Stupid question, but where better to ask?!

I feel like upgrading my commuter frame, just because. It’s 700c, ss/fixed flip flop rear, with rim brakes – the commute is a mix of (terrible) road, towpath, that kind of thing. And I fancy something a bit more flexible in terms of use – with geometry that allows me to move around a bit for climbing/ dropping off kerbs, going across fields, that kind of thing.

Question is, which out of the Roadrat and X (as a Cotic fan) is the better match?
I’m aware I’ll probably need a new rear wheel – and a tensioner if I go with the X – but that’s no biggy.

Cheers

The Roadrat is designed and intended for just the purpose you describe, so seems the best choice.

Flat bars?

That’s easy then – thanks!

As for flat vs drop bars, I’m not sure. Currently run drops, but the brake levers are on the flat part, so I don’t get the benefit of them. I’d probably end up going with flats; in the short term I’d just transfer the parts across.

The road rat geometry is too long for drops me thinks

Unless you seek out a short, anyway.

The road rat geometry is too long for drops me thinks

Ah, good to know.

I rode an long rat with “drops” for a while (not proper drops, Midges) and was fine… nice long position and no toe overlap. It’s very much meant for flat bars really though.

I ran a Rat with drops for a while, had to fit a shorter stem, but it wasn’t a big deal for me. I’ve also ridden an X. They’re both okay. The original steel fork is a tad harsh off road, the carbon one originally fitted to the X was a lot nicer.

It arguably makes sense to for an X if you’re going to run drops and a Rat for flats, but if you’re happy to swap stems and maybe seat posts, you can probably get away with things the other way round unless you’re unusually proportioned I guess in a legs relative to reach sort of way.

I have an X:

I’ve had a mixed history with flat and drop bars. I’d had flat-bar disc braked hybrids prior to my first drop bar bike in 2010 (a Trek 1.1), but got on well with a Trek and upgraded quickly to a custom Kinesis Decade Convert2 build. However, while I liked the drops, I just couldn’t be doing with cruddy road calliper brakes and I’m not man enough for 25T rear cassettes!

Enter the X. I bought the frame in January 2012 and transferred the majority of parts across from the Convert2.

The drivetrain is a 9-speed mix of Tiagra 4500 shifters, 105 5700 34/50T chainset, SLX / 105 mechs, XT chain and SLX 11-32 cassette. Wheels are XT M756 hubs and Conti GP 4 Season 28c tyres on Mavic TN719 rims. Brakes are BB5s and finishing is Easton EA50. It weighs 23 lbs and, although I’m tempted, I think I’ve reached point of diminishing returns in terms of upgrades.

The finish of the frame is great and, despite an iffy road.cc review (balanced by lots of positive ones), I’ve found it rides perfectly for my needs as a workhorse and tourer with occasional gravel roads thrown in. It’s worth noting that I’ve had trouble fitting a pannier rack due to the positioning of the BB5 calliper – the pannier mounts only work without discs and I can’t even make my Tubus QR axle adapter fit to get around this. You shouldn’t have this problem with the Roadrat.

The best and worst thing about the bike is that it has accidentally become my main bike. It’s so versatile that I’m doing ten hours on it for every hour I spend on my Cotic Soul (decked out with XT/R, Hope, Thomson, Fox forks etc). It seems a bit perverse to be spending most of my time on a workhorse when I have my nice kit in the shed.

Despite this, the X just works so well even wearing its humble kit. It also looks very good in real life – I get a lot of compliments. There’s a lot to be said for having one flat and one drop barred bike in your life.

The Roadrat did come in long and short versions for flats and drops respectively, although the short version was dropped when the X arrived. I hear the Cy doesn’t like drop bars much and you won’t be surprised to hear that the X rides very much like a MTB’ers roadie.

You’ll see that Cotic only have the 58cm frame left and I hear a whisper than the X will be replaced with something else. I was thinking of a Roadrat in replacement, but if Cotic do a “Y” with proper pannier mounts then I will definitely go for that.

despite an iffy road.cc review

That was the one where Jo Burt said that the steering felt slow and wrong. I kind of agree with him on that front, but I think it’s only an issue if you’re used to quick-steering road and/or cross bikes. If you come from a mountain bike background, I suspect it would feel quite normal.

How about a genesis fortitude adventure? Rack mounts, mudguard mounts, hub gear for easy winter maintenance, 29er or fit 700c touring tyres to it.

Good offer here at the moment.

http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/products.php?show=7520

Well by direct comparison betwen my Rat with flats vs my road bike with drops, the Rat’s reach is about the same as the top bar on the road bike, so would be a bit of a reach when on the drops or brake hoods, but its got a long stem – maybe 100mm ish, so installing a shorter stem can easily compensate for that. The Rat does ride very well, not sure its like an MTB, but quite relaxed and not racy, but its by no means a sluggish bike either.

Had similar requirements, went for a Rat, mostly because I liked the duck egg blue 🙂