[Closed] Frankenbike - Lightweight Cotic BFe build

Pretty! And v light.

Ruined a bfe

Why ruined?

It's still got 120mm forks and strong wheels, I think it'll be great fun. No skill compensation heavy extras.

like it

what size is it?

Very Nice!! a light xc built AM bike, like it!!!

Cheers for the positive comments.

It's a medium frame.

It'd probably work better with 140's on the front for am use, but for me 120's perfect.

You may have just convinced me to press the buy button! Thats just what i have been thinking about.

Looks gorgeous. I guess those wheels are pretty special then?

It's obviously just a stop gap so why not? However this comment:

It's still got.....strong wheels,

is the only part I'd take issue with.

The Rovals are light and they are, technically, strong if you define that as being 'they won't collapse on you like a pack of cards at the merest hint of a jump or drop'. But they are so flexible you could retrain them as trampoline!

I have owned a set and ran them for the best part of 18 months. They held up pretty well, i.e. they didn't collapse, but I rarely did a ride where the front wheel and the rear wheel were in the same county, such is the give and flex they suffer from.

Still, I am heavy and if you're not then probably you don't notice it.

What are you going to replace the frame with then?

I do like that, I assume it's yours they are referring to here

[url] http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fancy-a-strange-bike-but-which [/url]

a nice set of 150mm or 140mm forks on there would not add much to the weight.

Looks great, got me thinking on selling my Soul and buying a BFe now. ❓

My soul weighs 24lbs with XT stans 355 and nobby nick/Racing Ralphs. have to agree with budgierider67 those wheels must be light, as must that full XX groupset.

Enjoy

Very nice and I'm particularly impressed that the fork caps match the frame 😉

Ripe for the gnarliest jumps and drop offs Norwich has to offer.

Or the usual pedally mudfest.

See you later. 😀

The wheels are Roval Traverse's running tubeless maxis tyres.

They're pretty strong and only weigh 1550g. My 'slightly heavier' mate has lent them to me for this build. He's the wrong side of 15 stone and gets on with them really well.

I had the controlle SL wheels before and they were 1450g and a lot more flexy.

Vortexracing- keep your Soul, it's 1lb lighter and better for most situations.

I'm waiting for a new hummer frame, but already thinking that I'd prefer the new Soda!! Which ever I go for it'll only be a little over 21lb!

yeah, but Cy does a Bfe in ickle XS size

Why ruined?

I cant actually see the pictures but I just read the weight and thought you wouldnt want to ride a 23lb hardtail on rough downhill tracks or dirt jumps.

Its also a trail bike, ruined is a bit strong......

Slightly heavier

My experience of the traversees is that they're a great wheel for heavy, clumsy or slightly brave riders for xc or trailcentres. I haven't managed to break them in three years, which is a good sign. I've never done any major drops on them though, and not sure I would class them as 'all mountain' whatever that is.

I've ridden a lighter build around most of the trail centres, Brecon beacons, Purbecks and rocky old Norfolk without issues. Weight and strength are only usually kept apart by cost.

I had an intense 5.5 at a 24lb build and loved it. No strength issues, just not as much fun as a hardtail.

I think thats awesome, and a great way to really test out the geometry to see if it works for you before buying a Soda 😉

It's a weird one looking at that pic. If the frame was alloy, or even ti, everything would be in proportion.

BUT... Just the knoweldge that the frame is steel makes it look way out of proportion with all the parts fitted on it! Strange eh!

For the time being though, you've probably got the most direct XC HT going in terms of pedal input and feedback. ZERO flex there (except in the wheels perhaps).

At least you've got a newer BFe, with much slimmer seatstays unlike my old one... That would look seriously wrong! 😉

Oh, and as messiah says, if anything it's a good way to at least test out the geometry to see if you want a Soda.

Looks great!

I've ridden a lighter build around most of the trail centres

Trail centres are essentially designed to be rideable, IMO most people feel the need for far more bike than is necessary to enjoy a trail centre. My 21lb Top Fuel was great at Afan, Brechfa and Cwm Carn! Depends what you're looking for I guess.

I think that looks great though.

I think that looks great though

+1.

utterly pointless build! 😐

I'm thinking your scales are wrong

No bike is ever pointless, it's good to try things out!

Scales are spot on, proper bike ones. Look at the forks and groupset. It's all top spec.

I like it, I'm going to build one for my girlfriend as Cotic don't do a soul in XS size which is what we need. Once done I'll let you know what it weighs.

Also what scales were used to weigh the bike ??

when you get new frame what you doing with the BFe?
If selling can I have first refusal? 🙂

Looks like a mountain bike, and a pretty one at that, who cares what it's supposed to be used for looks right which normally means it IS right IMO

damn it iain1775 got there first! would also be interested if you were selling!

Hi Ian, thanks for the thought, but the frame already has a home.

You planning to post a ride report tomorrow?

Seems odd at first thought but then makes sense since the BFe got cheapened. A while back you'd ask what is the point but the Soul is now over a hundred quid more for the frame. I realise this is just a temporary set up mind you.

This is my 30lb build:
[img] [/img]

Given the prices currently I can see a reason for building it as a lighter/general purpose bike however if I was doing that I'd have gone for the medium rather than the small.

That looks very nice, definitely not a frankenbike, this is a frankenbike, rear swing arm welding buggeration bodges and what looks like a square of tyre for a shock.
[img] [/img]

Like the BFe. Am considering one and putting 140m fox forks on it. Looks like I might be on the phone to Cotic now

Sorry guys, but epicsteve has clearly showed us how to build a Bfe....stunning !, although the lightweight one looks Ok too (for the time being)

Come on though I think its time for them scales to be calibrated. I struggled to get my Rag Ti under 25.5lbs with top notch spec. My brothers steel version with mid range parts also tipped the scales at 31b, or did they spray a soda accidentaly in Bfe colours! 😆

Kev

Sorry guys, but epicsteve has clearly showed us how to build a Bfe....stunning !, although the lightweight one looks Ok too (for the time being)

Here's mine again... (actually being sold at the moment if anyone is interested, need to cut down my number of bikes)

[img] [/img]

As it is, mine is over 31lb, and those tyres and wheels aren't even heavy! Saint cranks don't help mind...

An XX groupset or an SLX, I know which I'd rather have...

At 25.5lbs it clearly wasn't top spec anyway, I reckon 23lbs is about right for that. Still nearly 3lbs heavier than my FS anyway 🙂

We managed to successfully mate it with my Soda this evening and we're expecting an XS Soul in the autumn.
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Looks great mate bet it's a blast!!

looks good, how does it ride?

It is a fantastic ride!

I can't believe how much fun it was to ride, the additional weight over my ti frame was not noticable.

I've decided that a Soda will be my next frame.

Anyone for a brand new Cove Hummer?

An XX groupset or an SLX, I know which I'd rather have...

At 25.5lbs it clearly wasn't top spec anyway, I reckon 23lbs is about right for that. Still nearly 3lbs heavier than my FS anyway

Regulated perfect weight for a hard hitting Ti
Mavic 819 USTs, XTR (mechs, cassette, chain, gears, cables), Formulas, Atlas Double, Nuke proof finishing kit, V12s, Fizic, like I said...top end gear, but since when when does top end gear mean it is the lightest. I could easily have got it 22-23 Lb with lightweight XC gear...but it aint that type of bike.

Love the Pic Bol, couple of bonny bikes there...BUT GET THAT BFE TO "MAN UP!!!", 😆 then destroy that soda on the vertical rock gardens.

Kev

Sadly we're a bit short on the ole vertical rock gardens round our way, or I think I'd probably ride something else.

Regulated perfect weight for a hard hitting Ti
Mavic 819 USTs, XTR (mechs, cassette, chain, gears, cables), Formulas, Atlas Double, Nuke proof finishing kit, V12s, Fizic, like I said...top end gear, but since when when does top end gear mean it is the lightest. I could easily have got it 22-23 Lb with lightweight XC gear...but it aint that type of bike.

There's clearly a couple of pounds extra in that build over the OPs, I don't see why it's hard to believe the weight of that.

Loving the lightweight BFe build. Bikes are fun like that, just do your thing. And if it's helped sell a Soda, so much the better 😉

I can't see how 23lbs ish is out of the way at all for that. Frame's only 5.5lbs, so similar to most lightweight FS frames, and XX with those light wheels will keep the weight off. There's a guy who bought one of the first new Sodas who XX and racey kit on it and got it down to under 20lbs. Kate's Soda is on it's way to 18lbs this season! 😯

I don't see how it's ruined a BFe... it's only a 5.5lb frame and the geo is the same as the Soul, if he'd built that on a Soul no one would complain. And I doubt the weight saving of the Soul would be [i]that[/i] noticeable...

Much nicer build than some of the other "good" BFes being posted 😛

Good to see this build; as very happy with my 30lbish BFe with 521 wheels 2.35 tyres reckon can get 2-3 lb off by swopping to 717s and 500gm 2.1 tyres and still enjoy its riding qualities as a trail / XC bike ---may even make my VNic Ti redundant ?? 🙁

With the exception of the seatpost being silly high, that's a very nice bike.

Hi everyone, thanks for all your posts.

I'm glad the majority agree about it looking 'right', Even if it's a little light in areas for the typical use of a BFe, it's still a great fun ride.

Cy, it's not sold a soda just yet, but a good deal might swing it! 😉

Looks very nice and BFes handle just great with forks at 120mm certainly not steep angled at all, in fact I'd say slightly slack. Mine was spot on for x/c and the commute and only wound out to 140-150ish for d/h. May have only kept it for a very short time but it was a lovely little bike - just wish it had been a tad shorter.

Fankenbike goes to Wales! Llandegla was stunnig today and the BFe road like a dream.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Did you polish your car especially for the picture?

No, but I did crop the photo to leave out the big dent!