First debuted all the way back in 2012, Cotic’s 27.5″ 150mm Enduro racing Rocket has been a popular bike for trail shredders around the world looking for a ride with a bit of soul. Pairing a heat-treated steel front triangle to an alloy swingarm, with its steel seatstays and link-driven shock, the Rocket does a good job of using steel where its strength and ride can shine, with stiff machined aluminum bits where they can work their tire and chain clearing mojo and ensure maximized power transfer.
Now after years on the drawing boards and test tracks, Cotic has brought the same suspension setup and ride feel to a new 27.5″ 130mm Flare to create a more agile trail bike. On top of that they’ve grown both bikes with their new MAX concept that drops 10mm of travel but gets it back in bigger wheels with both 29″ and 27.5+ build options. Check out the details on the three new bikes below the crease…
Cotic designed their proprietary DropLink compact, linkage-driven single pivot suspension design to give their suspension bikes the same characteristics that they push for across all of their bikes. That means not just a good, predictable rear wheel path and tuned shock curve, but the same interactive handling feel you get from riding a steel bike and a simple uncluttered look. At the heart of the system is Cotic’s custom designed and heat-treated steel seattube, that with its large pivot points makes for a solid frame and gives a super-stiff platform on which to build the suspension system. The frames do include the provision of a single water bottle mount on the underside of the toptube.
The Flare is the mid-travel trail bike that Cotic owners have been demanding almost since the Rocket debuted. It combines 27.5″ wheels and 130mm of travel in a lighter bike that is meant to be as much fun to pedal to the top of the hill as it is to fly down the other side. It’s meant to build off the feel of Cotic’s steel Soul trail hardtail, but to keep things together when the trails get rough.
The Flare sticks with a Syntace X-12 12x142mm rear end for its 27.5″ setup. Long time members of the long cockpit crowd, the Flare joins the rest of Cotic’s range with what is now called modern trail geometry. Tying together the 853 main triangle is a Cotic’s 44mm tapered steer headtube, a 31.6 post with stealth and external dropper routing, and ISCG05 mount, and a standard threaded bottom bracket.
The standard Flare will clear a 27.5″ tire up to 2.5″ wide, and comes in three frame sizes – S16″, M17.5″ & L19″. The frame only is available for £1500 with either a X-Fusion o2 or Can Creek DB Inline, or in complete bike builds from £2800. Cotic’s Gold spec build has a claimed complete weight of 28.8lb/13.1kg without pedals with an XT 1x setup for £3600.
But then when it gets even rougher out there, Cotic has also added the FlareMAX. The bike is a big-wheeled version, with MAX signaling both maximized tire size, but also maximizes flexibility. The new Max name seems like it will spread throughout Cotic’s line-up, and here means that it will fit up to 2.5″ 29er tires, or most recent Plus-sized craze with up to 27.5 x 2.8″ tires.
With Max come Boost, so the FlareMax gets a 12x148mm rear end with all new tubing and machined alloy elements to offer the stiffness needed for the bigger wheels, and clearance for the wider tires. With the bigger outer wheel diameters of Max, the FlareMax drops down to 120mm of still inspiring DropLink travel.
The FlareMax comes in a larger set of three sizes – M17.5″, L19″ & XL20″, and also sells for the same £1500 for the frame and shock. Completes start again at £2800, with Cotic’s XT 1x Gold 29 spec coming in at a claimed 30.3lb/13.7kg without pedals for £3600. Cotic does build in double compatibility on all four of these DropLink bikes via Shimano Sideswing derailleurs. A Gold Plus build is priced the same with fat WTB rubber.
Rounding out the lineup is the new RocketMAX. It does the same thing to the original Rocket as the Flare Max. This was the bike that made the Max concept real, having been raced by Cotic’s development team on the Enduro circuit, they’ve made it stiffer, faster, and more responsive. Now with 29″ and 27.5+ versatility and a Boost 148 rear end the bike is built to be everything needed for the roughest rock gardens and crazy steeps.
Pricing is the same as it is for the FlareMax version, with the same larger sizing. The Gold spec bike here is claimed at 31.3lb/14.2kg.
Carrying over the original 27.5″ Rocket still offers a lively ride in its long, slack 150mm setup. With the new bikes, the original Rocket also adds the bigger XL 20″ size of its new Max offspring.
All of the bikes can be ordered now from Cotic, with availability claimed for almost every size and color in stock, and with a delivery time estimated for July 21. Delivery is free in the UK, with 0% financing also available there.
