Noob's adventures in MTB land - In association with the 2022 Ragley Big Wig steel hardtail

[figbat]

Nice descriptive write-up of a nice bike! I almost exclusively ride MTB through the winter and the constant hosing off of the bike (and even oneself if extreme) is a burden. I use mudguards to keep the worst off of me and I have bodged a small guard on the rear of the seat tube to keep crud at bay from the bottom bracket.

I also use the dropper post a lot - mostly for when I am at a standstill so I can rest seated on the bike (since, as you say, it’s a lofty perch). I also ride exclusively with SPDs off-road - I like that my feet are always in the right place on the pedal and stay in place over very rough terrain (for example a fast, bumpy descent).

Tyre pressure is also worth experimenting with. I run tubeless meaning I can run soft with no fear of pinch flats. However I hate the squirmy feel of soft, fat tyres so tend to run harder than most recommend and it suits me. Get some different tyres for the summer too - a faster tyre is a joy over hard-packed, polished trails (I use Continental Cross Kings - not ultimately fast like a Race King but still offers some grip in less dry summer conditions).

Oh also, I use a hydration back pack for drinking water (and carrying spares, tools, snacks etc). I only use a bottle cage for very long rides where I carry a bottle of energy drink (these rides tend to be in the summer). In fact my winter MTB (a Ti hardtail) doesn’t have a bottle cage on it.

 

[Sallar55]

Buy a good MTB specific bottle with a cap to keep the muck out. Mudguards why bother , cleaning is time wasted ,its only the chain that gets a wipe.
One tip for the 29er bikes, was told you sit in it not on top of it. Buy a few sizes smaller .

 

[fossyant]

Embrace the slop - you aren't getting away from it. I'd advise keeping an eye on jockey wheel bearings, BB and rear wheel bearings - these take a hammering. As a minimum get a small splash guard at the front - this helps keep the stansions clean and stops some mud going straight up into youe eyes, but you are going to get filthy doing propper MTB'ing. I'd also very strongly recommend decent MTB winter boots - Shimano MW5 or MW7 are pretty waterproof (I use dry suit cufs oner the top if I know it's going to be a mud and water fest, and the advanyage with these you can hose off the worse then just wipe off - the tops have a flap that covers any lacing, so wipe clean.

Also make sure you clean the stansions and seals after rides, and a squirt of silicone lube on them after - preserves the seals well.

Modern MTB's are massive, Full Suspension even more so. You'll notice a difference coming from road bikes, and even old MTB's - my old rigid 26'er is tiny compared to the 27.5" full suspension.

Hydration pak on ong rides, water bottle short. The mud and crud doesn't bother me.

 

[Gunk]

You’ll enjoy that @wafter but they do get knocked about, so you’ll have to get your head around the fact that sadly it wont stay pristine For very long.

My son and I had many happy summers on our old 26ers, I still have an old Giant Trance Advance CF hanging up in the garage.

 

[Gunk]

You’ve inspired me to blow the dust off mine and get back in the woods. It’s a full carbon 2007 26er, built up from bits and bobs for my son (he’s now outgrown it, but fits me perfectly) and great to chuck about, still a very fast downhill bike. I kept it to replace the unreliable S Works which I ended up selling a few years ago.

I completely stripped and rebuilt it a couple of years ago and it’s been hung up in the garage since. Time to get it down, pump up the tyres and get it filthy!

 

[wafter]

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.DMR-V11-Pedals_232842.htm. I recommend these pedals, they are composite, reasonably priced and your foot has plenty of room for moving about and they grip well.
I tried putting that protection tape on my bike and it looked a dog so I ripped it off and thought well if it gets scratched then I'm not bothered as its a bike and they all get scuffed eventually anyway.
Looks a nice area where that bike is as well.

Thanks for the recommendation - I'll keep it in mind! The bike did come with some very cheap all plastic flats, which physically do the job but don't grip well while the bearings are notchy as hell.

I've got a pair of apparently serviceable MTB-ish Shimano dual-sided pedals (flats on one side, SPDs on the other) which I'll probably give a try before putting my hand in my pocket for anything else.. I've not ridden with SPDs for a while since my joints fell out with the narrow Q-factor of the crankset on my Genesis, but can see the potential advantages for this type of riding.

Irritatingly there were some decent-looking Nukeproof pedals down to a tenner on CRC, but now the price has gone back up to £30-odd.


I hear what you're saying about the tape, although personally I'd rather it looked cack (within limits) and was protected. One of the reasons I've not gone quicker on this bike so far is all the stuff hitting the downtube - I suspect really hammering it down a gravel descent with muddy tyres would rapidly destroy the paint on the downtube.. which would be a real shame and of course leave the door open to rust.


The pics perhaps over-sell the ride - it's very nice in parts but accessibly-local routes like this are short and limited; especially with snotty land owners increasingly going out of their way to block routes and limit access. Terrain and obstructive gammons notwithstanding I could probably get 10-15 miles in circling the village, however in reality I'm not sure how feasible this would be. I'll probably give a full loop a go nearer the summer when the ground's more amenible..

Great looking bike Wafter, looks like you picked yourself up a right bargain there. I would love a nice steel hard tail myself, but couldn't find a bargain like yours so settled for an aluminium framed one.

As for mudguards, I use mudhugger guards which attach simply and offer a reasonable range of coverage, though to be fair, they protect me much more than the bike! At this time of year, I tend more to just quickly hose the bike down after every ride before sticking it away in the cellar. Here's a picture of the mudhugger guards on my bike:

View attachment 718757

One of the issue's you may come across also is your water bottle getting pretty muddy and horrible, especially around the top. I tend not to use the cage anymore in winter and instead keep it in a feedbag mounted to the handlebar.

With the drivetrain, those cassettes are incredibly hardy things and last for years. That said, do yourself a favour and keep an eye on chain stretch, don't let the chain get too worn out and replace it at about 0.75% wear. That way you'll probably get through about three chains before needing to replace the cassette and thus saving yourself a bucket of money.

Above all else enjoy the muddy side of life!

Thanks - I like to think I did OK, however I guess time will tell and there's the distinct possibility that the brand may cease to exist, depending on what happens to its parent company. Sadly steel's niche nature seems to command a premium and there seem to be few if any "affordable" steel MTBs; evidently they're less-well-represented than ferrous road-going alternatives

Thanks for the Mudhugger recommendation - I've happened across these and thought they look pretty decent; although I guess you still have to accept a fair bit of much on the bike given their evidently limited coverage. Ideally I'd like something that keeps crap off the seat tube and BB as well (along with as much of the rest of the bike as possible!), although I appreciate that's probably difficult to achieve in a universal format.. while on such bikes clearance when caked in mud potentially becomes more important than shuttering everything off.

Thanks for the thought about the bottle - hadn't considered that! My cycling backpack does have the facility to fit a bladder, so perhaps this might be a better way to go.. another stark difference to what I'm used to!

I appreciate what you're saying about the cassette but again it's an alien world.. I waxed the chain and so far it seems to be holding up well, but I wonder if I'd cocked up by leaving it on the bike when I washed it; potentially diluting the mud and allowing contamination into the links.

While I appreciate you assurances I'm used to the drivetrain on my other bikes basically lasting forever on account of the wax; which I think will be a tall order on this bike. That said I suppose despite the harsh conditions it'll probably see a lot fewer miles, so perhaps it'll even out. I noticed a lot of mud was splurging outwards from the BB and onto the chain; I'd at least like to protect it from this as I suspect this is where the bulk of the wear will come from...

I love being out in the countryside but so far my experiences have really tweaked my OCD - I'll cling to the epic experiences in your posts for hope, however

I'm not in any way an MTBer but that bike looks lovely

I'm sure you'll get many hours of enjoyment out of it

Thanks - appreciate you saying so

Nice bike. I understand that many Poms are reticent about money matters but do you mind sharing what it cost you?
Wide handlebars, it should be possible to cut them down at bit, particularly for your intended use.

Cheers - the RRP is on the Ragley website, the rest can be worked out from that

As an aside I see CRC / Wiggle have had a big clearout on their website and there are now very few Ragley and Nukeproof products listed - I hope this means they're not for the chop! While I appreciate that Ragley have always been a bit niche / below the radar, Nukeproof seem pretty big with a lot of coverage on GCN and plenty of critical acclaim..

Nice bike!

I'm not so stealthy, and my MTB is bright red. I'd fit mudguards if I were you, on the basis that there'll be less muck to clean off yourself at the end of a ride. Riding on mud-slicked fen roads during the sugar beet harvest has taught me that much at least!

if you find the bars too wide, you can always cut them down a bit, although you don't want to do that too much, as you'll lose a certain degree of stability (changes the CoG / polar momentum).

It is a different kind of riding though, and for me, MTB = gravel track bimbler for the most part, but also useful in the winter on icy / muddy roads. You may have to play around with tyre pressures to get that sweet spot between off road performance and not being too "riding through treacle" on tarmac.

Cheers!

Totally appreciate what you're saying about the mudguards; however sadly everything I've found so far seems to be somewhat of a halfway house; the longboards on my more road-centric bikes having really spoilt me it seems, in terms of both coverage and easy of fitment on proper, bolted mounts.

Thanks for the thought about the bars - this had crossed my mind and back in the CRC fire sale there were quite a few Ragley and Nukeproof bars at rock-bottom prices; I'd considered buying a second set to chop down but by the time I'd committed to the bike they'd sold out. I've done a bit of research on bar width and by convention thinking they're "right" for me; while on the one hand I don't have the stones to be smashing it down the side of some mountain, I don't want to compromise the bike's performance just so I can get it through the house easier.

Once I'm a bit more confident I'll see how it rides with my hands progressively closer to the centre of the bars..

I think my intentions are very similar to yours - nothing hardcore; just the ability to ride in rural conditions that would be off the menu with other gear.

I'm currently running 25psi rear / 20psi front on the recommendation of the Chinook tyre pressure calculator; which feels really good - not too squishy and wallow, nor dragging on the road (within context of course) but nicely planted off-road to a standard I've never experienced on anything more road-centric

me too mate and i find the market sparse of options.. .love steel and bought a Genesis day one 20 when they came in steel with a nexus 8 speed hub 2018 model options are few and far between

Nice work - got to love the Genesis gear!

I like the look of their longitude (like a rigid MTB in essence) however Genesis seem to have done well at avoiding the post-covid crash so prices are still too robust for my wallet..

Nice write up wafter.

Glad yo see your having a good start to 2024!

A new bike always helps!

Pitty about the mixed group set.

Thanks! "Good" is subjective as a new bike is usually both a source of anxiety and joy; at least to begin with - this one especially as it was less of a planned purchase and unlike the last two I can't justify it to myself for owt other than leisure.

I agree about the groupset; however again the gear on it has acquitted itself well so far and it's not like there was much choice - it was this or bust as any alternative steel hard tails would have cost many times more and been totally out of the question. In this respect I think I might have scored a bit of a unicorn; not that most are concerned with the allure of a ferrous frame..

Since I list rode the Ragley I've been out on the Fuji and Brompton - on both occasions I was shocked by how gutless and spongy (if ultimately adiquate) the cable-operated rim brakes were on each compared to the mammoth four-pot hydros on the Ragley - certainly no complaints in that department, as much as I'm dubious of SRAM

A lovely write up. I also know nothing about mtb so it was good to have something written from a perspective I could relate to. Some times it’s nice to step back and just have fun on a bike.

Thanks - appreciate you saying so! Hopefully my blind stumblings through this hitherto unknown land might provide a bit more insight for the MTB-curious amongst us. It's certainly fun; if heavily tempered by uncharted amounts of anxiety about buggering it up..

Nice descriptive write-up of a nice bike! I almost exclusively ride MTB through the winter and the constant hosing off of the bike (and even oneself if extreme) is a burden. I use mudguards to keep the worst off of me and I have bodged a small guard on the rear of the seat tube to keep crud at bay from the bottom bracket.

I also use the dropper post a lot - mostly for when I am at a standstill so I can rest seated on the bike (since, as you say, it’s a lofty perch). I also ride exclusively with SPDs off-road - I like that my feet are always in the right place on the pedal and stay in place over very rough terrain (for example a fast, bumpy descent).

Tyre pressure is also worth experimenting with. I run tubeless meaning I can run soft with no fear of pinch flats. However I hate the squirmy feel of soft, fat tyres so tend to run harder than most recommend and it suits me. Get some different tyres for the summer too - a faster tyre is a joy over hard-packed, polished trails (I use Continental Cross Kings - not ultimately fast like a Race King but still offers some grip in less dry summer conditions).

Cheers

I notice you're a bit of an MTB fiend and appreciate your input. I was thinking similar with the back of the seatpost tube - especially because the dropper post is the only item that has internal routing (which enters near the bottom, just in front of the rear wheel) so it'll be difficult to get protection tape in here.

I guess it's a toss-up between protecting myself / the frame and allowing enough clearance to stop accumulated mud becoming an issue - how do you get on with chain cleanliness? As above I've found claggy mud rapidly migrates out to the chain from the BB area; then onto the crankset and cassette. I'd love to mitigate this but as yet am not sure how to.

Interesting point about the dropper - I can just about sit on the bike with the seat up, but as you say it's certainly lofty! Tbh I find the whole thing somewhat perplexing currently; especially because the dropper lever is in the same place as the most-used gear selector on the Brompton.. and I find myself instinctively going for it by default. While I understand the reason for the post (and may use it in time if I become more confident in such circumstances) in reality so far its deployment still seems very much more "slapstick comedy" than functional. It certainly perplexed and amused my mother when demonstrated...

I can certainly see the appeal of SPDs and since I already have a set of pedals and shoes will doubtless give them a go at some point.. really need to swap the pedals anyway as the current cheap placcy ones really don't afford much grip on the mirror-polished soles of my shoes.

As above the tyre pressures I'm currently running seem pretty good, but again it's all new to me so maybe there's room for tweaking. I can fully appreciate the advantages of tubeless and will likely go this way in future as I have much of the gear already. I'm slowly cobbling together the bits to make an inflation tank from a discarded nitrous bottle, however given the cost of fittings I'm wondering whether it's worth just biting the bullet and buying a Topeak Tubiboost as these can apparently be had for £50. I'd also need a repair kit / stabby plug set - do you have any recommendations please?

I hear what you're saying about the different tyres; however in practice I have the gravel bike for less gnarly terrain and don't fancy swapping tubeless tyres about. I did buy a second set of rims for the Genesis with the intention of sticking on some knobby rubber for the winter, however that stagnated and then I bought this

Buy a good MTB specific bottle with a cap to keep the muck out. Mudguards why bother , cleaning is time wasted ,its only the chain that gets a wipe.
One tip for the 29er bikes, was told you sit in it not on top of it. Buy a few sizes smaller .

View attachment 718793

Cheers - good point about the bottle although unfortunately something more specific I was hoping to avoid!

See you point about mudguards and agree to a degree; however while I can tolerate cleaning, a) I don't like getting filthy, b) I want to minimise damage to the frame as much as possible in terms of chips / scratches / corrosion and c) I'd like to keep as much crap out of the drivetrain as possible to mitigate cleaning and reduce wear.

I appreciate I'm never going to keep the bike as clean and pristine as my road-going gear; equally I'd like to score any easy wins I can to minimise the worst of it - such as frame protection tape in obvious areas of impact and abrasion.

Embrace the slop - you aren't getting away from it. I'd advise keeping an eye on jockey wheel bearings, BB and rear wheel bearings - these take a hammering. As a minimum get a small splash guard at the front - this helps keep the stansions clean and stops some mud going straight up into youe eyes, but you are going to get filthy doing propper MTB'ing. I'd also very strongly recommend decent MTB winter boots - Shimano MW5 or MW7 are pretty waterproof (I use dry suit cufs oner the top if I know it's going to be a mud and water fest, and the advanyage with these you can hose off the worse then just wipe off - the tops have a flap that covers any lacing, so wipe clean.

Also make sure you clean the stansions and seals after rides, and a squirt of silicone lube on them after - preserves the seals well.

Modern MTB's are massive, Full Suspension even more so. You'll notice a difference coming from road bikes, and even old MTB's - my old rigid 26'er is tiny compared to the 27.5" full suspension.

Hydration pak on ong rides, water bottle short. The mud and crud doesn't bother me.

Thanks - agree to some extent; although I can't help but think of how dry and accommodating the routes I've covered so far would be in the summer! So far the wheel bearings appear to have fared well, although both times I've been out the RD has become totally caked in mud. Best I've found so far is to wash out the excess then let the rest dry out and just flake off the next time the bike's used..

So far the stanchions have remained mercifully damage-free, although they've certainly got covered in their fair share of mud. Hopefully as you suggest a decent front guard will keep the worst of it off. Not sure I'm committed enough to the grot yet to be buying dedicated shoes, but I'll keep you suggestions in mind

I did wonder if I'd made a mistake going 29" over 27.5, however since I've ridden it I've found it to be unintimidating and perfectly manageable. Wish I could say the same for getting it through the house!

Will look into a hydration pack

You’ve inspired me to blow the dust off mine and get back in the woods. It’s a full carbon 2007 26er, built up from bits and bobs for my son (he’s now outgrown it, but fits me perfectly) and great to chuck about, still a very fast downhill bike. I kept it to replace the unreliable S Works which I ended up selling a few years ago.

I completely stripped and rebuilt it a couple of years ago and it’s been hung up in the garage since. Time to get it down, pump up the tyres and get it filthy!

View attachment 718836

Excellent - looks like a nice ride!

Think of me when you're covered in sh*te, hosing half the countryside off it in the freezing cold


So.. not much to report other than that I've found the first bit of damage at the chainstays in line with the tyre; no doubt as a result of stones in the claggy mud that get sheared off as the tyre rotates. Will probably touch it up with some of the Fuji's inappropriate green paint as I'll never get the metal flake matched, then I need to pay some serious attention to how I'm going to protect these areas.

Protection tape should be OK on the round-ish sections, however the flat "finger bridge" on the drive side is going to be a bit of a pig..

I guess I'd also best look at some mudguards - mudhuggers are looking like the least-worst option so far, however I think I'll still need to try and lash something up to protect the rear of the seatpost and chain; if this is even practically possible.

It's currently living in the dining room and usually elicits a smile when I pass, which must be a positive sign

 

[Reynard]

I just got a generic set of cheap clip on plastic mudguards in Wilko. But I'm sure Halfords would probably have something similar in stock. The rear one is fine, does the job nicely, especially after I converted it to bolt onto the chainstay bridge. The front one is a little bit too short and does a good job of redirecting the mud onto my feet. Does serve to keep the very worst of the muck out of the drivetrain, though.

And no, they're not as good as the poncy full-length guards on my hybrid.

 

[figbat]

Chain maintenance - I’ll admit I’m not very fastidious at this; I’ll hose the chain (and cassette) off when I do the rest of the bike then when it’s dry I’ll generously dribble some wet lube on. I track chain wear and replace as required.

 

[Kingfisher101]

I've got a mud hugger mudguard on the rear which attaches to the stays with tip ties, Its much better than a toe peak one I have where the clip brushed against my leg. I couldn't cope with that.
On the downtube I have a crudcatcher thing which isn't unto much. If you ride in the mud you will get muddy end of. The rear one does keep some of it off.

Its a bike Wafter and it will get scratched, chipped and mud all over it. The drive train will wear unless its sat in the house/garage/ shed doing nothing. Even with protection tape on, mud etc eventually gets under it and it doesn't shop all chipping. Plus it goes milky white eventually I've found and looks horrible.

 

[Jody]

Wowsers @wafter .

It’s a great looking bike and that colour is lush! Well specced so should have some longevity but not have any budget feel to it. No doubt you will get hours of enjoyment out of it if looked after. Yes, winter can feel like a slog with the amount of slop picked up on a ride but it’s the price you pay at this time of year. On the plus side you get some peaceful, wildlife filled rides with no/little traffic. It might take a little time to get used to the wider bars and a more upright ride.

Bar width is a thing that keep increasing, which may suit some but not all. Being on the smaller side myself, most of the time I settle around 720 depending on which bike. You could get away with a lot less than 780 if you’re not hooning it. Good thing with the grips/components on an allen key means you can experiment for a few weeks before chopping them.

20/25 PSI on tyre pressures seem about right and you shouldn’t suffer any rim strikes or pinches but tubeless is the way forwards when you get a spare minute.

Stanchions take a lot to damage from rock/stones being flicked at them so don’t fret too much about mud guards. Getting muddy is part of the fun.

If your concerned about chips, a bit of downtube protection will surfice but I’d agree with others that it’s a PITA to do the whole bike.

̶N̶o̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶m̶e̶n̶t̶i̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶t̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶r̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶s̶i̶d̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶y̶.̶ ̶A̶b̶s̶o̶l̶u̶t̶e̶ ̶m̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶.̶ ̶E̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶l̶u̶t̶c̶h̶ ̶m̶e̶c̶h̶,̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶’̶l̶l̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶l̶o̶t̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶s̶l̶a̶p̶/̶d̶a̶m̶a̶g̶e̶.̶ Must need my eyes checking. I've just spotted the neoprene protector

Tyres, don’t expect much longevity, especially if running on tarmac. Slowing down with your back brake on tarmac will wear the rear quickly. Something to be mindful of given the cost of replacements. What you have will give you grip for days and inspire confidence when it gets a little sketchy. I’m still in awe at the grip you get on wet/slimy roots and rocks.

Forks, make sure you have a little bit of compression damping to stop them feeling like an undamped pogo stick. Sag, maybe 30% if you aren’t going to be taking any big hits as this will let you have all travel and keep it plush for the small stuff.

Anyway, enjoy your new ride and don’t fret too much. It’s a MTB and will take a few knocks.

 

[wafter]

Thanks all - especially to @Jody for taking the time to provide all that guidance; it's much appreciated


The Ragley has sat in the shed since the winter, however I recently went out for a local walk and was reminded of how dry the ground is now.

The upshot is that I've been out on it twice this weekend, doing a couple of 12-13 mile loops that's pretty much tripled the mileage the bike had on it. Thankfully everything was still very dry and unsurprisingly I managed to fare infinitely better than previously; although the one slightly damp once-puddle I rode through still managed to fling a ridiculous amount of sloppy mud all over the bike and me

I've managed to find a few routes that are mostly off-road, although there are often obstacles to be overcome such as gates and ridiculously overgrown sections. Being out amongst nature / away from the roads and the inevitable steady flow of dickheads they provide definintely brings a novel sense of calm and tranquility.

Still early days yet but so far I think I've really gelled well with the bike; the fat, grippy tyres, slack head angle and upright position really inspire confidence, while the massive 29in wheels roll over pretty much anything and (along with the fork) really smooth out the ride. I'm not into hardcore technical stuff but I find myself increasingly letting the bike run away with itself down hills as it feels so capable, while it makes crossing rough ground so much more comfortable than any of my other bikes.

Probably a very obvious statement to make but it almost makes progress off-road feel as free and easy as riding on the road - it's not "fast" but doesn't feel as ponderous, taxing and uncomfortable as such terrain doubtless would on less appropriate gear, and on rough hardpack / gravel / grass does give the impression of covering ground pretty quickly and (relatively speaking) effortlessly.

The conspicuously crisp shifting of the SLX drivetrain remains very welcome and my mind was blown last night when I accidentally discovered that the SLX shifter will up-shift by both pulling the lever rearward with the trigger finger or pushing forward with the thumb - which is a nice touch. The drivetrain as a whole feels beautifully refined and buttery smooth on the recently-waxed chain.

I'm still occasionally caught out by the DB8 brakes as the front especially still seems a little binary / grabby, but they seem well put together and I love the little touch of the levers being able to spring forwards; their willingness to get out of the way if suddenly moving fingers forwards from the grips proving useful and contributing towards making the bike feel very user friendly.

The upright position feels less alien than it did although the enormous span of the bars still feels a little un-natural, if not necessarily unwelcome on rough ground. It all feels very well put-together and I'm reminded of how much it should have cost..


So far I've done very little to the bike; managing to lash my GPS head unit offset on the expansive bars as I can't mount in in the middle thanks to the stem geometry.. tempted to get an adaptor 3D printed but the geometry looks a little less-than-straighforward. I still have a set of posh(er) Nukeproof pedals to go on it, although I have zero complaints about the "get you going" cheapies that came with it.

I've been keeping an eye out for bargain bottle cages online (I'm pretty much sold on King stainless items) but have yet to see anything. Might pinch one off the Genesis for the interim as I could do with something sorting if I've going to be riding the bike more. Likewise I still need to sort some frame protection tape - a task I seem very much allergic to.. On top of that I also need to learn about setting up the fork now I have a shock pump - also courtesy of CRC sliding into the sea.


While I think I'm going to end up very much as a fairweather MTBer on account of the mess in the wetter months, the bike has really grown on my since I've been out on it more - now eliciting a smile when I look at it, rather than indifference and maybe even resentment at its cost / the space it takes up / time it demands.

 

[wafter]

Despite ongoing anxiety about the lack of frame protection the Ragley's seen an unprecedented amount of time out of the shed recently on account of the lovely dry weather and lack of any more useable alternative.

Earlier in the week the bike was recommissioned post-winter with some air in the tyres and shock, along with the chain being turned around (the fact the 12s Shimano item fitted is "sided" being previously lost on me). I also fitted a bottle cage temporarily robbed off the Genesis as it's no fun having to stop for a drink..

It's been great to get out. I'm really appreciating how capable the bike is off-road, am doubtless still getting used to geometry and behaviour that were until I got the bike totally alien to me; while fiddling with the suspension has so far brought a marked improvement in how the bike feels.

Having found the fork to be very limp on this year's first ride (presumably having lost some pressure over the winter) its contents was upped from the 37ish psi as discovered to 80psi, which felt much better by comparison but yesterday in isolation seemed a bit hard / harsh so I dropped the pressure a little (no idea how much) while out.

I also ascertained that the compression damping was already set to minimum; where it can stay since for now as it seems to suit travelling relatively slowly over pretty tame terrain. Finally I discovered the rebound damping at the bottom of the fork and backed that off a good few notches as the ride progressed, since the fork seemed to be reacting quite fiercely on the return stroke and damping was apparently initially set close to maximum. Cumulatively this all seems to have made a lot of difference in actually smoothing the front end out for more float and less bounce.

After yesterday's ride I'd dropped the fork's internal pressure further to around 60psi to see how that goes. The indicated value on the fork for a rider mass of 72-83kg is 85-95psi; however I'm not engaging in any gnarly drop-offs while shredding of the sick downhills remains limited... that said if you're used to more road-adjacent rides it is absolutely insane what you can chuck this bike down without it batting an eyelid.

This is the first time I've played with suspension but it seems to be going in the right direction and so far has been pretty rewarding. I'm really impressed by the quality, tunability, capability and accessibility of the fork - perhaps unsurprisingly since it should have retailed for not far off what I paid for the whole bike, while my only frame of reference involves a Raleigh Activator

All this fiddling finally brought a use for the bargain basement Lifeline shock pump I'd plucked from the still-warm corpse of CRC/Wiggle; and I was generally impressed. There's unsurprisingly a fair bit of plastic, however it seems sturdy enough, pretty well put-together and perfectly adequate for the job in hand.

While the pressure required by the fork is broadly within the range available from my track pump (and shockingly it uses a standard Schrader valve), the dedicated pump offers more control thanks to both it's much lower swept volume and clever valve head assy that separates attachment and valve opening on the fork into two operations - meaning precise control over how much air escapes when the pump is detached..

I've now also fitted the bargain CRC-death-spiral Nukeproof pedals that were bought sometime after the bike was acquired. I'd initially left on the cheapie flats that came with it as these were perfectly fit for purpose; however I think these can go on the new Genesis and it seems only fitting that the Ragley gets the on-brand pedals as intended..

Again I'm so far very impressed by the quality of the Nukeproof items and tbh wish I'd bought another set or two..

There were a few issues with the pedal washers but this is simply too boring for even me to bother typing out; suffice to say that fitting took longer than expected and required some fettling..

The pedals could also do with a final torquing operation as the neccessaries are still in my tool box in Oxford thanks to my now clearly self-deafeating "what could I possibly need these bits for over the next five days" thought process when loading the car..


In the 18 months I've had the Ragley it's covered little more than 100 miles and I've always been on the fence as to whether it was a worthwhile purchase; however this week's events have really helped me warm to it and I'm looking forward to getting out on it more over the summer.

Unfortunately despite many inviting routes, Oxford use is likely to be a long way off as I'll need a shed to keep it in and currently even sorting to basics for inside the flat is proving a challenge..