New Cotic Rocket is a steel frame ebike with external battery

Hmm, looks like a Kingdom hate-**** a mobility scooter and this is the result of that insidious carnal union.

Some detailed videos now on youtube

and as far as looks. I think I know which one i’d prefer (hint: its not the black one)

Shame that they couldn’t design it so the battery fits at the bottom of the triangle like where the bag is in this pic. I’m sure if you could custom build a battery you could get one to fit, even around the motor. Would look loads better IMO.

I think a bigger issue is why a frame and motor should cost £6.5k. This isn’t having a dig at Cotic I’m sure they aren’t running on massive profit margins and rolling around in Bentley’s but rather that it represents the true cost of small scale manufacturing in the UK and how massively uncompetitive it is.

I always use this comparison – but a (new) Honda CRF 300 Rally (big road legal trail bike) is £200 more than the Cotic frame; but for a full motorbike. I know ‘economics of scale’ / production automation / salaries but it just highlights that something is wrong.

https://www.hondaofbournemouth.co.uk/products/new-honda-bikes-honda-of-bournemouth-crf300l-rally

I think a bigger issue is why a frame and motor should cost £6.5k

The trek above is  about £1k cheaper than the cotic for a similar spec, so a Cotic full bike is in the ball park pricewise.

The frame only price is a bit misleading, as Cotic won’t actually sell you a frame, but they will let you to send them a bunch of your bits that they’ll then build into a bike so the frame only price (I assume) includes the cost of doing that.

Looks like a nice bike with a frame bag (sort of) – by far the nicest looking ebike I’ve seen so far.

I’d like one, would have to replace the 2nd hand Murmur I bought and would be the 1st new bike I’ve bought since 2006.

I’m normally a big Cotic fan (I have four, and am thinking about adding a BFe to the collection) but can’t believe that we’re three pages in and I’m the first to shout ‘JUDAS!’ at them.

I’m not in the market for an e-bike (I just bought a Mondraker Neat). However, I love the idea of this Cotic. For the first while, the look grated on me. But honestly, it doesn’t look any worse than a bike with a frame bag imo. So, after less than a day, the look has grown on me.

One of the reasons I bought the Neat was the removable battery. And I bought a range extender for the Neat. So the ability to remove and swap the batteries on the Cotic seems like a winning idea to me.

all in all, I’d have to say – good work Cotic.

I’m growing to like it especially given the rationale behind it. It’s certainly better looking than the Trek above, and all the others with massive down tubes.

I do think that bike manufacturers just have to have an e-bike or they lose sales. Which is a real shame but a business has to survive.

Still not ready for one mind!

Still not ready for one mind!

That’s what everyone says until they spend the day on one 🙂

It does look great, maybe one for my list if/when I replace my Levo SL.  However, as with all ebikes, one of my key prerequisites is purchasing from a local bike shop, within an hour of home for when it breaks.  It will break, they all do, and I couldn’t be doing with the faff of shipping a bike somewhere every time it has an error message or something doesn’t fire up on the motor/battery front.

I wonder if there is a plan for local dealer support ?  (I am west of Glasgow)

Looks like something you’d have bought in 2016 imo..

I always use this comparison – but a (new) Honda CRF 300 Rally (big road legal trail bike)

In the nicest possible way; so what? (few) People are making the purchase choice between a motor bike and a pedal cycle for a leisure spend. E-bikes cost what they cost. Given how many really nice ones I saw at Llandegla a couple of weekends ago, it doesn’t seem to be putting many folks off from getting one.

I’m always intrigued by people discussing how eebs look.  It’s an eeb for Pete’s sake. That horse has already well and truly bolted ?

I’m always intrigued by people discussing how eebs look.  It’s an eeb for Pete’s sake. That horse has already well and truly bolted ?

I know what you’re saying, but eebs are certainly evolving into better looking versions of big chunky things only a mother could love.

Batteries are getting slimmer which means more normal looking frames.

Not much you can do with a steel frame I don’t suppose but a frame bag battery would be great, albeit I imagine expensive to produce.

“ I always use this comparison – but a (new) Honda CRF 300 Rally (big road legal trail bike) is £200 more than the Cotic frame; but for a full motorbike. I know ‘economics of scale’ / production automation / salaries but it just highlights that something is wrong.”

The three really obvious differences are that dirt bikes and the tech behind them has barely changed in decades, they’re only made in one size, and the weight barely matters because the engines are so powerful.

Battery electric stuff is expensive at the moment. Making things in multiple sizes costs more. Making things light (but strong enough for gnarly riding) is really really expensive. And in this case, UK manufacture adds cost.

If you’re happy with a 150kg ebike running on lead acid batteries, made in one size, I’m sure it can be made far more cheaply!

I feel like this is a Bosch motor and some sort of less roof box looking custom external battery off being spot on personally. Could we not have slid single row of battery up the down tube and had a more range extender looking external battery? *I know nothing about battery cells*

“Could we not have slid single row of battery up the down tube and had a more range extender looking external battery? *I know nothing about battery cells*”

A custom made battery would cost a huge amount to develop and thus require very big sales volume.

ogden

I feel like this is a Bosch motor and some sort of less roof box looking custom external battery off being spot on personally. Could we not have slid single row of battery up the down tube and had a more range extender looking external battery? *I know nothing about battery cells*

It’s tough for Cotic, because the two things you are highlighting are two things they just haven’t got control over – Bosch motor requires ordering thousands of units, which they can’t commit to, and the battery and enclosure are Shimano parts, and that’s how they come

I think the side by side with the Rail (kudos for picking the really ugly Rail with the tan tyres, @slackboy) shows that it’s a genuinely good looking bike, but the battery makes it look like an older generation of eBike and that counts against it more than the actual aesthetics

I always use this comparison – but a (new) Honda CRF 300 Rally (big road legal trail bike

I have to agree with this but there are better examples available.

https://www.cotic.co.uk/order/framebuilder/rocket/custom?frame=rocket_ebike_C4_matte_topaz&build=rocket_ebike_platinum_enduro

Or this.

https://starkfuture.com/en-us-GB/products/stark-varg

Kind of puts to bed any talk of new development costs. Stark  started from scratch as a company and developed the bike in a very short time.

MTB’s of any kind are over priced and we as MTBers try and justify it.

I refuse point black to pay that much money for an MTB.

“ Kind of puts to bed any talk of new development costs.

MTB’s of any kind are over priced and we as MTBers try and justify it.”

If MTBs were significantly overpriced then the businesses would be super profitable and investors would be piling in to make money from these cash cows.

Making strong things light has always been expensive and probably always will be.

There you go.

Trying to justify it.  ;o)

Cotic bikes are ugly at the best of times.
That looks like someone took an old frame and put a DIY kit on it.

The pricing is deluded as well.

“Trying to justify it.  ;o)”

I don’t work there – and I haven’t bought a Cotic since my Soul back in 2010. However I do run a UK business making light and strong things – and they’d be SO MUCH CHEAPER to make if they weren’t light.

@weeksy that’s what I’m worried about!

‘The name’s Guy Kesteven, I’ve been a professional bike tester….yada yada’…

To my eye especially in the thumbnail of the video above and the riding shots it jsut looks like a normal cotic with a chunky BB and the battery looks no worse than having a big water bottle and multitool on the downtube

I know it wouldn’t work with the vertical shock design in this instance, but I was also wondering why there are no external batteries that are in triangular cases which people could integrate nicely into the bottom of the front triangle. Nice low weight distribution and you don’t really see that area of the frame anyway, I’d imagine it could be pretty universal too as seat tube and downtube angle aren’t that different across most frames.

It isn’t really worth the time and cost to develop though I’d imagine unless a battery manufacturer had a nice chunky order with a big brand to offset all the initial costs against.

I think even having the battery cover the same colour as the frame would make it look loads better…

If MTBs were significantly overpriced then the businesses would be super profitable and investors would be piling in to make money from these cash cows.

Making strong things light has always been expensive and probably always will be.

I too get fed up with the motor bike analogy and the weird lack of huge profits by the money grabbing bike companies

A race winning push bike is say £15,000 ish. A motor bike at that level is several hundred thousand. I remember looking at this before. You can pay £5000 for a brake calliper for a top end motor bike

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403755831867?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=VsPcbE0SRHC&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=4kOFkx4DSWe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

@ampthill

You’re comparing apples with oranges there.

No one is running 5 grand caliper on MX or Enduro bikes.

A stock MX bike takes very little money to make it competitive at national level.

And if you think MTBs at world cups are not sporting hand made stuff that costs a fortune your not looking close enough.

Go on Ebay and find a Saint Crank with an OChain fitted and tell me how much it costs….

Don’t get me wrong I’m no ludite I’m all for new technology and own an Ebike and several bikes with pretty expensive shocks and forks but I’m under no illusion that bike companys are trying to pull our pants down.

“I’m under no illusion that bike companys are trying to pull our pants down.”

Unfortunately the economics of business disagrees with you. Business people aren’t stupid – if they spot a niche where money can be made easily they will fill it. Where are all the big money start-ups or investment buy-outs? Seems more like it’s companies going bust in recent times…

Everyone who isn’t in manufacturing thinks everything can be made for pennies but it’s not like that at all, especially when those things have to be safe, strong, light and made to tight tolerances. Even cardboard boxes cost more than you’d expect!

Yep Giant, Spech, Trek all going bust…

All I’m saying is It’s still a relatively new and growing market and they’re charging what they can get away with.

Not helped by folks trying to justify it.

It’s not going to stop me riding and buying new bikes but as someone who grew up with the boom of MX and then decline I see a pattern happening.

I’m with the DJI replies.

• small powerful motor
• slimmer battery
• made in Taiwan so I can afford one.

Also the spec list has plenty of room for lighter parts if that’s your thing.

I can see other steel bike producers following/copying.

If you ride an eBike you can’t be too imagine concise.

Away up there ^^^ I said :

However, as with all ebikes, one of my key prerequisites is purchasing from a local bike shop, within an hour of home for when it breaks. It will break, they all do, and I couldn’t be doing with the faff of shipping a bike somewhere every time it has an error message or something doesn’t fire up on the motor/battery front.

.. and whilst no one followed on it, the potential complications this presents would put me right off, unfortunately..

The looks have grown on me and the design decisions make sense so I hope it does well for Cotic, but the price just doesn’t look competitive. It’d be interesting to know why their frame only offering is really just a fully custom build.