The BFe has been a mainstay in Cotic's range since 2005 and it has received high acclaim since its inception. Today, the brand has brought fresh updates to its 650b hardtail but, in a bittersweet move, this is the last little wheeled ripper it will build.

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The very latest BFe gets a similar treatment to what we saw the Jeht receive a few weeks ago, so that's a lower bottom bracket and a steeper seat tube angle with those tweaks being made to improve cornering and climbing performance. So now, equipped with a 140mm fork, the bike gets a 65-degree head tube angle, a 53mm BB drop, and a 428mm chainstay with the new 74.5-degree seat angle. A large frame benefits from a 485mm reach. While the bike is designed around a 140mm fork, it can run anything from 120 up to 160mm.

2023 cotic bfe tt.jpg, by Liam Mercer

As always, the BFe is built around a steel frame, using Fm Heat Reated Cromoly everywhere apart from the downtube, which is made from reinforced Reynolds 853 to boost strength without sacrificing weight. The top tube is then oval-formed to add a smidgeon of compliance to the frame. There's then a reinforced 35mm seat tube for maximum dropper compatibility and to increase stiffness in this area to better transfer pedalling forces.

2023 cotic bfe dt.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Bridgeless S-bend chainstays get Cotic's Hexten gussets which result in better fatigue life, says the brand while offering clearance for up to 2.6in tyres, or 3.0 in tyres on 26in rims. Elsewhere, there's external cable routing as well as stealth routing for the dropper post.

The BFe now gets more bosses which ups its bikepacking potential but importantly, there are none on the seat tube. As such, it remains totally uninterrupted, so it can accommodate even the longest of dropper posts.

2023 cotic bfe st.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Very importantly, the BFe is the last 650b or 27.5in wheeled bike that Cotic will create simply because the brand has found that sales of its 29-inch sibling, the BFeMAX, far outsell it. So if you're one who's still clinging onto the 650b glory days, this is an excellent chance to get what may be one of the most up-to-date 650b hardtails on the market.

Prices start at £619 for the frame only with a rolling chassis costing from £1,944 and full builds from £2,993.

• www.cotic.co.uk

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