…give up the full suss for a soul, I got to thinking; what about a Ti or plain old alloy HT?

Just wondering as my experience is limited to just on (mtb)frame.

Cheers.

I had a Soda. It was lovely, but I like riding my Solaris more. The Soul rides as well as the Soda, isn’t much heavier and comes in orange. What’s not to like.

It’s 95% geometry and quality of design/construction that counts, only about 5% frame material. Plenty of good ally HTs out there, and even some bad steel and Ti ones.

That said, the Soul is popular for good reason. It’s a very good frame, that suits a lot of people’s riding styles a lot of the time.

Fair points, at least the soul has a large product testing data base. Bol, I have thought about the 29r …I’m guessing it climbs well??

Cheers

How many times have you ever seen or heard anyone say that they regretted buying a Soul?

I have previously had a Soul and a Simple – nothing to dislike aside for the wheel size. Now fixed with the Solaris!

How many times have you ever seen or heard anyone say that they regretted buying a Soul?

Maybe because people arent likely to admit they have made a mistake when spending £500 on a frame… 😉

Can’t argue with that indeed 😉

Aside: Having ‘issue’ letting the RM Slayer go, had it for ages….I admit it’s rather sad. (braces for torrent of abuse)

Maybe because people arent likely to admit they have made a mistake when spending £500 on a frame…

hmmm, but following this train of thought – lots of people would surely have spent another £x00 on the frame they bought to replace a Soul, then posted that it’s much better?

The only people doing this are those who have bought a Solaris, or so it would seem…?!

In a similar quandry, but not coming from a full sus. Replacing a missing early noughties race xc style bike. With pretty similar numbers to Soul as I used with slightly taller front (orig 73st / 71ha 23.25inch tt and low bb).

But can’t decide if I should get with the trail bike program and get something slacker I can use immediately – Whyte 905 or 19 (steel or ali). Whytes look good esp at 15% disc via Evans! But can’t help noticing people moving them on..

So wondering if it’s a top trumps bike for comparicists – guess I’ll try one and see..

Anyone have any feedback on 19 steel (high bb has me wondering about handling)?

edoverheels – Member
How many times have you ever seen or heard anyone say that they regretted buying a Soul?

Me I regret buying my soul

Should of bought one alot sooner 😉

But I got caught up with all the full suspension hype and puyt the purchase off for a foolish few years

I do remember a thread on here about ‘flex’ int rear end, not sure if it’s a problem in practice – anyone come to a soul from a stiff bb’d ali racer (cdale hard tail something like that?) Noticed it in a negative way (or positive!)?

Had my soul for 2 yrs now, still the bike I always pick up to ride first choice.

But I bought it second hand so I guess somebody else didn’t think the same…. oh hang on they replaced it with a soda….

Bol, I have thought about the 29r …I’m guessing it climbs well??

Yes, I’m a happier climber on it. It goes over steps and roots better than the 26er did. I don’t have any regrets – its quicker, more comfy and I’m more confident on it. That said, for 10% of the time I miss the slightly greater excitement or chuckability of the smaller wheeled bike. It’s a different experience, and frankly the speed and the way the 29er takes fast corners make up for it with a different type of excitement.

You’ll most likely be happy which ever way you go, but if you’re pretty tall I’d certainly recommend the Solaris.

bonchance, I ride a Soul back to back with a fairly stiff Orange Evo2 alu hardtail. Yes, the Soul is more flexible, but in a good way. It really suits my “let the bike find its own line” style of riding. Works particularly well with my 2.35″ Blue Groove front tyre. Really confidence inspiring.

Obviously, there are loads of other plus points too. Balance and “flickability” standing out.

The only times I don’t like it are on really fast, really rocky, really steep stuff where I wish it was a bit lower and slacker. But then it probably wouldn’t fly through the woods as fast, or be as good at slow stuff. If I bought any other bike I would keep the Soul.

oh, and I bought mine with “pretend money” (Bike2Work) so don’t need to prove to myself or anyone else that it was money well spent.

In a similar quandry, but not coming from a full sus. Replacing a missing early noughties race xc style bike. With pretty similar numbers to Soul as I used with slightly taller front (orig 73st / 71ha 23.25inch tt and low bb).
But can’t decide if I should get with the trail bike program and get something slacker I can use immediately – Whyte 905 or 19 (steel or ali). Whytes look good esp at 15% disc via Evans! But can’t help noticing people moving them on..

Soul is 71HA and 74ST, but with a sagged 100mm fork on. Unsagged this is more like 70/73, with a 120mm fork on more like 69/72, with a 140mm fork on 68/71 etc.

Might be wrong here, but the Whyte angles I believe are quoted Unsagged. They are slacker than the Soul, but probably not by as much as you might first think.

The Soul is 70/73 with a sagged 100mm fork – with an unsagged 120mm fork it’s 67.6/70.6 – not slack slack like a Ragley Blue Pig but not old school steep by any means!

Am very attached to mine – FoD Enduro race last weekend (surrounded by big bouncy bikes as it’s the downhills that are timed, not the climbs), 30 miles along the South Downs this weekend. The weekend before that an afternoon was spent on the local DH tracks (pushed back up about a dozen times) and the one before that a morning at the local dirt-jumping spot. And most weeks it’s out at least one night riding the woodland singletrack as fast as possible.

Love, love ,love my soul. I think its a lot stiffer than my scandal but more comfy than my inbred.
The thing about my soul above anything else is its just so much fun and can handle a bit of everything.
I got asked by a guy on a five at Glentress recently what the souls geometry and intended use was. I just said it had magic geometry and it was for mountain biking.