Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)
  • rock lobster to soul?
  • sefton
    Free Member

    been thinking about swapping my rock lobster (ali frame) for a cotic soul.

    as you can see I’ve got an xc set-up. the soul is a touch heavier but I’ve read so many good things about it. I’m just worried I’d not notice a difference.

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    I’d have thought a Cotic would need another 30mm on the fork to get the best of it. If you like the way it rides, why not the same geom in 853 steel, and save the difference for more upgrades

    http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Frame++Forks/Frames+-+MTB/Merlin++Rock+Lobster+Frames/Rock+Lobster+Tig+Team+853+Frame_697.htm

    iainc
    Full Member

    Rock Lobster is an excellent xc frame. I have a 4 yr old 853 with 100mm forks. Every so often I get a hankering for something with a bit more bounce on the front, but as I also have a full susser I don’t think it would benefit me. If I was only to have 1 bike then it might not be the RL, but as a HT to go with a FS it is for me ideal. Oh, I have ridden a Soul and it wasn’t like getting from a mini into a Ferrari – more like a BMW to an Audi or vice versa 😆

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    iainc
    Full Member

    I’d second teh upgrades – you can buld an 853 up to under 28lbs pretty easily – mine has Reba SL’s, xt everything and Thomson post, stem and comes in bang on 28 pounds in a 17

    sefton
    Free Member

    I’ve recently changed the tyres for tubeless ready nobby’s & put some smaller bars on. the bike come in at 24lb now

    househusband
    Free Member

    Sefton; funnily enough I went from an RL Tig Team SL to a Soul so can give some authoritative (as in I’ve actually been there) comments on this.

    The RL was a lovely, light frame – great performance for the money. I did note lots of flex around the bottom bracket when I stamped down – and I was concerned about the long-term strength of the frame for someone of my weight at 15st+. It was also quite short in the top-tube for the frame size.

    The Soul is indeed a tad heavier, but still retains some of the flex and zing that the RL has. I do find it more comfortable on longer rides; being longer also makes it far more stable at speed. (I did find the RL a bit twitchy at times.) I ran my Soul with 100mm Reba forks for a while and it was nice and racy, but do now have 120mm Fox Floats – I think 120mm is ‘about right’ for the Soul.

    You would notice a difference – a positive one!

    RagTi
    Free Member

    Sefton

    I love the Rock Lobster Tig 853s, skinny bright red tubes, superb workmanship, boutique brand feel, very rare and steel inparticularly the classic 853 which will still be cool in 67439387376 years!. I would go for one of these over the Soul if I was running a lightweight 100mm XC setup…..they are also cheaper

    My neighbour has the Ti version, and it is stunning, can you stretch to the Ti price ? (Merlin are sometimes good with discount!)

    And yes there is a difference between Alu and steel, also you could run 20psi in the tubeless giving you an even more comfy ride

    Cheers
    Kev

    iainc
    Full Member

    sefton – are you using this as do it all bike ?

    sefton
    Free Member

    iainac- yep everything from Rivington to High street

    iainc
    Full Member

    in that case, I can see where you are coming from, in that the Soul, with 120mm travel is a bit more ‘do it all’ than the RL, in that it will be a bit more able on the bigger stuff and more comfy I think.

    ……or you could keep the RL and build up a 140mm full susser 😆

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    I’ve had both, albeit the RL was a few years ago. Trust me, the Soul will feel like a short travel fs by comparison. 😉
    Soul was a bit twitchy with a 100mm fork on it. I remember riding Coed y Brenin on my Rock Lobster. I went to fs afterwards. My RL then hung in the garage for a couple of years. I built it up again but one ride was enough, back to steel. In terms of weight the Soul wont come in much more than the RL, if any at all.

    sefton
    Free Member

    hmmm…just seems a little mad to go from a good HT to an allegedly better HT & spunk £500 quid in the process. plus I dont want to fork out for some new forks.

    80% of my riding is local west Pennine stuff with the other 20% around the peaks & Lakes.

    iainc
    Full Member

    if you are sticking with the 100mm forks then I’d be sticking with the RL frame too. To me the main advantage of the Soul would be the ability to run it at 120mm for bigger stuff

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Yep, I’d agree with that too, the Soul’s a much more versatile allrounder frame but the RL’s an excellent XC bike, the Soul is about as good at 100mm but it’s not massively better if you ask me. Soul comes into its own with a travel-adjust fork really at which point it’s pretty hard to top.

    B.A.Nana
    Free Member

    I’ve also got a RL Team Tig SL which I use with Fox talas 120/100mm or Nuke Proof Carbon Rigids. Also got a Cube Stereo and On-One 456 Summer Season(125mm forks). The RL is a very good bike IMO, suitable for most trails other than big drops, I love it. You probably already know that you aren’t going to find some riding nirvana in the Cotic, if you had a crap bike or cheap bike, it would def. be worth it, but you haven’t. You might feel a bit more give in a steal frame, but I can’t say I notice much diff in my RL and 456 frames. I’d only ride my 456 now if I was going to Stainburn, cos Stainburn is full of rocks and I want to avoid damaging the RL, maybe also playing in the local quarry. For most things I’d choose a light fast bike.
    Lets face it, most of us on here, if we’re honest, are most times well over biked. How about spending the money on some new forks or lighter wheels? justridingalong are doing some 1410gm stans wheels at £326.

    epicsteve
    Free Member

    I’d have thought a Cotic would need another 30mm on the fork to get the best of it.

    Based on my now quite extensive experience with the Soul I’d say that 120mm is the perfect fork length for it. I’ve used 100mm & 120mm Floats, 125mm and 140mm Vanillas, 105mm MX Comps, 85-125 Talas and 95-140mm Pikes on mine (and no doubt quite a few more that I’ve forgotten)!

    Currently has the Pikes set to 120mm on it, but I perhaps liked it best of all with the 120mm Floats and a fairly light (circa 25lb) build.

    iainc
    Full Member

    interesting thing I found out about my RL853 last summer. I usually use it evening riding at Mugdock and manky days, so usually tight techy slowish stuff. For trail centres and bigger days out I ride my 5. So a crowd of us went over to Arran for the day and a few were on full sussers and I took the RL, as there were a few lengthy fireroad sections. On the techy stuff, which was prety fast and unfamiliar (as none of us had done it before), I rode the RL harder than I have ever done prior or since……. and it took it all impecably – I was just about able to hang onto the guys on bigger bikes and actually never once felt underbiked, even on stuff which they have graded black, and which was pretty rocky and gnarly.

    So, yeah, I’d agree with the overbiked comments above too !

    timc
    Free Member

    I think you will notice the longer top tube / geometry more than anything else on the Soul. 100mm Forks will be fine as well.

    Maybe worth looking to pick up a second hand soul frame? I got mine for £165 from classified section, if you dont get on, you can always sell it on…

    Here mine in winter mode with rigid forks, point being you can see what the geo looks like without bigger travel.

    [/url] Cotic Soul by Tim Condran, on Flickr[/img]

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    I’ve had both. The top tube on the Lobster is much shorter than on the Soul. Geometry of the Soul was spot-on for me, used Fox F series 120mm thru-axle fork which worked very well.

    Big difference in paintwork quality though. Had my Lobster for a few years and was in reasonable condition. Had my Soul for 9 months and it was a mess, reckon it’s overpriced. Paint not much better than an On-One and considerably dearer too.

Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

The topic ‘rock lobster to soul?’ is closed to new replies.

Members Notice New deal added to Members Discounts