£5,996 custom build Has Cotic’s refreshed steel chassis ignited the Jeht?
Tom M
Designed in the Peak District and made in Scotland, Cotic’s second-generation Jeht has a range of updates over the Gen1, including a revised front triangle plus tweaks to the suspension and sizing. This do-it-all full-susser features 140mm of frame travel, controlled by the brand’s ‘drop’ suspension platform and paired with a 150mm fork. The updated bike rolls on 29in wheels and has been designed to be highly versatile, with nimble handling for tight trails and ample travel for descents, plus capability – via Cotic’s ‘Longshot’ geometry – to work well uphill.
THE FRAME
The new front triangle is constructed from Reynolds 853 steel, made in Birmingham, from recycled metal – about as environmentally-friendly as frame production can get. Cotic have redesigned the ‘Ovalform HD’ down tube to make it stiffer and stronger than the Gen1’s, without being heavier. There’s also a new brace joining the down tube and seat tube, to bolster front-end stiffness and durability.
As on the brand’s other full-sus bikes, the alloy swingarm is shipped in from Asia. It drives the rear shock via a small rocker link, which Cotic have tweaked to make the suspension more progressive. They say the Gen2 bike is more supple in its initial travel, increasing grip and comfort, before ramping up late in the stroke to give greater control on bigger hits. The 15mm main pivot rotates on large Enduro MAX bearings.
Cotic’s ‘Longshot’ geometry is thoroughly modern, with our C3-size Jeht – the middle of five – having a long 482mm reach, slack 64.5-degree head angle and steep 76.2-degree effective seat tube angle. They’ve lowered the bottom bracket by 6mm compared to the previous bike, and increased chainstay length to 448mm, to ensure the rear end is balanced with the longer front end.
The frame has two bottle cage mounts, and room for 2.5in tyres. Cables are routed externally for ease of maintenance. Interestingly, the brand haven’t chosen to adopt the SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger standard.
THE KIT
You can buy the Jeht as a frame only (£2,199 with shock) or as one of a range of stock builds, which can be customised with a wide choice of parts. Our Jeht was based on the Gold XT Cane Creek bike (£5,799), but with significant alterations. Kit highlights included a top-end RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork and Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, plus Hope Tech 4 V4 brakes and Fortus 30 SC wheels, shod with WTB
