Yes, it’s another bloody Cotic Soul! I’d put up some photos but I don’t think I could cope with the flood of garage maintenance/decoration/cleaning advice. It’s made of these bits:

Cotic Soul (orange, medium, had it almost exactly a year from new)
And then in order of acquisition, from the most recent… (everything is black unless otherwise specified)

Hope Race M4 Evo brakes with 180/160 floating rotors
Easton Haven Carbon 711mm bars
Renthal Duo 50mm stem
ODI Troy Lee grips
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N-Gear Jump Stop [1×9 time]
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Truvativ 32t bashring (delft!)
Deore 32t chainring [was 36t before]
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Thomson seatpost clamp [Hope QR was annoying]
DMR Vaults (silver) [broke V12s, love these]
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Fox Float 140RL 
Stans Flow rims
Hope Pro2 Evo hubs 
11-34 cassette
[big forks and stiff wheels – replaced 100mm Reba and XC wheels]
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Hope headset [new frame, different headset ‘standard]
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Gravity Dropper Classic [w00t!]
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Charge Spoon Ti [broke the Boardman saddle]
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Hope bottom bracket [Truvativ was made of cheese…]
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Truvativ cranks
SRAM X0 med. cage mech  [if they ain’t broke…]

rubbish pics 😆

And there’s a SRAM X9 shifter too – sadly not got one of those cutting-edge mind-controlled mechs…

ah so you’re 1×9 with 32/34 combo?

I’ve gone the same route with my soul with a 32T renthal ring and the chain held on by a superstar guide (top only).

Are the flows a bit overkill for a soul? I’ve only had my frame a few weeks but i’m not sure how far i can push it! After always riding full sus i’m worried how hard i can hit rocky sections.

rare beast on here ha! no pics! ha! listing ordinary stuff. ha! you fail sir.

ah so you’re 1×9 with 32/34 combo?

I’ve gone the same route with my soul with a 32T renthal ring and the chain held on by a superstar guide (top only).

Yes. Was 36/22 11-34, then 32/22 11-34, then realised I didn’t need the 22t now I had a 32t ‘middle’ ring, so ditched the shifter, mech and granny and added the N-Gear Jump Stop. Will swap the Deore ring for a Renthal or suchlike when it wears out (2016?)

Are the flows a bit overkill for a soul? I’ve only had my frame a few weeks but i’m not sure how far i can push it! After always riding full sus i’m worried how hard i can hit rocky sections

The only thing that ever worries me about hitting things hard is me staying on the bike! It’s a strong frame, especially in this newest version, and the Flows are wide, pretty light and pretty strong. Which reminds me, I forgot the tyres – pre 2012 Bontrager XR4 2.2 (the BIG ones). Tubeless with Stans tape and Caffelatex sealant.

This year I’m booked in for three Enduro races, one XC race and a one-to-one session with Jedi to learn how to fly better, so it doesn’t have an easy life (this is my only MTB). Also thinking about entering some local DH races…

Your square brackets could do with lining up a bit.

Try & take the lense cap off next time !

Well, as you’re all so nice…

Brill, except the position of the saddle looks really silly. Why is it where it is?

Flows + Soul = Fun

Loving the OP’s bike 8)

Your lawn’s a bit flourescent in colour and seems to have “push bar to open” written on it.
Apart from that – nice!

With the 1×10, do you miss the top end – do you spin out much?

The saddle’s where it is because that’s where I pedal best (when seated at least – I stand up a lot). If I stayed seated when cornering or descending then it would be too far forwards for good handling but I don’t so it’s just more out of the way when I need to drop my hips behind it. Isn’t the fork length more problematic? 😉

Spinning out hasn’t been a problem, can hit about 25 mph before my legs are going too fast and then gravity and pumping can take over! It’s actually 1×9 but as I need some gears for old frame it’s going 1×10 and the old parts will shift onto that. Don’t need the extra low ratio of 1×10 normally but it’ll be useful on the one XC race I have planned this year (Big Dog!)

I have to say I’m ridiculously thrilled with it – just rides SO well! Part of me wonders if I should have bought a BFe but I’m not that brave or heavy a rider. Working on basic jumping with the forks locked on my commute but normally it’s ragging singletrack as fast as possible.

The new tweaks are feeling very nice – I can’t believe how much stiffer the Haven Carbon bars and Renthal stem are – I had no idea how much the old bars and stem were flexing when stomping uphill or pushing it downhill. At a guess I’d say they feel about five times as stiff! Top tip for Renthal stems – grease the faces where the upper and lower halves meet to avoid hideous creaking.

And the Hope Race Evo M4 brakes are a masterpiece – they work even better than they look. Tons of power but so easily modulated, I have never skidded so little as I have these last three rides. Finished last night’s ride feeling like a riding god (which anyone who knows me can confirm is many many leagues from the truth). Still, in my own little world my just under 26.5lb hardtail was whizzing uphill like I had someone better’s legs and downhill, round the bends and over the jumps and drops like I was properly in the zone. Even saved two completely tail out slides which would normally have ended very messily…

Thanks to Freedom Bikes for many of the bits and much of the spannering (I spend my dayjob wielding tools and thus fiddling with bike builds is a bit too much of a busman’s holiday).

Love the colour of those doors.

Working on basic jumping

Get some shorter forks, they’re better for jumping!

Love the colour of those doors.

They’re always popular!

Click and scroll down for more door love. Sadly doesn’t quite colour-match the Hope brake highlights…

Get some shorter forks, they’re better for jumping!

If they’re locked does it make any difference?