BFeMax is Cotic's enduro hardtail

Cotic’s latest iteration of the hardcore hardtail is a BFeMax. 

Since its introduction, the BFe has always appealed to the most committed of hardtail riders. 

Mountain bikers who value the purity of hardtail riding in very technical terrain have always been well served by Cotic’s BFe, which started as a 26-inch wheel frame, before evolving to accept the 27.5-inch wheel size.

For summer 2020, fans of the Cotic brand now finally have the option of a big-wheeled version of the BFe. This new BFeMax combines all the tough steel construction and progressive geometry you’d expect from Cotic’s fearless hardtail, with the benefit of big-wheel rollover, provided by 29er wheels.

The BFeMax frameset is crafted from Reynold 853 specification steel, which dampens trail buzz whilst you are climbing or gently rolling along. Where the quality of those 853 tubes come into their own, are on the descents. This is where Cotic is confident that its geometry places BFeMax riders in the most balanced possible position when tackling technically challenging trails. 

Available in four frame sizes (S, M, L, XL), the BFeMax is rated for 140- to 160mm suspension forks. Reach numbers are roomy without being outrageously long, with the size L BFeMax featuring a 485mm front centre. Interestingly, the BFe 27.5-inch has similar reach numbers to the new 29er friendly BFeMax.

Riders who are attracted to hardcore hardtails frames with long-travel forks, such as the new BFeMax, value a slack head angle to keep them centred on extremely steep descents.

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The BFeMax obliges with a 65-degree head angle, running 140mm forks, which dips to 64-degrees, as front suspension travel increases to 160mm. Cotic recommends 120mm as the absolute minimum travel rating for a BFeMax front fork.

Cotic is marketing its new BFeMax 29er hardtail at £549 for a frame, with builds starting at £1,849 and peaking at £5,299.