[Closed] Cotic Roadrat - Recent Reviews?

I think I bought mine in 2005 so not sure this will be too helpful but the only thing that annoys me on that version of the bike is the loose derailer hanger/sliding drop out arrangement which makes getting the back wheel on and off a right faff.

Looks like this is mostly sorted now though (they now have a fixed mech hanger) so the only, slight, remaining issue that I would expect to encounter would be the annoyance of needing to loosen/remove full wrap around mudguards if you want to get the rear wheel out of the horizontal drop outs.

Apart from the above mine has done sterling sevice over many thousands of miles as a touring/commuting bike and I’d be happy to give the new one a try if it ever got nicked.

I have an 09 which flexes quite a bit.

Later ones have a few modifications in the dropouts and the tubes are large.
Carbon fork will save weight too.
Never had trouble with the sks mudguard running 32mm tyres.

Again, it’s done many 000’s of miles and still looks good. Finish is a few steps above the mainstream brands.

I’ve got the latest Roadrat after my 2012 met a nasty end under a car. New mech hanger arrangement is still awkward to take wheel out - I find it easiest to unbolt the mech, unbelievably. Otherwise it’s a great frame. No obvious difference in ride that I can tell. I’m using different forks to standard though so can’t comment on the latest carbon ones vs the earlier Roadhogs.

Importantly, the turquoise colour is stunning 😀

I've a MK1 and the removable mech hangar is a PITA. I've got mine in drop bar 'gravel' bike mode and been thinking about replacing rear dropouts to bolt through ones...not sure if it is worth it or just buy a new frame. But those are really minor annoyances...I don't suffer punctures frequently thankfully so all these issues are minor.

But most importantly it rides brilliantly and the addition of carbon forks will only improve that as the Roadhog forks are a bit harsh. Complaints of it being flexy....well can't say I really notice...if I get out of the saddle and look at the bottom bracket and stamp aggressively on the pedals with the sole intention of seeing if I can get some lateral flex in the frame I can see flex, but in normal use, even when climbing, I can't detect any more flex than you might on any other bike...and even if you can so what. If the bike flexes it acts as a spring and just returns that energy back into the drivetrain so you're not losing efficiency at all.

But they are very flexible...I bought it as a flat bar single speed bike, then converted to a drop bar commuter/gravel bike with full guards, 2x10 drivetrain and 32c tyres. It has a very short stem as it was the longer geo bike for flat bars but that doesn't seem to affect handling significantly. It's a bit heavy I guess, but the spec is not great so quite a bit of weight could be taken out by nicer wheels and componentry.

I had one. Heavy, flexed massively (especially when loaded up) and fixing a rear puncture was a massive faff. Versatile bike though.

Many thanks for your thoughts on the various editions of the Roadrat. I thought it would have mixed opinions, particularly the multi-purpose rear dropouts. I like the look of the escapade too, but think the Roadrat would suit my favoured riding position and be far more stable with flatbars when the bridlepaths get slippery. The brake setup on the Roadrat seems less expensive, with a more mtb
approach to the drivetrain. Looks far better than many aluminium framesets for the the same money, liking the turquoise paint scheme too!