now that will help sate that desire for a new frame. So perhaps a new set of forks as well?

The colour really shouldn't matter but it often does. Black can look shabby quickly as the surface scratches show up really easily. Then again, March is a long way off.

I can empathise though. I've been waiting three months for my new frame and it should be here next week, but it's been a while coming!

ragley blue pig? – similar angles to your Five.

(much cheaper too)

Ive got an Orange BFe, but I thought the new ones were blue or grey?

Id just get a black one, if your not going to be thrashing it a bfe is a bit pointless tbh, a soul would be comfier

Doesnt matter about the paint anyway, it seems like a pretty shit job anyway so it will have all chipped off after a few hardcore rides

Yeah, see colour wouldn't matter if it was a 456 or something.

If I get a black one I know I won't bother getting it resprayed… it's going to be March isn't it? lol

Wait for the orange Cotic. I saw one at the Cycle Show and it looked superb. You'll be happier in the long run.

geetee, see mtbr, but post christmas – pre new year trip to cwm carn would be the perfect time to test your new bike!!!

I can't remember off the top of my head how tall you are Gary, but if you're slightly bigger than average then could this be an attractive third option?

http://www.dialledbikes.com/news.php?feed=/2009/11/03/prince-albert-clearance/

You could try and find a really early version that came in orange. I had frame number 5 in Orange and except for the stickers it looks nearly new. Takes 130mm forks, and Cy sells new stickers and of course you save loads of cash.

march isn't that far away- I would wait, orange bikes look great, black ones are a bit boring

If you can't wait until March for an orange Soul, just get the black one.

It is after all, only a colour, and still the same frame under the powder coat.

I was really upset when I got my Soul that I'd missed the end of the original run of orange ones by a fairly short time and so I had to get a black one. Go for the orange…

Have you ridden one? I don't understand why you would want to run a Soul at 140mm. They've got quite a steep head angle you know (for a hardcore HT).

Have you ridden one? I don't understand why you would want to run a Soul at 140mm. They've got quite a steep head angle you know (for a hardcore HT).

To make the head angle slacker?

Waiting 3 to 4 months for a differnet coloured bike seems absolutely pointless when you could buy it now and be riding the thing.

Yeh, i run my BFe at 120mm and it rides great. Dont know what you do on your 5, but I ran 150mm travel on the front of my Dialled in france, it rode well but i was on long, steep rough descents, wouldnt bother with 150mm over here on a hardtail unless i was just riding gnarly downhill. Shorter travel is the way forwards on a hardtail i reckon

if an orange soul is what your after then wait. you'll only be gutted if you see one out riding and it looks ace.

plus if you still have a bike then you can still ride (plus maybe aquire a few new bits to put on soul whilst waiting).

i had a bfe and loved it and only sold because of redundancy but will be getting a new bfe around march time.

jamie

My mates have just convinced me to wait for the orange while we were having lunch.

The reason for running it at 140mm is because it will have nigh on identical geo and riding position to my five. Which I quite like the idea of (this might not make sense to some people but sometimes I just want to ride a HT, sometimes FS, I don't want anything different from them really in terms of intended use).

how much does a sensible bfee weigh in at

If it were me I'd build a hardtail as soon as poss for the winter grind, and save my full susser for the summer. So black 😀

Oh, I have a Genesis iO which will be going to make way for the Soul so I'm not without a HT for the winter if I wait.

And the full suss is a Five so no worries about winter muck.

Make sure you try a Soul first. I think you might find it rides remarkably like the Genesis. Which might mean your wife's assessment was correct.

John, the iO is limited to 100mm and feels rather steep for a lot of my riding. It's also a bit short in the TT but I couldn't actually stand over the 19"

The Soul is nice and long but low at 17.5"

And tbh, the travel I run it at isn't set in stone. The Fox Float it will be running is currently at 100mm on the iO.

And I've ridden my mates Soul at 120mm so I know I'm happy with the frame and what size.

At 100mm the Soul feels very steep too.

But I won't be running it at 100mm.

why do people insist on 'a HT for the winter and save my FS for summer' WTF??

I ride my Heckler all year round in the Dark Peak, if local trails/sherwood etc them my HT comes out!

Don't understand a bike for 'winter'

oh yeah, wait for an orange and a put a White Revelation or Float on it and it will look sweet!

I believe the Soul will be around 68.5 in the head at 140mm which is the same as my Five and has the same Eff top tube.

why do people insist on 'a HT for the winter and save my FS for summer' WTF??

I generally concur, although if it's really shocking out, HT singlespeed is the ultimate in "I'll clean it later" biking.

Hmmm, I have a white superlight, try getting THAT to look like a bike and not some swamp monster after a day in the Highlands.

I'd wait and get what you want. Just waited over six week for my new raw 5 Spot frame and so glad I did.

Bugger! I was so close to reserving one, but thought waiting til after xmas and grab a test :cry:. I've been trying to decide between a soul and a blue pig (PA would also be right up there if they had any!)for weeks. It seems the decisions just been made a whole lot easier :D.

Perhaps someone 'in the know' would like to comment on whether or not more HT frames are sold at this time of year. If so then why have three very popular british manufacters had low/no stock issues over the first(and potentially last winter) months. Perhaps I'm being a little unfair. Small companies have to buy in relatively small batch's which will get sold. It's just frustrating having money burning a hole in my pocket with no one to give it to 😀 Still it's not really a bad position to be in!

Get a black one like a sensible person.

get a black one. however if you really want an orange one march is a great time to get one. my maiden ride on my black soul was on march 1st 3 1/2 years ago. i sure as hell knew it would be a truly great summer on the trails. still riding it.

mwleeds – Premier Member
Perhaps someone 'in the know' would like to comment on whether or not more HT frames are sold at this time of year. If so then why have three very popular british manufacters had low/no stock issues over the first(and potentially last winter) months.

MW, I'm in the know about Dialled Bikes but not much else! It's sod's law really when stuff is fully stocked or not stocked at all, rather than any master plan based on sales patterns. For Dialled Bikes, finances and space dictate when more stuff is ordered. Prince Alberts are on order and will be back in stock around Spring 2010.

harrumph.

more of a dilemma would be a soda or two kidneys…