As soon as upon a time gravel bikes used to sit down someplace between highway and mountain bikes. By exploiting the advantages of the newest parts and manufacturing, they mixed the velocity and effectivity of a drop-bar all-road bike with a extra secure geometry, wider tyre clearance and kinder gearing from the mountain bike world for quick using on and off tarmac.
However issues didn’t cease there. ‘Gravel using’ is a broad church and producers have rapidly developed bikes to fill each doable area of interest: from high-paced UCI racing to multi-day adventures to reckless enjoyable on technical MTB trails.
The Cotic Cascade sits nicely and really within the last class. It is a bike designed to hunt out each final little bit of enjoyable on the paths.
Development
Cotic is a British bike firm established over 20 years in the past. Primarily based in Sheffield, it’s famed for its metal mountain and gravel bikes. The Cascade took place by Cotic’s experimentation to discover a bike to sit down in between the all-road Escapade and the Solaris, its hardtail mountain bike. The intention was to develop a motorcycle that felt assured and enjoyable however had the flexibility to maneuver swiftly over longer distances too.
The Cascade differs from the remainder of the bikes in our Better of the Yr check because it’s a motorcycle constructed round mountain bike geometry and parts to offer the journey a assured really feel and wonderful dealing with. As with all Cotic bikes, the Cascade is constructed from 853 Reynolds tubing for a (comparatively) light-weight and springy journey. The ovalised and tapered tubing provides the Cascade its vital energy and compliance however can also be provides the bike a clear and trendy look.
The Cascade’s geometry makes for a cushty journey
(Picture credit score: Future)
The Cascade will get a lot of its stability and skill from the MTB-inspired geometry. Our small-sized bike had an extended secure wheelbase of 1092mm, that’s 40 – 90mm longer than the remainder of the bikes in our check. A part of the size comes by the longer chainstays (438mm) and half by the entrance triangle. One other standout dimension is the 68o head tube angle which, when mixed with the fork offset, provides the Cascade a lot of its secure dealing with. Together with the stem the attain of the Cascade is much like the opposite bikes we examined however its stack is round 50mm larger which provides a way more upright using place.
Tyre clearance aplenty! You may match as much as 2.8″ large tyres for those who’re working 650b wheels
(Picture credit score: Future)
MTB hub and BB spacing give loads of tyre clearance so that you’re in a position to run as much as a 2.4” (about 53mm) tyre on a 29” wheel or 2.8” 650b. There’s much more clearance on the customized metal fork so you possibly can go larger on the entrance for much more grip. On that observe, you possibly can simply run a 100mm suspension fork on the Cascade in order for you a bit extra consolation or technical functionality. This isn’t a motorcycle for slick and thin tyres.
Just about all of the cabling runs externally, including to the old school metal aesthetic but in addition making servicing on the highway many instances simpler. As many metal journey and gravel bikes, there are a number of mounts to suit countless combos of drugs as you want.
A threaded BB is a pure companion for a metal body
(Picture credit score: Future)
The Cascade is offered as a frameset or with a number of totally different construct choices in each drop and flat bar variations.
Our evaluation bike was the drop bar bronze construct geared up with SRAM Apex 1×11 drivetrain and brakes, Hunt XC wheels, WTB Ranger 29 x 2.4 tyres, WTB Rocket saddle and a variety of Cotic branded ending package. Different construct choices embrace Shimano GRX 1×12 and SRAM Power AXS 1×12, and flat bar choices utilise MTB shifting techniques. Unsurprisingly this type of bike isn’t gentle compared to the carbon-framed gravel racers in our check, ours weighed in at 12.4kg. There are some straightforward weight financial savings when it comes to wheels and a carbon fork if you wish to go lighter.
All bikes are constructed to order which permits Cotic to supply a number of choices for various parts; you possibly can improve particular person components like wheels or backside brackets, or select a measurement/choice to swimsuit for parts resembling bars and tyres. Seat put up choices embrace a dropper put up as we had on our check bike.
The journey
As you would possibly count on, using the Cascade is kind of a unique expertise to a number of the different gravel bikes we had on check. The place is far more upright and relaxed which is prone to be far more snug in your higher physique than a standard drop bar bike, but in addition actually helps you see the path forward.
The management and steering are fairly totally different too, far more direct to your enter on the bars than bikes with steeper head angles. That is actually evident whenever you flip at low speeds, because the Cascade simply will get on and turns with loads of management and steadiness.
The mix of tyre clearance and slack geometry make the Cascade an amazing match for the UK’s different gravel trails
(Picture credit score: Future)
The metal body and large quantity tyres present loads of consolation which makes it simpler to remain within the saddle on rougher gravel than another gravel bikes. Unsurprisingly, it’s comparatively sluggish in its straight-line velocity than a standard gravel bike so that you’ll need to plan your journey to be far more off-road than on.
I’ve actually loved some fast laps by native trails and paths on the Cascade. These are little patches of wooded trails linked by lengthy sections of paths and tracks. They’re the type of trails which can be fairly boring on a contemporary lengthy and slack MTB and there’s a whole lot of pedalling in between them. Though I can nearly journey them on my gravel bike, it’s a bit tough on the physique for many days so I simply keep on with the linking tracks and paths. I can confidently and comfortably journey all of the trickier trails on the Cascade after which fortunately spin the few gravelly miles to the following part. It’s made my native using enjoyable once more.
A dropper put up solely additional provides to the Cascade’s capabilities
(Picture credit score: Future)
The Cascade is massively succesful on the tough trails, so for those who like extra technical using, you’ll love what you are able to do on it. Nevertheless it’s additionally a superb bike for highway riders who’re on the different finish of their off-road journey and have but to refine their off-road talent set. It has a extremely planted really feel and can roll over free and tough stuff with superb management, leading to a great deal of enjoyment and confidence for the rider.
Worth
At £2,149, the Cotic Cascade with bronze construct boasts a superb worth that makes it aggressive towards equally specced bikes in our Gravel Bike of the Yr awards.
