Price: Frame only from £1,749.00, as tested £4,149.00

From: Cotic,cotic.co.uk

When Cotic unveiled the Longshot Rocket prototype in 2016 at Bespoked in Bristol, lots of people were intrigued – the Rocket was a well-regarded machine, but there were stirrings in the industry around the whole concept of ‘longer, lower, slacker’ and precisely how far it could be taken. Subsequent models in Cotic’s range dipped a tentative toe into the more expansive geometry concept, but it was really in 2018 when the official Longshot Rocket appeared that things really kicked into gear with Cotic and length. Other bikes in Cotic’s range swiftly offered their individual takes on Longshot geometry, culminating in the RocketMAX, which Cotic bills as ‘the fastest bike in its fleet’. That’s all very well, but what’s it actually like to ride? And what are the things that make it, in Cotic’s eyes at least, so very fast?

The RocketMAX has taken the Longshot geometry and run with it. The bike we’ve got on test is the XL version, and it really is XL. If you’re allergic to numbers, look away now.

The reach of our test bike is 515mm, which coupled with a seat angle of 75.3° yields a frankly palatial effective top tube of 686mm/27in. Couple this with a nice short stem, and the rather slack 63.5° head angle, and you clearly have a bike which means business. Cotic hasn’t tried to compensate with a short back end either – the RocketMAX is long and proud.