Cotic Cascade

£2,699 (Gold build) A supremely capable drop-bar shredder

- Katherine Moore

Weight 12.2kg (S, inc bottle cages) Frame Steel Fork Steel Gears Shimano GRX Brakes Shimano GRX Wheels Hunt Trailwide V2 29 Finishing kit BikeYoke 125mm dropper seatpost, 29” WTB Ranger Light stem, Race Face 60mm tyres, Cotic saddle

THE COTIC CASCADE is a genre-defying bike that takes 'gravel' to the next level. Whether you see it as the modern incarnation of a rigid mountain bike, or the latest take on a gravel machine, the Cascade offers near-unrivalled drop-bar capability, though it's not without its quirks.

The Good

Huge tyre clearance; wide variety of build options; unrivalled drop-bar capability

The Bad

Over-sized for smaller riders

Boost spacing (to create wider axles and therefore more lateral stiffness for bigger wheels) and a 1x-only chainring design helps enable huge tyre clearances, with 2.4in (60mm) rubber fitted as standard, plus room for more. The sloping top tube gives space for a long-travel dropper post, to help you manoeuvre the bike on tricky descents, while the Reynolds 853 steel frame and chromoly forks are laden with mounts for racks, luggage and mudguards, ready for adventure.