Soon to be muscling up (and down) a trail near you is the all-new Cotic BFe MAX steel mountain bike. Pronounced Beefy, the BFe MAX is the result of a gene pool marriage between Cotic’s SolarisMAX 29er and the 27.5″ BFe. Built around a 140mm fork, but burly enough for a 160mm, the BFe MAX is a steel frame hardcore hardtail, ready when you are. We have all the details, including longshot geometry, tubesets, and more.
Cotic BFe MAX 29″ Hardtail Mountain Bike
Just like the 27.5″ BFe and the BFe26 that made a remarkable comeback in 2016, the Cotic BFe MAX is fabricated from a Reynolds 853 custom-butted downtube combined with Cotic’s very own FM heat treated cromoly tubeset.
The toptube is Cotic’s ovalform design, engineered to provide a bit of vertical compliance while maintaining the lively feel of a steel mountain bike. The rear end is heat-treated chromoly. Cotic say this frameset is naturally ground moulding, extracting grip and feedback from the trail where you thought there was none.
The all-new BFe receives the MAX treatment. This simply refers to the fact that it rolls on a 29″ wheelset. Packaged around larger wheels, the BFe MAX has a longer rear end, longer wheelbase and taller front end. This can suit the proportions of a taller rider better as a taller rider tends to have long enough arms and legs to move the bike around easily.
That said, if you’re after more speed and stability from a bike, then the big wheels are the way to go however tall you are. In a straight line, at least.
Hardcore Hardtail Geometry
The Cotic BFe MAX 29er is designed around a 140mm travel fork but Cotic say this Burly Iron hardtail is a good match for a bigger 160mm fork too.
The BFe MAX is a little more radical than the Solaris MAX, Cotic’s other 29er hardtail. With a 140mm fork at 25% sag, it rocks a head angle of 65° and a seat angle of 74.5°. The chainstay is 444mm, consistent across the S-XL frame size range. That range services rider heights from around 165cm up to ~195cm. Reach stretches from 438mm in small, out to 510mm in XL. The BB drops 60mm across the frame sizes.
If you’re riding really steep trails, or you’re just a savage out to embarrass your full suspension riding pals, you might want to opt for the bigger fork.
With 160mm travel in the front end Cotic’s longshot geometry gets slacker with a 64° head angle and a 74.5° seat angle.
Pricing & Availability
Frame pricing is £549; approximately €630 / US$623. Price includes delivery within the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. Cotic also ship anywhere in the world at additional cost.
Complete bikes are also available, starting at £1,849 / ~€2,125 / ~US$1,925 for the SLX based Silver build. The Gold Eagle GX bike will set you back £2,699 / ~€3,110 / ~US$2,810. The Gold XT bike is a bit pricier at £2,749 / ~€3,160 / ~US$2,865.
The top-end BFeMAX is the “dream build” eeWings crankset / X01 drivetrain equipped Platinum bike. This show stopper is priced at £5,299 / ~€6,099 / ~US$5,520.
