I currently ride a Dialled Alpine (17/22) and its a quality bike, however, I find myself riding less dh type stuff and more xc than i used to and to be honest its a bit short in the top tube.

I've been looking at the Cotics and they look like a similar sort of crack but a bit more xc orientated. How do they ride compared to the Alpine?

I fancy something with a slightly steeper head angle, shorter chainstays and longer top tube so the Cotic fits the bill.

Are they still ok for jumps and the like? even though the top tube is pretty long on the 18inch

What travel do they work best with? Currently got 130mm Z1's

Are there any decent alternatives?

I think I want something with shortish chainstays (around 16.5inch like my old DMR) so that discounts any on ones or Dialle PA's

Any one have a BFe for sale?

Anything else?

Ta

get it up yer

I've had a small Bfe for a couple of months now (alongside my med. Soda). It's very similar in concept to the Dialled, but I can't compare directly as I've not ridden an Alpine. It ate up everything Trail Addiction could point me down over a fortnight in Les Arcs, and although technically too small, it's still pretty manageable on most climbs.

There's absolutely no issues with jumps, drops etc – I've chucked mine off all sorts of things, and frankly it's tougher than I am. My medium Soda is still quite chuckable too (I'm 5'10") and I'm pretty happy jumping that, although obviously I start to feel the limits a little earlier than the Bfe…

Travel? Well mine is running 160mm Lyrics… 130 works well on the Soda, and anything above 100mm is fine.

To be honest, if you want something a little more XC orientated, you might find a BFe overkill – a standard Soul is plenty tough unless you're a complete Gorilla (I specifically wanted a BFe as a bike I could abuse mightily). If you could manage to keep both the Alpine and a Soul, I suspect you'd find they complement each other really well.

Forgot to put a pic up…

Thanks for the reply. I also rode my Alpine in the Alps and it was spot on, but for most of the stuff I do in the UK its perhaps a bit small.

As for the Soul, I dont think I'd feel confident riding a 4lb xc on jumps and dh tracks. Im sure its pretty strong but I've broken my fair share of frames in the past so I dont mind the added weight of the BFe if I know its doing to last. I also cant be bothered with having to maintain two bikes and I imagine if I did have a soul then the Alpine would only get used for dh, in which case I may aswell have a proper dh bike.

Im 6 foot 2 so Im thinking the larger of the two Bfe's would be ok size wise. I noticed on the Cotic site that the BFe now comes in at 17.5inch rather than 18. Is that the only difference? Or has tt length been altered?

They've always been 17.5 to my knowledge. TT is what, 23.25? Same as a medium Soul/Soda.

Cy's either 6'2" or 6'3" and he rides that size, so it should be about right.

Nice pic, is it the shed drop at Alp D Huez?

I imagine that size will be fine since Im mega tall.

Had my small Bfe for about 8 months, love it, it takes anything i can throw at it (or throw it off).
Got a long thomson seatpost for it as well and do alot of all day rides on it, maybe a little short for proper all day stuff/climbing but i'm used to it.
140mm u-turn pikes on mine.
I may get some 160mm travel forks for it in the future and turn it into a proper dh hardtail.

😀

Genesis Alpitude? Can do pretty much anything you throw at it. Awesome in the Alps (Les Arcs) . I use mine for 50k plus rides often and it climbs very well, not fast bit will get up most things. I have U-turn 130 revs on it at the moment but getting some Pikes on it next week.

I even did a 24 solo on mine.

I've been looking at a BFe as well. The alpine I thought was a bit short in the TT (I bought a 15/21). TBH one big thing I've noticed about the Alpine is the BB is high 14" with my 66s'ls on set to 150mm.

I'm trying to ride the Alpine as much as possible to see if i should swap it for another but with a longet TT (new ones are 22.25" for the 16") or look at a BFe.

I'm lucky in as much as I already have a Soul for my normal riding.

The latest batch from Mike are longer in the TT for the 18" i think they are 23.25" aren't they.

That might be another alternative.

TBH I think both the Alpine and BFe are designed and built for the same thing. Both could be a good all day ride if built light and a long enough TT. But basically both are built to get ragged!

Yeh, the Alptitude is nice but it looks too much like an xc hardtail, not for me really.

The new Alpines will probably be too long, 23.25 TT with a steep seat angle means it will work out even longer than a BFe when stood up on the pedals. Plus the back end is long so the wheelbase will be huge. The 16 will be too small for a good saddle height.

The cotic seems good cos it has short chainstays like my old trailstar used to have.

I also want to run a shorter travel fork, the 130mmm at the moment is good for rocky stuff in the lake district, but for travel centres and stuff (like glentress) it is a bit over kill. Would prefer to be running abtout 100mm of travel or just over.

Here's my small BFe. been riding it for 8 months now and its bl00dy marvellous. As you can see it's built up for more of a xc/am feel rather than dh. I'm running 140mm vanillas up front and am very happy.

There are no trail centres round here in this part of Norway and it gets ragged on very difficult and technical natural trails. By far the best hardtail i've had.

I think I want something with shortish chainstays (around 16.5inch like my old DMR) so that discounts any on ones or Dialle PA's

PA has 16.7" chainstays and would seem to fit all of your other requirements? It's only 5mm!

Yeh the PA is an option but i'd prefer he shorter stays and the extra length on the seat tube. The 19inch PA would be a bit of a gate.

not that i have the funds(yet).but if i was interested in buying a BFe frame.how much would i be looking at,and also how could i try one/order one(i do not have a credit card/direct debit acount.)thanks. 🙂

I love mine!

I've a Marz AM-SL1 (120-160) fork, short stem and wide bars. Great setup for everything, from long XC rides to fast twisty foresty fun to the pounding I gave it at Aonach Mor last week.

Haven't ridden anything similar for a comparison I'm afraid. Reckon it could jump and drop things way bigger than I have the cojones for.

Yeh the PA is an option but i'd prefer he shorter stays and the extra length on the seat tube. The 19inch PA would be a bit of a gate.

I dunno, I did a seasons guiding around Whistler on my 18" Dialled 853 PA, ridden in Whistler Bike Park, double black trails on the North Shore and most importantly, gone off the Chicksands Ladder Drop which is one of the sickest stunts on the planet and never had any issues. I never bothered measuring the chainstay length on the PA or the Cotic Soul (same geo as a BFe)that I had before, but I never thought 'OMG these stays on the PA feel at least 1/8" longer than the Soul, shit I'm going to die!!'.
A head tube is just something that stops your forks falling on the floor. I think you can now buy different length / rise stems and bars to put your hands in the right place, but I might be wrong.

LOL @ Walleater.

How's it hanging chap?

Hi Jon, All's good thanks. Now married and living in Vancouver. We've spent months filling out immigration forms and just gotta wait for the outcome now. Have you been back to Canada?