Archive: BFe 26 (2018)
Discontinued. This page is kept as an archive record for owners and for anyone researching an older Cotic BFe.
Model year: 2018
The 2018 BFe 26 was an update of the 2016 BFe 26. Its brother was the BFe 275: see the BFe archive, and the current BFe.
The BFe 26 is the tearaway of the Cotic family: a rowdy, fast, fun machine.
If you still love the original MTB wheel size then this was the place to be: pretty much the only quality, modern featured 26" frame still on sale. Love 26? Cotic had your back!
The 2018 Cotic BFe 26 was still the hardnut of the Cotic family. It featured the latest update to our classic 26" wheeled geometry: the head angle now matched the latest BFe, and it was ideal to pair with the short stems and wide bars we've come to love. Throw in a 142x12 thru axle at the rear and you had a bombproof trail ripper.
The BFe 26 is for hard riding. You can run a 100mm fork for 4X and dirtjump duties. 120mm or 140mm forks make it a sweet handling trail bike. Or you can plug in a 160mm fork and send it down the Megavalanche. Most BFe 26 builds perform mighty fine as bold-as-brass razz-around play bikes.
The frame is based around a Reynolds 853 down tube, which allows us to keep massive strength where it matters most whilst keeping weight down. The rest of the frame is our own Fm heat treated double butted cromoly steel, which helps keep strength and value high throughout. There are no corners cut: all the usual Cotic features of Ovalform top tube, oversized plug welded seat tube, wishbone stays, compact Syntace X-12 compatible dropouts and a taper steerer compatible head tube are present and correct.
You could build it with those great 26" parts you still had, or even plug in 27.5" forks so long as you kept the 26" wheels in there.
Fun with a capital F, Durable with a capital D: Burly Iron.
What's new in 2018
New for 2018, the BFe 26 had a new head angle shared with its big brother the BFe: 66 degrees with rider on board and a 140mm fork. Fit and sizing remained the same.
Due to customer demand we also added the Syntace X-12 142x12 thru axle at the rear, for maximum wheel security with minimal weight.
What this meant in practice is that the BFe 26 was faster, better handling, fitted better, and was more confidence inspiring and more fun.
Origin
Cotic frames are designed, developed, engineered and tested entirely by us at our base in the Peak District, near Sheffield in the UK. Our founder, Cy Turner, is the lead designer and engineer, and our frames are rigorously ride tested by everyone at Cotic and our Race Team. They are fully certified and lab tested in excess of the requirements of the ISO 4210 safety standards.
This frame was hand made in Taiwan by our specially selected framebuilder, chosen because of their vast experience with our favourite materials and their top quality finish. They are the best in Taiwan for what we need.
Each frame is dip coated inside and out with zinc phosphate before painting, to prevent corrosion and ensure the best paint finish. After we've agonised over the colours, designs and decals, the frames are painted to the highest quality including a protective clear coat, before extensive quality control by our agent in Taiwan. Once the frames reach us in the UK, we carry out further quality control and prepare the frames for headset and bottom bracket installation.
As always, all complete bikes were built to order by us here in the Peak District, to the exact spec of your choice. We built your bike for you.
Frame details
- Cotic Fm heat treat cromoly throughout with Reynolds 853 DZB down tube. Maximum strength at minimum weight
- 44mm standard head tube for maximum steerer compatibility and durability
- Ovalform top tube and seatstays for boosted precision and maximised compliance
- Cotic exclusive design reinforced 34.9mm seat tube for massive pedalling stiffness and dropper seatpost compatibility
- Dropper remote hose clips under the top tube
- Internal "stealth" dropper remote routing on the seat tube
- Bridge-less S-bend chainstays with Cotic Hexten gussets for improved fatigue life and huge mud clearance
- ISCG05 mount
- Syntace X-12 142x12 thru axle
- Updated geometry: slacker, longer, lower, more fun, more of the time. Minimum 100mm travel forks for 4X or dirt jumping, 120-140mm for trail razzing, up to 160mm forks for rock flattening
- Low slung design keeps the frame out of the way for those tight situations, and a long top tube lets you ride up to the trails without breaking your back
- No seat tube bottle bosses, so the saddle can be dropped all the way down
- Steep seat angle and short 16.5" chainstays pin the front in for ultimate grip, handling and cornering ability
- Sizes: 16" (S), 17.5" (M) and 19" (L). The frames are designed to be compact and chuckable
- Weight: 5.7 lbs for the 16"
Geometry
All measurements are based on a fork with 25% sag (rider on board). The chart is a guide to frame size. Ultra Compact Geometry means the frames are small and long, and this version was a touch longer than previous BFe 26 frames. You can have a regular position on a small and chuckable frame, or go for the next size up and go long and racey without feeling like you're riding a gate.
| Frame Size | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Tube (centre-top) | 400mm | 440mm | 480mm |
| Top Tube Length (effective) | 580mm | 595mm | 614mm |
| Chainstay Length | 420mm | 420mm | 420mm |
| Head Tube Length | 100mm | 110mm | 120mm |
| Reach | 412.0mm | 424.1mm | 440.3mm |
| Stack | 549.6mm | 558.9mm | 568.2mm |
| Usual Height Range | 165-173cm | 174-182cm | 183-191cm |
| Stem Length | 30-70mm | 35-80mm | 35-80mm |
The angles and BB drop depend on the fork. They are the same on all three sizes:
| Fork | Head Angle | Seat Angle | BB Drop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100mm | 67.6° | 73.6° | 29.5mm |
| 120mm | 67.0° | 73.0° | 25mm |
| 140mm | 66.0° | 72.0° | 17.6mm |
| 150mm | 65.6° | 71.6° | 15mm |
| 160mm | 65.3° | 71.3° | 12.5mm |
| 120mm 650b fork (26" wheels) | 66.5° | 72.5° | 21.3mm |
| 140mm 650b fork (26" wheels) | 65.6° | 71.6° | 15mm |
The frame is for 26" wheels only. The 650b fork figures still assume both wheels are 26" ones. Several example 26" forks are included to show the effect on geometry of using just about any suitable fork.
Component sizes
- Seatpost diameter: 31.6mm. You need 100mm minimum insertion into the frame at full pedalling height
- Dropper routing: internal (stealth) and external dropper post hose/cable routing options
- Front mech: 34.9mm, Shimano Side Swing front entry only
- Fork: maximum 160mm travel, 551mm axle-crown (without sag). If using a 650b/27.5" fork with a 26" wheel, the maximum travel is 150mm
- Bottom bracket width: 73mm
- Bottom bracket thread: conventional English/BSA
- Headset: 44mm cup: Zero Stack ZS44 top cup, external EC44 bottom cup
- Rear hub: dedicated Syntace X-12 142x12
Development history
The BFe's development history, from the first prototypes in 2005 to 2014, is on the BFe 26 Classic page.
May 2016: Geometry update and stealth dropper post routing keep the BFe 26 bang up to date, as one of the only quality 26" wheel frames still on sale. See the 2016 BFe 26.
2018: The head angle is brought in line with the latest BFe, and the Syntace X-12 142x12 thru axle is added at the rear.
Videos
Photo gallery
