No one seems to be riding these and on paper they look a killer.Why the lack of interest

I know, I asked for pics a week or so ago and didn’t get one posted. Seem spot on to me.

Im interested in them too people always seem to recommend them but nobody seems to ride them.

I think I would quite like to find out how a 160 fork would ride with the 120 rockers.

there’s probably not that many around – Cotic were out of stock for ages! I’ve always liked the concept of the Hemlock, and the 2009 model looks spot on. If I had the cash, it would be my frame of choice 🙂

I’ve heard that they’re looking into issues with swing-arm breakages, particularly on the medium frame.

on the new ones? i know there were some problems with the old ones…

Yes, on the new ones too. They break.

Heres one in the Swiss Alps.

I thought that was flexyness issues, not actually breakages?

Feel free to correct me, though…

EDIT – I was slightly slow posing this!

No, flexiness was the old issue. The new ones break if a crucial washer is ommitted or the pinch bolt behind the main pivot is loose. They then fail catastrophically at that point.

I don’t really think it’s my part to explain a Cotic safety issue, perhaps best to ask Cy.

There must be some out there tho.

I wanted one as my insurance replacement, but insurers would not play ball on a cash settlement 🙁

18bikes had priced me up a pukka bike with Thors/Hope Hoops/Louise’s/SLX…

If you guys like the Hemlock , take a look at the Ventanas , I have never seem one break & they are designed the way the Cotic should have been.
The rockers are kept as short as possible & I do not think a gorilla could cause them to flex.Also all the pivots have double bearing & you can have multiple tavel rockes.

Except Ventanas generally cost at least £400 more.

and are known for breaking as well.

trail monkey has one… ask him

No, flexiness was the old issue. The new ones break if a crucial washer is ommitted or the pinch bolt behind the main pivot is loose. They then fail catastrophically at that point.

So it’s more of a maintainance issue, really? Although you’d have thought that it wouldn’t matter too much really…..

Ummm, if you don’t do the main pivot pinch bolt up then I would sorta expect a catastrophic failure, as the swing arm will fall off.

Its a bit like if you don’t do up your brake caliper bolts, I would expect the caliper to fail as well.

mildred – Member
Except Ventanas generally cost at least £400 more.

A lot of money for a Kona. 😆

BWD – how many have you SEEN fail, or is this just internet gossip?

I was one who was critical of how flexible the old rockers were – I played on wee pete36’s one. The new ones seem a beefy as anything and the bike is indeed rigid at the rear (fnnar).

I was hoping to get one 🙁

Well my missus has one and loves it.

160 fork/120 rockers should be a lotta fun. I tried one with 150 fork/100 rockers and it could get you into a whole lot of trouble very very quickly indeed, without feeling like a sofa.

New (mk2) version looks very solid indeed. Must admit to being tempted meself….

Thanks Jon thats the first feedback about that combo Ive heard. Im hoping to have a new FS frame in that long/short format but there arnt many options. Was it a shop demo that you tried? If so where?

A lot of money for a Kona. [:lol:]

Doooo beat me to that 😉

I think Swinnertons in Stoke will have a demo soon…

I_Ache – 18bikes have a demo iirc.

http://www.18bikes.co.uk/

I’m basing this on zero evidence, but since there are a few Hemlocks at the Bikeradar demo days, Cotic may be willing to ship one of those to your LBS for you to try.

I_Ache

Where are you based, and what size do you want to try?

Im in Birmingham a medium or a large should give me a good indication.

Was it a shop demo that you tried?

No – one of the preproduction ones.

I have ridden my other half’s a bit though (she generally runs 140 F/100 R) which is a mighty fine singletrack hacker, but a bit small for me, and I’ve also used one of the AQR hire bikes (140F/150R) for some DH runs in the Pyrenees. That felt a little bit nervous and the forks (Pikes) couldn’t really keep up with the back end.

I think one with the 6″ rockers and some Lyrics or Float 36s would be about the perfect Megavalanche bike.

I’ve never ridden one, but given the way I ride if I ever feel the need to replace my Five a Hemlock would certainly be on my list. The 08 design looked too much like it was made in somebody’s garage, but the new one looks pretty close to spot on I reckon.

BWD – how many have you SEEN fail, or is this just internet gossip?

Just the one, a magazine test bike. It failed because apparently a washer had been omitted during assembly, something which apparently is common to other medium-sized Hemlocks from the same batch, which presumably are out there being ridden still. It didn’t fail because the bolt wasn’t done up.

As I said earlier, I don’t think it’s really up to me to comment on a safety issue, but I can tell you that it’s not something I’ve made up or ‘heard’ on the internet.

Got plenty in stock, but I think people are waiting for press. We got tests out much earlier last year. We’ve got a whole fleet built for the Future demos, and 18 Bikes, Cyclescene in York, Freedom Bikes in Brighton all have demos and we can ship a demo to a dealer if it doesn’t clash with us needing it. I don’t know if Swinno’s have built there’s yet, or whether they sold it. They had a frame off us a few weeks back.

Setup-wise, I ran 160/100 on last years bike and 160/120 on the 09, and it’s lots and lots of fun in big stuff without being too wallowy or boring on smoother trails. Have to say I recently switched mine back to a much lighter 140/120 build using my Thors for demo duty, but left a sticky DH front tyre on and I’m totally loving it. 140mm forks are soooo much better than they were last year. I can chuck it around more because it’s lighter, just loads and loads of fun.

Regarding the swingarm, we have had one fail which was a result of incorrect assembly of a pinch clamp and it lacking a washer. In this case the bolt loses preload and then the frame fatigues prematurely. One went which flagged up the issue. It’s in the process of being sorted. I went and chucked mine off a 4ft drop 25 times the other week to make double sure I was totally, once-and-for-all happy with it. It’s fine 😉

Are all the Hemlocks which are out there correctly assembled then?

All 2008 frames and the 2009 small and large ones are. The 2009 medium ones are in the process of being made that way.

There’s not many being ridden out there because not many are made. I think people forget how small Cotic is. I’d like to see more photos of people’s builds though. I’ll take some pics of mine once the forks are back from being refreshed.

I’m going to take pics of mine when it has the extra-rad white rims in a few days 😀

I hope they’re good, I’ve just bought one, but not built up yet. Currently intending on 150mm rear with 140 Talas up front, so comments about it being twitchy like that are interesting.

Ultimately I think some 160mm forks that wind down for climbing would be ideal. Or I could buy a 120mm rocker.

Looking forard to actually riding it.

cy hace you had any chance to ride any other bikes that will work with long forks (Wotans) and have short rear travel?

tlr – Thanks for joining in!! It’s not really that twitchy with 140mm forks, that comment has to be taken in context of the big mountain environment Jon was riding the bike, and that he knows it’d be nicer in that situation with 160mm forks. the Hemlock is actually at the slack end of the spectrum for trail bikes. For the UK it’ll be fine. I’m certainly enjoying a 140mm front end, and I’ve been out on DH trails recently and getting on well.

I_ache – I’ve not ridden any other bike with that kind of setup. I’ve ridden a BFe with Wotans which about the closest thing for me personally.