11-28-06 // Gear Test
Duncon Cocker

Watch any of the dozens of mountain bike videos from the past two years and you’ll see it: The obligatory seven-minute, hip-hop-themed urban segment overflowing with a technical ballet of precision manuals, barspins, rails and the ever-present slow-motion tailwhip. But the new frontier of urban riding is one that was settled by kids on BMX bikes decades ago. Sure, dirt/urban bikes are increasingly well suited for technical, BMX-inspired tricks, but I thought that these machines were all about going big.

As the trend moves to shorter travel, shorter chainstays and less weight, there are fewer hardtails out there that live up to their potential for gnarly-ness. The Cocker, by Polish frame makers Duncon, however, is one such machine. With a wide, distinctive dual toptube, burly dropout assemblies and a headtube that looks like it should fit a one point five (it doesn’t), the only thing missing is the 8 inches of rear travel.

There’s plenty of squish up front, though. While most jumpers these days are made with 100 millimeters of travel in mind, the Cocker’s U-turn adjustable Pike felt right at around 130 to 140 millimeters (it also drops down to 110 millimeters). But it lacks an air preload adjust, so if it’s not stiff enough, you’re buying new springs. The sliding dropouts are a welcomed feature for those who’d rather skip the derailleur altogether, or who want to choose between a rear-wheel happy sub-16-inch chainstay, and a stable 17 incher.

The Maxxis Mobster tires aren’t great for the street, and are made for looser, rockier terrain than you’d be likely to find on most traditional dirt jump bikes, but maybe the Cocker isn’t a traditional dirt jumper. Throw a leg over it, and it’s clear there’s something different. Somehow it’s like climbing onto a downhill bike without the squish; it’s every bit as stiff, but also nearly every bit as heavy. It weighs out at about 37 pounds, overkill for normal riding, but all that heft allows Duncon to offer a lifetime warranty, provided you use a deep-cup headset like the one on the test model.

Despite its chunkiness, the bike handled great on non-superstar-sized jumps, and the longer-than-average fork didn’t feel out of place or clumsy. Testing its capabilities as a downhill hardtail, I slid the dropouts back and took it to some gravity-fed trails and it felt more natural there than in any other terrain. At a spot that’s more Red Bull Rampage than it is Red Bull Bike Battle, the rigid frame wouldn’t be my first choice, but it was fun to use a bike that’s a little easier to throw around. The signature dual toptubes are unusually low, and made the bike easy to whip around and flatten out in the air. With the axle positioned forward in the dropouts, the bike was surprisingly nimble on the street, and had an immediately comfortable sweet spot over the rear wheel, but all the weight and extra travel just got in the way, except for the occasional glory gap or stylish technical drop.

Even though it’s really just big-boned, the frame’s weight problem keeps the Cocker from excelling at anything but going big, and you’d better be going big if you’re riding a bike called the Cocker. ~Travis Engel

www.duncon.com; 760-390-8844