I spent some time debating this very question when I was treating myself to a retirement present earlier this year. I was looking for something similar in shape and weight to my Gary Fisher Big Sur but with upgraded geometry and wheel size! I wanted to buy a frame only and build it up myself.
My shortlist included the Pace RC127, Cotic Soul 27.5, Bird Zero TR and Orange P7. In the end I decided that the Cotic would suit my riding aspirations and that the others were too ‘radical’ for me. The Soul is optimized for a 120mm fork while the others tend to default to 140mm. (Merlin also were selling 120mm Rebas for a good price). The Soul was also the lightest of the steel frames.
Other factors include such details as cable routing – the Pace is particularly unpleasant, to my pedantic eye, in this area.
I’ve had the Cotic a few weeks now and I have to say that it is a most pleasant ride.
In fact Mrs Fruitbat decided that she needed an immediate upgrade too (rather than wait for her retirement) – so I built her an orange one.
Here’s mine –
and here’s her’s –