Well done Cy..
The time has come! I can finally reveal why we had to go all quiet on the Rocket for these last few months: Today we are announcing the from now on all Cotic full suspension frame production is happening in the UK, built at a new production facility I have co-founded. This factory is Bicycle Manufacturing Limited, or BML for short. Does what it says on the tin!
About 2 years ago I met Mike McDermid, who is my partner in BML and the manufacturing brains of the operation. We began working on this project after it became clear to Mike that using the latest automated techniques and equipment combined with high skilled hand made production, it would be possible to be competitive on price with Far Eastern supply on high end products with a flexible, high quality UK operation. Mike's experience with all areas of manufacturing are extensive, right up to designing carbon composites for F1 and Le Mans cars, (Williams F1, Wirth Research, Red Bull Racing) as well as some of the top names in the Aerospace and bike industry.
As you know, Cotic - like just about every bike brand in the world - sources frames and parts from the Far East. Some of the reason for this is price, but in most cases it's also to do with expertise. The Taiwanese and Chinese have factories and companies that just build bikes. Not aircraft, or car parts, or motorcycle frames as well, just bikes. They have expertise and make it very easy to source parts. They're very good at what they do. When we figured out that, if done carefully and correctly, we could be competitive on price for mid-to-high end products using the processes Mike had in mind, we were suddenly in a situation where the price was good and cutting edge manufacturing and material expertise was in the UK. So, all things being equal, I decided I would prefer to make some models in the UK. The pricing is similar, but the flexibility of production and the speed of development for new product tips the balance in BML's favour.
I realise that quite a few of you have been waiting a long time for Rockets, and we have been fairly evasive on the subject up to now. I can only apologise for that. I really hope you understand that whilst we were completely committed to success with BML all last year, until we got to this point - having pre-production frames in build - we couldn't be sure when we would be ready. We didn't want to put more pressure on the build up of the factory by putting some arbitrary production date on it. For those of you who have been patient with us; thank you so much. For those that decided to buy something else; I totally understand and would probably have done the same in your shoes!
We're very close to completing the first pre-production UK made Rocket frames, so look out for more on this in a couple of weeks. And before you ask, they are 26" wheel!! Once they've been finished there will be a brief lab testing and sign off period to dot i's and cross t's on the UK construction methods and we're aiming to be in build in early March.
If you want to see the full press release and some pictures of our production kit, head over to the Bicycle Manufacturing webpage to have a look.
I'm so excited about this project; the possibilities, the potential for new and interesting products, learning to weld myself! So much to look forward to. Welcome to our latest adventure!
Cheers,
Cy
Good to see, shame my next FS will be a 27.5 8)
Good to hear of some more UK bike production. Hope all goes well.
I'm currently doing my "told you so" dance 🙂 It's not a very edifying spectacle I'll admit, but good luck to Cy and the team.
Awesome!
Great stuff indeed.
Great, but I got bored of being told they were a month away 12 months ago and bought something different.
Shame, as the Rocket is a great bike!
Mike's been putting up teasers of the framebuilding equipment he's been making, so it's not a surprise to me - but good to hear it officially confirmed.
26" !!!!
Yikesigood luck with that
We are struggling to give away 26" full sus frames
Would you guys be able to produce for other brands as I am looking for a factory to make frames
Ace. A Rocket might be my next frame - fancied one anyway and it would be good to have a Yorkshire-made bike. 🙂
[i]Would you guys be able to produce for other brands[/i]
Reading the story from Drac's link that's exactly what they'll be doing.
Looking forward to the "I've cracked my Cotic" threads
😉
Brilliant news. A steel FS frame made round the corner from me. That's this summer's frame sorted. 😀
Sweet. 26" too 🙂
Ditto what ndg said. I loved the Rocket and was all set to buy one but after waiting the best part of 9 months I shopped else where.
Good luck to Cy, I admire what he's doing and wish I could of supported him, 26" wheels and all!
Great news!!!
As rockets have been out of stock for over a year and people have been waiting longer than this for a frame. They still have to wait till March maybe . Not the best business sense in my opinion.
Would have made far more sense to have ordered a last batch of Rockets from Tiawan.
Now all you've done is created a marketing storm 18 months ago about a new frame that got good reviews in the press and not had any to sell to anybody who actually wanted one for 12 months so they've bought something else.
Although Rocket is in the title of this thread I notice that the press release always refers to "all droplink frames", suggesting that it is going to be more than one model before too long. Lots of talk about carbon facilities as well. Interesting times indeed.
Good news for UK manufacturing, best of luck to Cy & Mike. I would like to buy a UK made frame!!
Great news. A British company making British products 😀
Will they be making HT frames too?
I'm not in the market for an FS frame but could be tempted to buy a solaris or whatever they bring out to replace the X.
If we'd have known quite how long it would have taken to get to this point I would have ordered another batch of Rockets from Taiwan. All of this is the benefit of hindsight, and we thought we'd be in production last summer. Things like finding that none of the off the shelf frame jigs did what we needed meant spending a lot more time and effort doing things we didn't think we'd need to do. It's not been ideal from the Rocket perspective, but once this project was underway it was so much more important to see it through. The other issue being that lead time from Taiwan is 6 months minimum, so even if we'd hit the button on that in June they'd only just be arriving now, just as we're about to be able to make them here.
Thanks for all the kind words. I'm so excited, and still shaking a bit having finally been able to tell people!
What are the implications for price, Cy? Have you been able to keep the costs flat?
I suspect you will only be getting positive feedback about this Cy, top work.
If you want to see the full press release and some pictures of our production kit, head over to the Bicycle Manufacturing webpage to have a look.
Is this the right link, Cy: http://bicyclemanufacturing.co.uk/
...assume it's not live yet?
UK & 26" double like!!
Great news, good luck with it.
I'm a Cotic HT customer and would like to see a British produced version of those bikes too.
As for the comments above about "good luck with 26" I am ONLY in the market for 26 bikes and components.
I'll take one.Sancho - Member
We are struggling to give away 26" full sus frames
Penistone? Marvellous! I'm going to hunt you down and pop in. Got all the staff you need? 🙂
well put +1As for the comments above about "good luck with 26" I am ONLY in the market for 26 bikes and components.
Oh god, even more reason for me to buy one of these!
Very good news! I hope other British brands make use of this new production facility.
Awesome work! And the joy of having your own local manufacturing is you can do rapid prototyping and small production runs so you can get great products to market in short times without having big risk - which is especially relevant in this confusing world of multiple wheel sizes.
We had a similar thing happen when we brought our manufacturing in-house - thought it would be much quicker to set up than it actually was but by the time that became clear it was too late to get another batch made by our previous contractors. Hindsight is a wonderful thing...
I really hope this works out for them. I'm another person who wanted to buy a rocket but couldn't due to stocking. I waited, and waited and now 650b is here, and looks here to stay, whether we want it or not. Given how aggressively it is being pushed I still suspect that fork/rim/tyre manufacturers will put 26" further down the priority list for anything other than DH as time goes on.
I don't want to get caught out by this so I was rather disappointed that the rocket won't be getting a 650b makeover. I keep frames for quite a while (my heckler is 10 this year) so buying something that is perceived as obsolete by the rest of the industry seems not to be the best idea going. I'm no supporter of 650b but for someone in the market for a new frame and forks it seems the only sensible way to go in the current climate.
Given that they are prototyping and the changes needed for 650b are fairly minor why not just make the change? I know it would involve swallowing their pride over the "26 ain't dead" thing but it seems to make better business sense at the moment and for the future.
Shame really, the rocket I tried is a great bike.
@shakelton how is 650b any different from 29 from a marketing hype perspective, how is it more likely to stay ? To me it sounds just the same as we heard about 29. If you keep bikes 10 years then it's clear you don't care about hype/having the latest thing for the sake of it - so just buy what you want
and just in time to take advantage of all the hardworking and well educated chaps coming in from Bulgaria and Romania.
They'll make a 650b if that's where the market is.
Still only seen 1 bike on the trails with tweeny wheels, despite all the hype.
Given that they are prototyping and the changes needed for 650b are fairly minor why not just make the change?
Because Cotic want to make a 26" bike as a priority? Other sizes to be in addition to, rather than instead of 26"?
although, I'd probably be playing around with swappable dropouts to have a bike that could swing both ways, or vary geometry a bit. assuming it didn't affect price too much.
[i]If you want to see the full press release and some pictures of our production kit, head over to the Bicycle Manufacturing webpage to have a look.[/i][b]...assume it's not live yet?[/b]
That's copied from the mailing list email, which had a link to a private page for mailing list and press people only. Everything from there is in the Singletrack news item now anyway :> http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/straight-out-of-south-yorkshire-announcing-bicycle-manufacturing-limited/ <
Its only a matter of time until 26" becomes as much marketting hype as 650b or 29". Just because it was the first wheel size that MTB's happened to have doesn't guarantee its future. Its pretty much there already for some types of bikes with 26" being reduced to appealing to the nostalgia crowd. What wheel size or sizes will feature going forward will depend upon the next generation of riders, not what we, the current generation think and currently buy.
But irrespective of the eternal wheel size debate that will continue to rage on, I really hope this venture is a huge success for Cotic and BML. Good to see stuff coming back into the UK and will hopefully mean that companies like Cotic can improve their responsiveness to customer and market demands and get an edge on the competition. Working in a manufacturing company myself, though foreign suppliers can work on a cost basis, when it comes to product development its much easier and more effective to have manufacturing and design capability on your doorstep. Despite advances in IT and communications you still can't beat sitting next door to the people you're working with.
Although I'm another who gave up on Rocket Watch and just gone from Bfe to Meta, this is good news and hope its a success. Will def be staying 26 so in the future who knows. 😀
if they got their own factory, they can surely pump out stupid-sized in between wheel frames for hard of thinking consumer sheep easily.
It's a hobby built arround riding in a circle with an element of life threatening danger, usualy in the cold and wet, often with mud and rocks rather than on the roads you've already paid for to make going places easier, and it costs a fortune to do for no rational benifit.stupid-sized in between wheel frames for hard of thinking consumer sheep easily.
And you're picking up on the wheel size?
if they got their own factory, they can surely pump out stupid-sized in between wheel frames for hard of thinking consumer sheep easily.
Love it! +1
If I need a new frame, and I can afford it, it'll be a Rocket for sure. I can even pick it up from the factory as it's just down the road.
Very best of luck, stick with the 26" please!
Sounds great - good luck!
If I buy a new frame it'll be to go with my 26" wheels. Why the hell would I want to stump up for new wheels as well? If your buying a new bike it's irrelevant due to lack of real difference in diameter.
Top work boys and good luck indeed.
One of my friends is a highly experienced engineering type, he is convinced that if we can improve our apprenticeship schemes, then the work will come back our way. Another friend that runs a recruitment company tells me, he can fill every CNC job 5 times over.
Good luck, Cy & Mike. This is excellent news.
how is 650b any different from 29 from a marketing hype perspective
29ers grew organically and took years to get established. 650b seems to have happened overnight, and is being pushed especially hard by the brands that were late to producing 29ers...
I too got a bit impatient whilst waiting for a new rocket, and so I plumped for.......a rocket (2nd hand)! A small part of me is disappointed that it's not 'Made in UK' but then I do have this great bike, right now. Given how much I'm enjoying it I'm incredibly happy to see this news and wish Cotic and BML the best of luck for the future.
and may I just echo what mugboo just said about apprenticeship schemes. We've got a really good one here at work and it's fantastic to see so many youngsters getting proficient. It just opens up so many possibilities for getting small batches of stuff turned around quickly
Good stuff Cy. I'm not in the market for a Rocket, but great that you're setting up this frames production in the UK and still flying the 26" flag 🙂
I though, I'd probably be playing around with swappable dropouts to have a bike that could swing both ways, or vary geometry a bit. assuming it didn't affect price too much.
Ive thought this for s long time. Excuse my frame building ignorance but would it cost that much more to do and would it change the geometry that much?
Good luck guys, as long as the price is competitive it will definitely be on my short list. Much prefer to support uk if I can.
Excuse my ignorance but what does this mean?
I though, I'd probably be playing around with swappable dropouts to have a bike that could swing both ways
Can I please vote for a bit less white on the paint job, especially on the swing arm? 🙂
@shakelton how is 650b any different from 29 from a marketing hype perspective, how is it more likely to stay ? To me it sounds just the same as we heard about 29. If you keep bikes 10 years then it's clear you don't care about hype/having the latest thing for the sake of it - so just buy what you want
True, however I am concerned by the availability of spares or new parts. Although my frame is 10 years old it is on it's 3 set of forks and 2nd wheelset (currently on their last gasp). If I buy a 26" frame and new wheels then when I need a new fork and wheel set in 5 years time will the top end parts that I want be available? Given how every company now seems to be 650b or 29er I'm not convinced they will be.
OEM must account for the greater proportion of fork and wheel sales and aftermarket 26" sales will get smaller as it gets harder to buy 26" bikes and frames, and is likely to get worse. Although I would much prefer to carry on with 26" wheels and see the 650b thing as marketing it is also a physical reality. When a manufacturer has to make a decision about losing products vs. introducing new ones I'm willing to bet that the 26" product would get axed to make way for the 650b (or 29er) new product. The market is also primarily led by what America wants/does and 650b is very big news there at the moment. So we can whinge and whine all we like but I think 650b is here to stay and will in all probability oust 26" as the main size purely due to how it is being pushed by the industry. 26" may linger but won't be a priority for manufacturers making getting good tyres, wheels and forks harder to get in 5 years + time.
I do wish Cotic all the best and am pleased to see them being made in the UK. I am just concerned for them that in 3-5 years time there won't be the support to make 26" viable any more. Not a problem for serial frame swappers who will buy a whole new bike in 18 months time but for me where a frame is a major investment the long term view makes me nervous about investing in 26". I would like to be wrong but I don't think there is room for 3 wheel sizes in the mtb world, especially with 2 of them being so similar.
Excuse my ignorance but what does this mean?
I though, I'd probably be playing around with swappable dropouts to have a bike that could swing both ways
Banshee Spitfire (for example) has separate dropouts, which are available in 26" and 650b flavours. Viable option for future proofing frames, at the cost of a bit of extra weight.
(Oh, and nice one Cotic - a bold move, and exciting stuff).
Banshee was exactly along the lines of what I was thinking.
Or Liteville, perhaps, who do different length stays on every frame size, where some sizes cater for more than one wheel size.
Especially at this point where things are in limbo, and seemingly every new bike is jumping on the band wagon, but 99.99% of what is actually being ridden is 26 with the occasional 29.
I'd bet 50p on a 650b 2015 model, but not sure whether that'd be the Rocket Lite, a sibling to the Soul/Solaris with a new name, ...
Well done Cotic. 
LOL @ Genuinely cool news thread turning into wheel size debate
Nice to see. Now then, who's going to produce a home-brewed groupset?
@Shakelton understood. I for one don't see Cotic as wedded to 26, they Introduced 29's and I'm sure if the customer support / demand is there for 650b they'll respond, I mean Cy's not going to allow Cotic to fold due to being stuck ideologically with 26. In fact it sounds like he'll be more able to experiment with BML than before.
Anyway good luck again with it (and I assume my 26 ain't dead shirt got mailed yesterday 🙂 )
This is excellent news.
I wish you the best of luck I am considering your Rocket as my next bike.
I will love it even more knowing it's uk made. Employing local talent is the way forward.
It's a shame other northern bike companies didn't follow your lead.
jambalaya - I don't think customer demand comes into it in this country, I really don't think there is much. I think it will come down to the supply of parts from manufactureres.
all you need now is a an adjoining brewery and you've got it made.
factory/ brewery tours would be AMAZING!
oh, and a test facility in the local woods.
Shackleton I will have to disagree with you completely on that one
We have had one 26" enquiry in the last three or four months all our sales and enquiries are for 29 & 650b
26" sales dried up middle of last year.
We are stocking and selling what customers are asking for
who do you work for Sancho?
what brands do you have?
Lbs in leeds
We do kona, lapierre, transition, genesis, saracen,
Still fixing lots of 26" mtb's but new sales have shifted
Yep 650 / 29ers are where it's at, 26" is yesterdays news.
Cy is still making 26ers for those that want them and have a stock of bits they want to keep using - [b]WIN!![/b]
Cy has a facility in which he can more rapidly prototype, develop and manufacture changes to accommodate new standards -
[b]WIN!![/b]
[i]new sales have shifted[/i]
That'll probably be 'cos pretty much all of those brands don;t do 26" bikes at an enthusiasts price point any more 😉
Brilliant news, best press release I've read in ages, a turning point hopefully. Every time I go to a factory in Taiwan I'm a bit depressed that there's so few opportunities like that in the UK. UK made really is becoming more viable and I'm sure they will show how well it can work. I think or hope there's more to come in this area. Good times.
Great news,if I decide to get a new FS frame,it will be a Rocket.
We have had one 26" enquiry in the last three or four months all our sales and enquiries are for 29 & 650b
26" sales dried up middle of last year.
We are stocking and selling what customers are asking for
out of interest, are people coming into your shop and saying:
"I'd like to buy a 650b MTB please, what have you got?"
or are they coming in saying:
"I'd like to buy a MTB please, what have you got?"
and then being [i][b]sold[/b][/i] a 650b bike because the bikes/manufacturers you stock at that price point are 650b?
ie: trying to work out if people are genuinely coming in to your shop with 650b as a requirement?
Good to see a forward thinking Brit company producing a quality 26'r rather than jumping on the 650b/29'r going nowhere fashion wagon 🙂 🙂
I worry more about press fit BBs than wheel size 😉
ie: trying to work out if people are genuinely coming in to your shop with 650b as a requirement?
I suspect even if most people do want 650b it's only because they don't want to end up with a bike that's hard to get parts for. I don't know anyone who's convinced by the advantages of 650b.
That really is a...
[img] 
[/img]
I think you're on to a winner there Mr Cotic. Well played and good luck!
For those asking, putting 27.5 wheels into a Rocket isn't the work of a minute, and does (in my opinion) require an entirely revised frame layout. Switchable 'both wheel size' frames are just a dogs dinner of compromises in my opinion. The Rocket is quite tightly packaged and bigger wheels just run into everything all over the place. For the first production run it's prudent to stick with something known, and we still have plenty of demand for the Rocket as it is. There are changes to the construction because we can do things differently here, and that was enough to work through.
I'd say we're wheel size agnostic. The aim is to support all three as and when, and give people choice. Our current experience is that 26" frame sales are still strong and still the majority of our business. 26" complete bikes aren't selling that quickly, as people buying all new bits will inevitably try and futureproof themselves, but a lot of people still have lots of nice 26" kit to put on nice Cotic frames.
In 3-5 years time, my crystal ball gazing says you'll still be able to get 26" wheels and tyres. There's just too many 26" bikes out there for that not to be the case. 27.5 forks aren't massively different to 26" so putting some of those on your 26" bike isn't going to ruin it, so that's forks dealt with.
I worry more about press fit BBs than wheel size
hear hear
and another reason the Rocket was on my shortlist (hoping the new UK fabbed frames will also be proper user serviceable BSA)
Yes to threaded BB's!