Horses for courses. I tried a Soul. I really couldn’t see what the fuss was about. Yet countless other riders would disagree. It’s the same when you swap bikes during a ride. Yours won’t suit and vice versa.

If you see the BFe (26er at least) as a bigger wheeled off-road BMX you won’t go far wrong. I have an XS (5’6″) and it’s a hoot round the woods and coped with the downhills of Wales, the Lakes and Nevis Red just fine, but as said above you have to be prepared to manhandle it a bit to ‘get’ it. If you just pootle around it can feel a bit sluggish and harsh.

Had a 26 Bfe, now got a 26″ Slackline. Bfe frame lighter and had to put more effort in to handle it down a trail which could be seen as more fun. It was manoeuvrable and easy to throw into really tight corners but unlike the Soul the rear end just felt dead and the front end drifted out with anything more than a 130 unlike the Slackline even 160. The Slacky is more stable at speed, I can feel the rear coming round with the rest of the bike, goes round corners just as hard and generally feels both burlier and more sophisticated at its intended use.