Archive: Soul 26 (Gen1-3)

Cotic Soul 26 in Matte Duckegg

Discontinued, superseded by the 27.5" wheeled Soul Gen4. This page is kept as an archive record for owners and for anyone researching an original 26" Cotic Soul.

Years of production: 2003-2014 (Gen1 to Gen3, with Gen3 from 2012)

The Soul is where Cotic started. A trail riding machine in the truest sense, with amazing adaptability and all round performance, it was conceived as a modern steel hardtail and that is where we always aimed to keep it.

Tough, light, zippy, fun, interactive, durable, comfortable. It was happy ripping up the singletrack at your local woods or trail centre, crossing maps on bivvy adventures, smashing rocks in the Peak or Lake Districts, or tearing down mountains on summer holidays. It was the ultimate expression of the 26" wheel hardtail.

Finishes (final Gen3 frames): Matte Duckegg and Matte Gritstone. Earlier frames were also shown in Duckegg, Bright Green, orange and black.
Sizes: XS (14.5"), Small (16"), Medium (17.5") and Large (19").

Three generations, one geometry

This page covers all three generations of the 26" Soul. They all share the same geometry, so the tables below apply to every one of them. What changed between generations was the front end and the seat tube:

Gen1 and Gen2 (2003 onwards): head tube for an EC34 headset and 1 1/8" steerer forks only. 28.6mm bulge butted seat tube taking a 27.2mm seatpost, with no dropper routing.
Gen3 (2012-2014): Cotic designed 34/44 tapered head tube, 34.9mm seat tube with a dropper compatible 31.6mm seatpost, and dropper remote hose clips under the top tube.

What was new for Gen3

The 3rd generation Soul brought in all the tubeset and design know-how we had developed over the previous three years.

The exclusive Cotic designed tapered head tube uses a 44mm bottom end while keeping the traditional 34mm top end. It works with both taper steerer and 1 1/8" forks, so it suited whatever fork you were running or planning to buy. Elegant and high performance, it was much lighter than a full 44mm head tube when combined with the Soul tubeset.

The lightweight oversized 34.9mm seat tube we developed for the Solaris was carried over to the Soul 26. It brought a dropper compatible 31.6mm seatpost size, and was 10% lighter and 15% stiffer than the 28.6mm bulge butted tube used on earlier Souls. It was a Cotic exclusive, thanks to the proprietary manufacturing process we developed to make the tube usable.

Weight was saved from the Ovalform top tube while maintaining strength, and dropper remote hose clips were added underneath. The down tube carried over to keep the inspiring ride feel and outstanding durability the Soul is renowned for.

Original Cotic Ultra Compact Geometry and 100-140mm fork capability carried over unchanged. Several iterations of geometry were tested, and we found the existing layout balanced perfectly on the crux of all the competing requirements. After all, it is what made the Soul a legend in the first place.

Frame details (Gen3)

Reynolds 853 DZB down tube, Ovalform top tube and Cotic exclusive 34.9mm seat tube, combined with an ultra compact frame layout for a supple yet precise ride feel
Cotic designed 34/44 taper head tube
4130 cromo wishbone stay rear end. Bridgeless S-bend chainstays with Cotic Hexten gussets for improved fatigue life and massive mud clearance
Superlight custom machined and pocketed dropouts with replaceable mech hanger
Geometry with commitment: minimum 100mm travel forks, and handles great all the way up to 140mm
Long top tube, short stem set-up for super sharp steering while keeping a comfortable day riding stretch
Sizes: 14.5", 16", 17.5" and 19". The frames are designed to be compact and chuckable
Weight: 4.4lbs for the 17.5"

Geometry (all generations)

Ultra Compact Geometry means the frames are small and long. You can take that two ways: a regular position with a small and chuckable frame, or go up a size for a long and racey position without feeling like you are riding a gate.

120mm travel forks

Frame size	XS (14.5")	Small (16")	Medium (17.5")	Large (19")
Seat tube (centre-top)	370mm	400mm	440mm	480mm
Top tube (effective)	560mm	577mm	593mm	610mm
Head angle	69.25°	69.25°	69.25°	69.25°
Seat angle	72.25°	72.25°	72.25°	72.25°
Chainstay length	420mm	420mm	420mm	420mm
BB drop	19.5mm	19.5mm	19.5mm	19.5mm
Head tube length	100mm	100mm	110mm	120mm
Reach	387.4mm	404.5mm	418.6mm	431.9mm
Stack	546.6mm	546.7mm	556.2mm	565.5mm
Usual height range	153cm - 164cm	165cm - 173cm	174cm - 182cm	183cm - 191cm
Stem length	40-70mm	40-70mm	50-80mm	50-80mm

Based on a 120mm travel fork with 20% sag (rider on board).

100mm travel forks

Frame size	XS (14.5")	Small (16")	Medium (17.5")	Large (19")
Head angle	70°	70°	70°	70°
Seat angle	73°	73°	73°	73°
BB drop	25mm	25mm	25mm	25mm
Reach	394.5mm	411.5mm	425.6mm	438.7mm
Stack	541.5mm	541.5mm	550.7mm	560.3mm

Based on a 100mm travel fork with 20% sag (rider on board).

140mm travel forks

Frame size	XS (14.5")	Small (16")	Medium (17.5")	Large (19")
Head angle	68°	68°	68°	68°
Seat angle	71°	71°	71°	71°
BB drop	11.5mm	11.5mm	11.5mm	11.5mm
Reach	374.7mm	392.0mm	406.1mm	419.4mm
Stack	555.3mm	555.7mm	565.4mm	574.9mm

Based on a 140mm travel fork with 20% sag (rider on board).

Seat tube, top tube, chainstay (420mm), head tube length, usual height range and stem length are the same for all three fork options.

Not sure about sizing for a used frame? Email size@cotic.co.uk.

Component sizes

	Gen1 and Gen2	Gen3
Headset	EC34 top and bottom, 1 1/8" steerer only	34mm traditional standard upper, 44mm cup lower (EC34/EC44), taper or 1 1/8" steerer
Seatpost diameter	27.2mm	31.6mm (wise to get a decent length one)
Dropper routing	None	External, hose clips under the top tube
Front mech	Not recorded	34.9mm top pull
Bottom bracket	73mm width, conventional English/BSA thread
Rear hub	Normal 135 x 10mm QR