Bike Check: James Love’s Cotic Cascade

Mr Love, formerly of this parish, dropped by via the back roads of Calderdale. ‘You look like Jeremy Corbyn with that stem!’ cried our Benji. Cue much …

By stwhannah

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Bike Check: James Love’s Cotic Cascade

Mixing tan wall and black wall tyres is unforgivable

I like how the intro image up there ^ isn’t a spoiler ; )

Also really like to see bikes set up by what feels right to the owner rather than how others expect them to look.

Also really like to see bikes set up by what feels right to the owner rather than how others expect them to look.

Yes, if you’re more into riding a bike rather than looking at it, I agree.

I’ve been of the view that head tubes are not proportional to frame size (see also: chainstays) for a while, and that the head down roadie style has dominated many a bike design intended for utility and leisure use.

It looks kooky, but meh.

Sure is a unique look (and I say that as the owner of a Cascade in the same green) but long distance comfort trumps looks

Im intrigued by the double water bottle mount although more for my FS bike that only has one available mount on the downtube: the bottles are out the way enough to not get clipped by feet? The bottles do look like they have been positioned quite high up the downtube but then the Cascade has plenty of mounts on the downtube

Weird city. But it obviously works for him. Nice.

I’m all good with the strange stem and everything else but the mix of tyres is making my brain all itchy on the inside

I’ve been of the view that head tubes are not proportional to frame size (see also: chainstays) for a while, and that the head down roadie style has dominated many a bike design intended for utility and leisure use.

Fear of a Long Headtube is a real thing in the bike industry and with the slammed/tukt wafflers online. So we get riser drop bars ..  it’s all gone a bit mad. Hi-risers on MTBs are easy to do though, look great.

I’m demoing a Cascade next week, looking for it to be my bikepacking bike to replace the HT and gravel bikes I currently use.

A drop-bar MTB feels the best of both worlds – apt geometry (especially for descents when loaded), drop-bars for aero  when on tarmac and multitude of hand-positions, ability to use a (normal) suspension fork when appropriate and MTB components/tyre-width/gearing.

Fear of a Long Headtube is a real thing in the bike industry and with the slammed/tukt wafflers online. So we get riser drop bars ..  it’s all gone a bit mad. Hi-risers on MTBs are easy to do though, look great.

Agree, but with a near metre inseam I’d much prefer a frame sized appropriately.

Fear of a Long Headtube is a real thing in the bike industry and with the slammed/tukt wafflers online. So we get riser drop bars .. it’s all gone a bit mad. Hi-risers on MTBs are easy to do though, look great.

That explains so much.

It’s great to see a bike set up for some one like this. I think we can safely assume i won’t fit on a drop bar build.

HATE from London.