Still dithering over buying an Alpine (In house finance director has agreed to allow the purchase, Mrs V BTW).

But

I’m still dithering and wondering if it’s too close a bike/build to my Cotic Soul.

Soul runs Air pikes and 5.1 DT rims with mainly XT gear which weighs in around 26.5lbs

Alpine would be 66sl’s(at whatever ride height best suits the frame) and similar wheels/tyres and SLX kit.

Question is, are they completely different or will the Alpine prove to be a similar bike to the Soul?

a bit of help and advice off you lot would be appreciated.

What size you looking for? I’ll have a 15.5″ / 22″TT in Purple available for sale later this week.

Don’t think it’ll be like your Soul. Certainly different enough to justify both. 🙂

how much?

Its not going to be massively different though, do you currently find the cotic holding you back? the alpine should take a bigger beating but that’s only useful if your going to push it that far, or just get rid of the soul and get the alpine.

Do not want to get rid of the Soul at all. It’s a great bike.

I have the 66 sl forks and the other stuff in the garage and currently have a Commencal Maxmax for occasional messing about on the BMX track, but it hardly gets used.

So I want to use the forks, wheels etc. Sell the Maxmax which is purely a jump bike and get something that I will use a little bit more, but will still be strong enough for the odd visit to the BMX track.

I was just wondering how close to the Soul in ride and handling the Alpine is. In other words am I going to end up with 2 x steel hardtails that are similar?

similar yes, they are just steel hardtails after all, one is a bit more burly and a bit more capable of getting thrown off stuff. Your call.

I’ve had a shot on both at the same jump park
IMO cotics have too long a front-centre (even in the smallest size) and both rode way better with shorter (100mm) forks than the manufacturers suggest the Dialled felt a little nicer in the air (coz it was shorter).

IMO the 2 will only feel hugely different if you set them up differently and they have different size frames (go smaller/shorter on the Dialled with a 40-55mm stem).

The only Alpines that Mike has in is the 15.5/21 TT. So that decison is already made. My Cotic is a small anyway because i’m a short arse and it’s the only one that fits me!

IMO cotics have too long a front-centre (even in the smallest size) and both rode way better with shorter (100mm) forks than the manufacturers suggest

Cotic do suggest 100mm forks. Though most peeps run longer.

Pendantry aside, as a more versatile replacement for the Commencal I think it makes sense. I dunno what your Soul build’s like, but you might find that you want to lighten it up to make it more distict from the Alpine. I guess they could end up overlapping, but the Soul’s much more of an all-rounder, and the Alpine better at the downs and the play.

Focus on what you want from each of them and keep the build’s geared to that and use them for different things then they should complement each other. But only you know whether your riding is varied enough to justify them both. But it’s not a bad prob to have.

why not just stick Argyles/pikes, some gears and a long enough seatpost on the MaxMax?

The commencal has VERY short seat stays, with the seat at the correct height i’m sat over the back axle. It’s not a very nice bike to pedal anywhere really. Hence why it only gets used rarely.

I think to the build the Alpine burly, as opposed to the Souls relatively light build is probably the right way to go as you mention.

I ride an evil sovereign which is similar in intention to Alpine. I had looked at the Soul and a Nicolai Argon, but both were too “XC” for what I wanted- the Sov/Alpine type of bike is really pretty different. I’d say they’d complement each other nicely.

I think to the build the Alpine burly, as opposed to the Souls relatively light build is probably the right way to go as you mention.

Sounds like a plan, now get it ordered!

Suppose your right.

Ring the bank in the morning, it’s only money after all!

when you think about it, the wife gave you permission, why are you even asking us 😆 or should that be 🙄 😆

I’m asking about what frame to buy, not if I should buy one or not. That is already a given.

She wouldn’t know an DB Alpine from a Santa Cruz V10!

V10 it is then 😀

She won’t notice but the bank balance will!

or an NS Surge:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=32950

Will take the 160mm forks???

I can also get a new bike anytime I want as along as it was the same colour as the one I replaced she cant even tell my FS from my hard tail. She does know which one is the road bike as it is the one with skinny wheels.
I think you should come home with tons ventanna and see if she notices as well as the V10

The fact that Tons Ventana is grey and my Ventana is grey means she won’t notice. However, when she sees me trying to get on it then that may give the game away.

how well do the V10’s pedal and are they ok for the BMX track 🙂

hmmmmmm

i had that dilema (dmr switchback and a dmr trailstar)

the trailstar was bult up slacker (designed for 100mm fork, fitted with 130mm Z1FS SL 20mm’s) and heavier (frame si 2lb heavier, Ssaints, bulbs, D521CD, hayes 9’s).

the switchback with magura menjas, hope XC’s, mostly XT, etc

despite the trailstar being more “fun” to ride on short courses and at places like cannock, i never realy fet it was enough to justify an entire bike, so ended up selling it to fund a shorter travel project, which had the oposite problem, it wasn’t lighter/faster enough to justify having it for longer rides!

maybe lightweight 5″ travel hardtails are the only bike I need?

The V10 will be fine as long as you stick some 100mm Marzocchi DJ’s on it.

haa, stuff the V10, i want the new driver 8, if only my knee workded…………………

Ordered. 15.5″/21 TT in Purple.

oooooohhhh can’t wait. 🙂

The forks alone are going to make those feel very different.

I could justify to myself having two identical frames with totally different build kit, just as easily as some can justify the “big travel bouncer” and “medium travel hardtail” combination. Wheels matter A LOT as well. Go for proper wide rims on the second “Beefier” build.

well done, pics when its built.

will do.

EX721’s for rims BTW