Cotic soul 26 sizing help – L vs M

I realise this has been done before, but I’m a pretty funny shape, so haven’t been able to dredge a thread that reflects my sizing.

I’m in Norwich, so swinging a leg over is unlikely to be an option, and I don’t want to bother the man himself as I’ll be buying second hand (a rich man i am not).

Anyone else out there got/ridden a soul at 6ft1″ and 32″ inseam?

I’ll be using the bike for everything north of road riding and south of dh/hucking. (do people still say hucking?)

I’ve come back to this after a long hiatus and I’ve decided that the soul is the bike for me.

M felt short to me and I’m 5’10” on a good day.

Large. I’m 6 foot bang on and the L is perfect for me…

6’2″ & 33″ here. Large is good for me. Reckon you’d be cramped on an M.

5ft 10.5 with 30.5 inside leg here and medium is spot on

5ft 11 , 31in inside leg M.
Another inch and I would need large

I’d go large. I have a medium Cotic and have a short torso at 6′ and it just fits. If I was buying new I would go for a large.

6’2 / 34″ and large here.

I’m the same size as you and have a large. It feels right to me.

Medium for me, 178 and 32″ inseam. Was perfect.

Worth remembering the 26er Souls were designed in an age assuming 70mm stems as crazy short and lay back seat posts as the norm.

I’m now on a M Soul275.

Definitely large.

Gone are the days when 6ft+ lads would ride a medium frame for “chuckability.”

26er Souls were designed in an age assuming 70mm stems as crazy short and lay back seat posts as the norm

Probably being thick, but I’m not sure what that tells me!

Like all above have said, go large. I’m 6’1 and a medium would definitely be cramped for me, I’m running a 70mm stem and wide bars and a large is perfect for what I use it for.

Think I have my answer then! Thanks all!

Another vote for large.

At 6’1″ with short legs ( 😉 ) you’d find a medium short in the top tube dept.

At 6′ – a couple mm and 33.5″ ISL I find I my Mk 1 medium pretty much on the limit (with 70mm stem and layback pin).

Large for me, I’m 5’11 and fits perfect, I’m still not sure which one I like better my old 26 or new 27.5 both amazing bikes

^^^^ have often wondered if a 27.5 would feel any different to my 2013 26 version….

My 26er just seemed to have a bit more life in it.

Definitely large. I’m a shade under 6 and ride a medium with a layback post as a winter singlepeed for short blasts etc. Nice and flickable but would want a bigger frame for longer rides.

shaungero – Member
My 26er just seemed to have a bit more life in it.

interesting indeed. The 27.5 ones don’t seem to get the same warm feeling with folks raving about them that goes with the 26 version, which I find a bit odd…

interesting indeed. The 27.5 ones don’t seem to get the same warm feeling with folks raving about them that goes with the 26 version, which I find a bit odd…

Isn’t that because the folks who rave about the 26 are still riding their 26 with little intention to move to any kind of 27.5 anytime soon?

As for the size issue, I’m 5ft 9 with 31 inside leg and my M is spot on with a 50mm stem. Nice and compact and ‘chuckable’. I hope that is of some use

6ft 1, with 32 inside leg for me and a large was perfect.

Check the drive chainstay though – that’s where my frame snapped 🙁

I’m 5’11” with 33 inside leg and I was a medium, with 70mmm Stem which felt good for me

Isn’t that because the folks who rave about the 26 are still riding their 26 with little intention to move to any kind of 27.5 anytime soon?

Good point, hadn’t thought of it that way ! Certainly my 26 will keep going till I can’t get bits for it. If it was pinched I think I would replace it with another, in 27.5 shape.

Go large, I’ve had both, bit shorter than you, now on a medium but if I was tiny bit bigger it would be large.

Just adding to the data: I’m 5’10” with a ~32″ inside leg, and I ride a mk3 M with a 70mm stem, it’s very comfortable but if I was any taller I’d probably go for the L.

I’d go large too… I’m 5’10 with 31 inch inside leg, had a small BFe (toooo small, but that was back in the days when too small was supposed to be good; it wasn’t, even then). and a medium soil, soda, and hemlock. I loved the medium hardtails at the time but over time I’ve tried longer bikes and just found them better. And the dropped top tube/compact frame means you can go up a size without any stress.

(I still have the hemlock, never selling that, the Soda I’m happy is getting ridden, but man I miss my Soul. I’d buy that back tomorrow. A Ragley Ti eventually matched it, nothing’s bettered it.)

I’m a shade under six foot, 32″ inside, and my large Soul was spot-on.

I’m 6’1″ and my Large soul has always been a teensy bit on the small side, but I love it.

Am about to cannibalise it ans sell most of it to build up my Last when it arrived, and am really sad at the prospect

I’ve found Cotic’s sizing charts to err on the small side. I’ve a Solaris but the sizing ranges are the same. I’m smack in the middle of the medium range but ride a large and it’s fine. There’s not a huge difference in size between the two (17mm ETT) anyway.