Cotic Soul + 130mm Revs. Built it a few years ago when I was in the UK. It was perfect – handled well especially when dangling off the back. Now I’m in Australia. Oddly enough its much drier but the trails are much much tighter than the UK – all over the front rather than off the back. I’m finding the Soul a bit of a pig to turn. It has a short stem, seat quite far forward and I’m looking up and ahead in the corners. Rode a Spec Epic last week and what a revelation – it turned presumably as the head angle is much steeper but it also has 100mm forks. So, will fitting 100 – 110 forks to the Soul help things??

I had 130mm Revs on my Soul. Rode it like that for a year and it was OK but a bit wandery on the climbs. Spaced it down to 120 and it’s better on the climbs and sweeter through the corners.. Think 110 – 120 is reckoned to be the sweet spot for Souls.

You don’t need to replace your forks, they can be spaced down to 110-120mm.

Ive had my Soul running 100mm since 06 and its fantastic on the twisty chilterns singletrack. Change the forks not the bike.

Likewise…I think the Soul is better with a shorter fork. I run mine with U-turn Revs at about 110/115. Never liked it on the flat with the forks any longer than that. Although, now I have fitted an angleset headset, it does require lot more weight over the front and more input from me in tight singletrack, but the payback on the descents is worth it.

I’d tweak the forks first even a small drop in travel will change how quick they are in the turns.

I run 120mm revelations on my simple and it is really quick steering –

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhCUXDineDI&feature=plcp[/video]

I don’t think it’s better or worse with different length forks but it’s definately different- suits a uturn very well. Mine had a 100-130mm Revelation in it and it brought out different sides of its character.

For me 120mm was the best allround position but that’s personal taste.

Most of its life my soul has been run at 100mm. As its a medium and I’m ~6′ I found the front end too wandery above 120.

There’s nothing wrong running at 100, and it’s pretty sharp steering.

Try a set of forks that lets you explore the range before getting rid, that’s what I’d try first.

Unless you are really just looking for an excuse to get a new bike…..

Definitely give shorter forks a go. My default setting for years was 100mm when most of my riding was in fast flowy forest singletrack, and it was fine at trail centres and the Peak too. I have 120mm on my bike these days as most of my riding is in the Peak. 130-140mm on the Soul is more of a winch/plummet type set up really. Great for going fast over bumpy stuff, but I think you’ll find the Soul great for tighter trails with shorter forks. As mentioned above, get your forks spaced down, maybe go for 110mm travel as the spacers are usually 20mm.

Hope it goes well for you and you ‘get’ your Soul again.

try running a lot more sag on the forks for a bit see if that improves things for you.

@spanners clearly whatever Cy says is worth trying, he did design the damn thing and spacing down your current forks is cheap and simple, even if you don;t do it yourself you can combine it with a service.

Also I wonder whether a tyre change might help. FWIW I just got a BFe (same geometry) and put adjustable 150/120 forks on it and I’m very happy and feel I have best of both worlds, 150 travel for DH (and skills compensation for poor jumps/drops !) and 120 for uphill and twisty less steep bits. If you do find 110 is better you can consider going down the same route to keep the DH performance.

+1 to trying 100mm fork. you might find you need to change stem height/ length for this too.

Maybe it was just the fact that the epic is a great bike?

I have only ever ridden rel basic HT up till now. But recently, tested quite a few bikes mainly on singletracks with lots of tight turns, fast corners, steep stuff, the odd little jump, climbs and roots! Of all the bikes, I enjoyed the XC bikes (epic, anthem) much more than the trail bikes. Could also be the fact that they were 29ers and the trails were all 26ers, except a spesh camber which was also great and a 29er.

Thanks for all the replies. The Soul is now having a fork service and its travel reduced to 110mm courtesy of Bio-Mecanics in Adelaide. Souls are pretty much unseen of over here in Australia so it always gets people looking when its out on the trails. The locals know the name as they all read the UK mags (no idea why as any reviews are 6 months out of season and the terrain here in South Australia is nothing like the UK).
Thanks.

Good luck – hope it sorts it for you.

Spanners – who are you? I’m in Adelaide, know Pete Lia and Andrew well – and ride with Zokes a bit; who has a Soul with 130 Revs!

Langy – I’m in the Barossa and ride up in Pewsey Vale just out of Angaston. Don’t know the names you mention but I’m sure I’ve seen your name on the Billsville site (haven’t ridden with them for ages). Give me your email address and I’ll give you the details of our rides.

Spanners – Mr Moore? That’s the folks that own BMCR.

Yes, I’m on Billsville; I too haven’t ridden there in ages.

email in profile – interested to come for a ride up there. See what a blow-vac can do! ;D

Swopped wheels on mine to superlight stan’s crests and trick spokes, running 120 mm front 9 speed , changed the bike’s character completely, incredible difference.
well worth upgrading.
Total bike weight 23.5 lbs with no carbon.

catvet – a long shot I know but a quick google tells me you had an Orange Sub3 for sale a couple on months ago – do you still have it?

Stick a pair of Talas or U-Turns on there… wind them in to 100-110mm for the climbs and singletrack, wind them out to 140 for the bigger, fast decents.

Total bike weight 23.5 lbs with no carbon.

For a *soul*? That’s pretty good going!

I’ve tried a lot of fork lengths on my Soul and found I preferred the 100-120mm range to anything longer. 100mm on the Soul will be fun on the twisty stuff.

Having said that I also have an Epic and it is really, really good fun on the sort of trails you describe.