The Gen3 Cotic RocketMAX rolls up with 160mm rear wheel travel to match its big 29″ wheels and longshot geometry. The UK made steel full suspension mountain bike is Cotic’s “fastest” mountain bike in the line-up. With a profile like that, there’s no real surprise. For 2021, the geometry of the RocketMAX remains almost entirely unchanged. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! The major update is the additional 10mm travel out back, to match the 160mm fork. We have the details.
Cotic RocketMAX Gen3
- Intended Use: Enduro
- Wheel size: 29″
- Frame travel: 160mm
- Frame material: Cotic-designed Reynolds 853 Steel
- Complete bike starting RRP: £3,649 / ~$3,770 / ~ €4,160
Following the launch of the 27.5″ Rocket, the Gen3 RocketMAX is the second bike to be adorned with Cotic’s new head badge. The updated 29er is seriously trucking, now running 160mm of balanced full bounce front and back. Cy at Cotic says the extra travel and new kinematics bring an even more composed, plush feel to the suspension, making it feel more planted when you’re flying down rock strewn sections.
All Gen3 RocketMAX builds will feature a Cane Creek DB Air CS big can, piggyback air shock. It will come with the Cotic base tune already installed. On the matter of that new droplink kinematic, Cy is keeping his cards close to his chest. With the additional rear wheel travel, all we know is that Cotic have “tweaked the progression rate, reduced the leverage ratio, and broadened the window of performance”.
Longshot Geometry
You have to look very closely to find a difference in geometry between the Gen2 and Gen3 Cotic RocketMAX. The only difference is a fractionally steeper seat tube angle, brought in to give the bike more poise on steep climbs. From 75.3°, the effective seat angle is now 75.8°. The head tube angle remains unchanged at 63.5°, and chainstays are still 448.2 mm consistent across the Small to XL frame sizes.
The RocketMax remains a very roomy bike with reach measurements stretching from 443 mm in Small up to 515 mm in XL. That said, seat tubes are still plenty short enough to accomodate long travel dropper posts, at 390mm in small, up to 495mm in XL. The complete size range services rider heights of around 165 cm to 195 cm. Check out the full geometry chart below.
As with the latest Gen4 Rocket, the Gen3 RocketMAX is UK made by Matt and Calum at Five Land Bikes in Edinburgh. The Cotic-designed Reynolds 853 steel tubeset is certainly not your average steel tubeset. Cotic employ an ovalform toptube to introduce vertical compliance, which Cy says provides a unique and fantastic ride feel. The tubeset has evolved subtly with a new HD down tube, tougher and stiffer than the original version, but no heavier.
All RocketMAX builds will be spec’d with short 42mm offset 160mm travel forks from X-Fusion, RockShox or Cane Creek. Cy is admittedly not very fussy about different fork offsets. He says that while he can notice a subtle difference between the 42mm and 51mm extremes, neither make the bike “good” or “bad”. Just different. He goes into detail on the matter here.
Pricing & Availability
The Cotic RocketMAX Gen3 is available as a frame and shock, as well as in several complete builds. The frame with a Cane Creek DB CS Air shock is £2,399 / ~€2,750 / USD 2,499. Shipping within the UK, Europe, USA and Canada is included in that price but Cotic will ship to anywhere in the World for additional cost.
Cotic offer four complete build models of the Gen3 RocketMAX. The entry level silver build with Shimano SLX groupset will set you back £3,649 / ~$3,770 / ~ €4,160. The top end “dream build” RocketMax with eeWings crankset and X01 groupset is priced at £6,549 / ~€7,470 / ~US$6,780. Cotic now have a selection of Shimano XT and SRAM Guide RSC G2 4 Pot brakes for those wanting improved stopping power, but have particular lever feel preferences. To discuss your own build preferences, just give the guys at Cotic a call. Their customer service is exemplary by all accounts.
The new RocketMAX is available now in navy Blue with silver graphics or Army Green Matte.
