So on the day that Cotic announced the demise of the Soul 26, I put the finishing touches to mine. Frame was 2nd hand from here (though its immaculate). Forks were from the On-one sale. Seatopost came from the wifes Nicolai split.
I’ve ridden it couple of times with the old forks from my Carbon 456 and a carbon post and found it to be brilliant. A great alternative to my default option of just grabbing the Liteville.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/rmddpV]DSC_0020-1[/url] by ritcheyp20, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/rmddxR]DSC_0022-1[/url] by ritcheyp20, on Flickr

(the decking is a job for the coming weeks…..)

Nice

Very nice enjoy

Very nice. What length are those forks?

Very nice. 🙂

Looks like mine only different!

Nah, looks more like better than mine

Nice like the white rims, don’t see many white Stans about now

Very nice bike there,
I just got one myself off here 3 weeks ago. Love it. I would put a pic up but I’m still not to sure how haha.

Cheers!

roverpig – Member

Very nice. What length are those forks?

They’re Reba Solo Air 120mm. I had an old pair of Fox Vanillas 140mm on and it felt fine

MTB Rob – Member

Nice like the white rims, don’t see many white Stans about now

I actually don’t like them….they came of the C456, but they’re too good to justify changing them 😕

Pointing on the list too?

Nice…bar the pink hub.

Wish I still had mine 🙁

Pink hub looks a little incongruous but other than that, very nice indeed. There’s something very pleasing on the eye with a long’ish legged steel HT.

What hubs are they? Personally don’t care for the wheel rims, but a lovely bike nonetheless. Enjoy!

The hubs are Chris King. I bought them separately 2nd hand a few years ago.
Spec:
Cotic Soul Mk3 medium
Rockshox Reba Solo Air RL 2015 120mm
Chris King Headset
Chris King Hubs on Stans Crests
Race face Deus XC cranks, Hope N/W ring 32t
Chris King bottom bracket
XT Cassette, chain and shifter
Uno 70mm stem
Easton Ea70 bars
Hope Mono4 180/180 brakes
WTB Rocket saddle
Rockshox Reverb post.
Thomson seat clamp

The missing detail here…It is in part inspired by the wife’s Soul (ok that the OP bought for me!)

😛

I love my duck egg but the orange does look cool.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/rEPATR]tasha wedding low__0414[/url] by ritcheyp20, on Flickr

OP

We are MTB soul mates separated by hundreds of km but joined by STW (choking back the tears).

Personally very happy with both.

26 Soul and now the Liteville has 26 in the rear too.

Vonplatz, I’ll be interested to see what you make of the two. I’d been riding the Cotic a few times and really got into the handling and loving having a nice steel hardtail. Got back on the Liteville this week for Afan, BPW and Cwncarn. Initially the 301 felt cumbersome and slow to respond, but once into it, it’s s bloody awesome bike, but completely different character to the Soul

Just genuinely lolled at:

Seatpost came from the wifes Nicolai split

I’m 41 and should grow up.

Not saying ‘lolled’ would be a start…

Waiting on a Bfe…

this isn’t helping really. Nice build OP

Ooh – nice! I also have a Liteville 301 and my Dialled PA is about to die (worn out seat tube). I’m seriously thinking about a 26″ Soul.

You have re-ignited this fire. Damn you! 😉

Enjoy the ride!

I’d been riding the Cotic a few times and really got into the handling and loving having a nice steel hardtail. Got back on the Liteville this week for Afan, BPW and Cwncarn. Initially the 301 felt cumbersome and slow to respond, but once into it, it’s s bloody awesome bike, but completely different character to the Soul

So much of this.

I have a 2015 Giant Trance with 160mm forks but constantly find myself riding my Ragley HT, theres nothing wrong with the Trance, its a very very good bike but bugger me the Ragley rides so well.

The Souls in this thread look great, always wanted one but none ever came along when i was looking to buy….my HT is on 26 inch wheels too, it just feels right….like a pumped up BMX, as all hardtails should!

Ferrit, I had a Dialled Love/hate a few years ago, although pleasant to ride I didn’t get on with it. It never felt like one of my bikes. The Soul is completely different. (Yes I know it’s more expensive….)

ferrit – Member
Ooh – nice! I also have a Liteville 301 and my Dialled PA is about to die (worn out seat tube).

How do you wear out a seat tube??

P20 – you’re not helping here! Think a Soul is in the pipeline…

Andy R – frame ridden 3-4 times a week in Scottish mud and slop with constant seat up/down – seat tube wears inside so that no matter how hard you clamp the post, it always slips. A right pain.

Vonplatz, I’ll be interested to see what you make of the two. I’d been riding the Cotic a few times and really got into the handling and loving having a nice steel hardtail. Got back on the Liteville this week for Afan, BPW and Cwncarn. Initially the 301 felt cumbersome and slow to respond, but once into it, it’s s bloody awesome bike, but completely different character to the Soul

They are very different beasts of course. I generally ride them in different places saving the Liteville for big mountain days and using the Soul for bombing about local woods/more of an XC bent.

The Liteville is bigger, heavier and definitely needs more body language to heave about but I’d rather be on the german bike when heading full pelt through a rock garden or hitting some nasty routes. The soul is responsive and give a real sense of connection to the terrain.

I have no strava data to back this up but the soul definitely feels faster on trails it (or me on it) can handle. One of the worst crashes I’ve ever had was on the soul. It was the penultimate day of term and the next day I was about to start my summer holiday, went out with a mate and I was feeling really quick on all the ups but especially the downs. On the last descent before hitting the bar I messed up a small jump at full pelt and slid along the summer baked Madrid hardpack for about 7 meters. Wouldn’t have happened on the Liteville as it would have just soaked up my mistake. 😳

Proper looking bike that, nice build.

Loved my orange 26″ Soul, rode it for years then tried the green flavour instead – which I liked 95% as much.
What a great ride too, plus much lighter than it has any right to be when built with half decent parts.

Am running a 45650b now, which is excellent. but the plan has always been to switch frames to a Soul 275 when funds allow.

Simply the best bike I/most riders could ask for/justify.

Here’s my fairly recently completed soul:

Frame 2nd hand via lbs, replaced a genesis core. It’s a MK2, so straight steerer, will have to hope my forks last! Would have preferred orange, but beggars can’t be choosers. Reba/Hope Pro 2 Evo on Mavic 521/Deore

How do you find the soul compared to the genesis? I definitely felt the soul26 was smoother when I switched. Dropping to the correct frame size helped but it’s a real nimble bike and really fun, pretty much all I’ve ridden over the winter. I’ve got a bandit 275 that I break out for big days or local hooning but the soul descends so well there’s not much in it for a lot of local stuff. They complement each other well!

P20, I notice you have come to this via an on-one 456C, I’m thinking of getting the latter but your switch is worrying me, can you explain why the Soul is better?

Cheers.

The C456 is very capable, nice weight and comfortable (especially compared to my previous steel 456). My biggest problem though it never inspired me. It was always the bike used when the Liteville or my old Yeti wasn’t working. Hence it did low mileage.
I like steel frames, I still own my P20. I’ve owned Bontrager OR, the last of the steel Stumpies, Dialled Love/Hate, etc.
The Soul feels like a good steel should, it has character, it’s comfortable, it just feels right, it’s fun. It’s certainly sharper handling, I suspect due to shorter chainstays.
The C456 is capable and incredible value.
The Soul is a class and fun act

Vonplatz, I agree, the Liteville with Pikes will get you through a lot!

Thanks for your candid answer 😀

Have just discovered this thread and hope someone can help in my first bike build. 1ride old and may need upgrading when budget allows. General opinion on stem and bar size. These could be the first options. Currently have Easton EA50 110mm ?? Stem (too long maybe) and 680mm bars to match ( too short)
Seat post maybe another option as too would the forks but can’t stretch that far yet.
Excuse the rear guard and skinny XR muds. Preparing for winter. Can’t wait 🙂

That frame colour looks stunning, am I right in assuming it’s a mk2 that you’ve had resprayed?
Anyway, on mine I originally ran 700 bars with a 70mm stem then later 740’s with a 55mm stem. The frame handled great with both but personally I preferred the shorter and wider combination as it was more stable when things got steep, had a couple of unexpected OTB moments with the longer stem which I think the shorter stem cured, made it more predictable.

Cheers Dave
Brought the frame off eBay few months back. Mk1 I think. Resprayed at Bob Jackson. Really pleased with it. Cheers for bar and stem advice will give it a try.