so here’s the story….

Good mate of mine gave me a nice pair of Marzocchi 66 air wind down adjust 26 inch for with a 1.5 steerer.I have had them for about 3 years and haven’t sold them for that just incase
project.

so this year I am off to Morzine so I have been looking to build a bike.

scouring the Web at forum’s and auctions sites was looking at getting a 2nd hand full sus frames,I was quite suprised at the price they were going for… so this brought me to were I am now which is considering a a long travel hard tail.

Basically would run the bike 1 x 10 with a dropper.wouldnt be the main bike other bikes a giant 29er xtc(10kg thing)

how do they ride compared to there full sus brothers?

what are they like on typically UK (swinger south Downs) type stuff?

best all rounder?

from what I understand the bfe has a shorter rear end but is slightly steeper angles?

feed back appreciated

excuse any typos doing it via mobile

many thanks

liam

I’ve had both and without doubt the best all rounder is the BFe

The Alpine I had went DH like a tramp on chips though :D, but I felt always had a high BB for every day riding around.

Both are bullet proof.

any excuse for a picky

oh and I couldn’t ride either of them at the limits they deserved. 🙁

[url=https://flic.kr/p/6sdk87]IMGP1131[/url] by eastham_david, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/7Sv88H]IMG_2923[/url] by eastham_david, on Flickr

Not sure if either bikes of the earlier versions accept a 1.5″ fork in the steerer tube (later ones are 44 head tube so would be ok)
BFE is a good all rounder, I prefered mine at 120-140 (old pikes). I thought the Alpine which I had (mark2) was a great bike it had 55 Marzocchi (160mm) and climbed pretty well considering. Both make a good choice.

Just make sure whichever you get has a big enough headtube for the 1.5″ steerer! BFe Mk3 does, don’t think earlier ones do. Not sure about the Alpine. BFe great for woodland singletrack ragging with 140s.

not that it’s the be all and end all what sort of weight are you getting complete?

also checking both websites as far as I can tell from reading they can both take 1.5 with external head sets

as for steerer on my forks it’s rather long

My not particularly light medium BFe Mk 3 build (150-140 Revs, Reverb, XT brakes, Zee 1×10 drivetrain with NW, hope pro II, HD tubeless on flows) comes in around 13Kg.

I’ve not ridden an Alpine but my BFe has been great at both steeper South Downs stuff like Rogate, Staunton and the back of QECP and more benign local stuff.

Neither. Get a production privee shan. Love mine and it takes a 160mm fork. (Pikes on mine) the new frame comes with 26 and 650b dropouts.

maybe i’m biased but the Alpine.

friend had a Bfe and it snapped at the chainstay. Cotic offered him a new frame… for RRP. needless to say he now longer rides a Bfe

after years of not washing my old MKI Alpine i discovered a tiny hairline crack on the downtube gusset. Mike @ DB offered me a new MKII frame for cost.

Alpine is slacker which is probably better suited to the Alps. i live on the edge of the Alps so suits me fine.

as i understand it the Bfe has the same geo as the Soul which is intended for a 120-130mm fork. the Bfe just has beefed up tubes.

also, Alpine has 853 tubing, not sure if the Bfe does.

i prefer the look of the Alpine over the Bfe, too…. looks more fit-for-purpose.

The Bfe is great on the descents and steep stuff and for jumps etc – but I find it to be quite tedious to peddle around but then again the frame comes up small for me and I built it heavy (but will change the build in due course).

It’s built tough and can withstand a lot of abuse.

I run mine with Fox Talas 110-130-150mm. I’d agree that it runs best probably around the 140mm mark.

Had my Alpine, what, 7-8 years now? One of the very first ones. And it’s just an absolute hoot of a bike, had so much fun with it. It’s robably a bit tired now, but if anything happened to it, I’d just buy another one. Never ridden a BFE, so can’t give a comparison between them. But Alpine = ace!

Both are utter shit as “all rounders” with marzocchi 66s

 
“Both are utter shit as “all rounders” with marzocchi 66s”

whether or not this is true will remain to be seen …

the reason for using a 66 is because i have them and am trying to be resourceful and use what I have.

I think with them wound down to 130mm it should ride fine abliet being a bit front heavy

I’ve a barely used Lg sized Bfe with a hope headset, if that’s the size your after OP?

The Alpine is designed around a long fork geometry wise, the BFe is just a beefed up Soul which is designed around a 140mm fork….that should tell you all you need to know.

If I had a 140mm fork I’d get a Soul, you have a 160mm fork so should buy the Alpine.

You need a late model as early ones were 1 1/8 steerer only, I had an early one…..great bike due to lovely delicate tubing and a comfy (flexy?) 27.2 mm seat tube but modern ones might have lost that?!

I struggle to see the point of the BFe really, if the geometry had been moved on from the Soul to take a longer fork then I’d understand but all Cotic did was strengthen the frame instead and say: now you can run a long fork and it won’t break!….

Seems a half arsed job to me, no change to the head angle, no redesign ensuring a lower BB with a longer fork etc….

I cannot comment on the alpine but had a bfe, I tried it at 160,140 & 130. The later was the best and it felt weird at 160. Like deviant I think it’s a half arsed go by cotic. I have a stanton switchback ti and that is a very different beast to the bfe. Slack with suitably low Bb. Looking at the numbers I would go with the alpine, could do with being a bit slacker for me though.

I’d go full suss for Morzine. I’ve run a HT there twice and you just get battered.

Firstly I would agree with Reggie, the ground is so hard in the Alps that after a few days you’ll be beaten up on a HT

I have a BFe, great bike its the one I ride most of the time – xc to Surrey Hills trails. The Alpine was designed with a more DH flavour so of the two bikes I would go with the Alpine if the Alps trip is your main focus. For the UK riding and all rounder the BFe would shade it for me.

the ground is so hard in the Alps that after a few days you’ll be beaten up on a HT if you follow the same lines as people on Full Sussers

Fixed that for you.

I spent a summer ragging a Dialled Prince Albert round the alps/garda/pyrennes/slovenia/etc. You just have to pick your lines properly.

Worth taking a spare rear wheel/spokes though just in case you you get it wrong though.

For Alpine duties I’d get the Alpine, Ash and the lads at Trailaddiction used to use them as their day in day out rides.

So Bill when you come across a massive carpet of roots covering the whole trail what’s your line, I imagine you just bunny hop the whole lot ? You are quite right that TA used to use them, however they’ve been on Nukeproof FSers for quite a few years now. If an NT is all you have fair enough but building one to take on such a holiday is a bit mad. As I said I ride my BFe 90% of the time but a typical 2-4 hour Surrey Hills ride isn’t the same as 8 hours day in day out.

I struggle to see the point of the BFe really

Short travel tank, no? Good for drops & jumps/4x style stuff.
Less likey to fold than a Soul.

I’ve got a Mk3 Alpine (which is the one you’ll need to fit 1.5inch steerer forks), mine is built up with new Pikes at 150mm which i’d say is a little too much for everyday but for where i ride works well.

Before this i had a Mk2 Alpine with 140mm old Pikes which was about right. I did try it with u-turn Lyriks, but at 160mm it was a bit silly.

For the Alps trip i’d say an Alpine would be great. Can’t comment on the BfE as i’ve never ridden one.

Seems a half arsed job to me, no change to the head angle, no redesign ensuring a lower BB with a longer fork etc….

The Soul geometry is decent, the BFe just means you can case doubles without a fear of it breaking. Not really half arsed, you can fit 160mm forks if you want (you wouldn’t want to), but it won’t ride well. If they designed it around a 160mm fork then it’d be shite with a 100mm fork.

For longer forks, the Alpine is the bike for you; a great downhill hardtail.

I have had a Mk1 Alpine for years now. I have some old Marzocchi Z1 FR ETA 150mm forks on it. It’s not the lightest bike/build out there, but I’ve taken it to the Alps and I take it on XC rides in the North Downs and Surrey Hills quite happily; even on quite flat riding it can be a lot of fun. I can’t comment on a BFe, but I do have a Soul, and of the two I always favour the Alpine if I am riding somewhere I don’t know, as it is just more confidence inspiring.

is it worth Considering the Stanton slack line at all?

For longer forks, the Alpine is the bike for you; a great downhill hardtail.

Agreed.

Only thing I would say is this, I followed up my Dialled Alpine with an On-One 456-evo and it was better than the Alpine….there I said it.

Very similar bikes but the 456-evo took things forward with a lower BB and slacker head angle, it retained the delicate 1 1/8 head tube and 27.2 mm seat tube which is part of what historically made steel hardtails fun to ride (springy, flexy feel etc) but could still take a long fork and crash through stuff with the best of them.

You’ll find frames for less than £100 on eBay now.

is it worth Considering the Stanton slack line at all?

I have one, love it. Dead short chainstays but tonnes of clearance for big volume tyres. Run mine at 130mm with a sektor fork but that’s a mini compromise for climbing. If it’s downhill orientated then 140/150 may suit better. And it has a 44mm headtube

here is were I’m at

from what people have said all the bikes are capable and will be a hoot.

looks wise I prefer the cotic/stanton.

the dialed is probably the pefect alp bike how ever it’s a little more pricey and I think it’s marmite looks wise

that’s were the stanton and cotic are very good!

decisions decisions