Archive: FlareMAX Gen1

Cotic FlareMAX Gen1 in Gloss Gunmetal

Years of production: 2016-2018

Combining the built-for-speed DNA of our Rocket enduro bike with the light, subtle feel of our much-loved Solaris, the first FlareMAX delivered its own unique blend of speed and verve: a brilliant all-round trail bike, more capable than you'd imagine. Fast, flowy and fun.

Finishes: Gloss Gunmetal and Gloss Aqua.
Sizes: Medium, Large and XL.

MAX wheel versatility

MAX by name, maximum versatility by nature. The FlareMAX runs either 29" wheels with tyres up to 2.5" wide, or 27.5 x 2.8" Plus wheels. 27.5 Plus rolls fast and gives more grip and security than regular 27.5" or 29" wheels, at the expense of slightly more weight. 29" compatibility opens up a huge range of tyre options for every condition.

droplink suspension and frame

The FlareMAX uses our droplink suspension, bringing the grace, durability, clean lines and interactive feel Cotic is known for, while being stiff, responsive and hugely capable. 120mm of rear travel with a strong progression rate on the linkage-driven single pivot layout.

Reynolds 853 gives a robust, long-lasting front end, with the Ovalform top tube and head tube coming over from the Solaris. A light, thin-wall down tube sheds weight compared to the harder-hitting RocketMAX. The custom heat-treated cromoly seat tube gives great stiffness at the suspension pivots. The seatstays are steel and bespoke to the FlareMAX, kept slim for ankle, heel and calf clearance, with custom ultra-slim titanium droplink pivot fittings. The swingarm is 7000 series aluminium, CNC machined to thread between the tyre and chainrings with as much structure as possible in the brace area.

Frame details

Cotic OFI bike fit: long cockpit, corrected seat angle for dropper posts and a carefully placed BB for stability with a fun, interactive feel
Reynolds 853 Ovalform and DZB tubed front end
44mm head tube with external bottom cup for taper steerers and zero stack top cup for minimal stack height
Custom Cotic 35mm heat-treated cromoly seat tube supports the main suspension pivots
31.6mm seatpost, with external and internal stealth dropper routing
ISCG05 mounts on a threaded bottom bracket
Rear mech cable routed internally through the steel seatstay
2x drivetrain compatible, with routing and swingarm clearance for double chainsets and a Shimano Side Swing front mech
7005-T6 aluminium swingarm with Syntace X-12 Boost 148 x 12mm rear axle
15mm pivots at the BB and a thru-axle-style droplink linkage clamp
One bottle mount
Tyre clearance: 29 x 2.5" or 27.5 x 2.8" Plus
Geometry designed around 120 or 130mm forks
Weight: Gold spec bike 30.3lbs without pedals

Builds

Complete bikes were hand built to order in the Peak District in Silver, Silver x Hope Plus, Gold 29, Gold Plus, Gold Eagle 29 and Gold Eagle Plus specs, with frame-only options using the X-Fusion O2 RCX or Cane Creek DB Air IL shock. Typical builds included X-Fusion McQueen forks (120mm), Shimano SLX or XT 1x11 or SRAM Eagle GX 12-speed drivetrains, Hope or Shimano wheels, Race Face Turbine or X-Fusion Manic dropper posts, and Cotic Calver bars and ShortStems.

Geometry

120mm travel forks

Frame size	Medium	Large	XL
Seat tube (centre-top)	440mm	480mm	505mm
Top tube (effective)	612mm	632mm	648mm
Head angle	67.3°	67.3°	67.3°
Seat angle	74.4°	74.4°	74.4°
Chainstay length	447.8mm	447.8mm	447.8mm
BB drop	-34mm	-34mm	-34mm
Head tube length	110mm	120mm	130mm
Reach	443.1mm	459.6mm	472.3mm
Stack	613.8mm	622.9mm	632.1mm
Wheelbase	1184mm	1208mm	1225mm
Usual height range	169-180cm	178-188cm	186-195cm
Stem length	45-70mm	45-70mm	45-70mm
Frame wheel travel	120mm	120mm	120mm
Wheel size	29" or 27.5+ (650B Plus)	29" or 27.5+ (650B Plus)	29" or 27.5+ (650B Plus)

All measurements static, based on a 120mm travel fork.

130mm travel forks

Frame size	Medium	Large	XL
Top tube (effective)	614mm	634mm	650mm
Head angle	66.9°	66.9°	66.9°
Seat angle	74.0°	74.0°	74.0°
BB drop	-31mm	-31mm	-31mm
Reach	438.1mm	454.6mm	467.3mm
Stack	617.8mm	626.9mm	636.1mm
Wheelbase	1188mm	1212mm	1229mm

All measurements static, based on a 130mm travel fork. Seat tube, chainstay, head tube, sizing and wheel details as for the 120mm fork.

Not sure about sizing for a used frame? Email size@cotic.co.uk.

Component sizes

Seatpost diameter: 31.6mm (380mm long minimum)
Front mech: 34.9mm Shimano Side Swing, high clamp only
Fork: maximum 130mm travel, 541mm axle to crown (without sag)
Bottom bracket: 73mm width, conventional English/BSA thread
Chainguide mounting: ISCG05
Headset: 44mm for taper steerer forks (Hope 2H, Cane Creek ZS44 top / EC44 bottom, Chris King InSet i7)
Rear hub: Boost 148 x 12mm bolt-through
Rear axle: Syntace X-12
Rear mech hanger: Syntace X-12 Type 1 (conventional or Shimano direct mount)
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 13-15mm at the shock; we suggest starting around 14mm. For the fork, aim for 20-25% sag: about 24-30mm on a 120mm fork, 26-32mm on 130mm and 28-35mm on 140mm.

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.

Cane Creek DB Air IL (as delivered, counted from fully open): 1 large volume spacer, HSC 1.0 turns, LSC 6 clicks, HSR 1.0 turns, LSR 4 clicks

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 droplink user manual (PDF)