1x10 Cotic Gravel Grinder

I have a short Cotic Roadrat frame in the shed. Commuted on it fixed a couple of years back, but didn't really get on with it on the roads, finding it a little sluggish.

I'm thinking of building it up as a 1x10 gravel grinder / monstercross type setup to crash around the Peak District and Cheshire. It's the short version of the frame so will happily take drops.

I'm torn between between setting it up with shallow drops and cable disc brakes (hydraulics are a bit too spendy for my budget), or with a swept back riser bar (something like one of the milder sweep Ergotec bars) and hydraulic MTB disc brakes / levers .

Wheels will be SLX MTB hubs on Mavic XM319 with large volume tyres. 1X10 drive train with a narrow/ wide chainring. I'll go for a Shimano Zee rear mech and rapid fire shifter if I go down the flat bar route. SRAM clutch rear mech and bar end shifter if I choose drops. Thinking of some external BB road or CX cranks, no idea which yet.

Given that I won't be doing any particularly gnarly routes on the bike I'm not 100% sure a clutched rear mech is necessary - does anyone have experience with n/w chinrings without clutch mechs?

I'm leaning toward a flat/ riser setup purely as both my other bikes have drops and I fancy something different. However I've not ridden such a setup before, so unsure how I'll feel about the ride quality...

Budget is up to £500, for wheels (estimating £135 for these from German eBay), drivetrain, bars, brakes and fettling

Hmmmm, this is making me lean towards the flat bar route

Whilst browsing the forum for inspiration it's transpired the my Roadrat had a previous forum owner in the form of @Dammit... small world

In other news, I rode a Pinnacle Arkose at lunch in the local Evans. Really enjoyed it. Seemed a fair bit nimbler than I remember the Roadrat being. sorely tempted if finances allow, though I may be being tempted by shinny new things. Any one have experience riding an Arkose?

No experience of Arkose, but if you go with your roadrat, clutch derailleur not essential, I run 1x10 with 105 rear derailleur and a RaceFace narrow / wide chainring, hasn't dropped the chain so far. It's surprising how few gears actually get used, haven't had any problems so far.

That flatbar Roadrat is great.

@tallsam yeah, it looks a properly fun bike.

Nice to know a clutch setup isn't required. @jontea have you done any off road riding on your setup?

Rough bridleway and canal towpath, nothing offroad proper. I have some Genesis Alt bars to put on, for pootling, so will be getting mtb shifter and rear derailleur, probably going for Shimano Zee, CRC have em at a decent price, so will have a clutch mechanism. But for road and gentle trails not neccessary, until I'm proven wrong when me chain drops!

I won't be doing any full on off road riding, so maybe not necessary. Was thinking of a very similar Shimano Zee set up to your alt bar one above should I choose flat bars

I'm gonna run full cable lengths and just leave derailleur attached, so a couple of cable ties and I can swap between drops and flat bars.

Sounds like a sensible choice- lots of flexibility for one bike. Your Genesis looks awesome BTW

No opinions/ experience of the Arkose? My reasoning is that it might be more nimble and fun to ride than the Roadrat, which as a road going commuter seemed a little sluggish to me.

Cheers. Really enjoying it. Once the alt bars go on, may get some 35mm knobblies, for offroad shits n giggles, unless I can squeeze the Nanos I already have in there, may be too tight though.
Sure somebody was talkin bout Arkose on here, @Jb possibly?
Where's @edscoble when you need him?

Seem to remember some positive comments about the arkose, but can't seem to locate much specific about them on the forum

Have a look in functional bikes, seem to remember summat there, start around page 30.

The Arkose is a decent bike for the money, it's a little heavy, but the 1x10 hydraulic one is the best to go for.

Don't forget to take it to a decent LBS and get the pad change to a Shimano one and you're all set.

Cheers- it was the 1x10 I test rode. It was nice, bit nippier than I expected. My decision is whether it offers much advantage in ride quality/ over the Roadrat. Was such a while back I rode the Cotic my memories of it are a bit hazy.

Both bike are different, the Roadrat is build as a jack of all trade/master of none, whether the Arkose is a CX bike billed as a gravel grinder.

I'd go for the Arkose, especially with carbon tapered fork.

I'm inclined to agree with Ed. Seems like a lot of bike for the money.

Yeah- I'm erring toward dropping more £ for the Arkose and selling the rat frame/forks. The bike will be used for a mix of commuting duties with guards + large volume tires and mixed surface riding in the North West countryside

Available as frame and fork only with an EBB for £300 too

Sound like the Arkose is perfect, 35 plus mudguard is plentiful.

any opinion on the eccentric bottom bracket Arkose? Sounds interesting/ versatile

Arkose frame with eccentric BB reduced to £225. reckon i could build a decent 1x10 setup for not a huge amount from there

i have some campag bits that i could use as an initial build. i'd need a new rear mech, bar end or friction shifter and a chain keeper to get me rolling. Prices for campag rear mechs are scary expensive though