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Cotic BFeMAX - 27+/29er - UK Steel shredding Vancouver Island!

36K views 265 replies 23 participants last post by  vikb 
#1 ·


My Cotic BFeMAX has landed on the West/Wet Coast of Vancouver Island. I am glad I ordered pretty fast when I did as they are completely sold out and it'll be months for the next shipment. This bike's main mission is to replace my Knolly Endorphin as my winter bike. It's actually got more aggressive geo than that FS bike, but of course lacks the monkey motion out back. I surprised myself with how much I liked my Daambuilt Mega Krampus this past winter and it was setup with a nod to long/fast touring style rides. I figure with more fork and knobby tires I can make the BFeMAX even more fun to shred in the winter here. :cool:

https://www.cotic.co.uk/product/BFeMAX


I'm waiting on some parts and deciding if I am going to try and re-use an old 275er fork I have or get a new 29/27+ fork. So it will be a while until this bike gets rolling. On the plus side that gives me lots of time to deal with all the small details like frame protection and mounting water/cargo that often get rushed when I am excited to just get the bike out on the trail.



The 275er fork I have is a 150mm Pike that has an AtoC similar to a 140mm 29er Pike. So the geo will look like this.



If I buy a new fork it's going to be either a 150mm or 160mm 29er fork so the geo will be something like this.



The frame colour is a really nice blue, but unfortunately it's hard to photograph. The top photo and the one at the bottom are the best representation of what it looks like in real life. :cool:



FWIW - Cotic was very easy to deal with. Their online store is simple to use. I rec'd the frame from the UK to the far west coast of Canada in 10 days. Cost was ~$920CAD that includes a spare hanger, frame bag and shipping. No duty, but I did pay sales tax when it arrived.

 
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#223 ·
Finally got mine built. I have to say, the blue and pink color way had me super jealous, but I'm happy with how my orange and gunmetal turned out. Not the beauty of Vancouver Island, but I'll ride where I can. Thanks for your insights, @vikb, they've been super helpful as I went through the process of my first bike build.
Looks great! :love:

Welcome to Club Beefy! What size frame is that. Looks like your Cotic frame bag fits a lot better than mine did.

Enjoy the new whip and keep posting about the bike here. The more Beef the better! ???
 
#238 · (Edited)


While I ponder my next HT moves I've been experimenting with a few setup tweaks on the BFeMax:

1. I've gone back to an old favourite saddle - WTB Pure.
2. I've increased the saddle setback - something like ~10mm and then lowered the saddle height as well to account for the more rearward position.
3. I've dropped the fork pressure for more sag - something like ~25% seated. The dynamic ride height is lower now.
4. I've adjusted the saddle angle to be tilted upwards more to account for the deeper fork sag.

I've just been riding the bike around town running errands. On one hand urban assault isn't similar to dirt shredding OTOH it provides a very steady environment to observe changes in how the bike handles and there are some obstacles [curbs, stairs, grass, gravel, etc...] to get some trail riding data. So far I like the changes. The bike is more stable in this lower position. For example I can easily ride no handed now vs. before I couldn't really ride the bike no handed. The EFF TT is longer with lower bars and I don't prefer that, but when I look at the over all experience it's a net positive.

I'll get the Cotic out on the dirt setup like this and see what I think. 🤘
 
#236 · (Edited)


I've been busy! I got a bling/$$$ upgrade for the Cotic can you spot it in the photo? :geek:



I moved up the length of Vancouver Island to the Comox Valley to get access to whole bunch of fresh trails. I'm in a much nicer house in a much smaller town with a lot more trail options close to my front door. Moving sucks, but now that it's pretty much done I am really stoked to be in my new area. 🤘



As far as the BFeMax goes I've decided I am going to move on from it. This frame was always going to be an experiment that pushed my boundaries and there is no way to do that and be 100% sure of the outcome. While I have enjoyed riding the Cotic it hasn't turned into a love affair like riding my custom Daambuilt hardtail. My short-term plan is to move the wheels/knobby tires & bars from the Cotic to the Daambuilt. This will take it out of bikepacking mode for the winter and make it shreddy. I'll move the Lyrik from the Cotic to my GG Smash to freshen it up a bit.

I'm not sure if I am going to keep the BFeMAX as wall art for my new mancave/office or if I'll sell it. I'll probably offer it up for sale in Coastal BC/PNWet and see if there is any interest and if not I'll mount it on my wall. It's a sweet looking frame and we had some good times together I'd be happy to see it everyday. (y)



Longer-term I've got 4 ideas what to do in terms of the MTB fleet:

1. Do nothing: Stick with the GG Smash as my FS bike and the Daambuilt hardtail as my winter trail shredder and summer bikepacking rig. Obviously the cheapest option and frees up some space in the garage which is nice.

2. Add steel hardtail set up as a SS bike: I'm kind of keen on trying a SS bike as my trail machine. I've done a lot of SS riding, but mostly urban and gravel/dirt roads. I love it and my most ridden bike day-to-day is my SS Surly Krampus. So I am thinking something with more aggressive trail geo, but short/adjustable CS, more modest Reach/HTA than the Cotic. I ran into a couple today on the trails who were on some custom Naked SS hardtails. The FOMO/jealousy was real. :p

3. Add a Ti bikepacking bike: I've never had a Ti bike and as a Steel Is Real guy trying a Ti bike seems like the next step on that path. It would likely be setup more for bikepacking/gravel grinding than shredding, but that would mean my Daambuilt could stay setup as a trail bike with knobbies full time.

4. Add a short travel FS bike: I love riding hardtails, but they do have some downsides and my new riding zones are a lot faster in terms of average speed than back in Victoria so things get more bouncy in the rear end. I have been thinking a 100-120mm FS bike could be a nice combo between my longer travel FS bike and my hardtail.

Not sure what I'll do. I need to fly out East to visit my parents for a couple weeks so that means lots of time to ponder the next move. I have a SS friendly steel hardtail in mind for Option #2 that's in stock and I could use the MRP fork off my GG and the rest of the parts off the Cotic to build it up. I haven't found anything in stock for Options #3 and #4 so those may not even be possible at the moment.
 
#81 ·


A few important items of progress on the build. Finally! :eekster:

I swapped out the Amazon frame bag for an Evoc bag. It just looks much nicer so I figured it was worth the cost of upgrading.



I got the BB installed. Spindle swapped to the new crank arms. Pedals, chainring and cranks installed. Everything installed smoothly, but my NDS crank arm gets pretty close to the chainstay. RF carbon cranks and their obligatory crank boots are very wide. On a stiff frame this would be enough clearance. On a steel frame it might not be. No way to know without trying. If the crank arm rubs I'll get some metal RF cranks since they are cheap-ish and a lot skinner.



I got the dropper head parts I needed from 9.8 so the dropper is in the bike at approximate ride height. Ergon saddle is installed in its approximate position. I know the saddle being slammed forward [and the tall spacer stack under the stem] is making someone's eyes bleed. Sorry. I don't even like super steep STAs. This saddle position just gets the effective STA into not crazy slack territory due to the seat tube angle and the long fork. I bought the frame knowing this was likely going to happen and the BFeMAX has a steeper STA than the last generation of Cotics. Cotic could go 2 deg steeper on the STA and it would just be in the middle of the useful range.

One potential snag is that I've never used an Ergon saddle before. My usual WTB saddles have short rails so I got the Ergon as it has much longer rails and therefor can be slid forward further. If it turns out not to be comfortable for me I'll have to try the WTB or get something else.



The good news is that the slammed saddle position and high bar position result in a comfortable reach to the SQ Labs 12 deg bars for me. So I feel like my bike fit concerns can be put to bed. I may end up running a SQ Labs 16 deg bar on this bike, but I had a spare 12 deg bar so I threw that on to start with. The vbars are just a touch higher than the saddle at static and will be just below the saddle once the bike is sagged. So the 3 big spacers are here to say. Sorry! Not sorry! :p

My new 29er wheels from the Daambuilt Mega Krampus are getting fixed tomorrow so they can go back on that bike and the spare Hope/Velocity 29er wheels I put on the Mega K can go back on the Cotic. Once they are available I'll install them and the drivetrain plus I'll cable in the dropper.

That'll just leave the brakes. I've got brake hose coming from CRC as my Jenson order with brake hose went MIA. Well this was meant to be my new winter bike! And the rains will probably start in Sept so perfect timing! I do have a 3 week interior of BC road trip planned in late-Sept/early-Oct. I'll take the Cotic with me and give her a solid break in. :cool:
 
#194 ·
Sorry if this is not Cotic related, but I have another option for everyone looking for taller rise bars earlier in the thread. I have been riding one of my Knolly Fugitives with the new Whisky Milhouse bar. 70mm rise, 16 degree back sweep and 825mm wide.

I have been pleasantly surprised how much I like these bars for a trail bike with low stack. Bike is way easier to manual, more comfortable on long rides, still works well for climbing steeps (with adjustment) and kills it in the tech. Bicycle tire Tire Bicycle wheel Bicycle frame Wheel
 
#195 ·
Sorry if this is not Cotic related, but I have another option for everyone looking for taller rise bars earlier in the thread. I have been riding one of my Knolly Fugitives with the new Whisky Milhouse bar. 70mm rise, 16 degree back sweep and 825mm wide.
Nice. Tall rise bar porn is always welcome here. :thumbsup:
 
#213 ·


It was supposed to rain all day yesterday then at the last minute it was going to be dry until noon. So we got out for a ride in the forest. Conditions were pretty wet after a fair bit of rain recently, but traction proved to be solid.



A stop at the lake for a photo op.



Unfortunately we got a bit greedy and explored for too long too far from the trailhead so we got soaked to the bone on the run back. We had planned a stop for a coffee and a sticky bun, but we were so wet/cold at that point standing around outside to drink/eat did not seem appealing anymore and we headed home. At least with fenders I was clean and half as wet...having avoided the worst of the spray off the wheels. o_O
 
#228 ·
Good stuff, Vik! Been many years since a longboard was a thing for myself but was heavily enjoyed in that era.

Vik, I am hooked on my one speed automatic! Love the SS experience and what it has to offer. With that said, the OG Krampi is an awesome SS ripper since the frame was actually done very nicely.
I would say, the OG Surly is an everywherecountry bike! No limitations just imagination and trails.
 
#242 ·


I made my decision on a winter SS hardtail. I was hoping to get on a GG Pedalhead since we already have two GG Smashes in the garage, but they are not doing frame only sales until 2022. So instead I'll build up a Pipedream Sirius S5 with most of the parts from the Cotic BFeMAX. My Sirius thread is here if you want to follow along. :geek:

I'm not 100% what I'll do with the BFeMAX frame. One idea I have is set it up with a rigid Surly Krampus fork or a shorter 140mm fork as my bikepacking rig. The long frame kinda makes sense in that role and I did enjoy a lot about riding the Cotic. A Robert Axle Project rear axle could be setup with an OId Man Mountain rear rack to allow full dropper use. It's an unconventional setup for a BFeMAX, but the idea is intriguing to me. I'm going to ponder the project a bit and see if it gets traction in my brain. :love:
 
#2 ·


I have been pack-free on my bikes for a few years now so first thing I do is figure out how to carry my water/gear on the bike.

The BFeMAX has 4! sets of water bottle mounts:

- 1 under the TT [where you see that frame bag]
- 2 on top of the DT [where you see the pink bottles]
- 1 under the DT [where I have the larger clear bottle]

The frame bag shown isn't the one from Cotic. It was out of stock so it's being shipped later. That's a Rogue Panda XL sized TT bag mounted upside down. It actually fits pretty well. I would only put a pump, plugs, tube and tools in here. Stuff that I only need when I have a rare mechanical.



The Cotic bag will fit up in the front of the main triangle. Not sure if I'll have to give up on the upper water bottle when it's mounted or if I can fit both in at the same time? :confused:

Although it's primary mission will be as my winter whip...with so many water bottle mounts and easy cargo capacity I can see it getting pulled out for some summer alpine epics. :)
 
#5 ·
Nice buy. I got the grey and am currently building it with fast rolling tyres for some bigger days exploring.

The two bottle mounts on the downtube become kind of redundant if you use the supplied cable guides on points for securing the dropper cable though..I've ended up using the bottom two and the top one to secure the dropper cable outer and the remaining two in the middle for the bottle mount that I guess I'll be using zip ties to secure the cable to the bottle cage to stop it rattling.

Did you request a spare hanger and frame bag with your order? I missed out there if you didn't.
 
#13 ·
I can relate. Steve is having a really "bad" influence on me... Can't stop searching for the ideal hardtail for me since I subscribed to his channel. To complement my Ripmo, I think the Solaris would be a better match for me, but I really like the look of the BFE Max. I might get a frame eventually and do a "slow" build like you... Or a MC at unbeatable price at the end of the year...
 
#7 · (Edited)


The simple answer is the BFeMAX is the burlier more aggressive cousin of the SolarisMAX. The more towards XC or trail your riding is the SolarisMAX would be the better choice. The more towards all mtn-Enduro your riding is the BFeMAX would be the better choice. Obviously there would be overlap in the middle.



I like the brazeon setup of the BFeMAX better - blue bike above. The SolarisMAX [Orange bike above] used to have a similar setup, but they went nuts with 8 bolts on the top of the DT and none underneath. Seems odd as I'd want to put a big water container under the DT for marathon rides or bikepacking which you'd think was the SolarisMAX's forte. So I am confused by that change. :confused:
 
#10 ·
Went with the old school headtube badge.

View attachment 1343049
Was that an option you could select or were you able to ask them for the old one?

Looks like there are still a lot of people who prefer the old badge from the discussion on the STW forum. I get why they changed it but I kind of liked the old one.

Looking forward to seeing how the bikes turn out!
 
#14 ·
Shipping is included in the price. Note the list price on the site includes 20% VAT that partially gets deducted when you put the frame in your cart so the price you pay is less than the listed price for a UK buyer.

In Canada we pay federal and provincial sales taxes on international shipments so it costs the same in taxes as if we bought it at a LBS for that price. There are no duties on bike frames from the UK. Not sure how taxes are applied in your state.

The BFeMAX is sold out so I threw a BFe in my cart.

- initial price is 549 UK Pounds is $923CAD.
- once I set my address as Canada it drops to 505.50 UK Pounds or $849CAD after VAT is removed. Shipping is covered to Canada/USA in this price.
- I would pay normal local taxes on $849CAD when the frame arrives.
 
#15 ·
No problem. Cotic's BFeMAX marketing spew below:

The BFeMAX is a crazy fast, super tough, 29er hardtail. It's the result of gene-splicing our award winning, super fast SolarisMAX 29er trail hardtail, with our tough-as-old-boots, 27.5" wheeled BFe do-it-all fun machine.

If you're looking for the fastest descending hardtail possible, then you're in the right place. With up to a 160mm fork and 29 inch wheels, the BFeMAX screams 'Come and have a go'. There isn't really anything this bike won't jump into with both feet: Jumps, drops, big mountains, hacking about in the woods and steamrollering down just about anything, this is the bike you need to embarrass your full suspension riding mates. Are you hard enough?

There's enough room for meaty 2.6" tyres and still space for mud. The big wheels carry momentum up and along, then let you grab it by the scruff of it's neck on the way down, with speed and stability all day. We have carried over the legendary toughness of the BFe with it's Reynolds 853 down tube spine, and Cotic FM custom butted tubeset throughout the rest of the frame for the classic Cotic ride feel.

BFeMAX turns the speed up to 11 with the big wheels; it doesn't really understand it's a hardtail!
Although not mentioned above the BFeMax will also clear 27 x 3.0" tires. :thumbsup:
 
#20 ·


I know a lot of people wouldn't bother putting frame protection on a burly steel frame, but I have a bunch of time on my hands waiting for parts/making build decisions so I spent a rainy morning yesterday putting tape on the BFeMAX.



Mostly I used odds and ends I had left over from other bikes.



My usual technique of wrapping an old tube around the DS CS looked stupid bulky on the slender steel tubing so I just laid a length against the CS and wrapped it with electrical tape. I think it came out pretty nice and will be easy to spruce up as the tape gets torn/worn.



The BFeMAX will have a nice long Mudhugger rear fender installed when it's done. Ya I am one of those weirdos that put real fenders on both ends of their MTBs. It's a PNWet thing! ;)



I bought a bulk roll of $$$$$ Shelter Tape a bunch of years ago and use it for spots on my bikes that can use some real impact protection. So I put some on the NDS CS as well as under the BB. It's really thick tape so I don't bother using it on places that are less likely to get hit hard. From any distance you can't see it which is nice as it maintains a clean look for the frame and you can admire the lovely finish.



I also put a few more smaller bits of tape where that frame bag will attach under the TT and at the ST. Just to avoid wearing away the powder coat over millions of bumps. :cool:
 
#25 ·
I did. I had one almost ordered, Just had to send in my VISA number, but changed my mind as I waited for the COVID-19 situation to stabilize. I'm sure it's a fine bike, but buying an aluminum hardtail wasn't getting me excited. Steve's review over at HTP kind of confirmed that was the right decision for me to not pull the trigger. I was also a bit gutted the raw frame wasn't actually raw aluminum...they clear coated it. A small, but important detail.

There were definitely some aspects of the Paradox I thought were great and then some that I didn't love as much. Whereas all the details of the BFeMax lined up with what I wanted quite well. Then Steve's review at HTP pushed me over the edge.

I tend to keep my bikes 4-10 years at a stretch so loving the ride is important to me. I'm not gonna be swapping out the BFeMAX next year and be onto a different hardtail. So I need staying power for my bike stoke! :)

Had I not bought the BFeMax I would have got a SolarisMAX from Cotic. As noted above the geo and brazeons on the BFeMAX are better for me. I wouldn't have said no to the full Reynolds 853 tube set though. ;)
 
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