The third incarnation of the burly big bruiser Cotic RocketMAX. 160mm travel front and rear with typically progressive Longshot geometry.

>>> MBR Trail Bike of the Year 2020

Whilst perhaps not Cotic’s biggest seller but this is the bike that The Boss Of Cotic chooses to ride. So it’s very much the cutitng edge of where Cotic think things should be.

Cotic RocketMAX pricing

• £3,649 for the SLX based Silver build
• £4,699 for the Gold Eagle GX bike
• £4,749 for the Gold XT bike
• £6,549 for the dream build eeWings/X01 equipped Platinum bike

Cotic RocketMAX press release

The new RocketMAX Gen3 is a solid evolution of our standard shredding Gen2 RocketMAX, the first RocketMAX to feature Longshot geometry. It’s the longest travel 29er we have ever made, now with 160mm rear to balance out the 160mm front. We have tweaked the progression rate, reduced the leverage ratio, and broadened the window of performance. The frame design is dedicated to big can, metric sized air shocks for smoother feel and more capable performance. For tunability they can’t be beat.

The extra travel and new kinematics bring an even more composed, plush feel to the suspension, making it feel more planted when you’re flying down those rock strewn sections. The confidence inspiring support and shape-maintaining working edge is still right there, so it still has your back in the steep and deep.

The RocketMAX Gen3 accounts for its extra travel to retain the incredible dynamic geometry of the Gen2 bike. This means the handling is still that fantastic combination of precision, stability and responsiveness. It was so far ahead of the game that we haven’t found a way to improve it! The seat angle is 1 degree steeper for more poise on steep climbs and to work hand-in-hand with the new frame rate.

The tubeset is subtly evolved with our new HD down tube which is tougher and stiffer than the original version, but no heavier. Developed by Cotic with Reynolds for our exclusive use. All 853 frames are NOT created equal.

New colours are deep gloss Navy Blue with silver graphics, and in a nod to the original Longshot prototype, Army Green Matte. If you’ve not seen the bike that started all this, have a look here.

The RocketMAX is the bike of choice for me, Sam the Demo Man and Chief Mechanic Will, so it’s got a lot of fans here! Here’s Sam’s take on Bianca, his work vehicle for the past year and a bit:

“My RocketMAX has got my back, everywhere. It’s incredibly capable in the gnarliest terrain, and still fun to throw around twisty singletrack. From fully committed chutes on the Golfie to skipping over roots in the Surrey Hills, I’m always on the right bike. The grip and stability the RocketMAX has are like a safety net in all situations; whether I’m on a national level downhill race track or a smooth flow trail, on my A game or a tired last lap of the weekend, pushing on or cruising.

“It will get down anything, whether I think I can or not, and it also cleans technical climbs with ease. The longer travel brings a more useable mid-stroke with tonnes of corner traction, but you can still pick the bike up and put it where you like with a massive grin on your face, and a sense you got away with a line you shouldn’t have. Fast isn’t dull, the RocketMAX opens up a trail in a way lesser bikes can’t. You will find gaps you’ve never noticed, rail loose turns faster than you thought you could, and hold that high line you didn’t even see last time.

“I’ve done big mountain rides, trail centres, enduro races, quick blasts from the door, uplift days, Peak District epics and every demo ride on the RocketMAX. It’s never let me down, and always makes me grin like an idiot.”

One thing that we have got asked a fair bit over the last year is what fork offset our bikes are ‘optimised’ around. For me it’s not the big deal a lot of people are making it out to be. I have run 42mm, 44m, 46mm and 51mm offset forks on my RocketMAX and although I can tell the difference between 51mm and 44mm, I certainly can’t tell the difference between 42 and 44mm offsets! Even between the extremes it’s subtle and doesn’t make the bike ‘bad’ or ‘good’, it’s just a bit different. The bikes from now on will be spec’d with short offset forks from Rock Shox, Cane Creek and X Fusion, but if someone has a 51mm offset fork, that’s fine too.

The frames and bikes will only be available with the Cane Creek DB Air CS big can, piggyback air shock, which will come with the Cotic base tune already installed. Frames pricing is £2,399 / approx EUR 2,750 / approx US$2,499 with shock, and delivery is included within the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. We ship anywhere in the world at additional cost.

The main changes for the Gen3 bike specs are the addition of the Rock Shox Lyrik Ultimate as a fork option, and we now have a selection of Shimano XT and SRAM Guide RSC G2 4 Pot brakes for those wanting a bump in stopping power, but have particular lever feel preferences.

Pricing and specs may be a little variable for the moment due to parts availability. For instance, Hope are dedicated to making a lot ventilator parts right (quite rightly) so we can’t get Hope wheels right now, and some other Hope parts availability isn’t as strong as it usually is. The Platinum build bike is priced with HUNT TrailWide or EnduroWide aluminum wheels because the usual carbon option isn’t due for another couple of months. We assemble to order in the UK, and you can change the spec of your bike to your hearts content, and if we need to make a substitution we will always contact you and let you know. We find that we have a great conversation with most of our customers about their builds, so it’s just part of the Cotic process.

We have some availability of frames and bikes right now, and are in rolling production with our friends at Five Land Bikes up in Scotland, so you’re never more than a few weeks away from your bike being delivered if we don’t have stock right now. Both Cotic and Five Land are operating with all current safe distancing guidance. We are small, flexible businesses able to adapt to the circumstances surrounding the Covid19 lockdown pretty well, thankfully.