No more Soul 26″ 😕

Just read this myself. Very sad, an end of an era.

My rather battered Mk 1 will get some extra love.

26″ will be the Vinyl of mountain-biking. You read it here first.

Phew! Good job Mrs W got her 26″ Soul the other week then 😀

I am genuinely shocked at how suddenly the 26″ bikes seem to be disappearing. All those horror stories about it vanishing seem to be coming true.

Although a recent convert to a 29 er, I did feel it was less nimble to the rest of the fleet , which are 26 ers, for my Swinley ride last weekend and that the C456 would have been a much better choice, although I wanted to try it out and see for myself.

I am genuinely shocked at how suddenly the 26″ bikes seem to be disappearing.

Nothing sudden about it, in 2010 in the USA, 29ers were outselling 26 in the mid to up market segments. The introduction of 650B has then speeded the demise of 26″. Cotic were already behind the curve when they put out that daft advert.

Yeah, I know the Americans have long had it in for 26″, but over here 29″ seemed much more of a niche (let’s please not get into a better/worse debate here!) until very recently. I did an event a few weeks back in Surrey and was looking at wheel-sizes (as you do), unscientifically I would say that almost every bike was 26″ – they do seem to predominate. I guess my point is that sadly I think that is now going to change very quickly.

(Caveat – I do confess that I own a 29er – I wanted to try one despite my heavy 29-scepticism and bought it as an ex-demo on a whim. And yes, it’s a Cotic).

Cotic were already behind the curve when they put out that daft advert.

Daft?
155000 views on Vimeo
127000 view on youtube
Driving people to Cotic to see what other products they do.
Struck a chord in the UK as that was the point in time it was beginning to change.

Job done I’d say.

Not to mention that there are still more BFe26* being made… and how old is the video now?

*the daft bike in the daft video

Nothing sudden about it, in 2010 in the USA, 29ers were outselling 26 in the mid to up market segments. The introduction of 650B has then speeded the demise of 26″. Cotic were already behind the curve when they put out that daft advert.

Lots of things happen over there, and we don’t follow suit, tbf.

Lots of things happen over there, and we don’t follow suit, tbf.

Name some.

Guns 😉

baseball…well i suppose it is rounders

Name some

Bad chocolate, shooting the homeless, everyone driving V8 cars….

Lots of things happen over there, and we don’t follow suit, tbf.

MTB wise?

Was going to say shite beer, but lots of their microbrewery stuff is awesome now. 😀

Change is driven by the people who actually buy things, not those who keep on using their old stuff and harping on about how good it is.

If people were still buying 26″ Souls, there would be no reason to stop making them.

Okay, MTB wise. We can still buy steel hardtails?. 😀

Edit – No decent mud clearance?

simon_g – Member
Change is driven by the people who actually buy things, not those who keep on using their old stuff and harping on about how good it is

Except, of course in this case, where it was driven by the industry.

MTB Wise? All sorts that they do that we don’t.

Long stems.
Being vastly more interested in climbing than descending.
Steep head angles (they have only just started catching up).
Short bikes (again, they are just starting to get it).
Lycra in the majority of circumstances.

Americans are really quite different to us in bike terms, look how long it’s taken Santa Cruz and Specialized to make long, slack bikes like Orange Alpines, Commencals etc.

Cotic were already behind the curve when they put out that daft advert.
Daft?
155000 views on Vimeo
127000 view on youtube
Driving people to Cotic to see what other products they do.
Struck a chord in the UK as that was the point in time it was beginning to change.
Job done I’d say.

Yea, so popular they can’t shift them according to their own website & aren’t making anymore

Having said that I bought my first 26″ wheel since 2009 this morning 🙂

wonder if my 2013 Soul will become a collectors item and start increasing in value 🙂

wonder if my 2013 Soul will become a collectors item and start increasing in value

to a museum maybe 😉

Shame really, a few big boys have come in with their latest thing and smaller companies have to scrap perfectly good models because people washed away with marketing and won’t buy their perfectly good bikes with a perfectly good wheel size.

I’m beginning to think that the consumer is also the idiot in all this as well as the bike industry. Seems like there’s a lot of suckers out there.

The (Mk1) 26″ Soul is not dead until MrsMC says that:

a) it is; and

b) I can have something to replace it.

Maybe Cy could drop her an email on my behalf?

Yea, so popular they can’t shift them according to their own website and aren’t making anymore.

Did you up miss the bit where the daft bike in the daft video is selling well and they are making more?

If anything the fact more BFe26 are being made but not more Soul26 suggests that daft video might have lengthened the life of the BFe26 due to extra interest sent Cotic’s way. Still seems weird that you have to point out to people with a daft video that a 26 bike might be fun/useful/relevant, but then I suppose there’s a constant drip drip of marketing and drivel from people on the forums to have to counteract.

p20 looks like we have to get the Souls out and my 26 ain’t dead tshirt for a memorial ride at the weekend!

This is what happens when most consumers out there are suckers! A bit of flashy marketing and they lap up a new pointless standard that provides nothing more than the opportunity to empty their wallet on new wheels, frames, forks and tyres!

Unfortunately this then has a negative impact on the people who aren’t complete mugs as companies have flogged enough crap, they can withdraw the older standard to try and force everyone into buying new gear!

This was not lead by consumers, it was because the big companies stopped making 26ers. Even if you opted for the smaller brands you were worried about future upgrade compatibility.

A bit of flashy marketing and they lap up a new pointless standard that provides nothing more than the opportunity to empty their wallet on new wheels, frames, forks and tyres!

It’s not that we’re lapping it up due to marketing – we’re not being given the choice. People are buying 27.5 because it’s in the shops, not because they prefer it.

Time will tell how long 26 remains supporetd by tyre, rim and fork manufacturers.

Time will tell how long 26 remains supporetd by tyre, rim and fork manufacturers.

It’ll probably completely disappear like 8 speed and v-brakes…

Time will tell how long 26 remains supporetd by tyre, rim and fork manufacturers.

Not for long I expect. A fair few people that I know, including myself, who have 26in bikes are now hoarding parts for the expected future famine. Forks especially, getting your hands on a new pair of 26in 1,1/8th forks is already becoming a pain. In any case I can’t get rid of my 26in bikes as I’ve got a garage full of barely used tyres left to wear out.

I’m going to be in trouble then. I bought 3 expensive MTBs with insurance money in 2007. That’s going to cost a fair bit to modernise.

There’s a chance I could get 27.5 into my race bike.

Who’s going to be the first company to make a “retro” 26?

i like 26″ bikes,and find it sad that they are being discontinued by the industry.

an not tall,so 26″ is ideal for me.

You can still buy 650a tyres, and 27″. Along with rims. It’ll be fine.

It’s a question of choice though. Can I still get the tyres/forks I actually want in my size?

Most of the guys I ride with are still on 26’ers and 29’ers – none of them have even considered 27.5 as far as I know! I still see a lot of 26’ers but also when when the weather is good and the whole world descends on Surrey Hills I see a lot of 27.5’ers, difficult to tell if one is wining over the other.

I agree though there seems to have been a big push from some companies wrt 27.5, almost like we better get on the bandwagon or get left behind and it’s nice to see some companies still maintain a 26′ fleet.

the latest article on PB does not make life any easier for 26’ers either
and just seems like more guff for us to buy into

27.5plus forks!