COTIC ROCKET EBIKE  | FIRST RIDE REVIEW

March 11, 2025

Cotic bikes have long been making steel mountain bikes, from gravel bikes and hardtails through to full suspension models like the RocketMAX. Over five years ago they shared their progress prototyping their first eMTB, which was to break away from their usual steel construction in favor of an aluminum frame. However, this project was ultimately canned since it didn’t align with their core values, and they battled with drive unit availability in the post-Covid nightmare.

Fast forward to today, Cotic has managed to conjure up a very unique offering to the modern eMTB space, which sits much more closely aligned with the rest of their range and features some interesting design choices. We managed to spend a day with their team and logged some good trail time on their new eBike, here’s how it went.

ABOUT THE COTIC ROCKET EBIKE

DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | For their Rocket eBike, Cotic bikes decided to base the frame design around the well proven and internationally available Shimano EP801 drive unit, which offers 600W Peak Power and 85Nm Torque.

Due to the nature of the steel frame tubing, it wasn’t possible for Cotic to integrate the battery within the downtube of the frame. Doing so would require an incredibly heavy steel downtube, since they were committed to retaining their signature material for manufacturing. Instead, they opted to use the external Shimano eBike batteries, which are fairly efficient in terms of their weight for a given capacity. This battery is mounted as low and centrally within the front triangle as Cotic could muster while retaining clearance for a piggyback shock. Using the Shimano external batteries gives scope for the rider to decide between three battery capacities: 418Wh, 504Wh, or 630Wh.

As with all Shimano EP801 eBikes, riders are able to use the E-Tube Project app to customize various parameters and deliver over-the-air updates. The standard Shimano SC-EM800 display and SW-EM800 switch display the vital information and allow the power modes to be cycled and walk mode function to be activated.

FRAME AND FEATURES | Cotic believes that steel is real and continue to rely upon the material to manufacture their bikes. An aluminum prototype was extensively tested, but ultimately Cotic stuck to their guns and created an eBike that’s visually unique and feels more aligned with their pedal machines. The Rocket eBike is mixed-wheel compatible only, with no 29” version currently offered. The rear end delivers 150mm travel through their Rocklink suspension platform, with a floating trunnion shock mount to reduce harmful side loading on the shock and therefore keep it running smoother for longer.

The entire frame is manufactured proudly in the UK, with different companies used to handle each area of the bike as efficiently as possible. The front triangle is manufactured by Five Land Bikes from Reynolds 853 for the Ovalform top tube and heavy-duty seat tube; with a T45 motorsport grade steel downtube. The motor bracket housing the Shimano EP801 drive unit is custom designed to minimize excess weight – a move that shaved the best part of 1kg from the overall frame weight. The rear end is manufactured by Coal Industries (the seat stays with steel, and chainstays with aluminum); and machined components are manufactured by RideWorks and Bear Frame Supplies.

The Rocket eBikes’ frame will allow for a bottle to be mounted to the underside of the top tube, or to facilitate the addition of a neat tool mount. Cable routing is almost all external, making for easier maintenance. All your typical standards are there, from a SRAM UDH to a 148mm rear axle, and there’s a 44mm head tube allowing for the use of angle or reach-adjustable external headsets. Pivot bearings are sourced from Enduro MAX and SKF to ensure long service life.

GEOMETRY | For their first eBike, Cotic experimented heavily with the geometry and ultimately landed on a setup that balances stability and agility well. They offer it in “C” sizes from C1 to C5, covering riders from 162cm -195cm (5ft 4in – 6ft 5in). Interestingly, Cotic recommends riders of my 189cm stature to ride the largest C5 with a sprawling 520mm Reach, whereas I opted to test the C3 and was comfortable with its 482mm Reach figure. Stack heights are fairly high across the range, with this C3 sitting at 648mm.

A 40mm bottom bracket drop below the front axle positions the rider deep within the bike. Fairly typical 64.5 head angle and 76.7 effective seat tube angles will leave most riders comfortable. The chainstays grow from 450mm on C1 and C2 to 456 mm on C3 to C5, helping to maintain the weight balance.

BUILD SPECS | Cotic is committed to using their flexibility to the customer’s advantage, offering a range of options from frame, shock and Shimano drive system only for £5,999, through to an £8,799 or £10,999 full build option. Cotic is happy to go “off piste” for customers, working to minimize unnecessary purchases and deliver the most efficient package possible. Outside of their stock builds, Cotic can work with customers to source the exact componentry they demand and assemble the full build in their English HQ prior to shipping.

We tested a variation of their £8,799 Gold Enduro build, featuring a Rock Shox Zeb Ultimate 160mm fork and Cane Creek DB Air Inline rear shock. The drivetrain was a Shimano XT and XTR 12-speed combo. Slowing down the ship were the Magura MT7 brakes with dual 203mm rotors.

Hunt provided a DH Privateer wheelset, which was wrapped in a Maxxis Dissector and Minion DHF pairing with EXO+ casings. Cotic’s in-house alloy cockpit kept things comfortable with a 35mm length stem and 25mm rise handlebar. Finally, an SDG Tellis dropper post was topped with a WTB Rocket saddle.

THE DIRT

I was able to visit the Cotic HQ in the English Midlands to take their Rocket eBike for a spin, with sales and events manager Sam showing me around their local playground of Winhill.

SETUP | Getting the Rocket eBike setup took no major effort: simply a case of finding the air pressure required to obtain 30% sag in the rear shock and taking the RockShox recommended air pressure for the Zeb Ultimate. With the minor tweaks made to cockpit controls to feel comfortable, and the Cotic Shimano EP801 profile setup, I was ready to hit the trails to assess the performance.

ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATION | The battery integration – or lack thereof – was visually striking initially. However once on the Rocket eBike, concerns mostly disappeared, and the riding experience was not impacted as a result. By the end of a day spent with Cotic’s eMTB, I found myself looking elsewhere from the battery and appreciating the details of this premium steel electric mountain bike.

Shimano’s EP801 system is a solid performer in all aspects, offering plentiful power for all but the steepest climbs. Cotic’s assist profile offered a slightly elevated ECO mode which was much appreciated to take the sting off, with the Trail and BOOST modes delivering notable punch. Range is always highly variable depending on the rider, terrain and conditions, but the 418Wh battery offered comparable range and assistance to the likes of the Bosch SX and Fazua mid-power eBike systems. Having the extra torque of the EP801 compared to these mid power systems was appreciated for tech moves and steep punches where it was needed. And the ability to quickly and easily swap out the battery is going to make two battery days that little bit sweeter.

CLIMBING | With the power of the Shimano EP801 system and a comfortable climbing geometry, it will be no surprise that the Cotic Rocket eBike was a solid climber up fire roads and mildly technical ascents. The low bottom bracket height provided occasional challenges with pedal clearance when things got particularly technical, so for the chunk-loving climbers out there this may not be the ultimate machine.

That said, the steel rear end’s ability to conform to the terrain made broken up portions of climb a pleasure. The suspension feel was fairly efficient, however the trail-muting nature of the compliant rear end produced a notable feeling of the rear end finding its way through the rough and avoiding getting hung up. Thanks to this nature, the Maxxis Dissector rear tire spec’d on the test bike – which was a poor call for the muddy conditions on paper – ended up being less problematic than expected.

DESCENDING | Immediately upon dropping in, any concerns with overall rigidity and confidence to push Cotic’s Rocket eBike were dispelled. The initial standout impression was the feeling of integration deep within the bike, and a joyous low center of gravity sensation that came with it. Combining the low-slung feeling with a fairly long rear end, tipping Cotic’s eMTB into the turns was a real pleasure.

Darting side-to-side and playing with small kickers and side hits, the Rocket eBike was suitably agile and made for a fun time. The suspension platform offered ample support to generate speed from working the terrain and to keep bottom outs at bay. It didn’t quite erase the terrain below as well as the best of them, but avoided any notions of harshness, and could likely be further improved by some tuning given more trail time.

Conditions were slick, so the ultimate g-forces generated were not as high as you might see on a hero dirt day on groomed berms. However, for the very typical UK style of off-cambers and tight, slower speed corners, the Rocket eBike felt adequately stout, but generated excellent comfort and traction. It’s safe to assume it’s not going to offer the most direct feeling on tire-ripping cornering forces, but that’ll be a benefit to many who are looking to attack chunky and technical descents. The overall feelings of quality came through strongly with the Rocket eBike, with no excessive rattles or vibrations on the descents.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Cotic has managed to produce a stellar eMTB with a steel twist in their Rocket eBike. With pleasant handling dynamics and a unique approach to its philosophy that didn’t detract from the fun on the trails, the Cotic Rocket eBike is likely to please riders who are on board with what Cotic is doing.

Price: £8,799 (Gold) –£10,999 (Platinum)
Website: Cotic.co.uk

ABOUT THE WOLF

Robert’s habitat is the Tweed Valley, Scotland, which is renowned for its root-littered enduro mountain bike trails. Robert has been developing his bike handling skills for the last 16 years. Since he was a pup, he’s been riding everything from BMX through to enduro and downhill bikes. Combining a playful style with occasional speed-focused aggression, he favors supportive bikes, and does his best to push them hard.

Rank: European Tech Editor
Size: 6’2” / 189cm | 220lbs / 100kg
Social: @robert_johnston

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