Cotic Roadrat

Dub L

I currently commute on a mountain bike with a set of slicks and this has served me well for several years. However, my commute is soon to become much longer and more hilly. I quite fancy treating myself to a proper commuter. My budget is no more than a grand and I need a bike that can take a bit of abuse/occasional very light off road. I really like the look of the Roadrat with the Alfine 8. Is this the best option or are there other bikes to consider?

davis

I really like Cotic bikes, and I've got a Roadrat with Alfine 8 myself (self-built). It's a giggle to ride - handles like a responsive little mountain bike. It's a little heavy perhaps, and the weight feels like it's all at the back with the hub gears. The frame is certainly tough though, and the 8 speed Alfine is actually pretty reliable too.

Depending on the length of the commute I'd be looking for drop bars personally. Plus just about any bike will handle some off-road though; I rode 3 miles down a gravel track and then across a field on my narrow-wheeled road bike the other day, so I really wouldn't worry about that.

If anything, I'd guess the Roadrat is a little overbuilt for your needs, but it'd serve admirably. Plus I love the hydro discs, especially in the wet.

styxd

A heavy, flexy steel frame paired with a heavy, draggy alfine hub with limited gear ratios is not the ideal bike for a long, hilly commute. Get a proper road bike.

Dub L

I have considered it but I don't think I really want a road bike to be honest, especially not with drop bars. I don't find the riding position comfortable as I suffer with arthritis. (I'm only 25 before you start thinking I'm an old man haha) I suppose I should have mentioned that in my op.
I don't necessarily need a super fast bike, I just want a comfortable, reliable, low maintenance and fun bike to commute on. Hydraulics are a must, too. I don't think I could go back to rim brakes.

The Rookie

My commuter is a disc braked hybrid, I use mechanical disc brakes, as for gearing, ride it on your current bike, note what gears you use, crunch the ratios, and allow for any wheel size changes and you'll know what you need, allow for a lighter faster rolling bike being a little quicker than your current one. I have moderate hills and use 1x9 with an 11-26 cassette but could cover a wider range of hills with an 11-34 (or something in between as 11-27, 11-28, 11-30 and 11-32 are all available), the hub gears are a nice idea in theory, in practice they seem more troublesome than dérailleur and also weigh more with a narrower band of gearing and some funny gear spacing.

For info my commuter is based on a lowly Carrera Gryphon frame and weighs in at a smidgen over 9.5Kg.

Dub L

I'm sure the gearing would be fine as I currently run 3x9 with an 11-32 cassette and never use the granny ring. I usually prefer to power up hills in as harder gear and drop my cadence as I find this (oddly) puts less strain on my (athritic) hips over the duration of a climb.
I understand all the downsides of hub gears but I still quite like the appeal of them both from a short term maintenence standpoint (I quite like the idea of pulling the thing apart to service it annually) and aesthetically. I am a little about all that extra weight affecting my curb hopping ability but I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Come to think of it, I know it isn't the lightest but I can't find a posted weight for the rat frame, anybody have any idea?
I think I've convinced myself that I'm making the right decision to be honest unless anybody has any suggestions as to other bikes.

The Rookie

Similar to the Cotic soul I would imagine as most the frame is pretty similar, for a medium maybe slightly heavier due to the longer seat tube.

According to Cotic the Soul frame weighs 4.4lb (2Kg) for 17.5"

Good review here
http://road.cc/content/review/3055-coti ... t-drop-bar
9.6Kg in single speed trim, so add about 1.2Kg for the alfine hub weight over that hub weight at a (educated) guess.