Mine felt brilliant from the off. My first ride on it I was giggling like a kid and chucking it about all over the trail just because I could. Ditto the Rocket.

The Soda, however, was a different matter. Never really got on with it personally…

I came from the Kona Explosif school so I was an obvious candidate. Equally, I never gelled with my Cove Handjob.

There is no real rhyme or reason to these things I feel. It works or it doesn’t. No reason to beat yourself up about it neither.

The best thing is if you find its really a dud you will manage to get shot of it easily enough (same as I did with my Soda).

This thread is going to make some STWers self combust.

Mine is set up as an XC trainer that can do a bit more. 6′ on a large with quite a drop to straight bars.

Love it – very fast, very capable and ensures I don’t go all WW on it.

I’ve built it up with talas forks, hand built hope hubs with dt Swiss xr4.1d by Jenn Hopkins. Hope mono mini and m4 and xt throughout completed with hope finishing kit.

I grew up riding in the nineties and have my old 93 Kona as a yard stick. Maybe it’s not a fair one but I thought things would be more advanced these days 🙂

I was looking for something a bit more compliant than the Chameleon as I’m not getting any younger 🙂 I don’t like full suss and I don’t really think its needed on the South Downs.

It should tick all the right boxes. But doesn’t seem too 🙁 and I’m absolutely gutted. Wanted to find my frame for life.

Can’t really afford to swap and change bikes over lots as we have a little one on the way.

Maybe I just want too much out of a bike and am too fussy and should just get on with it.

I grew up riding in the nineties and have my old 93 Kona as a yard stick. Maybe it’s not a fair one but I thought things would be more advanced these days

They are, it’s called suspension! 😉

I realise this is getting into weird qualitative vs quantitative and perceptional considerations, but what exactly do you find unresponsive and lethargic about it? It is something that would be unavoidable with any less rigid frame? In other words, is this feel that you’re not so keen on, worth having for how it actually performs, especially on longer rides? Could how it feels to you be improved through component/set-up changes? Or does it fail to actually perform?

Seems to be the rear end not having a crispness or snap to it.

Good point though. I’ve not ridden it on anything over three hours.

I love mine , Mk 2 I did have a small which was too cramped and felt over the front but then I bought a medium with a 60mm stem and its spot on ! its more of a steady eddy ride but thats ok 🙂 I also have 120mm forks and its just right ! maybe you have the wrong size like I did ?

What tyres are you running, same as the Chameleon ? Draggy tyres will make a big difference to the feeling of responsiveness.
I’ve had a lot of bikes over the past 20 years or so and the Soul is the best hardtail I’ve ridden. The Chameleon is a typically harsh aluminium frame.