Just wondered whether in the real world you'd notice any difference between the 07/08 frame (which looks to have been unchanged since about 2004) and the 2010 one?

According to the Cotic website there have been a few changes for 2010 including tube diameters, ovalform top-tube, 631 headtube (what was it before?), tapered gussets?, replaceable mech hangar etc etc

Lots of detail changes but personally I couldn't tell any difference in ride between my old (stolen) one and the new replacement.

The biggest change is the ability to run 140mm forks if you want.

OK, thanks, if you can't tell whilst riding it, doesn't sound like anything to be worried about…!!!

The new one is orange!

pricks up ears…..
Interesting comment from David, as he's ridden both.
am wondering about changing to new frame simply to be able to put new 140mm maxle forks on….
but confesses to being more than happy with 08 frame.
Q

I've run my old (09) model with 140mm Revelations for a short while, and it was very nice. Went back to 130mm because I'd feel like kind of a dick if I snapped my bike in half but it's still left me thinking that maybe an upgrade to a 2010 frame might be worthwhile if funds ever allow.

The new one is orange!

So was the '05 one! (But I chose the black option then – always regretted that part of the decision)

I have an old soul with 120mm reba's on and my brother has a new one also with reba's, we swapped them over for a ride around Dalby and neither of us could tell the difference. Like saddo's we swapped seatposts so we could have our own saddles, but the only difference we really noted was in bars and grips etc. His is a lovely orange though.

There is very little difference between them, but due to the severity of the CEN regs, it was looking at one point like a CEN compliant Soul would ride very much more stiffly and nastily, and be much heavier, compared to the old one. If you guys think the new one rides just as well as the old one given how much stronger it is, then that's mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned!

Just to prove the point as to how good they are, the chap who did this to his existing Soul, is still looking to buy another one.

No frame is indestructable and I can't imagine what he did to this one to get it into this (rather funny) shape.
Would be interesting to compare how the new one would hold up under similar circumstances.

JRA most likely 😉

A couple more photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/51064730@N08/sets/72157624357448294/ if people want a closer inspection of the shape that my Soul ended up in!

Managed to track down a 2010 Soul secondhand on the classifieds forum to replace it – hopefully arriving in the next few days (!!!!!) – the bike rode so well before the crash that I didn't want to replace it with anything else. I have ridden a 2010 Soul before (David's in fact!), but it was on such different terrain to what I normally get to ride that I can't comment on any difference. I do recall that the bike handled so well that I didn't feel any great need to jump back on my 6" full susser for the steep rocky trails we were riding. I'm hoping nothing's changed with the CEN compliance.

I've wondered whether the 2010 frame might have survived the crash – I gather one of the test cases involves shock loading the front wheel, which is pretty much what happened. I feel lucky to have walked away from it, and I wonder if an aluminium frame might have snapped completely, perhaps making things much worse.

Most importantly, the new one is orange!

Doubt the new frames would have survived that, as the tubing in the parts of the frame that failed there are virtually identical. The impact test is actually pretty easy to pass on the CEN. The tricky one is the frontal fatigue, which is repeated loadings. That's why the frame had to be strengthened.

By the way, really pleased you're sticking with Cotic.