Cotic’s steel-framed (save for the chainstays) Rocket has a grin-inducingly lively ride, with more zip and pop than you might initially expect considering its 14.7kg overall weight. The ‘Fast Rolling’ compound WTB tyres help it feel rapid in certain scenarios, although they do feel a little skittish when tackling rooty cambers or on rocky hardpack sections. While the damping of the X-Fusion Sweep fork works well enough once you’re sat into the stroke, it’s not the easiest to get moving initially. Through multiple big hits where the fork fully extends as you skip across the top of bumps, you can also start to feel your hands and arms getting worked over. At 358mm, the Rocket’s BB is the highest on test and you can really feel this in poorly-supported loose turns.
Price $4200