Have searched but failed to find anything.

I’m curious what people’s experiences are like living with a Cotic full suss? Not interested in components but rather the frames durability. Do you have to regularly change bearings/bushings?  If so how often and is it a simple job.

I’m weighing up orange simplicity Vs having to hit my bike with a mallet more often.

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”> Thanks in advance. </span>

Never had to change the bearings in my Rocket, which I’ve had for two years now. Unlike some frames they’re all fairly easy to remove I understand, as I said I’ve never done it.  The manual with the details of the old Rocket 26″ is online with all the details about bearing removal/installation at http://cotic.co.uk/PDF/Cotic_Rocket26_Manual.pdf, presumably not a lot has changed in the subsequent models.

Just noticed some play and have ordered main pivot bearings. Cotic Flare, about a year and five months, just under 3800 miles in typical Dales conditions (ie varying between totally minging and nice hardpack!)

As an aside, where do people go for suspension bushings? I potentially need some Igus bushings but am having trouble tracking down the right size. I’m hoping these will still be in good nick when the bearings get swapped, though.

Wee bit of play in my Rocket after 20 months or so. Pretty good going I reckon – previous bikes were StumpJumper every 4 months and a Pivot Mach 5.7 more than once a year.

Bushes, I’ve ordered some Fox compatible shock ones from BETD on the (possibly wrong) recollection that they are the same. Can update once I’ve tried.

Pretty damn good. I’ve had my (26″) Rocket just over 5 years now. Ridden all year, all weather in the Peaks/Lakes etc. Reckon on changing bearings about every 18 months, although I get through the NDS dropout bush quite a bit faster – I think the heat from the brake might be an issue. Sub-10 minute job to change though. Its less about the whole thing seizing up or knocking, more I start to feel the rear wheel feeling a bit “soft” in corners/off cambers and realising I can twist the back wheel relative to the seat tube.

The bearings are all covered by little custom shields, which keep a lot of the crap out. All standard sizes available easily on line.

The seatstay bushings are standard Fox size shock eyelet hulahoops. I tend to get them, along with new tophats direct from Cotic, as that’s easy for me.

The frame components themselves seem built to last. Mine look like crap as they’ve been bounced off no end of gritstone boulders, heel rub etc,  but still function absolutely fine. Bearing housings are certainly still tight. (just done a rebuild last week).

Jon – do you just pop in to pick them up from Cotic, or do they post them out? Didn’t see them listed as spares on the site.

Can’t help on the cotic front but based on a sample group of 1 as regards the orange… My old style 5 had been great for bearing life 2+ years a set, a doodle to change and service. Friends new stage 6 is on its third set in 18 months or so and is a pig to do by comparison and needs regular fettling of the preload etc. (though it’s still laughably quick compared to his previous spec. enduro). General trail head chit chat suggests he’s not alone in that with the newer swing arm types.

Just replaced the bearings on my Rocket after two years of abuse. All other parts were just fine apart from the usual dings and scrapes. Didn’t need to replace the seatstay bushings, but those are easy enough to do too. Full set of bearings available for well under £20 posted for decent quality ones if you shop about online. I don’t baby my bikes, it gets hosed down and slung in the garage and that’s about it, and I ride it right through winter, so I’d say that for a multi-linkage full-suss that’s about as good as you’re going to get.

Not much help, as mine is too new, but I know what you mean and (coming from an older Five) it’s something that bothered me too. The 2013 Five was so simple, but as dangeourbrain says, the newer ones look a bit more involved anyway.

I did worry that Droplink was just adding a lot more complexity for not much benefit. Especially as Cy’s essays on the topic suggest that “The suspension performance is balanced around a little chain growth and pedal feedback in the small chainring for good climbing performance”, which is irrelevant now that we are all 1x. It’s a bit more progressive, but so are the newer Orange frames and you can build extra progression into an air shock with volume reducing back/tokens anyway. So, what do you really gain from all those extra pivots and links? I don’t know to be honest, but they do feel good to ride and the responses above suggest that bearing changes (when they do come around) won’t be too big a deal.

There does seem to be less brake interference than I got on the old Five, but that could just be because I’m not using the brakes as much 🙂

Cheers for replies, it reassures me somewhat.

Interesting info on the stage 6. I guess I can’t hide from the fact that if you  repeatedly smash any bike over rough terrain something will wear out.

The more recent Cotics are designed more around 1x – greater antisquat from the higher main pivot position.

“It’s a bit more progressive, but so are the newer Orange frames and you can build extra progression into an air shock with volume reducing back/tokens anyway. So, what do you really gain from all those extra pivots and links?”

Although you can add progression to an air shock, you can’t add all that much – I think it’s about 40%. And a progressive linkage adds progression to both the spring rate and the damper, which makes a big difference. The extra links also stiffen the rear, bracing it and helping it move more as designed. And that can increase bearing life although in the UK sealing and grease probably matters much more!

Thanks chief. I figured there must be some advantages to all those links/pivots, just wasn’t sure what they were 🙂

do you just pop in to pick them up from Cotic, or do they post them out?

I drop Cy/Paul a mail, then pop in to collect – a pleasant road ride from my place. I’m sure they’d post them out too.

Oh, and what CGG says…

I had a Hemlock so I experienced their excellent customer service on a few occasions 🙂 Normal bike consumables like bearings etc were absolutely fine even then and supposedly the Rocket has some tweaks to improve lifespan further. Hemlock consumables- ie, all of the frame components- were sorted quick and easily and generally for free even though I had no warranty and I’d ridden the poor thing to pieces over years (first time I broke it was after the fort william endurance downhill race, last time was during an EWS round, nuff said really)

I wouldn’t hesitate. They have about an extra decade’s experience now but they’re still the same top notch company.

As far as pivots in general go, people make such a fuss but as long as the bearings are easily swapped and reasonably durable it’s just not a big deal- you generally spend more on rubber than bearings, never mind petrol.

(some people still buy “bearing kits” and replace everything but that’s ridiculous, it’s like replacing the front tyre because the rear’s worn. Generally there’ll be a couple of small or exposed bearings that’ll wear faster and bigger or more protected ones that last ages, just replace them when they need them)

Finally bit the bullet and did a full bearing swap at the weekend on my Rocket. Two years of riding, neglect and power washing. Apart from a bit of play in the main pivot bearings they were all actually in OK nick. Swapped them all anyway while I had it apart. Took a bit longer than expected as it was my first time through but not a bad job as long as you have a drift or two (or bearing pullers), some sockets and a vice / (bodged together) bearing press.

Didn’t do the seatstay pivots as (a) they looked absolutely fine, and (b) managed to order the wrong thing – anyone got a link directly to the correct bushings?

Overall, it’s a reasonably easy job, and I probably won’t leave it two years next time just for my own peace of mind…

Some good stuff here, just started riding my new Flare in anger, first proper full sus (besides a very short lived Zesty that didn’t need anything in the time I had it) so good to hear they’re not bearing hungry!

Blimey, a wayward dog or child would have had that lot off the workmate in a jiffy – hope it all went well!

Roverpig, because adding progression to air shocks means that you have to drop PSI to get the same sag and you end up with a weak midstroke. And as others have pointed out, leverage ratios effect the damping as well – if you have a nice progressive ratio the shock doesn’t rebound like a donkey with it’s balls strapped to a car battery, high progressive air shocks do and need a lot of end stroke rebound damping.

Coils are better anyway.

Trailrider Jim
Blimey, a wayward dog or child would have had that lot off the workmate in a jiffy

Thankfully for the purposes of this job, I currently have neither. Nor was it windy.

That’s actually quite an organised job for me…

I’ve got one of the 26” ones and the original bearings still seem fine. Granted it doesn’t get used in too much slop and rarely power washed or even hose washed but five odd years seems good to me.

Although you can add progression to an air shock, you can’t add all that much – I think it’s about 40%.

Rock Shox state that around 12-18 percent rising rate is needed for a coil shock to work well on a trail bike and about 30 percent on DH bikes.

I believethe old Rocket 275 had about a 17 percent rising rate, accoribg to linkagedesign. Not syre how accurate his modelling is though.

Slight derail – but how do people go on with catching their heels/shoes on the sticky outy seatstay pivot bolts? I have clown sized feet and have it in my head I would catch the bolts.

I’ve not noticed it being a problem on my new FlareMax yet, despite it having a boost rear end and me walking like a duck. I think they’ve rounded the bolts off a bit on the newer bikes though.