Cotic – Going direct sale only

Saw this on the eighteen bikes website https://shop.18bikes.co.uk/news/farewell-to-cotic-293/

I guess it makes sense especially with all the effort Cotic have been putting in with demo rides. Not sure if any other shops stocked them. Feel bad for 18 bikes, from memory they helped with the prototypes of the first soul and I think even helped build some prototypes of the latest soul.

I guess it means they can sharpen their prices (or avoid a raise) without pissing off the shops.

It’s a big shame, but don’t feel too bad for us – no bridges have been burned.

Not stocking a brand doesn’t mean that we can’t still help with their prototyping!

Local Cotic dealer round here hit the skidz recently so, in a roundabout kind of way this makes it easier to sort stuff like warranty enquiries out now.

Some bargains there in that 18bikes link… including stuff you can’t buy elsewhere currently… check it out.

Some real bargains to be had there! It’s a real shame they’re not in my size!!

Ooooo, that’s a seriously tempting RocketMAX offer…

I’m not exactly surprised at cotic going direct sales only as they put a lot of effort (and expense) into ‘pushing’ the product. The demo thing and having bike technicians all need paying for…

A couple years back I was assisting a mate with a Soul purchase. Cy was pretty adamant that direct sale was the best way for him on that particular sale (no signed up official dealer local anyways). But he was right, there was a significant email trail involved in getting the sizing and spec sorted out, when a local shop would merely have placed the order based on our discussions…

My SolarisMAX was a direct sale, didn’t even contemplate another method (there’s a seriously long email trail on that one!) 😀

I always thought that 18 Bikes were one of their best dealers, what with their direct ‘associations’. It must have been a hard decision to make. It’s good that it’s remained amicable (with ongoing associations). And wish them well.

Not at all surprising really given it’s where they starred, it’s where the bulk of their sales still are, the fall in value of the pound and the amount of established big brands that are also going direct to market right now too… I won’t be surprised if/when other similar brands do the same!

At the end of the day, the sad fact of the matter is that everyone involved in getting the frame from design concept through to a finished bike ready for the customer to ride, has to make some profit out of it. When the costs of everything are rising due to factors outside of your control, yet your customer base is highly resistant to a price increase in line with these factors, your only options are to slim down everyone’s piece of the pie or to get rid of certain tiers in the supply chain altogether… Often the LBS is the easiest one to get rid of sadly, so that everyone else can keep their slice of the pie!

I bought my Solaris from a dealer (Dales Bike Centre) as did my wife with her Soul. I was interested in Cotics but hadn’t had my hands on one. I had demoed a couple of other bikes when Stu handed me his own Solaris for a quick ride around the car park and I was hooked!

I agree with mboy’s comments: we, as customers, increasingly know the price of everything but the value of nothing. Production and shipping for most items are probably about as efficient as it’s possible to be, certainly when compared to thirty or forty years ago, there’s probably only marginal gains (sic) to be made in those areas.

A lot of the people who are complaining about the price of stuff going up are the same people who helped bring about the change in exchange rates.

I agree with mboy’s comments: we, as customers, increasingly know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

This is often trotted with the inference that customers are ignorant. Perhaps Cy knows what value the LBS is adding to the supply chain and doesn’t rate it as highly as either his own bottom line, or customer experience.

I only bought my Escapade via a bike shop because it was the only way to do it via cycle2work. Had to trek down to Brighton to order unseen from a shop, then trek back down again to pick it up.

If what they used to say (c2w sales have to go via a dealer, can’t go direct) is still right, there might be fewer £999 Roadrats and Escapades sold.

You can do ride 2 work schemes through direct buy sites. On one etc have done it for ages.

You know, I’d never considered an Escapade before but that is lovely.

Hmmmmm.

There’s a few words from me and Cy over on the homepage[/url]

Intense too it seems, 25% off all models, plus they come with a tool box now.

You can do ride 2 work schemes through direct buy sites. On one etc have done it for ages.

This is true but I understand the scheme takes a cut of each sale from the retailer so that further erodes their margin, unless they pass it on to the buyer.

Good luck to all concerned.

Feel bad for 18 bikes, from memory they helped with the prototypes of the first soul

The Soul predates 18 bikes by a fair few years…

shame. It always gave me a warm fuzzy feeling riding past 18bikes on my Soul viewing whichever Cotic is in the window. It was like taking my bike to it’s homeland.

Can see how this makes sense for a brand whose core model was always direct sales. I hope both the company and their former dealers continue to thrive.

Intense too it seems, 25% off all models, plus they come with a tool box now.

Saw this over there —>

I would have gone with the headline “Intense move from not selling in bike shops to not selling direct”.

Well you don’t see many about, do you?

This thread forced me to look at a Rocketmax 29.

Slightly heavy Marathon bike anyone…

No.

Unless you’re getting a large and want to give me first refusal. Then I’d say it could be perfect.

I would have gone with the headline “Intense move from not selling in bike shops to not selling direct”.

Well you don’t see many about, do you?

I do, but then I’ve got one and another of my mates is an Intense rider.

They had a big investment in them about 12 months back (hence all the new models) they wanted to be the next Santa Cruz to jump from niche to mainstream whilst keeping the high prices. I see more and more about, but you always do when you have one don’t you?

No.
Unless you’re getting a large and want to give me first refusal. Then I’d say it could be perfect.

Lol. The gunmetal one is a nice looking thing though…

It’s a good model for UK based suppliers selling to largely UK purchasers. Look at current successes like Bird and others. Cotic was there first and have a great following, for good reason.

A great shop (I a,ways try and pop in when I make the trek up to the Peak) and a great brand. It’s a pity there isn’t a way they can work together but those two great things will remain come Jan 1

Very tempting that Escapade …

This is true but I understand the scheme takes a cut of each sale from the retailer so that further erodes their margin, unless they pass it on to the buyer.

On One charge something like 10% extra on c2w bikes. My mate had to pay £100 extra for his old Parkwood.

Lol. The gunmetal one is a nice looking thing though…

Ah I think you might mean the shorter travel FlareMAX?

Yeah I’d do a marathon event on that, it pedals so well, but at about 30lbs I wouldn’t expect to be super-competitive.

Dibs still stands for that BTW.

Ah I think you might mean the shorter travel FlareMAX?

I did, sorry – Gold build, XT M8000.

Thanks for the kind words chaps. It’s not been an easy decision, but you have to make tough decisions sometimes. We’re excited for next year and beyond, and I’m sure great shops like 18 will continue to thrive with brands who can offer them the kind of margins and support that we simply can’t.

Yes here at Finely Tuned Ride, we are sorry to see Cotic go Direct, But I can see why they are doing it. And all the best to them.

Cotic was/is not a massive seller compare to the other brands we do, but I do ride one (and they great bikes!) and liked to offer something a little different for those looking to ride a great bike that happens to be a UK bike.

The thing is years ago most people who knew about Cotic/cotic frames, tended to know one end of a spanner from the other, had a box of spare parts, so brought direct anyway.

WE did a few new custom builds, but when Cotic started fully built bikes that dropped off, as it was more cost/time/spec effective to buy/sell the full bikes and again most went direct.

Thou the Roadrat and Escaped are good for us, as it at a good price point and versatile bike that ticked a lot of boxes for people and with the extra service we offer, bike fit etc we done OK with them.

So yeah sad to see them go, just need to put the Medium escapade on Sell!

Was just wondering if this only affects those shops that were dealers?
Or does it also affect those that were classed as international distributors too?

No response from Carsten @ Eaven on the German MTB forum (yet). Have had excellent service from both Cotic direct and via the German distributor. But I guess brands come and go and distributors change from time to time.

Quite a surprising number of Cotic bikes in Germany.

I bought my Solaris Max from Keswick MTB last year. I was toying with either the Solaris or Stanton Sherpa, the fact that my LBS offered me a deal on the Cotic plus a frame swap/ few new parts was the deal breaker for me.
A shame but I guess the business model needs to change. Good luck to Cy and the team.