Everyone’s favourite steel-framed mountain bike brand is at it again. Cotic has updated the BFe hardtail (which has now replaced the BFeMAX) and alongside a host of updates with the geometry, the paint job is what’s going to turn your head. Whilst a glimmering white in the sunshine, as soon as the darkness falls, the paint turns into a glow in the dark beauty. If you’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to ride at night with a Little Green Man from Toy Story, then look no further…

And if you’re desperate to get out after dark on your bike, make sure you check out our guide to successful night rides, so you don’t end up “in the bushes looking at the trail”, to miss-quote an overplayed TikTok audio.

Stand out at night with the new BFe’s ‘party trick’

Cotic’s new BFe hardtail need to know

• New model replaced the BFeMAX and BFe275, steel hardtail with Reynolds 853 downtube
• BFe now comes with Double Decker Dropout, meaning you can switch from full 29er to mullet
• Available as a 29er or MX setup when you buy the bike
• Suitable for forks with travel between 130mm to 160mm
• Gloss White paint option glows in the dark

It’s giving “ooooooh, you have been chosen” vibes

Flow in the day, glow in the night

We love something a little bit different, or as JD put it when I asked if I could write about Cotic’s latest mad invention, “yeah go on then, it’s kinda fun.” And kinda fun sums up the new BFe hardtail in more ways than one. We haven’t had a ride on it just yet so there’s no way to know if it’ll cut it with the best hardtail mountain bikes, but the paintjob alone makes us want to don our headtorches and hit the trails.

So what’s new for the hardtail that’s replacing the BFeMAX and BFe275? The biggest change is the addition of a Double Decker Dropout. This is Cotic’s way of saying you can switch your rear wheel from a 29in to a 27.5in without issue. It also gets some geometry updates – incorporating Cotic’s longshot geometry, which means the BFe frame is long and low, and ideally paired with a short 35-45mm stem.

And here’s what it looks like in the daytime. Before you’ve got a spec of mud on it, of course.

But perhaps the most exciting difference is the new paintjobs. And if you’re Mick Kirkman and you’ve just spent hours cleaning your orange Cotic Solaris test bike, you’ll be pleased to see something even more difficult to clean – a gloss white. We jest, because turn out the lights and you’ve got an incredible glow in the dark bike – ideal for night rides, or any time you want to freak out the locals after dark. Just make sure you take one of the best mountain bike lights with you cos the green won’t really be enough to light up the singletrack.

Cotic’s colour scheme is lit this year, with the Solaris in this zesty orange outfit

May we also suggest wearing a glow in the dark alien costume just to really stand out, or perhaps adorn your bike with extra glow sticks? It’s also cool that Cotic has sourced some glow in the dark fork decals, so you’ll look like a full on flashy rider rather than just half a one.

Just like every other bike Cotic makes, if you want something not off the peg, get in touch with the team and they can design a spec to suit your budget. And for those wanting a BFe frameset, they’re priced at £699/$720 and will be available from February. Full bikes start from £2,099 with a Deore groupset and 150mm Revelation forks.