Cotic offering Alfine factory build on the Roadrat

We tested the Cotic Roadrat as a singlespeed drop-bar machine back in March of last year, and it received high praise from tester TR McGowran who called it "possibly the ultimate 'do it all' bike". That's partly down to the different ways you can spec the frame, but one that's never been available has been the excellent Alfine eight speed hub. Until now, that is.

"If you'd asked us a couple of weeks ago what the most asked for option on the RoadRat was", says Cotic head honcho Cy Turner,  "we'd have said 'Alfine hub gear' without thinking about it. After a heads up from one of our dealers, some very interesting new Shimano factory wheelsets caught our eye and we put a call in. As a result we now have a supply of the latest Shimano Alfine complete wheels, with the fantastic 8spd hub gear to make things easy on those hills"

The wheels in question feature Shimano's direct pull front hub with straight spokes and they're also disc compatible for better braking around town.

From the first week in April you'll be able to buy a Cotic RoadRat Factory Alfine for £849, and they've also got a Magura Julie disc brake upgrade option for just £989. This will be available from all Cotic dealers, and of course it sneaks under the magic £1,000 Cycle to Work limit. Given that TR gave the Roadrat a 9/10 rating based on a price of £742.50 for the singlespeed, the Alfine-equipped versions look to be a steal, so don't hang around if you've been waiting for Cotic to make one...