Archive: Flare Gen1
Years of production: 2016-2018
Succeeded by the Longshot Flare (Gen2).
The first generation Flare was our 27.5" short-travel trail bike. It combined the DNA of our Rocket enduro bike with the light, subtle feel of our legendary Soul to bring a fun, nippy, endlessly addictive ride. 27.5" wheels kept the weight low and the handling agile and responsive.
The Flare balanced light weight with toughness: a singletrack scalpel one minute, a rock-smashing bomber the next, and one of the most versatile bikes we've made. If you loved our hardtails, this was the full suspension bike for you. Fleet-footed, quick handling, crisp climbing and fun descending: in short, what we used to call a "mountain bike".
Finishes: Teal Gloss and Orange Matte.
Sizes: Small, Medium and Large. Wheels: 27.5". Rear travel: 130mm.
droplink suspension and frame
The Flare uses our droplink suspension layout, bringing together the grace, durability, clean lines, fun and interactive feel we put into all our bikes.
Reynolds 853 delivers a robust, durable, long-lasting front end, with the Ovalform top tube and our custom tapered head tube coming over from the Soul. A light, thin-wall down tube sheds weight compared to the harder-hitting Rocket. As on all droplink bikes, the custom heat-treated seat tube gives great stiffness at the suspension pivots for confidence when cutting and pasting lines between the trees and rocks.
The seatstays are steel and bespoke to the Flare, kept slim to maximise ankle, heel and calf clearance, with custom ultra-slim titanium droplink pivot fittings. The swingarm is 7000 series aluminium, allowing the complex CNC machined parts that thread between the tyre and chainrings while keeping plenty of structure in the brace area for stiffness at the back of the bike.
Frame details
- Cotic OFI geometry: low and long frames with plenty of standover
- Reynolds 853 front triangle with Ovalform top tube
- Tapered head tube (34mm top, 44mm bottom) for taper steerer forks
- Custom Cotic heat-treated cromoly seat tube supports the main suspension pivots
- Bespoke steel seatstays with titanium droplink pivot fittings
- 7000 series aluminium swingarm with Syntace X-12 142 x 12mm bolt-thru rear axle
- Sealed, capped and shielded pivots
- ISCG05 mounts on a threaded bottom bracket
- Internal and external routing for maximum dropper post compatibility
- Front mech compatible (Shimano Side Swing, high clamp)
- Designed around 130 or 140mm forks
- 130mm droplink rear travel
Geometry
OFI geometry means low, long frames with plenty of standover. You could ride your usual size for a small and chuckable bike, or size up and run a short stem for a longer, racier fit without it feeling like a gate. If you upsize, a 150mm dropper may not fit because of the collar height. Not sure about sizing for a used frame? Email size@cotic.co.uk.
130mm travel forks
| Frame size | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube (centre-top) | 400mm | 440mm | 480mm |
| Top tube (effective) | 579mm | 599mm | 620mm |
| Head angle | 67.0° | 67.0° | 67.0° |
| Seat angle | 74.5° | 74.5° | 74.5° |
| Chainstay length | 434mm | 434mm | 434mm |
| BB drop | -13.5mm | -13.5mm | -13.5mm |
| Head tube length | 100mm | 110mm | 120mm |
| Reach | 421.4mm | 439.4mm | 450.1mm |
| Stack | 577.2mm | 586.3mm | 595.5mm |
| Wheelbase | 1159mm | 1178mm | 1197mm |
| Usual height range | 165-173cm | 172-181cm | 181-188cm |
| Stem length | 45-70mm | 45-70mm | 45-70mm |
| Frame wheel travel | 130mm | 130mm | 130mm |
| Wheel size | 27.5" (650B) | 27.5" (650B) | 27.5" (650B) |
All measurements static, based on a 130mm travel fork.
140mm travel forks
| Frame size | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top tube (effective) | 577mm | 597mm | 618mm |
| Head angle | 66.5° | 66.5° | 66.5° |
| Seat angle | 74.0° | 74.0° | 74.0° |
| BB drop | -10.5mm | -10.5mm | -10.5mm |
| Reach | 419.4mm | 437.4mm | 448.1mm |
| Stack | 581.7mm | 591.3mm | 600.0mm |
| Wheelbase | 1163mm | 1182mm | 1201mm |
All measurements static, based on a 140mm travel fork. Seat tube, chainstay, head tube, sizing and wheel details as for the 130mm fork.
Component sizes
- Seatpost diameter: 31.6mm (380mm long minimum)
- Front mech: 34.9mm Shimano Side Swing, high clamp only
- Bottom bracket: 73mm width, conventional English/BSA thread
- Chainguide mounting: ISCG05
- Headset: 34mm top, 44mm bottom for taper steerer forks (Hope 1H, Cane Creek EC34 top / EC44 bottom, Chris King InSet i7)
- Rear hub: 142 x 12mm bolt-through
- Rear axle: Syntace X-12
- Rear mech hanger: Syntace X-12 Type 1 (conventional or Shimano direct mount)
- Fork: maximum 140mm travel, 531mm axle to crown (without sag)
- Shock: 200 x 50 or 51mm
- Shock fittings: 15.75 x M8 down tube end, 19.0 x M8 seatstay end
- Dropper routing: external under the top tube, and stealth via the down tube
- Rear brake mount: IS, compatible with rotors up to 203mm
Setup guide
Cotic droplink suspension works best with 25-30% sag, and we prefer starting at 30%. With the 50mm stroke shock that means 12.5-15mm at the shock; we suggest starting around 14mm. For the fork, aim for 20-25% sag: about 26-32mm on a 130mm fork and 28-35mm on a 140mm fork.
To set shock sag, start with 170psi, turn off any lockout or climb switch, and put on your riding kit (including a full pack or bottles). With the saddle at full height, bounce on the saddle while riding, stop, slide the o-ring down to the seal, sit on the bike with your feet off the pedals, then get off carefully and measure. Adjust the air pressure to suit. For the fork, start a new fork at 60psi with compression at minimum, measure sag in a balanced standing position, then recheck the rear. Set up by sag, not by a generic pressure, because weight distribution differs between bikes.
Our base settings run on the lively, fast-rebound side. Give them a couple of rides before changing anything. For other shocks, start with rebound 3 clicks from open and compression or platform switched off, as droplink doesn't need a compression circuit to pedal well. On the fork, start with high-speed compression fully open and low-speed in the middle of its range, and add a volume reducer rather than more damping if you're using full travel too easily. Don't set rebound by bouncing the bike in the street; adjust on the trail, change one thing at a time, and keep notes of a base setup you can go back to.
Download the general Cotic user manual (PDF)
Origin
Designed, developed and tested by us in the Peak District, with Cy Turner as lead designer and engineer. Gen1 frames were hand made in Taiwan by our selected framebuilder, and complete bikes were built to order in the Peak District.
Photo gallery
