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Cotic have been selling direct for 15 years.
I built the original little website to help enable that.
Go to the news section of the website and you'll see every news item from the very beginning archived there… including the direct sales model being in place from the start. And you can also see the original prices to compare to the modern day.
I think one of the reasons Cotic went direct only is they knew their new geo update tranche would piss off dealers with stock. Only themselves to look after and discounts to shift the ‘dregs’ before the new batch arrives won’t undercut dealers.
yeah, I thought it was common knowledge kelvin ‘works’ for Cotic (well, at least part of the time). If not he’s always up to date with what’s going on and what’s kicking about, even posting up photos of my bike before it left!.... 😉
I would like to own a Cotic at some point, that's all.
Yes Kayla1 they did here is short clip.
Well the prices aren't too dissimilar to other boutique UK bike companies (Stanton, Stooge) so are they ripping us off as well?
"Cotic to me do seem a bit pricey compaed to the big name brands"
Really? Are you sure you are comparing like for like? Whilst they're not cheap or inexpensive by any stretch, I think Cotics represent great value - they are a high end bike frame and a developed engineered product. From my personal experience of back to back testing with far more expensive 'plastic fantastic' bikes they easily hold their own and can be considered to be in the same league, and actually ride better than some of them (subjective I know).
There are cheaper alternatives out there, but I've looked at them and in comparison to Cotic a lot look like scaffolding tubes roughly welded together.
Just waiting for the Longshot Rocket Maxx! I'll be overbiked for most of the time, but I don't care - it'll be brilliant.
The worst of it is that I emailed some questions about the new Rocket over the weekend and their owner/designer has had the audacity to email me back no less than three times today! Doesn't he have anything better to do, like counting his millions?
I don’t think anyone is saying that
My "funniest post of the day" 🙂
Kelvin, could you please ask Cy and Paul to stop sending me free bikes and components? I’ve had to move house twice in the last three years due to the lack of living space because of all the bikes and stuff and quite frankly I’m getting sick of it.
Depending on size, you can offload them on me and my family… we'll give them a good home.
I'm sure Cotic were up near Aberdeen a while ago and by that I'm thinking 2016 maybe. Can't remember exactly where though but I think it was South of Aberdeen.
Well most places are south of Aberdeen 🙂
Everywhere is south of Aberdeen...
Gaaaaaaaaagh! Beaten to it!
Wasn't that organised by the bike shop in Stonehaven? Or I could be making that up.
While I don't think that £1500 is a rip off for a good full sus frame I would expect it to come with a decent shock already attached and not be charged an extra £300 to get one swapped in.
No offence to any x-fusion owners that like their shocks, I don't. Do like their forks though and currently ride a set.
There does seem to be a frankly idiotic mindset shared by some on here that people should just pay the sticker price for everything, think themselves bloody lucky, and not seek any further value for their hard earned.
Guess they all rock up to a used car dealer and don't haggle.
A fool and his money..............................
It's not a used car dealership though is it - see demo bike sales if you want to haggle - or ebay.
1500 for the one with a basic shock is 400 quid cheaper than the entry level Orange Alpine frame. So it's somewhere between Vitus/Nukeproof and Orange.
I'd say they have the pricing about right. Now if you really want, as I stated earlier - you can pick up the Rocket for 1399 without a shock and find a 200x57 Vidid R2C for 280. I'd say they have the pricing about right. Not cheap, not ridiculous either.
Many of us don't just buy based on VFM either - a lot of this is out of heart and there is something about the Mercury frame that screams a lot more class than Nukeproof (who can't build a bike with bearings worth a shit - but cheap proprietary ones that you can't replace with Maxx bearings). If I had more money, I'd go and buy a custom geometry Ancillotti and that would be for no sane reason what so ever apart from the idiotic ear to ear childish grin it would give me.
There does seem to be a frankly idiotic mindset shared by some on here that people should just pay the sticker price for everything, think themselves bloody lucky, and not seek any further value for their hard earned.
Did you read post one or just jump straight in with that?
dragon - yeah one of the mechanics at Bike Remedy in Stonehaven helped organise a couple of Cotic demo rides at Drumtochty.
but then it’s up to you whether you want to buy into something
Lets leave it at that shall we.
End of thread.
1500 for the one with a basic shock is 400 quid cheaper than the entry level Orange Alpine frame. So it’s somewhere between Vitus/Nukeproof and Orange.
Or 300 less than the Orange 5. Spec a similar shock and the price is the same.
“are these actually made in the UK?”
No. If they were they would be substantially more expensive.
Ok, right.
I noticed in the interview with Dan Stanton that they decided to manufacture their new full suss in the UK as the post-Brexit currency fluctuations were causing them problems (and eating up their profits). Given Cy's history in this area I'd be surprised if he isn't at least thinking about making some frames in the UK at some point. Either way, it looks as though the era of far-East manufacturing being clearly cheaper than UK-made might be coming to an end.
Or 300 less than the Orange 5. Spec a similar shock and the price is the same.
It's 100 quid cheaper.
However, they haven't gone metric - so for all of us with bling shocks in 200x57 the shockless option not a bad deal.
By buying the frame only and going through tf tuned for an aftermarket DHX2 with an SLS spring - it's 200 quid cheaper.
He tried and failed. Why would he try again? Once bitten and all that, can’t imagine it was much fun when it went wrong.
It’s 100 quid cheaper.
Than the 5? 5 frame is £100 cheaper than the Alpine.
You could be right. Once bitten and all that. On the other hand, he may feel that he knows what went wrong last time and could make it work better now. Either way, if there is no cost advantage to manufacturing offshore, you have to wonder whether it is worth the uncertainty over currency fluctuations, delivery etc. Still, what do I know? I've never tried to manufacture a bike.
Yeah, was getting it mixed up with the Alpine. Which is the comparable bike.
I don’t really see why it should be cheaper than Transition, spesh, trek etc. It’s not like they are a budget brand.
As for sticker price, I doubt that they are swimming in frames to shift there is a constant demand for frames, why would they go cheaper??
Besides, aren't there a bazillion high volume German direct to consumer brands if you want cheap? At least Cotics warehouse is just outside Sheffield.
The buying process is supposed to be enjoyable, people buy from brands like Cotic because they feel some sort of connection to the one man band thing, frames that've had blood/sweat/tears put into them, a company that sponsors grassroots riders etc. etc. Trying to haggle is a good way to spoil all that.
"I know you put a lot back into the mtbing scene, and you've spent years perfecting your bike designs, but I don't think your product is worth this much of my truly precious money." God, what a way to sound like a ****. All for fifty quid.
^ this. There are times haggling is appropriate and times it just makes you look like a knob.
Slightly off topic;
Is it possible to add a new "Cotic" forum section on top of "Bike" and "General" just for the inevitable daily worship?
That way us peasants who ride mass produced, Taiwan made bikes won't have to worry that we are missing out on something really special.
DTF wins the thread.
Daily worship? 😂
Yes, a classic from DTF. A rant about haggling when nobody had mentioned haggling up until then. Well played sir.
Are you sure Roverpig?
Ah, fair play. My mistake. Sorry DTF I thought this was one of your more subversive efforts.
This thread really has taken a turn for the weird.
" inevitable daily worship?" huh?
Haggling mentioned and replied to, then "nobody had mentioned haggling"
I blame the new font.
No, I was just too busy with my daily genuflection to read the thread properly 🙂
The way Cy explained it in that email when they went direct only was that the dealer margin was effectively subsumed by the extra cost of producing 853 steel FS frames vs. conventional alu frames.
Seems credible to me. I can certainly think of several other brands much more deserving of the "rip-off" tag anyway.
Fun thread. How about everyone calms down a bit? We've never been the cheapest, we're never been the most expensive, we have always tried to offer value through well made, durable products with great customer support. If you think our prices aren't for you, then there are plenty of other brands out there cheaper than us. Maybe we'll catch you another time? Making FS bikes out of 853 is not a low cost exercise, but we believe in it because of the positive attributes it has compared to aluminium. We aim to offer that at a fair price. As we have always sold direct there was never going to be a big price crash compared to those other brands who had a pile of margin to cut out with distributors and the like. I think (hope) I explained that in the press release. There will be a little bit of movement in our value proposition as time moves on and having complete control of our pricing takes effect. For example, the latest Gold builds on the 2018 bikes now featuring a Pike or HELM for same price as last years' Sweep equipped bike. Our frame pricing has been held since 2015, and since before the exchange rate crash in 2016. You paid £1499 for an X-Fusion equipped Rocket frame in November 2015, you pay £1499 for the X-Fusion equipped 2018 Rocket frame in Feb 2018. So no, there aren't any massive price crashes, but I hope we are holding, and increasing value for our customers. Be fair, be nice. That's the idea.
Cheers,
Cy
superb response
🙂
Fair play to Cy for explaining where Cotic are coming from.
I certainly don't feel there is daily worship of the brand ( yes I'm an owner and fan as I am also of Surly).
I do think there is a lot of appreciation shown for what Cotic do. Which, in my mind, is make bikes that ride well. Rarely (in fact I can't remember reading any) have QC issues. Very helpful and respond to emails etc in a personal and polite way.
The demo idea is great. Even if it wouldn't work out for many.
Just my take on it all.
I’m currently trying to not buy another Bfe or give a Soul a go. When the Solaris comes back in stock I’ll be doomed!
i think Cotic (and Stanton) are great, making really nice bikes with great service. I’m a sucker for s nice steel hardtail though. YMMV