All Arround MTB

Cotic have stuck to their tried-andtested steel construction for the latest FlareMAX, but they’ve pushed the boundaries with the geometry, making it the longest bike on test. We feared that the length of the tubes and their narrow diameter might result in a flexy feel, but clever shaping and butting means they’re stiff enough to give good trail manners, without making the bike ping from rock to rock. With the long geometry adding stability and confidence at speed, the FlareMAX feels like it wants to be ridden flat-out everywhere. It’s not a bike that requires finesse to get the most out of it, but more of a ‘point and shoot’ affair. Which is fine, until you hit terrain where the limits of its 120mm of rear travel become apparent. The Cane Creek DBAIR [IL] shock on our test bike was very adjustable, so it could be set up to deal with a wide range of trails. But there’s no doubt that the bike’s shape encourages you to push it a little too far at times. While the back end is suppl...

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