COTIC ROCKETMAX MX ENDURO MTB REVIEW

IS THIS STEEL REAL?

Words by Caitlin Wilkinson  |  Photos by Michael Walker

UK based brand Cotic are no strangers in the steel-framed mountain bike market, offering a range of steel machines from gravel bikes to full suspension enduro rigs. The RocketMax has been the hard-hitting flagship enduro rig in their range for a long time, featuring elements like their Longshot geometry and Droplink suspension. I was excited to put the RocketMax Gen 4 through its paces in a mullet wheel configuration to see how it performed, and it didn’t disappoint.

ABOUT THE COTIC ROCKETMAX

The RocketMax is Cotic’s longest travel production bike, designed for hard hitting enduro terrain with a pair of 29” wheels or a mixed wheel setup as tested.

FRAME AND FEATURES | In classic Cotic style, the generation 4 RocketMax features a steel front triangle, constructed with Reynolds 853 tubing by Scottish framemakers FiveLand Bikes. Cotic uses their custom, signature “Ovalform” tubing profile for the top tube, with an oval shape at the headtube intersection that tapers down to a round profile at the seat tube. The downtube is a newly designed HD downtube to add stiffness and strength. This is paired with a 6066-T6 aluminum swingarm to help keep the weight down, which is made in Taiwan. This is then assembled with Enduro MAX bearings all round at Cotic’s UK headquarters.

Cotic’s aim with this frame construction is to deliver a light and lively feeling frameset that remains robust and helps to dampen out trail chatter.

The cable routing on the RocketMax is mostly external, with the rear mech cable only entering the frame on the rear triangle, and the dropper post cable into the base of the seat tube. This keeps things easy for the mechanics at home and in the shop, however doesn’t present the ultra-clean look that some might be after.

The frameset also features a rather neat integrated 3D printed chain guide, and a molded chainstay protection keeping the chain quiet whilst in motion. There is room in the size small frame for a small water bottle that is mounted on the underside of the top tube, and larger frames can accommodate full-size bottles.

The RocketMax can be run as a full 29er or in a mullet configuration, with the mixed wheel configuration being achieved through the use of an angle-adjustable headset to correct the geometry. Our test bike was ready to party with this MX set up.

SUSPENSION | UK made steel single pivot bikes are becoming a bit of a cliché at this point, however Cotics line of full suspension bikes all utilize the same linkage driven single pivot layout dubbed the “Droplink” system. This allows Cotic to retain the simplicity of a single pivot suspension system with the added support and progressive ride characteristic of a more complicated suspension layout. The Droplink system on the RocketMax adds 30% progression throughout the travel which allows the use of coil and air shocks and the anti squat figure sits at around 100% this helps keep the bike sitting up right whilst in the saddle and pedaling.

There are no built in flip chips for geometry & suspension kinematic adjustments however the RocketMax can be set to deliver a maximum of 160mm of rear wheel travel, which can be adjusted down to 150mm by simply reducing the shock stroke which gives the bike a range of adjustability for riders looking for either more or less travel to suit the riders needs.

Our test bike was fitted with a RockShox Lyrik ultimate Charger 2.1 up front, set to 170mm and a RockShox Deluxe Select+ air shock in the rear. Being familiar with my settings for RockShox products and owning similar parts on my personal bike helped reduce any set up time

GEOMETRY | The RocketMax is available in 5 sizes, using a “C” sizing system with consistently low seat tube heights across the range letting riders obtain their desired fit. This range is claimed to suit riders from 5’4” (163cm) to 6’5” (195cm).

The RocketMax is the most aggressive bike in Cotic’s lineup, and features their “Longshot” geometry. Longshot is designed around shorter 35-40mm stem lengths, with low standover heights across the range. In the size C1 tested, the reach came in at 435mm, and the range goes all the way up to the 511mm reach of their largest C5 size.

In the mullet configuration, Cotic opts to install a 1 degree angle set which retains the 63.5 degree head tube angle found on the 29” bike. However, this does decrease the seat tube angle slightly from 75.8 degrees down to 74.8 degrees effective. Chainstay lengths are consistent across all sizes at 448mm – fairly long for a mixed wheel, small sized bike.

BUILD SPECS | The RocketMax comes in a range of builds to suit most preferences and budgets, from the £3,399 Bronze level to the £7,399 Works XTR. However, Cotic also offers build adjustments and full custom builds on request, meaning the options are essentially limitless.

Our test bike had a well-rounded and fairly modest build. The Ultimate level RockShox Lyrik and Deluxe Select + suspension offered great adjustability. A full Sram GX mechanical drivetrain handled shifting, and their G2 RSC brakes slowed things down.

The solid and dependable Hope Fortus 30 wheelset was wrapped with a WTB tire combo. Rounding out the specs were a Bike Yoke dropper seat post and Cotic’s in-house finishing kit in the cockpit to round it up.

THE DIRT

SETUP | As Cotic is a direct to consumer brand they have taken great care to develop a packaging system for their bikes that ensures set up for customers is as straightforward as possible. For our bike, once the packaging was removed only the handlebars and front wheel had to be installed. The rest was the usual adjustments: suspension pressures, seat height and getting the cockpit dialed in.

Getting the suspension set up was a breeze. Owning the same fork on my personal bike and being familiar with my baseline settings for most Rockshox products, I had the suspension feeling great up front. Sitting at around 30% sag front and rear initially, I later increased the rear shock pressure to achieve around 27% sag and was left in a happy place.

The seat supplied with the bike wasn’t to my liking, so I changed it out for my personal saddle which made climbing much more comfortable.

CLIMBING | Climbing on the RocketMax was generally a pleasant affair. The Droplink suspension with its relatively high anti squat figures did a good job of keeping the bike upright whilst pedaling, generating little suspension bob whilst on fire road and singletrack climbs. In steep and rougher uphill sections, the bike still generated plenty of traction as well.

I found the reach to be comfortable whilst seated, keeping the bike manageable through more technical sections with tighter turns. I did feel at times that a steeper seat tube angle would have benefited the bike, helping to place me more directly over the pedals for a little more efficiency. However this was only on some of the longer days out on the bike with steeper winches.

DESCENDING | When pointed downhill, the RocketMax immediately highlighted its enduro intent and capabilities. Cotic’s enduro machine did a great job of keeping things planted and in control through the steep, rough and rocky terrain I tested it on around Scotland. The Droplink suspension feel leant more towards the planted and glued to the ground feel, generating loads of traction and comfort. However, it wasn’t the most poppy or playful bike.

The 63.5-degree head angle paired with the longer rear end did a good job of keeping the bike stable at higher speeds, and there were no instances where it felt nervous or unsettled. That relatively long rear end – at least for a small sized, mixed-wheel machine – kept me centered in the bike, placing plenty of weight on the front wheel. There were times in the steepest terrain where I struggled to lift the front wheel because of this generally planted feeling, but the balance paid dividends on flatter and faster descents. It would be great to see size-specific rear ends, or adjustable chainstay lengths, to give riders the ability to maintain the weight bias.

The mullet wheel configuration helped the bike to corner fantastically, despite having a rear center in the longer end of the spectrum. I was able to confidently lean over and pull through most corners with ease, be it the wide open flat turns or tighter berms. The feeling of integration in the bike and the natural weight on that front wheel made cornering an absolute hoot.

When it came to logging some big days on the likes of Fort William’s Nevis Range downhill track, I quickly found the limits of the Sram G2 brakes installed. They simply didn’t offer enough power to match the bikes downhill capabilities. During the sustained descents at Fort William, they would fade quickly, limiting my confidence to push. I would suggest spec’ing the bike with more powerful brakes where possible.

FINISH AND VALUE | The overall finish of Cotics frameset is high quality throughout, with brilliant durable coatings and well thought-out no-nonsense construction. The added UK-made element at this price point is certainly a nice bonus for some, and with a wide range of builds to suit almost all budgets and preferences it’s fair to say there’s a RocketMax for all riders.

I’d love to see slightly better cable management, especially for the derailleur cable. The exposed portion of cable sitting alongside the shock was not great from a visual standpoint, detracting from what was otherwise a premium feel. In the age of custom-formed ribbed chainstay protectors and generous downtube guards, it’d be great to see Cotic work on these elements to boost protection and minimize noise further.

COMPONENT REPORT

SRAM G2 RSC | The Sram G2 RSC brakes fitted were not up to the task of slowing down the RocketMax, struggling to manage heat on sustained descents. I would advise installing more powerful brakes where possible.

The Wolf’s Last Word

The Cotic RocketMax MX is a capable enduro bike with a penchant for speed. The solid yet comfortable steel construction keeps things durable and simple, and overall build quality is high.

The climbing is surprisingly comfortable and efficient considering how much punch it carries on the downhills. More active and playful riders may not be best suited, as the RocketMax isn’t the most poppy bike, however the MX wheel set up keeps things agile and fun enough.

The lack of adjustability and some luxury features might put some off, however riders looking for a hard charging and planted UK-made Steel rig will likely find that the steel here indeed is real!

Price: £3,399 (Bronze Deore) – £7,899 (Works XTR eeWing)
Website: Cotic.co.uk

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