Archive: Soul 275 (Gen4)

Cotic Soul Gen4 in Gloss Aqua

Discontinued, superseded by the Soul Gen5. This page is kept as an archive record for owners and for anyone researching an older Cotic Soul.

Years of production: 2014-2017

The Cotic Soul Gen4: the ultimate expression of a modern steel hardtail, now on 27.5" wheels. The Soul is the founding model of the Cotic range, conceived in 2003 to balance light weight with toughness and great handling. By Gen4 it had grown dropper seatpost compatibility, a tapered head tube, 27.5" wheels and finally a bolt-thru axle option, while keeping the full Reynolds 853 front triangle.

Tough, light, zippy, fun, interactive, durable, comfortable. We bombed down Pyrenean mountains on our Souls, battered across the rocks of the Peak District, Lakes and Scotland, and strapped bags on for nights out in the hills. It was great at all of that, but at heart the Soul was a singletrack scalpel: fast, responsive, sharp and, most of all, fun.

27.5" wheels bring easier acceleration, lighter weight and a more interactive feel than 29" or Plus wheels, at the expense of slightly less stability and rollover on rougher terrain. They also package more easily into a small frame, which suits shorter riders, helped further by the XS size added for 2017.

Finishes (2017): Gloss Aqua and Matte Bright Orange. Earlier Gen4 frames were also shown in orange and blue.
Sizes: XS (14.5", new for 2017), Small (16"), Medium (17.5") and Large (19").

2017 update

Syntace X-12 Boost 148 x 12mm thru axle option, alongside the 135mm QR frame. The frames are dedicated to one axle type and cannot be converted. Regular chainline compatibility was kept at the BB end, as tyre clearance was already huge
Internal "Stealth" dropper routing via P-clips along the down tube
Shimano Side Swing front mech compatibility, routed along the down tube like the stealth dropper hose: better clearance, better shifting, cleaner routing
New XS size for riders from around 5ft 2in

Hope hub users (Pro2, Pro2 EVO or Pro4) with 142mm axles could convert to Boost148 with a Lindarets Boostinator kit, and Lindarets also made kits for DT and Industry Nine hubs.

Frame details

Reynolds 853 DZB down tube, Ovalform top tube and Cotic exclusive Reynolds 853 34.9mm seat tube combine for a supple yet precise ride feel
Cotic designed 34/44 taper head tube for taper steerer forks
Dropper friendly 31.6mm seatpost size, with external remote hose routing under the top tube and (2017) internal stealth routing via the down 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 (QR frames), or Syntace X-12 Boost 148 thru axle (2017 option)
Geometry with commitment: minimum 100mm travel forks, optimised around 120mm, maximum 140mm
Long top tube, short stem set-up (50-90mm stems recommended) for sharp steering with a comfortable day riding stretch
Optimised For Inline (OFI) geometry
Sizes: 14.5" (XS, from 2017), 16", 17.5" and 19"
Weight: 4.5lbs for the 17.5"

Geometry: Optimised For Inline

The original Ultra Compact Geometry was designed around a 100mm fork minimum and a layback seatpost. Longer forks (most people ran 120mm) shorten the reach, and inline or dropper posts shorten the position from the other end, squeezing the room available to the rider.

Optimised For Inline takes the rider position originally intended for 100mm forks on the original Soul and keeps it for a 27.5" frame with 120mm forks and an inline post. That meant a longer top tube at the front and a slacker seat angle at the back to swing an inline post into the same saddle position as a layback one. The top tubes look long compared to a traditional 26" bike, but the BB, head tube, bars and saddle are all where they usually are on a Cotic.

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)	586mm	597mm	614mm	631mm
Head angle	69°	69°	69°	69°
Seat angle	72°	72°	72°	72°
Chainstay length	428mm	428mm	428mm	428mm
BB drop	33mm	33mm	33mm	33mm
Head tube length	100mm	100mm	110mm	120mm
Reach	400.6mm	411.6mm	425.6mm	439.5mm
Stack	570.6mm	570.6mm	580.0mm	589.3mm
Usual height range	157cm - 164cm	165cm - 173cm	174cm - 182cm	183cm - 191cm
Stem length	40-80mm	40-80mm	50-90mm	50-90mm

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	69.6°	69.6°	69.6°	69.6°
Seat angle	72.6°	72.6°	72.6°	72.6°
BB drop	37.5mm	37.5mm	37.5mm	37.5mm
Reach	406.5mm	417.5mm	431.5mm	445.4mm
Stack	566.3mm	566.3mm	575.6mm	584.9mm

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	25mm	25mm	25mm	25mm
Reach	389.8mm	400.8mm	414.8mm	428.8mm
Stack	578.2mm	578.2mm	587.7mm	597.2mm

Based on a 140mm travel fork with 25% sag (rider on board).

Seat tube, top tube, chainstay (428mm), 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

Seatpost diameter: 31.6mm (wise to get a decent length one)
Dropper compatibility: external routing in hose clips under the top tube; internal stealth routing via the down tube (2017)
Front mech: Shimano Side Swing, top clamp 34.9mm, front entry (2017), routed in P-clips along the down tube
Bottom bracket: 73mm width, conventional English/BSA thread
Fork: maximum 140mm travel, 531mm axle to crown (without sag)
Headset: 44mm external cup lower, 34mm traditional standard upper (EC34/EC44)
Rear hub: regular 135 x 10mm QR, or Boost 148 x 12mm thru axle (2017 option). Frames are dedicated to one axle type