Looking for a frame to replace my Arkose, came across the escapade , is it more road biased or can i use the cotic for pretty much the same as i do my arkose ? … canal, gravel, light touring etc

Oooh, spooky, I was just looking at this morning, as it’s become clear to me that I need an Escapade.

I understood it to be more on the gravel/ cross side of roadie frames – the geometry apparently has a sloping top tube, a la Cotic’s MTB frames.

Which works for me…

It’s a dropbar bike that’ll take huge tyres… so pop appropriate rubber on for wherever you’re headed… and you’ll be fine. It’s not a purist road bike at all, that’s for sure.

Sloping tube’s won’t work for cross as they don’t balance as well when shouldered, and the head angle looks on the steep side for off road, but should be great for towpaths and fire road “gravel” type stuff.

Seriously considered one as a commuter/road bike to replace my racer and tourer, but lack of funds meant I just spent the money on new bits for the tourer inseted which is 90% the same thing except it’s canti’s not disks. If it had been slightly more ‘cross’ then I’d probably have bit the bullet.

I really like the Escapade, just looks nice

I like sloping top tubes so it helps 🙂 .. also a short arse which needs a sloping top tube 🙂
@ thisisnotaspoon … there will be non of that shouldering sillyness you talked about … ride or push … usually push

My (1st gen) roadrat has been running with 28s while I’ve had it and basically been used as a roadbike for the commute, aside from the odd section of unmade road which I think now qualifies as gravel riding…

I took it to france with camping kit in big panniers and it felt a bit nervous/off balance- like my old road bike in the same situation. The back end felt a bit flexi but I think a) the new ones are a bit stiffer and b) that the spokes in the rear wheel were somewhat saggy may have had something to do with it (only noticed on getting home).

I finally got round to putting drop bars on it over christmas and it feels decidedly livelier. I’m a little bit tempted by the rather smart looking grey escapade if I’m honest!

So in summary

can i use the cotic for … canal, gravel, light touring etc

Yes

Definitely yes. I’m running my Roadrat with drops and chunky tyres as a canal path/fire road/cinder track/farm track hack – general messing about bike. It works really well.

I took one along alot bridleways over the summer, which in some cases you could tell the horses had been using, and it seemed to cope fine. I ended up having to slow down on occasion as the vibration was killing my vision, but the bike was fine.

Tow paths and gravel should be fine.

its a life bike didnt you know…..

Yes, it’s not the comfiest ride over rough terrain, but no bike will unless it has properly large tyres or suspension. You could fit a 29er MTB wheel and larger tyre if you’re going to run it routinely on rough terrain – i’ve just got 700C road wheels with chunky Sammy Slicks on. Not sure what size tyre you could fit on an Escapade/Roadrat. There is alot of clearance so quite alot i’d imagine. A canal path I use on my commute into work is quite bumpy and it’s not particularly nice on that surface, but it’s only a mile and a half over a 10 mile ride so I just slow down a bit.

I use my Roadrat (flat bar Escapade) for everything- road and off-road touring, bridleways and single track. It’s brilliant!
I’m running 29er wheels with Smart Sams off-road (47c front, 40c rear for decent mud clearance) and 40c Big Bens with guards for road/ canal path type stuff.

I’ve used my escapade for all sorts from the Fred Whitton to the Lakeland Monster Miles CX sportive. I’ve done plenty of long road rides on it and plenty of the “I wonder what’s down there….” sort of rides that end up covering all surfaces. It has been touring with panniers too. It deals with most things with ease and the limitations are from me rather than the bike. 28c Ultremos for the Fred and 40c Clement X’plors for the Lakeland Monster Miles. Great bike, I love it. Buy one.

I’m loving mine ( apart from the post yesterday about crank length perhaps) and am riding it on road pootling about, a few fire roads, some cheeky off road summer riding linking up back roads and generally exploring. Cycle path exploring, where does that go back lane wandering… Rode it down a mud fest bridle way on Sunday that was too deep in mud to walk along in my spd shoes and covers, the thin tyres cut right through the muck into the hard base and surprised me traction wise. Mines got the std issue continental file tread tyres that it came with. It’s quite nimble when they’re pumped up and remarkably comfy when they’re a bit softer.

Mines the duck egg blue and black sora build with the shimano cable discs. After a summer and winter I wish I’d spent the extra and got the 11 speed with cable discs.

For me it’s a proper do it all bike. Perfect for longer range exploring.

The Escapade has been a proper versatile bike for us. Built a few in various guises, including a fixie 🙁

If it’s any use to anybody, we have a flat bar, disc version in duck egg large on offer at £650 presently. The Cotic boys sent us the wrong build kit, but it turned out a treat.

To the OP, why are you replacing the Arkose? I’ve been looking at the Escapade myself and bikes/frames like it – including the Arkose….

Set mine up on Alfine 8 as I wanted a genuine ‘next to zero’ maintenance bike that I could hop on if any of my other usual rides were out of action.
Fitted 29er rims and flick between 32mm touring panaracer pasella’s (actually they may be 36’s – either way there’s bags of room) or knobbly CX Cinder’s – both options are really comfy.

It’s a genuine discovery machine, any path you come across is usually fair game. Have used it on day long rides, Down’s Link, SDW etc – and its completely at home on canal paths/hardpack etc.
When im skint its the first bike I think about parting with, but I always come to the same conclusion – that it’s really the only bike I need.

@ beanum,just fancy something different and not grey !!
Arkose is a great bike though
I have a London road as well so 2 will become 1