[Closed] The New MK3 Cotic Soul to Replace my Mk 2 – Loads of Piccies

mk. IV, get it right.

looks like an orange bfe, the soul slowly losing it's finesse

like when they put a V12 in the E-type.

Well I like it anyway.

Do you really need that much patio furniture though? (bottom pic)

I didn't know next made bike bits.

That looks ace.

A medium one of them will be the replacement for my Ideniti Mr Hyde when i can squirl away enough cash.

paulosoxo - Member
I didn't know next made bike bits

That updated Soul has got all the changes that would tempt me to buy one if I was in the market for a new hardtail. Good call, Cy.

Nice, first time since I bought my soul 5 or so years ago that I've been tempted to swap it.

I'm definitely liking that. As you say the bigger tubes effect amplified by it being a small frame.

It's hardly a big surprise that Cotic are 'standardising' their frames though is it.

Ability to run tapered forks and dropper posts is kind of the way things are headed are they not?

For me, personally, the ability to swap bits and pieces between bikes would be a bonus. Not that I'm likely to be parting with mk2 Soul any time soon...

I really like that !!!!

what do the pro2s with arch ex rims weigh in at?

Looking good !!

I think that looks rather stylish.

Tidy that is.

And if anyone doesn't like this version you can still buy the skinny tubed one.

Looks nice, I especially like the head tube, would be great to see that on the Simple and Solaris in the future!

I love it. I just had mine delivered, in orange of course. Just waiting for my forks to arrive then the build can begin.

I know some people aren't sure about the new changes but for me they make the frame quite future proof which is great, because i'm keeping this a long time.

Vortexracing: When you say it's stiffer than your last soul, do you mean rigidly stiffer or harsher stiffer?

looks good but the chunkier seattube just doesn't suit the soul, I think. It's lost it's low profile tubing and gone a bit BFe as earlier mentioned. Not a problem if that's what people want, but personally I prefer the earlier frame.

Very nice. Got my mark 2 small built up with arch ex and 1x9 and it comes in at circa 23 or 25lb depending on build and if i'm running ron/ralph.

looks like an orange bfe

My thoughts as soon as I built it.

what do the pro2s with arch ex rims weigh in at

I think they are 1740grammes

Vortexracing: When you say it's stiffer than your last soul, do you mean rigidly stiffer or harsher stiffer?

It felt stiffer through the seatpost whilst sat down. I think it's a combination of the seatpost and dia of seattube. The fact that I changed the saddle and post, may have a bearing on it.

Like I said, I think i need to run it with the I beam and SDG Bel Air I had on my Mk2 to make a more accurate comparison.

Do you really need that much patio furniture though? (bottom pic)

Sure do, I'm thinking of opening up as abeer garden and selling ale to pay for the bike 😉

Here are the piccies, all up weight as in the photos is 25.2lbs.

For Mayhem etc with some 355’2 and Racing Ralph/Rocket Rons, plus an I beam seat/post combo it should be at just over 23lbs.

Your bike looks very nice, but 2 things strike me about this statement...

Firstly, good luck with the Racing Ralph and Rocket Ron's next weekend... I live not too far from Eastnor, and will be running the thinnest tyres I can lay my hands on (probably 1.8 or 1.9") to cut through the horrible mud. It's gonna be wet here most of the week, including Thursday now the forecast goes that far.

Secondly, your scales need recalibrating!!!

Your frame, wheels, tyres, and just about EVERYTHING on your bike weighs more than mine... And my bike comes in at over 25lb. Your frame is 1lb heavier, seatpost 300g, your wheels about 100g, tyres about 150g roughly, pedals 50g... I could go on! What does it weigh [i]in the real world[/i]?

Secondly, your scales need recalibrating!!!

Your frame, wheels, tyres, and just about EVERYTHING on your bike weighs more than mine... And my bike comes in at over 25lb. Your frame is 1lb heavier, seatpost 300g, your wheels about 100g, tyres about 150g roughly, pedals 50g... I could go on! What does it weigh in the real world?

well in my real world it weighs [b]25.36lbs.[/b]

[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7387962732_df8a972956_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7387962732_df8a972956_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/17059060@N00/7387962732/ ]P1040611[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/17059060@N00/ ]eastham_david[/url], on Flickr

The scales are spot on, sadly I calibrated them against some Park scales 3 weeks ago

I know I should get a life !!! 🙄

Firstly, good luck with the Racing Ralph and Rocket Ron's next weekend... I live not too far from Eastnor, and will be running the thinnest tyres I can lay my hands on (probably 1.8 or 1.9") to cut through the horrible mud. It's gonna be wet here most of the week, including Thursday now the forecast goes that far.

and I have some Mud X's for that very scenario, problem is they are the 2.0" ones

2.0 mud x will be fine, if it's windy it'll dry out anyway

Nice but does look like it's missing the classic steel frame skinny tubeness.

Puppy looks hungry.

The scales are spot on, sadly I calibrated them against some Park scales 3 weeks ago

Well in that case, PLEASE bring your scales to Mayhem with you! I wanna weigh my bike according to them... 😉

and I have some Mud X's for that very scenario, problem is they are the 2.0" ones

They'll be spot on. They're not big for 2" tyres, they're what I will probably run if the weather continues to be like it is. The super skinny 1.5's some people run are really for bikes with little mud clearance (your Cotic isn't one) IMO. A 1.8 on the back might find slightly more bite in the mud, but it will probably slow you down more on the harder terrain.

@ vortex - that is lovely looking! a few q's if i may?!?!

im thinking of ditching me 5 f/s for a cotic soul h/t, are they good as all day bikes built on 140mm forks? i ride the peak and the rockiest bits around there, how does the soul fair on this type of terrain? obviously less comfy than a f/s but ive been thinking of it for a while (amongst other frames) and quite like the thought of going back to a h/t....current build is around 31lbs i would imagine on my f/s, so would ultimately save a about 5lbs as would be similr to your build but in 1x10 format...

i also like the fact its got a bigger seat tube, as my frame at the mo is 27.2mm so going to a size that now every decent brand does a dropper post for is pretty important! so thats a bit selling point to me too....

at 6ft and 33" inside leg what size would be recommended? i always wanted a five in orange colour so that also appears to me too!

it will be my only bike so as i say it really does need to do everything and everything well like a five does...it looks pretty stunning though i must say in your pics!

not sure on the size, I'm only 5ft 4" 🙁

I ride mine in the lakes, which has the same rocky stuff as the peaks. I think they ride well at about 130mm TBH. That is what I have my Revs set at. I have used them at 140mm and I think they are great DH, just a little light on the front when steep climbs are called for. Adjustable fork would be ideal, 140mm for the down and 120mm for the up

I have used it on Rocky stuff and it copes very well.

Speak to paul or Cy at Cotic about sizing and se if you can get a demo in the peaks, I think they have some demo days planned.

cool - cheers vortex - do you run it as your only bike? or do you have something f/s for bigger days out? guessing if you ride it in the lakes then its more than capable of any of the peak stuff...

ill have a think a little more about it, not going to rush into it, as if i do sell the f/s i doubt ill be able to afford to buy another f/s frame again so not to be taken lightly this decision

looks great though and its already inspired me to getting one!

I also have a Turner 5 spot.

TBH all My Cotics Souls have had considerably more use than my FS

Vortex, from my other thread, just bought some 140mm revs with the 20 maxle to replace my 120 Reba's. May space them down to 130mm after playing with them.

@Oscillate if you need to run it at 140mm perhaps what you really need is a FS. Optimise for what you do most. Soul can run 140mm but is more at home on 100-120 I think.

My Soul is built light and fast for my local Southern forest XC and ST. I have a FS I use for steep rocky places, trail centres etc.

The SixC bars I have them on mine too but with the orange flashes of course. Good they are.

Never used a fork less than 120mm on any of my Souls, but I think anything around that fork length is great, so many other factors, such as size of bike, rider style etc make a big difference. Just try it a bit and see what you think, you may be happy at 140mm, alot of people are.

What do those little barrelly type things on your brake cables do?

Looks sweet mate and impressivly light if your scales are correct!!

I'd imagine the increased seat tube dia and the stiffer dropper post will have lost some of the Soul's springyness

I'd imagine that the tapered headtube would have stiffened it up even more

I'm sure Cy has his reasons - but i'll be sticking to my early Soul

More importantly Vortex, have you fed the puppy? Or is it a stray?

Nice to see Cotic keeping one eye on the future.. love my mk.2 and the Rocket is a tempting prospect too!

Bike looks awesome! Nice build 🙂

podman -

Looks nice, I especially like the head tube, would be great to see that on the Simple and Solaris in the future!

The Solaris has a 44mm headtube, so can run any fork steerer size.

I get my green Solaris in 2 - 3 weeks - can't freekin wait! 🙂

What do those little barrelly type things on your brake cables do?

they are middleburn oilers

More importantly Vortex, have you fed the puppy? Or is it a stray?

and yip the puppy is fed and watered, although he is 3 years old

meet Archie

[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5310/5891859166_a4c2d1c2a2_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5310/5891859166_a4c2d1c2a2_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/17059060@N00/5891859166/ ]DSCF0108[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/17059060@N00/ ]eastham_david[/url], on Flickr

and as for eating, since the Mrs took him to the vets to have his gonads removed, he never stops bloody munching.

Think i have those barrelly things on my Soul brake cables - simply keep more crud out - or that's what i use them for, anyway.

Easier than you think to build a lightish Soul jon, and i think the new Soul frame is actually lighter.

Archie, how do the oilers work?

move the grommet/o ring to one side and squirt WD40 in.

[img] [/img]

I really like that. Very nice

I run mine heavy because i break everything!! 😀

Great bike, I'd love one.

Seat tube looks too fat now though.

Headtube isnt too bad.

Bike looks too cluttered.

Remove fork and rim decals (they dont go with the orange)

Put your 1x10 back on.

Good choice on the saddle, dont go back to one of those I beam monstrosities.

Really nice despite the excess of chainrings! 😉

I think the new head and seat tubes were a wise business decision - I bet a fair proportion of Souls are sold to riders who've bought a mainstream full-sus but later decided they'd like a really nice hardtail instead and thus buy a frame and swap the components across - tapered forks now fit as do all the different dropper posts. I won't be changing mine though!

My previous generation Soul weighs under 27lbs with a fairly burly build (though 1x10) - could easily knock off weight with less huge tyres, skinnier rims, shorter forks, no dropper post (folly IMHO!), etc...

really nice, making me have doubts about the new bfe, just wanted to know does the frame have dropper post guides?

Yes it does have dropper cable guides.

Cheers, now to decide gorgeous green Bfe or the new soul in Orange!

Cheers, now to decide gorgeous green Bfe or the new soul in Orange!

What I really wanted was a gorgeous green Soul 🙄

On the weights, my small soul 2 is also 25.3 lbs. This is weighing every part individually when i had time on my hands before kids 😳

Spec is:

Arch rear, Arch EX front, both with pro 2 evo
1X9 XT Cassette, jump stop, bbg bash
XTR mech
charge spoon and thomson
Elxir R 160/185
Reba QR
SLX double & bash 170 cranks
Superstar nanotech flats
2.2 XR4 tyres
XT shifter
711 bars and easton haven am stem.

Lighter tyres and small changes in spec and it has been 23.7 lbs

Lovely build, although the frame definitely does lose a little something visually with the fat seat tube. (Maybe I'm biased, would like a dropper on my own Soul....)

It looks diferent in the flesh, not quite as chunky. Its a lovely bike, if I was in the market for a hardtail this would be what I would get now

Vortex: got a link for replacement chainrings for those cranks? The RaceFace site has them as 120mm BCD, and I'm buggered if I can find replacements for my Truvativs, which are also 120mm BCD.

http://www.raceface.com/components/cranks/next/next-sl-2x10/

Lighter tyres and small changes in spec and it has been 23.7 lbs

I've got 23.4 lbs for a small 2011 Soul, SRAM X0/X9 2x10, Rocket Rons tubeless on Stans Crest, Reba maxle 15mm, rigid Ti post. That's about as far as I can go without spending stupid money (Mrs JG is saying I already have ...).

Makes me wanna ride my (2004) Soul again. Which has been gathering dust since Mayhem 2010.... 😳

That's really nice that is.

Vortex: got a link for replacement chainrings for those cranks? The RaceFace site has them as 120mm BCD, and I'm buggered if I can find replacements for my Truvativs, which are also 120mm BCD.

CRC are doing the Race Face Turbine ones at about £80 ish

[url] http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=51888 [/url]

much cheaper than XTR !!

Thx yes I found them too, panic over.

Tempted to those carbon cranks ...

I've got 23.4 lbs for a small 2011 Soul, SRAM X0/X9 2x10, Rocket Rons tubeless on Stans Crest, Reba maxle 15mm, rigid Ti post. That's about as far as I can go without spending stupid money (Mrs JG is saying I already have ...).

I rekon with a set of SID's (15mm) I could get into the high 22lbs

My new Rebas are 1650 grams, what are the SIDs?

Those carbon cranks would get me under 23lbs just, as my current X9s are 1850 grams.

(but I'm also at the point where light enough is light enough, not being a billionaire and all. I don't even race.)

Nice. Glad I can't afford one of these - deciding whether to go for old-fashioned skinny beauty or fat-tubed dropper-friendliness would almost certainly drive me bonkers 😕

My new Rebas are 1650 grams, what are the SIDs?

The new SIDS are just above 3lbs with a 15mm Maxle.

The cranks inc BB weigh in at 630grms.

Google says 3lbs = 1.36kg, wow.

You may as well drop the Flows for Crests and get light Schwalbe (RoRo pre-2011) tyres, you'll be knocking on 22lbs then.

Madness!

Just doing some numbers and

Save 0.6lbs with the fork (SID 120mm WC)
Save .22lbs by buying some Ritchey V5 pedals
Save .22lbs by using a 2.1 Rracing Ralph instead of a 2.25 on the rear
Change the Pro2 355's to Pro3 355's
and put some EC90 Bars on it

and It should be in the high 21 lbs easily 😆

Are the bank notes in your wallet arranged by value?

That lot won't come to a fortune, if I sell the existing stuff.

and

Yes 😉