I fancy a road rat from those Cotic people...I did receive an offer email for their road rat with all singing and dancing commute kit in cluding gears for £1000 (cost price £1100) but I fancy a SS version. Any had exp of road rats and can they recommend them as a commute bike? I have a 5 mile in and a 10 mile home commute currently. I am using my SS crosser which is alu framed and has drops.
comments on drops versus bars for the rat would be helpful too...
I've a singlespeed one. Flat bars. Added my own disc brakes. Ran it with bar ends for a while and didn't like it - too twitchy cos bars too narrow. Took bar ends off and had an epiphany. My commute home is 4 miles. A few times I've extended it to 20 just because I want to carry on riding. It just handles beautifully. Looks nice too. For me the best thing about it, is it's a road bike designed for people who ride mountain bikes so the handling just 'works' if you mainly ride a mountain bike. It really is a lovely bike to ride. And being so flexible you can turn it in to a geared tourer/CX etc bike too if you want...
I love mine, it's run singlespeed with disc brakes and flat bars (with barends). I also have a 'proper' drop handledbar roadbike for long distances but for quick hour-long blasts it doesn't get a look in and the roadrat gets the nod everytime. It's just fun to ride.
is a road rat not just an mtb frame with a rigid fork?
I do fancy the flat bar and SS version. mt crosser is SS with drops and I do like the drops but flats give you more control if less hand positions.
I think I will buy a singlespeed flat bar version very soon 
Christmas present to me! Wife left me 3 months ago for another guy and took the kids so I think I will treat myself - life too short.
ive a all singing flatbar medium for sale, better spec than the offer one from cotic(i think) for £500, get the bits for ss and you have all options covered. mail in profile for specs and pics.
Tang, YGM
I absolutely love mine. I've got the drop bar version which I run singlespeed with Schwalbe cross tyres. Fast on road, an absolute hoot off-road. I actually ride it far more than my MTB.
If you give it a chance it's far more capable off-road than it's given credit for - will do anything that an early 90s MTB would do, and more. It's really got the feel of the bikes I started out riding back in the day.
i had a SS road rat with flat bars and bar ends and it was great. Make sure you put a long stem on, 130mm ish to stop it being twitchy, used to run 44t chain ring and 17 or 18t rear cog on my commute with a moderate hill on the way home 
Disc mount on the front of the fork? That's unusual, why they like that then?
I think the idea is that in a conventional set up the directional force could potentially force the wheel out of the dropout when braking hard. If it's front facing it's the opposite way round.
mansonsoul-no mail yet
Its like that so you can still fit mudguards.
I think they're road bikes for mountain bikers who've never tried a proper road bike. My advice - try a proper road bike.
My advice - try a proper road bike.You're right I'm sure, but with heavy panniers my is stable and predictable. It also allows fairly big tyres and is fun off road.
DezB - MemberDisc mount on the front of the fork? That's unusual, why they like that then?
Pathetic attempt at niche-ness.
BigJohn - I have a team carbon boardman and a cyclocross SS so tried proper road bikes
Tang - YGM!
Not sure about bar ends. i do not really want a off road SS MTB style bike but an on road commute bike...
BigJohn - I think that's a common perception but they're a completely different animal. Just really versatile - I've done stuff on mine that I would never attempt on a real road bike, and they're bags more fun and better handling than a standard hybrid.
Re the fork - from Cotic's website:
"Disc mount positioned on front right ; brake forces always go into the dropout and there's no interference with mudguards. Max rotor size : 160mm."
Tang - YGM properly now, crap copy and pasting on my part email error...
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