[Closed] New BFe26 from Cotic

Looks wonderful. That's how to setup a hardtail properly.

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Hell yes the widening realisation that 26" bikes are (still) ace fun has begun.

🙂

No need to apologise even if it was a duplicate. New model not surprising given the recent fab discounts on the 275. My 2012 26-er is still my main bike, love it.

If I had one teeny weeny critism, red and orange only

red

Looks class. Far nicer than those god awful blue and green colours they used to do, bought by middle aged men who can't help but try and colour match every component 😉

^ have we met?

Normal Man - Member
^ have we met?

😆

@david guilty 😳 to be honest I tried not matching colours in my clothing but after a long period of being single I realised the ladies of this world didn't appreciate that 😉

Mine is the beautiful blue ... colour matching is black, not tooooo controversial

A good move from Cotic.

I reckon they will sell loads, to people with sheds/Garages full of idle 26" parts.

Tempted... Almost just to make use out of the 26" wheels and forks I've got kicking about, so that at least I'll have a complete bike to sell at the end of it!

In all seriousness though, the idea of something that's the antithesis of the long/low/slack bikes I ride these days does appeal, even if just for honing skills once in a while or for riding it when I go out with the GF.

Didn't get on with my Mk1 version that well to be fair, the oversized chainstays on that version contributed to the stiffest bike I've ever ridden and at 5ft10 I was kidding myself I needed the small... New geometry looks a bit steeper in the SA with bit longer reaches than the original too which is a bonus.

So Cy when can we have a new Soul in 26 ... I missed @chief's 2012 frame but it would make mkre semse to be able ro buy a new one !

Almost just to make use out of the 26" wheels and forks I've got kicking about, so that at least I'll have a complete bike to sell at the end of it!

I've not owned a 26" wheel since 2010 (excluding fat bikes) what does Cy know that the rest of the mtb world doesn't?

Still, could be geniius as lots of you out there do have old 26" stuff. Can you get new forks though or will you have to compromise with an old shagged out one past its best

If it's anything like my current BFe it'll be ace. It's my go-to bike of choice for everything these days from trails to long distance.

Could only be improved with the addition of rackmounts, but hey, can't have everything otherwise life would be very boring.

Mine is the beautiful blue ... colour matching is black, not tooooo controversial

Probably get away with it. This on the other hand.....

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I've not owned a 26" wheel since 2010 (excluding fat bikes) what does Cy know that the rest of the mtb world doesn't?

26" wheels are a better choice for what the BFe was originally designed for.

@rocket - plenty of tapered 26 forks, I'm still using mine straight ones from 2006 (bit annoyed to hear parts are an issue now though, thats a disgrace)

This on the other hand.....

Exactly, one of the main reasons I am looking at used Soul frames. Are your forks tapered ?

Tapered Rockshox Sektor, would probably reduce travel to 130mm.

80% of the way to pre-ordering one of these now. Stealth routing is a bonus, except that I've only got a 30.9 stealth reverb kicking about not a 31.6. Got a Raceface crank, some Guide brakes, shifter & mech, 26" Mavic EN521's, a Raceface stem, various saddles... About the only thing I've not got spare is a riser bar!

... is another fantastic looking bike. My only critism is its too clean

It looks like you need a set of steps to get onto it.

I agree with @jambalaya - great looking bike apart from the short front mudguard. Good frame colour as well 🙄

I think there's definitely a market for this bike, modern geometry and thinking on a smaller wheeled bike aimed at just being fun, while they may not be the smoothest, the outright fastest in a straight line, or the most capable over rougher stuff where bigger wheels excel, 26" wheels are a bit to 29ers what BMX's are to 26". If you just want a relatively cheap rag around fun bike, the new BFe could be ideal.

Fine.....

[img] [/img]

Sorry, white rims are fine on a hipster fixie, not on a steel MTB 😉

Still, could be geniius as lots of you out there do have old 26" stuff. Can you get new forks though or will you have to compromise with an old shagged out one past its best

It's still not long enough to me, but cy is all about the chuckabilty.

Also, the reach figures on their chart don't update with the travel or wheel size changing. So bear that in mind if you're gonna be running a longer fork.

This was my 2010 medium:

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Can you get new forks though or will you have to compromise with an old shagged out one past its best

You can still get 26" forks, or just fit 650b ones if you want to use a model that doesn't come in 26"… if you want to know the effects on head angle using 650b instead of 26" forks, check the Cotic website…

[url= http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/BFe26#sizing ]new BFe26 geometry[/url]

I can't fit my biggest tyres and a mudguard in my 26" Pikes as it happens, so wish I'd bought 650b ones for my 26" bike.

I really like it. It looks like a modern version of the bikes I learned to ride on when we spent as much time riding street as dirt. I'd have one but it would be wasted on me. Maybe if I lived close enough to Bolehills.

It's still not long enough to me....
This was my 2010 medium:

looks like you needed a large?

I missed @chief's 2012 frame but it would make more(?) sense to be able to buy a new one !

Never thought I'd say this but I've been looking at a new BFe and would therefore need to retire my Mk1 2008 (medium, black, 1 1/8th-130mm max fork) Soul c/w 27.2mm Thompson 400mm long pin and Hope H/S if so desired (if your interested Jamby)...

And a 26" version over a 27.5, hmm. Could move a lot of stuff over from the Soul (but would still need new wheels...).

Damn you Cy.

looks like you needed a large?

Back in 2010 we rocket 70 or 90mm stems. The medium was a but cramped back then, but the sizing chart had me bang on a medium.

I prefer ~440 reach on my bikes from trial and error. I can get that from the large now with a 120 fork, but I'd prefer a 140, which would reduce the reach to like 420. Plus the sizing chart for a large starts at 183cm, I'm like 178cm.

Anyway, my point is.... it's not a long low and slack bike. Which is great, as lots of people still seem to want that. But I'd have preferred a longer reach, and a lower seattube for comfort and stability.

The Bfe needed updating a bit. My previous one was not a patch on my current 26 Slackline 631 in my opinion.

As for shagged out forks, I just use 2013 Dual Position tapered Lyriks with the latest Lyrik Charger Damper stuck in. Fantastic.

Fine.....

The matching [b]blue[/b] seatpost, STW membership revoked right there 😉

Since were posting pictures...gritstone (ignore the bottle cage & FF helmet combo)

[IMG] [/IMG]

That red looks lovely though 8)

Going back to 26 for Soul could be genius , never ridden one but demo'd the 27.5 t' other week . Just felt a bit meh ? Came home and hopped on my 2005 Hummer , that's better ! 🙂

Glad you like the bike. There's no kind of big conspiracy going on, we just kept selling BFe26 frames, so we'll keep making them! Just felt it was time to move with the times geometry-wise. And it's fun to wind people up with 26 ain't dead again too 😉

Rickon - Reach difference at ride height between 20mm fork increments isn't even 5mm, not that drastic. Also depends on how much sag etc etc. There's definitely some longer, slacker hardtails out there, but we still like ours a little more lively.

Nothing wrong with a blue BFe with white rims. 11 speed XT drivetrain, heftier tyres and a reverb now, but it's my main bike and way more capable than I am.

[img] [/img]

It would be interesting to try a longer, slacker version of this though, to see how much better it might be.

If someone can offer me a summer job in Sheffield I'll be able to justify this bike as I'll be at Bolehills every night stinking the place up. Any ideas?

we still like ours a little more lively.

Ace looking bike. If I didn't already have an 'original' BFe26 as a second bike I'd be all over it.

[img] [/img]

SaxonRider - Member
Is Cotic just too small and insignificant, or is it possible that such a move as this could herald continued existence of the 26" as at least a minority size?
Or is this just one last gasp for the wishful thinkers?

I think it's more about them making the most of the fact that a lot of people are happy with 26" wheels. As long as I can get good tyres I'll be keeping mine. If they sell well then I think others will do the same.

It's not going to "keep it alive" as a mainstream but it's definitely still a market- tons of people have 26 inch parts and as main bikes get upgraded, people will always want to take old parts and make N+1 bikes. If they can do that with a modern 26er frame I reckon that's potentially a big seller.

I can't be the only person looking at the dregs of their 26 inch parts and going "well this is worth ****-all". So this is a good alternative to a used frame.

£349? great price!
gotta love stw when the deisgner and company owner turns up on the thread to justify & explain the new release. Cotic sure do make excellent bikes.

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! I [i]almost[/i] wish I needed a new frame 😡

We all know how "need" translates in bike-English 🙂

nuts...

I was just thinking last week about selling my BFE frame, as I don't really use it. I can't see anybody wanting the old 26 inched wheel version with these new, rather fetching ones available 🙁

How does it differ from BFe27.5 apart from the wheel size?