Basil Hume
Retro Newbie
Hello - this is my maiden post!
I have a 2010 Cotic Soul as my MTB and a 2012 Cotic X as my roadie / workhorse. I'm not terribly "Retro" then, but hopefully you can all help anyway.
Three months ago, I needed some new forks for my Soul. I surveyed the market and found that most forks were available only with a taper steerer. I found that the Mk3 Soul had now gained a taper steerer tube - but the cost of new forks, Soul Mk3 and ancillaries was well over a grand. All for a bike with few other differences to my current Mk2 Soul.
I then took another look at what was available for my current Soul... and found some totally bargainous Fox 32 120 RLC QR15 forks *with straight steerer* to plug into my existing Soul. I also decided to repaint my Soul... and I'd like to go for an unusual colour.
I had an Orange 5 repainted by Argos in 2007. It was a great colour and finish, but it chipped easily. I appear to have two options if I want a tougher finish (like the OEM Soul):
1. 2 Pack finish: available from Argos, who are a known quantity to me. Unfortunately this finish limits me to a narrow range of colours. I'd probably go with white, which matches my Fox forks, and could look cool with the Cotic "wrap" and black finishing parts contrast. I also haven't seen this finish on a Cotic before.
2. Powder coat: this would mean going with a local motorcycle specialist, who I don't know. This option would be cheaper and durable, but I hear mixed reviews of powder coats and about problems with decals. This option means I could choose any RAL colour - I'm tempted by these:
Either way, I'm ready to go. I've managed to find the main Cotic decals (from Cotic), 853 decal (from Reynolds) and potentially a pewter Cotic headbadge from Geoff Moorhouse.
Any help, tips or opinions gratefully received.
I have a 2010 Cotic Soul as my MTB and a 2012 Cotic X as my roadie / workhorse. I'm not terribly "Retro" then, but hopefully you can all help anyway.
Three months ago, I needed some new forks for my Soul. I surveyed the market and found that most forks were available only with a taper steerer. I found that the Mk3 Soul had now gained a taper steerer tube - but the cost of new forks, Soul Mk3 and ancillaries was well over a grand. All for a bike with few other differences to my current Mk2 Soul.
I then took another look at what was available for my current Soul... and found some totally bargainous Fox 32 120 RLC QR15 forks *with straight steerer* to plug into my existing Soul. I also decided to repaint my Soul... and I'd like to go for an unusual colour.
I had an Orange 5 repainted by Argos in 2007. It was a great colour and finish, but it chipped easily. I appear to have two options if I want a tougher finish (like the OEM Soul):
1. 2 Pack finish: available from Argos, who are a known quantity to me. Unfortunately this finish limits me to a narrow range of colours. I'd probably go with white, which matches my Fox forks, and could look cool with the Cotic "wrap" and black finishing parts contrast. I also haven't seen this finish on a Cotic before.
2. Powder coat: this would mean going with a local motorcycle specialist, who I don't know. This option would be cheaper and durable, but I hear mixed reviews of powder coats and about problems with decals. This option means I could choose any RAL colour - I'm tempted by these:
Either way, I'm ready to go. I've managed to find the main Cotic decals (from Cotic), 853 decal (from Reynolds) and potentially a pewter Cotic headbadge from Geoff Moorhouse.
Any help, tips or opinions gratefully received.