Cotic enters the e-MTB market with the 150mm Rocket
Cotic believes there is a real market for steel e-bikes, which is why its 2025 model year Rocket, has a battery pack and mid-drive motor.
More News
The self proclaimed singletrack scalpel is updated
2018 update revises geometry and drops weight
New bike gets Longshot geometry and increased travel
Big brakes, a sweet frame and a tool for navigation.....
Steel e-bikes. They might be a niche-within-a-niche, but one of the world’s most respected steel mountain bike brands has created an e-bike version of its celebrated dual-suspension frameset.
Cotic Rocket e-MTB, by off-road.cc
- Welcome to Electric Week - a celebration of the e-MTB
- The anatomy of an e-bike
- How much do e-bikes cost to maintain long-term?
For traditionalists, steel frames have a significance and symbolism almost opposite to e-bikes. Steel bikes are made to last a lifetime, purge technology and embrace the purity of riding. Cotic believes there is a real market for steel e-bikes, which is why its 2025 model year Rocket has a battery pack and mid-drive motor.
The benefit of external batteries
Cotic Rocket e-MTB, by off-road.cc
The challenges of creating a steel e-bike are obvious, both aesthetic and technical. You can’t shape an oversized downtube to accommodate the battery inside like you can with carbon or alloy frames. That means the new Rocket has an external battery, which isn’t hidden from view, like many other e-bikes.
But with sacrifice comes opportunity. Rocket’s externally mounted battery pack is easily accessible and swapable, without any fiddlesome fasteners and access hatches. The possibility of owning several battery packs, each weight optimised for a specific riding range, is something the Rocket’s external battery mount provides. And then there is the changing convenience.
No more hassling with muscling a bike to a charge point in that rental chalet when you’re in the Alps. Or running a power cord across the floor, from plug to bike, creating a tripping risk. Remote the battery, and charge it where the plug-point is, instead of standing an entire bike next to the wall.
It’s still steel - where it matters most
Cotic Rocket e-MTB, by off-road.cc
Cotic founder, Cy Turner, has proven engineering expertise, and the Rocket is an exercise in proudly UK-made steel frame design and fabrication. Most notably, the mid-drive motor mount, engineered by Cotic, saves 1kg compared to off-the-shelf industry options.
Other typical Cotic engineering features include the shock mount’s floating bearing design, 3D printed cable guides and motor covers to ensure integration excellence.
The core steel tubing and design principles remain true to Cotic’s heritage. Reynolds 853 and T45 roll cage specification tubing form the front triangle, married to a custom aluminium rear swingarm. That means the steel ride feel, a fundamental feature for Cotic riders, should remain familiar.
The suspension numbers are similar to what Rocket offered – 150mm of frame travel and a choice of 150- or 160mm forks. However, the suspension configuration has changed dramatically in appearance to accommodate the battery mount.
Rocket’s frame suspension design has evolved from droplink to rocklink. It’s a significant change for legacy Cotic riders, who have become accustomed to the downtube-mounted shock driven by a swingarm on all previous Rockets. Cotic’s rocklink reconfigures the rear suspension with a vertical shock mount, anchored above the mid-drive motor casing, and connected to the rear triangle with a rocker link.
Lots of battery options
Cotic Rocket e-MTB, by off-road.cc
Powering the new Rocket is Shimano’s proven EP801 mid-drive motor, with a 600W boost setting. Combine it with Di2 electric shifting, and you will benefit from the Autoshift and Freeshift functionalities.
With its externally mounted battery, Cotic promises a truly adaptable trail and enduro e-bike. Depending on your needs, you can choose three battery capacities: 418-, 504- or 630Wh. That means you aren’t riding with additional battery weight when you need agility on mild trials. And to the same logic, when you need all the energy density for that massive day in the Alps or Highlands, you can mount the 630Wh battery.
Cotic Rocket e-MTB, by off-road.cc
How easy is it to swap out batteries? Cotic says it’s a ten-second job. And how long do they last on real-world rides? Cotic’s enthusiast testing has seen the 418Wh battery good for 2-3 hour rides in the 30-40km distance range, totalling 700-800m of ascent. The best Cotics managed with the lightweight 418Wh battery is 1,100m of climbing, finishing with 5% remaining charge.
The 630Wh battery has seen some big testing rides in Scotland for riders seeking true all-day enduro-type exploration capability. Climbing 1,200-1,500m across 50-80km of riding has proven the Rocket’s ability on a 630Wh battery.
The builds
Cotic Rocket e-MTB, by off-road.cc
The mid-drive Rocket starts with a Gold specification build at £8,799. That gets you a RockShox Ultimate option (either Lyrik at 150 or Zeb at 160), Cane Creek DB Air IL shock, Hope wheels, Deore XT 1x12 drivetrain, and Magura MT7 brakes.
Upgrade to the Platinum build for £10,999, and the Rocket spec evolves to Fox Factory suspension, Reserve wheels, and Shimano’s Deore XT Di2 Linkglide electric drivetrain with Autoshift and Freeshift functionality. The Platinum build is trimmed with a Hope finishing kit, including the Barnoldswick brand’s renowned brakes. Both the Gold and Platinum builds roll Maxxis tyres.
For riders keen on a frame-only option to curate their own build projects, Cotic offers the Rocket with a Cane Creek DB Air IL shock, XT cranks and chainring for £6,350. Custom paint options are available, too, at just £50.
Cotic plans to deliver its first Rocket e-bikes by April next year, and is accepting orders now.
You might also like:
Author block
