Love the way my old 2001 Trailstar feels to ride (steel is real?) but the angles aren’t quite right for the way I ride now (a bit steep and don’t want to risk longer forks on it).

Currently mostly ride an Identiti Mr Hyde – angles better and bombproof but a little harsh at times (back end built from alu girders).

If I don’t go short-travel FS for my next toy looking to switch back to steel.

Cotic riders – would a BFe give me the best of both HT worlds?

Any other options in the same price bracket?

slainte ❓ rob

I went from a BFe back to the Trailstar which feels a bit more lively to ride probably because of the angles. The BFe is a great frame, more stable down hill but not as fun on flatter things like we have in the east midlands! I’d probably have one again.

ns bikes surge is a bit more play oriented than a bfe..

I can sympathise with the Mr Hyde being a bit on the harsh side. That was the main reason for me getting a second bike (full sus). What kind of riding are you doing on the Identiti? What forks do you currently have fitted? What would you look to put on the BFe?

I love the looks of the Cotic bikes (Soul and BFe) so don’t know which way I would go if I could ever afford one. The Chumba Hx1 has recently caught my attention especially since it has come down in price.

As a temporary fix have you tried a high volume tyre at the rear? Something like a Maxxis Ardent 2.25 seems to have helped soften out a little of the harshness on my bike.

Mostly ride XC and the tame trail centres (Thetford, Sherwood, Scartree) we have round these parts, but take a few trips each year to other places (Wales, Scotland, The Lakes) to ride rougher, steeper stuff. All my riding is more about fun than grinding out the miles though, and would like to keep one bike for all my riding (have always built and ridden HTs designed for the hooning around/swooping singletrack end of XC/AM riding).

Currently only running 100mm forks on the Mr Hyde and would look to run something a bit longer if I got a BFe (thinking 130mm or so), but it’s the back end that I’m not totally happy with. Might switch back to a bigger rear tyre (switched from a chunky 2.25 to a slippier 2.1 earlier this year) to see what difference that makes.

Stanton Slackline looks an option too.

slainte ➡ rob

Just to throw a swerve ball into the mix Rob, IF you were to go short travel FS as you mention what’s on your wish list?

Was pining for a Hemlock until they stopped making them. Other than that no firm ideas really, just keeping my eyes open. The YT Industries Play and Transition Double are the kind of thing I like the look of but are possible a bit too hefty for all-round riding? Not REALLY sure anyone’s nailed the short-travel AM/play bike (hooligan HT with a bit of bounce) thing yet.

slainte ➡ rob

I went with a Soul for this kind of riding because the downside of the BFe’s extra stiffness is the BFe’s extra stiffness. My guess is what’s most likely to break a Soul is proper dirtjumping and the associated crashes or gap jump disasters downhilling – my riding doesn’t involve such epic things, just normal drops and low risk jumping.

I can’t fault the Soul for its ability to carve woodland singletrack one day and hammer down rocky descents the next, when built up with long forks, wide rims, big tyres and (for me at least) flat pedals and a dropper post.

Whatever anyone says these more compliant steel framed bikes don’t feel anything like they have rear suspension but they do let you run your tyres much harder in the summer for maximum pump efficiency without getting all trail buzzy, which is nice.

you should get a soul (as opposed to a bfe), as above great all round trail bike. if you ask nicely i could be persuaded to meet up @ wakerley some time and let you have a borrow (medium).

If you ride Thetford often, happy to meet up on a Sunday morning – and you can have a spin on my BFe. Small frame with Pikes at 140mm.

If I didn’t have the BFe, I’d definitely have the Slackline on my list.

I’m a raging Cotic fanboi but the BFe felt a bit ordinary to me… Unkillable, sure, but a bit solid and dead feeling, didn’t have the Soul Magic. And I thought it lost the sweetness of the handling with a long fork in too- gained slackness obviously but also tallness.

So unless you’re going to beat it senseless, I’d say a Soul and a length-adjustable fork up to 140mm, gives away very little apart from outright abuse survival, and gains a fair bit.

I’d get a Soul because Souls are great. Only got one recently but all the things said about it are pretty much true. One of those bikes that feels “right”.

Not REALLY sure anyone’s nailed the short-travel AM/play bike (hooligan HT with a bit of bounce) thing yet.

Saracen Ariel maybe? Not really short travel though I guess. I like the look of the DMR Bolt but have heard it looks rubbish in person and is also really heavy.

Yeah, much as I like DMR the Bolt is a bit portly I think.

Closest I’ve seen is that mismatched travel GT Distortion that I don’t think they’re bringing to the UK?

Maybe also the Ragley 10-4?

slainte ❓ rob

colournoise – Member
Was pining for a Hemlock until they stopped making them. Other than that no firm ideas really, just keeping my eyes open. The YT Industries Play and Transition Double are the kind of thing I like the look of but are possible a bit too hefty for all-round riding? Not REALLY sure anyone’s nailed the short-travel AM/play bike (hooligan HT with a bit of bounce) thing yet.

Blur 4x

Hemlock with a big fork and short travel rear rocker doesn’t really qualify as short travel I guess but it’s a right wee animal… Good enough to make even me look good. Got a 2-degree head angle reducer, a pair of coil lyriks and a Van in mine just now and it’s just fab.

I used to have a trailstar but now have a bfe. I’d say you have two options, the bfe or stanton. Tphe bfe is good, nice short back end but a bit slacker and longer than the dmr, ideal for what your after. Works well With 100mm forks too. I’ve got the 19inch one, but it still rides well on jumps and downhill.

Sizing might be the clincher here if I stay HT.

I’m a shortarse (5’6″) and my 16″ Trailstar and Mr Hyde are only just small enough (zero standover – although I know that’s not the greatest measure of frame size). The Stanton only goes down to 16.5″ but the BFe does 14.5″ only losing 3/4″ of top tube length over the 16″ and the XS BFe has a quoted top tube length of 22″ same as the 16″ Mt Hyde.

Time to save up.

slainte 😀 rob