Got back on my Cotic soul today for the first time in a month. Decided not to sell it and keep that along with the YT Jeffsy.
When I’m on it I feel so much better on it, more in control, lean the bike better, it’s heavier than the YT but feels more nimble.
Why is this? How come when I ride the jeffsy I feel high up and like I can’t lean or throw it about? Is it because I’m not used to 29er and full suspension? Don’t get it at all, the FS is better in every component (apart from brakes and seat post imo) and I feel like I can’t ride it like I should be able to.

How come when I ride the jeffsy I feel high up and like I can’t lean or throw it about?

Because you are high up and the bike feels less like being leaned or thrown about probably. I know that sounds a bit obvious, but a full sus 29er is going to feel taller and less agile than a smaller wheeled, agile hardtail like the Soul. You probably need to ride the FS differently, but essentially it’s a different bike, so it feels, erm, different.

I had a similar revelation today when I got back on my Ragley Ti after mostly riding a Sonder Tranmsitter with big 2.8″ tyres. The Ragley felt lighter, more chuckable and faster, mostly because it is lighter, more chuckable and faster. I think you half forget tbh.

Didn’t mean the above to sound in any way snarky btw. Years ago I used to work as a motorcycle journo testing all sorts of different motorbikes. When I first started off, I found it really hard to adapt to riding different types of bike back to back – if I went from a low, light race repica to a tall, heavy, trail bike for example, I found it quite hard to adjust to the different feel of the bike and the different level of inputs and feedback you got from them. Over time I got much better and simply swapping bikes and being able ride them hard straight off. I suspect mountain bike testers build up a similar sort of adaptability, but it’s harder if you only swap bike types occasionally. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but it’s kind of how it worked for me.

Ha ha. Don’t worry mate. I just wondered why it felt so different.
Odd thing is I’m a lot, and I mean a lot faster on the downs on the FS and I’m not in the slightest bit confident, not as confident in the same downs as when I had my trigger FS too.

I remember years ago when I got my first full sus (2016 Stumpy). I upgraded from a Voodoo Hoodoo and I wasn’t that blown away at first. It felt more unresponsive and weird to me, and initially, the hardtail felt like the better bike!

The Stumpy was also the first bike I ever did a trail centre on too (Gisburn). It was that ride, that it all clicked and I started to really improve my riding (for a beginner). I’ve had quite a few different hardtails and full suspension since.

Now I feel like I can adapt between them instantly and ride them on their merits. I admit that I do prefer full suspension now, and my favourite hardtail was a racy Cube carbon one. Even that got sold in favour of a Scott Spark.

I’d take the Jeffsy to a coaching session and unlock the potential. I bet you’ll find it a lot more fun once you click with it 🙂

I still feel odd after being on either hardtail or full suss for a bit and then swapping back.

I’ve gone for similar grips bars saddles and pedals on both to reduce the oddness.

I’m still trying go get the bars to have the same roll.

I’ve literally just changed saddle and grips so they’re the same but not ridden it yet.

It’s even worse getting on a 140mm FS with 20-25psi tyres after a week on a gravel bike with a foot shorter wheelbase (or vice versa), blimey that’s a shock. The MTB feels like a massive sofa with apehanger bars!