October 4th – I had to nip into Lichfield on my way home, and it was as I was heading out of town I noticed this shiny new bike chained to the Guildhall Railings. A Cotic ‘Road Rat’, it’s a bike with a fanatical following. A single speed with disc brakes, it’s made for urban riding, and I loved the shiny leather Brooks saddle. There’s an unusual design feature, though… Initially I thought the forks were backwards, but they’re clearly the right way round. The front disc brake is mounted on the opposite side to the usual one, which puts it on the front edge of the fork. Intriguing, but I can’t see a valid reason.

Nice bike, though, my compliments to the rider.