Steel is real attempt #2 - Cotic BFe - Now for sale

lawman

Finally got the back wheel re-rimmed with a new Arch Ex, hopefully it'll hold up a little better than the Crest The red decal on it is bugging the hell outta me though!!

Took it for a quick spin yesterday, the back brake pads are shot and the onset of man-flu meant I only did a quick 9 miles but it was nice to be out on the bike again after 3 weeks of being buried under Uni work.



Forgotten how rapid it feels, super fun little bike!

ej2320

What pedal and shoe combo are you using?

lawman

I'm using Xt trail pedals and mp66 shoes ATM, which are basically the old Am45 SPD's had zero issues at all with them, the pedals are great, reliable and super easy to clip in and out of. Shoes were second hand, but they're still going strong, though I'm tempted to get some new ones once funds allow

ej2320

I thought they were the XT trail pedals!

I'm looking to go clipless at some point and I wasn't sure if I'd need the wide platform DX pedals or not, but you seem to be handling downhill tracks fine on the XTs so I'll try and find some second hand .. I'm not too keen on the Crank bros Mallet

I was thinking about getting the AM45s as everyone seems to rave about them.. Shimano seems to be the way to go

Really like your Cotic.. Just try not to destroy the Arch EX rims

lawman

It's preference really, a few chaps that ride more DH than I do use the DX pedals and really rate them, but I've had no problems using the Xt's for general trail use and the odd DH session.

The AM45's are pretty common in the uni club, we've not had any complaints about them, they seem incredibly hard wearing, weather proof (bloody useful in the depths of a welsh winter!) and they fit really well too. I'm tempted by some Crossmax Enduro's though, heard very good things about them but at twice the price of AM45's they're difficult to justify when they're so good!

Hopefully I won't destroy the new back rim, though I think sheer bad luck killed the crest more than anything else!

ej2320

I'll go for either then.. It really depends which I can get cheaper

Seeing as this is more of an experiment I might get the Deore M530 version which looks literally the same but cheaper

The Crossmax enduros look really good and a lot of riders in the enduro series use them.. I just couldn't justify spending £120 on some shoes

I'm hunting around from some second hand MP66s or AM45s but I'm a size 12 or eu48 for Shimano.. so I might have to get some new AM45s

I was thinking of getting Arch EX rims on my Covert.. but I went for the Flows purely because they're bombproof

lawman

Have a pair of the M530's as a spare pair and they're pretty good too, the Xt's are perhaps a little smoother in operation, but it's hard to tell the difference.

stubs

I have the XT and 2 of my mates have the Deore 530s and all I can see for the extra £40 I paid is the XTs are about 50 grams lighter. Chain reaction have a 10% off deal on Shimano the code is Egg10.

lawman

Another update!

If you've seen my Mojo HD you'll have seen it's been decked out in a complete XTR groupset which naturally meant some of it was freed up to go the BFe





Got a Raceface chainring for the Mojo so the 34t Works components ring is now on the Cotic. Running it without a guide a) to see if it actually works without a guide and b) because the superstar one was utter shite! Seems to be working so far!



The XTR mech off the Mojo was surplus so I've replaced the Zee mech that was on here originally. I'm tempted to see if the short cage on the zee will fit the XTR mech, so there might be some tinkering in the next few days if I have time. Also got a new XT chain and cassette as the old ones were past there best and starting to play up.



Last but not least the XTR shifters I won were I-spec A and the XTR brakes were I-Spec B and not compatible, but the XT's were I-Spec A so I just ordered an I-Spec B XTR Shifter for the Ibis and put the I-Spec A XTR shifter on the Cotic! As I've said in the Mojo thread, the XTR shifters are incredible, seriously impressive kit! Gone back to the green SDG grips as well, needed to remove the ESI's to get the old shifter off and nothing handy to glue them back on with so the lock-ons are, errr, on for now.

Great little bike to razz around my local trails on but as I've said in my other thread, keeping two bikes up and running and being able to justify them both is getting a little tougher so I might be moving this on in a few months, which is a crying shame as it's a damn nice riding bike!

dusk

I had SLX shifters and Rear Mech on my BFe, recently bought some XTR shifters and like you say, they're awesome. Definitely worth spending money on the shifters over the rear mech IMO

lawman

dusk wrote:

I had SLX shifters and Rear Mech on my BFe, recently bought some XTR shifters and like you say, they're awesome. Definitely worth spending money on the shifters over the rear mech IMO

Absolutely. I had the xtr and zee mechs set up with xt shifters and they felt identical. The xtr shifters are a lot better than XT and that's something you don't hear often. Normally I'd say xt or slx is more than enough for most but the xtr shifters really are worth splashing out on.

The Northern Monkey

looks awesome mate!

You ridden it in anger with no chainguide yet?

lawman

The Northern Monkey wrote:

looks awesome mate!

You ridden it in anger with no chainguide yet?

Cheers mate!

I've had one ride with it in anger so and I didn't lose the chain, for a while I ran a standard e13 ring with no guide and the zee mech and lost the chain constantly. Put the works ring on and did the same trails and no dropped chains so it appears to work. Still running a guide on the ibis so there's no way the chain can come off and ruin the xtr cranks though!

The Northern Monkey

You managed to get out on it properly yet?!

Thinking about changing the 456 to a clutch mech and sticking the chain guide on the Canyon!

angry_bird

Damn you and this bloody thread Lawman!! I just sold my El Guapo. I wanted the money for roadies but now there's a nagging voice telling me to build another long travel HT... :roll:

lawman

The Northern Monkey wrote:

You managed to get out on it properly yet?!

Thinking about changing the 456 to a clutch mech and sticking the chain guide on the Canyon!

Aye had a few more rides and happy to report all is well! No dropped chains and all is running sweet! I had doubts whether it would work on a hardtail but I've not any issues so far. Admittedly my trails aren't the rockiest though, but so far it's been fine in all the places it dropped before so I'd say it's past the test

lawman

Angry Bird wrote:

Damn you and this bloody thread Lawman!! I just sold my El Guapo. I wanted the money for roadies but now there's a nagging voice telling me to build another long travel HT... :roll:

Do it! Do it now! I do rather like how this rides, it's so much nicer than the 456C, more comfortable and it looks the dogs. I never thought I'd say it but I think it's even better looking than the Ibis, it's just so clean and simple it just works Trouble is as much fun as I have riding it 7 or 8 times out of 10 when I go for a proper ride I end up taking the Ibis so this feels a little neglected sometimes, which is a shame because it is damn good fun. I'm just lazy and used to the squidginess of the Ibis and for rides away from my local trails I always take the susser. I'd still thoroughly recommend the BFe though, I've ridden my fair share of "hardcore" hardtails and this is definitely one of, if not the, best out there.

lawman

Was thinking I hadn't updated this thread for a while, but then I haven't ridden the Cotic for 5 months now :? With the Foxy being such a blast this really has fallen into a bit of neglect recently, as good a bike as it is I just don't get the use out of it anymore, so I'm tempted to try and find it a new home which would help towards a decent commuter that could double as a light cross style bike, quite fancy a Genesis as they'll keep it British and see a lot more use now I'm commuting a lot more than I used too. If anyone's interested in buying this off me drop me a PM as I'm open to sensible offers it's been a bloody good bike but sadly I feel my love affair with it is coming to an end.

lawman

So I couldn't be arsed taking the Foxy back to the folks house last weekend and went for a spin on the Cotic. Thank Christ I didn't sell it! I'd forgotten just how much fun it is. It put me on the deck numerous times as compared to the Foxy its twitchy as hell, but it was such a laugh to be sliding about and just Manualling through every little compression, the foxy is so composed and fast this is just the polar opposite, but is all the better for it, it just suits it so well. So I'm now back to trying to justify three bikes with a road bike on the distant horizon just as I thought things were going to get a little simpler!

dusk

It's the right decision, I've been riding my BFe a lot lately and I'm loving it. It'll never be as capable as my "enduro" bike but it's just so much fun for messing around in the woods

Twelly

I know exactly what you mean, my Banshee is my first choice now by a long way but when I am forced to take the BFe out I am never disappointed, half the speed = twice the fun when riding that bike. The only thing that lets mine down is having a Rev on the front after riding a Pike regularly.

lawman

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19728802#p19728802]Twelly[/url] wrote:

I know exactly what you mean, my Banshee is my first choice now by a long way but when I am forced to take the BFe out I am never disappointed, half the speed = twice the fun when riding that bike. The only thing that lets mine down is having a Rev on the front after riding a Pike regularly.

Exactly! The Foxy is scary fast, I'm no where near good enough to reach its limit so it's always refreshing to get back on the BFe and push it like mad but be going way slower and sliding all over the place likewise on the forks, my 32's feel like twigs compared to a 36!

lawman

Well since my last post I have ridden the BFe the grand sum of once, and that was to work to get some work before she's sold just bought my first house so could do with the cash and the fact is its sat in a bike bag for six months doing feck all so she's got to go. Loved owning it and perhaps I'll return to Cotic in the future with a more up to date bike, but for now I'm facing the first time of not having a hardtail.