Archive: FlareMAX Gen4
Years of production: 2021-2023
The fourth generation FlareMAX was our 29" wheel, fast and fun downcountry, XC and short-travel trail bike: a punchy 125mm travel jack-of-all-trades, and the only bike you needed for ripping through the woods and conquering the hills. Reynolds 853 kept the frame responsive and Longshot geometry made it fiercely capable.
Riders could choose 120mm forks and light tyres for the full downcountry experience, 130mm forks for a lively all-rounder, or 140mm forks and big 2.5" tyres for a slacker, more capable ride.
Finishes: Hubble Purple, Matte Slate Grey, Gritstone with Blue/Green, and Sydney Blue.
Sizes: Small, Medium, Large and XL.
What changed from Gen3
Gen4 was all about subtle evolution of a great bike.
- Long-link droplink: the kinematic first introduced on the Jeht, keeping the progression curve more consistent through the travel, with volume spacers in the base setup for a wider range of rider weights
- More seatpost insertion: 20mm more room for dropper posts than Gen3, one of the most requested improvements
- Metric shock: 210 x 50mm (Gen3 used 200 x 50mm)
- 120mm fork option back in the range, alongside 130mm (recommended) and 140mm
- Mullet option: 27.5" rear wheel compatible with a 1° angleset
- Lightweight build option: RockShox SID 120 fork, Hunt XC Wide wheels and sub-800g Wolfpack tyres, as no-cost options on the Gold Eagle and Gold XT builds, for a 12.9kg bike without pedals
- The 65.6° head angle (130mm fork), -32mm BB drop and long chainstay carried over from the first Longshot FlareMAX
Longshot geometry
Longshot geometry keeps the bike stable through the rough stuff, planted in the corners and pinpoint accurate in the steep tech. Couple a super short 35mm stem to the optimised head angle and the bike pushes you on, looking for every stump to boost off, rock to gap and berm to rail, while keeping incredible poise and composure.
Steel, MAX wheels and droplink
Reynolds 853 builds a light, lively and robust front end, including our custom ride-tuned Ovalform top tube and our exclusive HD down tube. The steel construction is compliant and naturally ground-hugging, extracting grip and feedback from the trail where you thought there was none.
FlareMAX frames use 29" wheels for maximum speed and rollover, giving stability, confidence and speed in rough terrain at the expense of being a little heavier and less playful than 27.5". The MAX frame proportions suit taller riders especially well.
Cotic droplink suspension is supportive and progressive, keeping the 125mm of travel lively and interactive, with grip to spare on the descents and support and traction on the climbs.
Frame details
- Longshot geometry designed for 35mm stems: responsive steering combined with confidence at speed
- Reynolds 853 Ovalform and DZB tubed front end
- 44mm head tube with external bottom cup for taper steerers and zero stack top cup
- Custom Cotic 35mm heat-treated cromoly seat tube supports the main suspension pivots
- 31.6mm seatpost, internal stealth dropper routing
- ISCG05 mounts on a threaded bottom bracket
- Rear mech cable routed internally through the steel seatstay
- Dedicated 1x design: maximum-width swingarm pivot, low drop, forged swingarm heads with integrated 3D printed top chain guide
- 6066-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: up to 29 x 2.5"
- Optimised around 130mm forks, with 120mm or 140mm options
- 125mm droplink rear travel
- Weight: Gold spec bike with SID fork and Wolfpack tyres, 12.9kg without pedals
Geometry
120mm travel forks, 29er
| Frame size | Small | Medium | Large | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube (centre-top) | 390mm | 425mm | 460mm | 495mm |
| Top tube (effective) | 593mm | 619mm | 644mm | 672mm |
| Head angle | 66° | 66° | 66° | 66° |
| Seat angle (720mm saddle height) | 76° | 76° | 76° | 76° |
| Seat angle (815mm saddle height) | 75.7° | 75.7° | 75.7° | 75.7° |
| Chainstay length | 448mm | 448mm | 448mm | 448mm |
| BB drop | -34mm | -34mm | -34mm | -34mm |
| Head tube length | 100mm | 110mm | 120mm | 130mm |
| Reach | 444mm | 468mm | 490mm | 515mm |
| Stack | 607mm | 613mm | 625mm | 634mm |
| Wheelbase | 1197mm | 1225mm | 1251mm | 1280mm |
| Usual height range | 160-170cm | 169-180cm | 178-188cm | 186-195cm |
| Stem length | 30-45mm | 30-45mm | 30-45mm | 30-45mm |
| Frame wheel travel | 124mm | 124mm | 124mm | 124mm |
| Wheel size | 29" | 29" | 29" | 29" |
| Maximum tyre size | 29 x 2.5" | 29 x 2.5" | 29 x 2.5" | 29 x 2.5" |
| Maximum seatpost insertion (incl. actuator) | 178mm | 213mm | 248mm | 283mm |
All measurements static, based on a 120mm travel fork. Maximum seatpost insertion leaves 25mm clear below the actuator for hose or cable routing; an externally routed dropper won’t need this margin.
130mm travel forks, 29er
| Frame size | Small | Medium | Large | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top tube (effective) | 596mm | 623mm | 648mm | 676mm |
| Head angle | 65.6° | 65.6° | 65.6° | 65.6° |
| Seat angle (720mm saddle height) | 75.4° | 75.4° | 75.4° | 75.4° |
| Seat angle (815mm saddle height) | 75.1° | 75.1° | 75.1° | 75.1° |
| BB drop | -32mm | -32mm | -32mm | -32mm |
| Reach | 444mm | 468mm | 490mm | 515mm |
| Stack | 609mm | 618mm | 627mm | 637mm |
| Wheelbase | 1201mm | 1229mm | 1255mm | 1284mm |
| Stem length | 30-40mm | 30-40mm | 30-40mm | 30-40mm |
All measurements static, based on a 130mm travel fork. Other figures as for the 120mm table.
140mm travel forks, 29er
| Frame size | Small | Medium | Large | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top tube (effective) | 599mm | 626mm | 651mm | 680mm |
| Head angle | 65.1° | 65.1° | 65.1° | 65.1° |
| Seat angle (720mm saddle height) | 74.9° | 74.9° | 74.9° | 74.9° |
| Seat angle (815mm saddle height) | 74.6° | 74.6° | 74.6° | 74.6° |
| BB drop | -27mm | -27mm | -27mm | -27mm |
| Reach | 436mm | 458mm | 482mm | 508mm |
| Stack | 612mm | 621mm | 630mm | 640mm |
| Wheelbase | 1206mm | 1233mm | 1261mm | 1290mm |
| Frame wheel travel | 125mm | 125mm | 125mm | 125mm |
All measurements static, based on a 140mm travel fork. Other figures as for the 120mm table.
120mm travel forks, 27.5" rear wheel (mullet)
| Frame size | Small | Medium | Large | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top tube (effective) | 597mm | 623mm | 648mm | 676mm |
| Head angle | 66.2° | 66.2° | 66.2° | 66.2° |
| Seat angle (720mm saddle height) | 75° | 75° | 75° | 75° |
| Seat angle (815mm saddle height) | 74.7° | 74.7° | 74.7° | 74.7° |
| BB drop | -40mm | -40mm | -40mm | -40mm |
| Reach | 436mm | 460mm | 482mm | 507mm |
| Stack | 615mm | 620mm | 633mm | 642mm |
| Wheelbase | 1188mm | 1216mm | 1242mm | 1271mm |
Static, with a Works Components 1° angleset fitted to steepen the head angle. 29" front / 27.5" rear, maximum rear tyre 27.5 x 2.8". Other figures as for the 29er tables.
130mm travel forks, 27.5" rear wheel (mullet)
| Frame size | Small | Medium | Large | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top tube (effective) | 598mm | 625mm | 650mm | 678mm |
| Head angle | 65.8° | 65.8° | 65.8° | 65.8° |
| Seat angle (720mm saddle height) | 74.6° | 74.6° | 74.6° | 74.6° |
| Seat angle (815mm saddle height) | 74.3° | 74.3° | 74.3° | 74.3° |
| BB drop | -37mm | -37mm | -37mm | -37mm |
| Reach | 431mm | 455mm | 477mm | 502mm |
| Stack | 618mm | 627mm | 636mm | 646mm |
| Wheelbase | 1191mm | 1219mm | 1245mm | 1274mm |
Static, with a Works Components 1° angleset fitted to steepen the head angle. 29" front / 27.5" rear, maximum rear tyre 27.5 x 2.8". Other figures as for the 29er tables.
140mm travel forks, 27.5" rear wheel (mullet)
| Frame size | Small | Medium | Large | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top tube (effective) | 599mm | 626mm | 651mm | 680mm |
| Head angle | 65.3° | 65.3° | 65.3° | 65.3° |
| Seat angle (720mm saddle height) | 74.1° | 74.1° | 74.1° | 74.1° |
| Seat angle (815mm saddle height) | 73.8° | 73.8° | 73.8° | 73.8° |
| BB drop | -34mm | -34mm | -34mm | -34mm |
| Reach | 425mm | 449mm | 473mm | 500mm |
| Stack | 622mm | 631mm | 640mm | 649mm |
| Wheelbase | 1194mm | 1222mm | 1250mm | 1279mm |
Static, with a Works Components 1° angleset fitted to steepen the head angle. 29" front / 27.5" rear, maximum rear tyre 27.5 x 2.8". Other figures as for the 29er tables.
With Longshot sizing, we recommend the size for your height on the chart with a short 30-35mm stem. If you upsize, check your dropper will fit: the collar can hit the seat tube top, or the post can bottom out on the droplink pivot. Email size@cotic.co.uk for help.
Component sizes
- Seatpost diameter: 31.6mm (375mm long minimum)
- Front mech: not applicable, 1x drivetrains only
- Fork: recommended 130mm travel; minimum 120mm, maximum 140mm; 553mm axle to crown (without sag)
- Bottom bracket: 73mm width, conventional English/BSA thread
- Chainline: 52mm Shimano / 53mm Boost for up to 32t round or 30t oval chainring; 55mm Shimano for up to 36t round or 34t oval
- Chainguide mounting: ISCG05 bottom two tabs; integrated Cotic top guide included with frame or bike
- 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: 210 x 50mm metric, air shock only
- Shock fittings: down tube end 15.8 x M8 (UK-made Launch Edition) or 20.0 x M8 (series production); seatstay end 24.0 x M8
- Dropper routing: 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): 2 large volume spacers, 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)
Origin
Designed, developed, engineered and tested by us in the Peak District, with Cy Turner as lead designer and engineer, ride tested by everyone at Cotic and our race team, and lab tested beyond ISO 4210.
Launch Edition frames were largely made in the UK. Five Land Bikes in Scotland built the Reynolds 853 front triangles in small batches and painted them in tough automotive-spec paint, with masked and painted graphics rather than decals. The rear ends and linkages came from our Taiwan suppliers, and much of the machining was done by Superstar Components in Lincolnshire. Frames were manganese phosphate dip-coated against corrosion, and all UK-made frames were Datatag'd from the factory.
Series production frames were hand made in Taiwan by our selected framebuilder, zinc phosphate dip-coated inside and out, painted with a protective clear coat and QC'd in Taiwan and again in the UK. Complete bikes were built to order in the Peak District.
Reviews
Singletrack Magazine (Recommended, April 2022): rated the frame and Cane Creek DB Air IL shock highly, called it a bike handler's bike that does a lot with very little, and said its low, long shape and generous standover let it get down almost anything despite the trail-bike head angle. Read the Singletrack review, or watch the launch video of Cy talking Andi through the updates.
off.road.cc (Gold XT build): described it as a downcountry bike that refuses to be pigeonholed, versatile for many different riders thanks to its geometry, custom options and wide fork range. Read the off.road.cc review.
Guy Kes TV (first ride): compared it with his Gen3 long-termer and was struck by how consistently fast it was everywhere, calling it a poppy bike that loves to be ridden.
Photo gallery
