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Very nice. I like the black
Theres “different” and “new” and “challenging” then there is also just ‘a bit ugly” This is not a pretty bike. Aesthetics, whilst often a matter of personal taste, usually combine some form of balance and flow.
Could you post pics of a couple of full-sus bikes you regard as aesthetically pleasing?
Yes, same as on my 2014 Spitfire (which I ordered due to the Rocket supply debacle back then). The Spitfire is a really great bike but seeing as everything would swap to the new Rocket bar the headset, needing a shim for my Reverb, a Boostinator for the rear hub, and a shorter stem (currently on a 50mm) it’s quite dangerously tempting, especially in the Mercury CYM. Big birthday this summer as well!
Already ordered one for this reason. I can use my DHX2 and it has the geometry that I figure is perfect based on riding my large Reign and Geometrons. I wanted 20mm more in the rearch and a degree off the head angle - so when I saw this - coming in at almost a grand less than a geometron......my reaction was
Ordered in raw with the stripes, because it has a classy motorsports/road cycling vibe in that finish. The main hate for this bike seems to be coming from the hardtail steel is real crowd funnily enough, those that like to bimble/clatter down trails at walking pace.
Have spotted a potential fly in the ointment in my plan - pivot through seat tube will limit dropper insertion and I have a 480mm long 170mm Reverb. In the Spitfire there's about 70mm between the top of the seat tube and the the start of the slidey bit of the dropper, so that means there's 205mm of post in the 430mm frame. Based on holding a tape measure against Cotic's blue L Rocket photo, it looks like there's about 205mm of max insertion depth on the medium (425mm seat tube). A close run thing!
Just run a lower profile seat.
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"So i AM the only person who hates this long stretched out look."
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It's not really a look, is it? It's about making the bikes ride better. Given the choice, I'd go for that over aethetics- particularily since in this case it often means "This is not what I'm used to".
I think it could have a shorter seat tube- the 2018 is only 8mm shorter in the XL model compared to last year's. With 170mm droppers I want the most slammed seat tube possible.
The coil option fair bumps the price up over the Xfusion (£380 extra) - it's a pity there isn't a cheaper coil optiion.
Which "cheaper" coil shock did you have in mind?
"I think it could have a shorter seat tube- the 2018 is only 8mm shorter in the XL model compared to last year’s. With 170mm droppers I want the most slammed seat tube possible".
+1, don't know why most manufacturers have such a hard time figuring this one out.
You need to consider the overall length of the dropper post, not just the amount it drops. Lowering the top of the seattube still doesn't necessarily mean you can insert a longer dropper further into the seatube without hitting the "bend" in it where the axle for the droplink passes through.
Ooh it'd be good if the next RocketMAX also stays with the 200x57 shock size.
(He says eyeing up his Fox X2)
You need to consider the overall length of the dropper post, not just the amount it drops. Lowering the top of the seattube still doesn’t necessarily mean you can insert a longer dropper further into the seatube without hitting the “bend” in it where the axle for the droplink passes through.
Fair point hadn't thought of that.
Which “cheaper” coil shock did you have in mind?
I might not be up to date with coil shock prices but is there not a RS or Fox coil option that's simpler and less expensive than the CC?
At ~£1500 with the Xfusion it's a good price point and comparable with the Shan #5, the coil CC option which would blow away the Shan bumps the Rocket up beyond my reach
That new Rocket looks very very nice!
The main hate for this bike seems to be coming from the hardtail steel is real crowd funnily enough, those that like to bimble/clatter down trails at walking pace.
That describes me pretty well, but I quite like these new Cotics. Probably the FlareMax more than this rocket, but these long slack bikes also appeal to us cowards you know 🙂
At ~£1500 with the Xfusion it’s a good price point and comparable with the Shan #5, the coil CC option which would blow away the Shan bumps the Rocket up beyond my reach
Purchase the Xfusion equipped model, save and then purchase a 200x57 Kage or a secondhand RC4. Or buy it without the shock for 1399 and pick up a vivid for about 280 from Bike-Discount.De - that will save you about 200 quid on the Cane Creek https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/rock-shox-vivid-r2c-coil-mid-reb-mid-tune-without-spring-525544
That new Rocket looks very very nice!
The more I look at it the more I like it. Great blend of form and function. And a really nice blue colour.
rossburton
The new Rocket is *way* more bike than a lot of people – including me – need. I asked Cy if there’s a Longshot Flare in the works, he said it’s a while off but Paul has been riding a prototype for the last year (this new Rocket was in prototype for two years).
This upsets me slightly, I really, really want a Flare but not the current one as it's to similar to my current bike.
I was thinking the same thing @Fathomer - i have been reading the recent Cotic announcements and thought this all looks great for a new Flare... Hope its not too long to come to fruition.
I agree v666ern. It’s just a little too much for me.
On the basis of "yay, but where's the Flare" after the recent launches I thought i'd ask Cotic if there was any news.
Paul replied with a refreshingly open and honest response - its in the works (as is the Rocket Max) and may land nearer the summer, although he did say there's no specific date set, so take that with a pinch of salt.
A medium for your perusal…
That does look really badass! So much room to move with the low BB, short seat tube and dropped top tube. And a bottle fits too!
Yup, for all those people saying that Large looks too long… the obvious answer to that is this Medium… looks so so right, even to my stuck in the past eyes.
looks so so right, even to my stuck in the past eyes.
That's because they now look like 26ers did 😉
I love that blue. Why? Cotic! Why? Too much temptation.
Do Cotic list the length of the straight part of the seat tube anywhere? I can’t seem to find it. I was looking at whether a 170mm reverb (48cm total length) would fit on a large (or a medium) flare max. I reckon I’d have 22cm of post inside the seat tube, but would the bottom of the post then hit the drop link ?
tomd1984
On the basis of “yay, but where’s the Flare” after the recent launches I thought i’d ask Cotic if there was any news.
Paul replied with a refreshingly open and honest response – its in the works (as is the Rocket Max) and may land nearer the summer, although he did say there’s no specific date set, so take that with a pinch of salt.
Ohhh, that's great news. I'm actually demoing the current Flare in a couple of weeks time so will do some questioning then.
Please report back, i was beginning to contemplate a Canyon Spectral, but if the Flare gets the same updates as the FlareMax and Rocket i'll happily wait 🙂 Enjoy the demo.
Good point @roverpig … I'll aim to get that info on the product pages for the new bikes next week.
Here's a small Rocket…
I asked Cy about this a few days ago. From his numbers on pivot position and housing, on the 2018 Rocket I calculated:
Small - 390 seat tube, 200mm max post insertion*
Medium - 425 seat tube, 235mm max post insertion*
Large - 460 seat tube, 270mm max post insertion*
XL - 495 seat tube, 295mm max post insertion*
*Not including hose routing on stealth droppers.
I suspect the numbers will be slightly but not massively different for the Flare Max.
They're quite different on the FlareMAX, as pivot position is different. I'll have a look…
Looking at the diagrams… FlareMAX has between 15-20mm less room for the post in the frame than the Rocket, depending on size. Will get actual figures on the site next week.
Thanks both. I'll wait fir the official numbers next week, but that sounds encouraging. Although I guess there is a fair bit of connecta-thingy on the bottom of a reverb.
You don't "have" to use a connectamjig though… you can go back to the same way of fitting as the old Reverbs.
I took the Connectamajig off my 170mm Reverb to get it to fit in my Spitfire - with this frame it was the position of the stealth port that was the issue as the seat tube bend is low down and the pivots are behind the seat tube. There’s a lot going on in that area on full-sus bikes!
Small longshot Rocket in black... Must resist...
@fathomer have you had that demo yet? Curious how you found the current flare, or if you heard any more about the new one whilst there. TIA 🙂
I’m guessing the next bike they will release is the Longshot Rocket Max.
@tomd1984 Yeah, couple of weeks back. Rode the current Flare and a long shot Rocket. I'll be waiting, impatiently, for the long shot Flare. Sam the demo man didn't give much away but said they where still prototyping it and it would be July at the earliest 😔
Another patient LS Flare waiterer here 🙂
As much as I wish it was gonna be out sooner, it's good to know they're making it right before releasing it.
I emailed last week incase they had a vague idea of whether it was gonna be weeks or months, but Paul gave zippo away lol
A little background: when buying my new SolarisMAX I had a couple of phone calls with Cy. One of my questions was why the top secret stuff about the updates?
Sometimes factory delivery dates shift... they don’t like to announce until they have an actual product to sell. thats how their business model operates.
i think fingers may have been burnt over the ‘uk made’ rocket... 🤢
It’s reassuring that it’s all in our own interest that they do it the way they do, it’s just me being impatient and wanting to make the most of the summer that’s made me ask.
Has made me wonder about a Whyte T130CR, but I’d like the Cotic more...
Same here tomd1984, the current dry dusty trails have fuelled my impatience! When it starts pissing down again I'll be happy to wait.
Have you seen the forecast?
🤣