Currently own a Soul and love it to pieces. No intention of getting rid of it but I want to get a frame which can take longer forksn wider tyres and more abuse.

I've been looking at a BFe and I'm very close to having enough cash to get the frame.

But…

… Should I be considering something else in the same league?

The geometry on the BFe is the same as my Soul so I'm wondering if I should be thinking about a slacker HA (even though the longer forks will slacken it slightly)

the head angle is slacker on a bfe, its the same h/a with longer forks, so if you put 130 forks on a bfe its a lot steeper than a soul but the same with a longer fork
i think
EDIT actualy thats not true, they are the same, think you want a db alpine or a 456

What do you run the Soul at now fork wise? A change of 20mm on the fork length will give you a plus/minus HA change of about one degree.

Other options would include Dialled Alpine, DMR Trailstar LT, Curtis FR (pricey) or Nicolai Argon FR (waaaaay pricey).

But if you love your Soul and just want a bit more from it, then it sounds like the BFe is absolutely the bike you want.

ride what ya got!

I thought the geometry between the BFe and Soul was identical for a given fork, so for example taking your existing fork off of your soul and putting onto the Bfe will result in the same geometry and handling on a stiffer, burlier but slightly heavier frame. That frame can run a longer fork though (up to 160mm) and thereby rake the HA out, raise the BB and stretch the wheelbase.

The measurements on the Cotic website for the Soul assume a shorter fork than for the Bfe.

Currently running 130mm pace forks on it. Handles OK, would love something 150mm – 160mm on it to slacken off the HA but my version of the Soul won't take anything longer.

Tony – why you say that?

Geetee1972 – They've got the same Geometry – but like you say give measurements for different fork lengths – slightly misleading but understandable as they are for different applications.

This is good though… Frame angle tool

Not really considered one but the Alpine Mk2 is looking rather tasty….

I had an alpine and the head angle felt very similar to the bfe. However, the alpine has a higher BB and longer stays.

Depends what your gonna be riding on it. Only dh then i'd maybe get an alpine cos its good at that and its something different.

If your doing jumps and tech sort of stuff the bfe is better.

I'll always recommend an Alpine. Love mine; big forks, slack angles and heavy. Sometimes I wonder why, then it comes into its own on downhills and all is clear.

DO IT. There's a new 18" in red for sale on BikeRadar.

If you want something a bit cheaper, and more of an "all round" bike, then you won't go far wrong with an On One 456. At your height, but wanting it as more of a play bike, get a 16" version if that's the way you want to go. Personally, wouldn't consider the 456SS when compared to the normal version, the normal version is hardly steep, the SS is 2 degrees slacker. The SS was designed for people wanting a slack head angle but with mid travel forks really. Putting a 150-160mm travel fork on makes them too slack IMO.

You could always look at the NS Bikes Surge too. Shame they've put the price up somewhat for 2010, the 2009 frame was an absolute bargain, but it's still £100 cheaper than a BFe.

Then of course there's the DB Alpine. But it's similar money to the BFe, and I prefer the look of the BFe by some margin myself.

Personally, if you're definitely keeping your Soul, I'd buy a small BFe, but fit them out with totally different sort of builds. All the lighter kit you've got on the Soul, anything sturdier on the BFe, that way you'll definitely use the 2 bikes for their intended purposes.

If you only want to run one bike, then odd as it sounds, consider a 456 probably. I see it as kind of a (cheap) middle ground between the kind of riding the Soul was designed for, and the BFe, and with the money saved you'd definitely be able to have 2 different sets of wheels/tyres and possibly even 2 sets of forks to use on it, depending on what you were going riding. Or buy a ti version instead!

Personally, I'm thinking about trying to find a 16" ti 456 now, as I reckon if I had one, it would replace 2 of my current bikes, as it would be light enough for proper XC use, but then be able to withstand some abuse being chucked down a few DH tracks. But doubt anybody would sell me one for a decent price! BFe is tempting failing that though…

I had a good look at the Surge and got a feeling the geometry is similar to the BFe…