I’ve had my eye on a Dialled Prince Albert or Cotic Soul for a while now, but would like to canvass opinion on alternatives before splashing out. Thoughts please.

Cove *cough* Handjob is a splendid steel frame. Great for technical trail riding.

Probably somewhere between the two you’ve mentioned in terms of burliness.

Genesis steel frames look good to me too.

pick one with the nicest colour.

I’m looking for the same at the moment, been going round in circles… so to extend your list a little:

– Saracen Zen 631
– 456
– NS Surge
– DMR Trailstar
– Solid Nurse ?

Dialled Alpine

Another vote for the Cove Handjob..

Dialled Prince Albert:

Had mine 3 weeks now and I have to say its absolutely perfect. Climbs really well, comfortable, handles amazing and leaves me with the biggest grin at the bottom of the downhill sections.

An absolute trail beast, and I love it!

Decide whether you want lighter or stronger, steeper or slacker angles, and whether you want 100-120mm or 130mm+ forks. That’ll shorten the options list.
Lighter, 110mm forked Sanderson here – spot on for XC, ‘normal’ trail rides and a spot of racing.
Adjustable forks are good!

Very impressed with my Soul. Medium with 65mm stem makes for lively handling, but still climbs well.

Rode a demo Cotic Soul at Cannock demo day very impressed, see Bike radar for other Demo events

I recommend this I saw on fleabay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280315788351&viewitem=&salenotsupported

With some ‘proper’ forks obviously.

PA – Long top tube and short stem is a great combo

I’ve a Soul and a Dialled (although it’s a Love/hate, see my pics thread) I prefer the feel of the dialled’s and on-ones to the Soul, but the differences are tiny. My mates PA rode great but was a bit of a beast, but that was probably down to the heavy old Marzocchi fork he uses.

If you are near Northants, you are more than welcome to try/borrow mine.

TR

May i concur with Mr Taylforth and suggest a Alpine?

Another Vote for the Cove Handjob 8)

I have to say i love my Pipedream sirius. Cheaper than some of the options offered up so far if that’s an issue. I would agree with cheers-drive on the long top tube, short stem option. kinda why i went for the Pipedream as its quite long but long as common as an inbred, so what have i just bought, correct, an inbred, love that too.

Charge Duster?
Wiggle seem to be selling off the 08s.
Pipedream Sirius?

I do love the whole long top tube and stubby stem thing, and the alpine is growing on me everytime I look at Jamie and davidtaylforth’s pics. I’m after something with long travel ideally, but mainly it has to be like poop off a shiny shovel.

Chromag?

I know not long travel but genesis alptitude?

Not sure how fast a burly steel frame will “feel”, probably not like poop of a shiney shovel – but I guess it depends how you build it up. Frame might also not have the spirited ride of it’s lighter steel brethren.

try. see. demo.

Genesis Alptitude.

The Alpitude is a stunning looking bike, and well specced, as you’re expect. Like the look of the Alpine, and as the owner of two Inbreds, one with 160mm Nixons up front, and previously a Handjob, that was replaced by my 853 SS Inbred, they are all perfectly respectable choices as well. Difficult decision, these days.

Hmmm…if you want a bit of a steel whippet i would suggest a Rock Lobster 853, think they can take a 120mm fork. Either that or just pedal faster on an Alpine…its what i do 🙂

harryflashman – Member
I do love the whole long top tube and stubby stem thing, and the alpine is growing on me everytime I look at Jamie and davidtaylforth’s pics. I’m after something with long travel ideally, but mainly it has to be like poop off a shiny shovel.

Harry, only got the Alpines in 15.5″ size 21″ top tube left, so if you wanna go dialled bikes it’ll have to be a Prince Albert if 15.5″ isn’t your size.

CountZero – Member
The Alpitude is a stunning looking bike, and well specced, as you’re expect. Like the look of the Alpine, and as the owner of two Inbreds, one with 160mm Nixons up front, and previously a Handjob, that was replaced by my 853 SS Inbred, they are all perfectly respectable choices as well. Difficult decision, these days.

yes it is, but i’d also suggest that it’s not easy to find a duffer as you seem to have found out too.

I’ve not ridden any of the other bikes, but I do like my Orange P7…

Mentioned? And check out cotic soul or bfe.

Independent Fabrication Steel Deluxe

Soul?

Curtis?

I really miss my 853 PA. It was pretty darned heavy though (although I didn’t **** about with a lightweight spec)

Enjoyed this very much.

Harry, only got the Alpines in 15.5″ size 21″ top tube left, so if you wanna go dialled bikes it’ll have to be a Prince Albert if 15.5″ isn’t your size.

Mike, now you’ve told me I can’t have an Alpine its the only one I want, curse you. <Sob>

Wonder what Brant is creating in that shed of his?

I own a Cove handjob and its an excellent all round trail bike, I run it with a 130mm fork as it makes the bike more versatile. The Charge blender looks good though, check out the link and click on the blender video. http://videos.chargebikes.com/

I had the same dilemna.

Went for a Soul in the end because I could afford it and it suits my riding the most. If I’d gone for a PA I’d have to have bought a bolt-thru fork(IMO) (needing a new wheel) etc, which isn’t required for my style of riding.

I’ve never ridden any of the others, though the Pipedreams and Dialled have poor stickers (I know….) and the PAs are heavy, but thats because they’re strong. I guess they’re pretty much unbreakable, but unless you do a lot of jumps on the jump park most things are

Apparently the Handjobs have slack angles, but that means nothing to me.

I bought the Soul cos I always wanted one and was a slighlty longer travel version of what I had before, a RM blizzard.

At this point I can imagine Mr Flashman going ‘aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggghhhhhh! This isn’t helping’. Well, my Handjob was lovely , but I wanted a singlespeed frame that didn’t need a tensioner and the 853 came along at exactly the right time, otherwise I might have gone for a Genesis or a Charge, and been quite happy with either, but I love the Inbred to bits, and would recommend one to anyone. Also, my other Inbred, a 567 prototype I got from Brant happened along when I wanted a cheap long-travel frame to replace a Hummer I had, and again, I just love the way it rides, I can’t fault it, so a 456 would probably suit you with a good fork on the front like a Pike or a Minute. Really tho’ there are so many damn good hardtails around that it’s almost impossible to try all of them, and it probably comes down to the way a bike looks as much as anything. I don’t really like wishbone seatstays, so would discount a Cotic, however I do like the De Kerf design, which On-One bikes copy, so I’m more than happy with mine, plus they work with the long top-tube/ short stem set up particularly well. Write out a list and stick a pin in it is as good a way of picking one as any. ;0)

The question perhaps nobody has asked yet that they should have done, is what type of riding do you do?

Would suggest a Cotic Soul isn’t going to be the best option if it’s a Freeride Hardtail you’re after, likewise a Dialled Alpine not the best if you want a lightweight XC bike!

FWIW, there’s soooooo many options and each has their benefits and detractors of course.

Got a Genesis Altitude with 125mm travel forks myself, I like it, but it’s at the more XC end of the scale from all the frames mentioned so far. Similar to the Cotic Soul, but with more conventional seat and chainstays than the wishbone stays on the Cotic. It’s also about 20% cheaper than the Cotic. Rides nice anyway!