Ragley is a British brand who specializes in hardtails, with a range of five steel and aluminium frames. Ragley's key defining feature is a solid value for money and modern geometry that, in the case of the Bigwig we review here, closely replicates a modern, full-suspension trail/AM design. According to Ragley, the Bigwig is aimed squarely at riders who want a simple, fuss-free and highly capable trail bike.Bigwig Details:• Intended use: trail / enduro
• Wheel size: 29"
• Frame material: 4130 triple-butted steel
• Fork: RockShox Yari, 130mm
• Head angle: 65-degree
• Shimano SLX 11-speed drivetrain
• Brand-X Ascend dropper
• Boost hub spacing
• Weight: 31lb / 14.1kg (large size)
• MSRP: £1,750
• Contact:
Ragley Bikes @ragleybikes About the BigwigIt certainly looks to tick all the right boxes. Ragley takes its geometry seriously, it is, after all, the most important aspect of a bike, regardless of the suspension or lack thereof, and for 2017 the Bigwig 29er grows a longer reach and stand-over increases but retains the same low bottom bracket, 65-degree head angle and short, 435mm chainstays. The simple yet detail-laden steel frame is designed specifically for one-by drivetrains, and the rear axle has been widened to Boost 148mm to provide 27.5+ tire compatibility.
Ragley will sell you the frame on its own for £549.99, or offer the choice of one complete build, as pictured, for £1,749.99. The equipment looks on point for the sort of aggressive riding the Bigwig is intended for. A 130mm RockShox Yari RC fork delivers 130mm of travel. There’s a Shimano 1x11 drivetrain, WTB Vigilante and Trail Boss tires, and a short stem and wide handlebar from Ragley’s house-brand parts.
ConstructionRagley builds the Bigwig with a 4130 steel, triple-butted tube set to save some weight. There’s not much complexity to a suspension-free frame, but this one bristles with smart details. There’s a stout, 44mm diameter head tube and, new for 2017: a Boost 12x148mm rear axle is used to provide extra clearance and rear-end stiffness The Bigwig is also 27.5”+ compatible, with space for up to three inch tires. It’s a smart looking bike, with a simple paint job and tidy decal treatment.
One very neat detail is the "Three-Finger" chainstay bridge which joins the drive-side chainstay to the bottom bracket. It’s designed to provide necessary tire and chainring clearance - something that is no doubt enhanced by the lack of front mech provision. We’ve seen this sort of detail on other hardtails and it’s a nice solution to the issues faced when packaging short chainstays with big tire clearance while maintaining a proper chain line. There are also ISCG 05 tabs around the bottom bracket shell if you want more security than its wide/narrow chainring and clutch-type rear mech provide.
Both the brake hose and gear cables are routed externally, Ragley opting to sling them along the underside of the down tube. The dropper cable though is routed inside the frame. It’s all cleanly done, I’m a fan of external routing for easy maintenance, but I know some people are more concerned by the impact on the aesthetics of the bike. Ragley provides a five-year warranty and a lifetime crash replacement with each frame for some extra peace of mind.
Geometry
Geometry has been a defining feature of previous Ragley bikes, and for 2017 it has updated the Bigwig's numbers to reflect the constantly moving goalposts of mountain bike geometry. The key detail is the increased reach, with Ragley adding 15 to 20mm across the size range. Our size-large test bike had a 465mm reach. That makes for a very roomy cockpit. Ragley has also shortened the seat tube length by 25mm, giving the rider more size choices along with longer dropper-post options. (Ragley only spec'ed a 120mm post on the test bike.)
Other shape-defining numbers including a 65-degree head angle, a 74-degree effective seat angle, and a long, 637.5mm top tube. Ragley specs a 50mm stem on the complete bike, and there’s enough length in the frame that you could probably go shorter. The chainstays are kept reasonably short, at 435mm.
Meaning, "they are designed and tested in the UK", 'not welded there'. Most likely Ragely contracts manufacturing with an Asian company like the other 85% of "designers"!
Source (har har..):
www.sourcebmx.com/en/Frames/c-548.aspx
Also
Bear in mind you can pick up an Alu HT frame for £2-300.....
yup, very overpriced
its generic 4130 as well, not even heat treated True Temper, Reynolds or Columbus?
spend £350-400 on a BMX frame and its very nice tubing with heat treating
hell, my last bmx frame was heat treated tubing and retail £299!
We were buying DMR's taiwanese made 4130 cromo DJ frames 15 years ago for £220..
Nearly bought one. My mate has had about 3 & he loves them.
I never seem to get out gunned when everyone bar me is riding high end full sussers as it is so capable.
I would agree that the frame price is a little in the tasty side but that's industry wide at the moment.
This is literally my go to bike and a have and have had a few decent ones.
Yes it's heavy and pricey but it is such a fun ride. Being from Ireland and riding schlomp for 11 months if the year you kinda want a decent hard tail just so you can keep your carbon race whip alive for more than a season or so
"Steel building pricing is more complicated than you might assume. Steel is a global commodity, and that means the price of steel varies on a daily basis. Prices can be influenced by several factors, including natural disasters, the strength of the American dollar, and the general condition of the world economy. All of which equate to one of the most basic economic rules: supply and demand – the single most important factor in determining the current price of a commodity like steel."
On that; steel prices are dropping out, depending on country and shipping. Steel in the US is mostly Russian steel and in the last three years, the cost trend of steel has been decreasing, yet, while the steel industry cost decrease, the cost of steel frame mountain bikes have not only increased over the last five years, but in the last three years has doubled in consumer cost, in the US anyways.
And with that, if US business who produce steel frames want my money, they are going to have to make it worth my while. So at least with that in mind, there are awesome aggressive steel geo US frames for roughly $500usd that come with 5 and 10 year warranties. Which is nice... As you wont get a 5 year warranty on an aggressive Aluminum geo bike, unless it's some big named DJ brand.
And that's my observation.
I'd never buy an aluminium hardtail, never have, never will. It's just a horrible material to use. Full sus, no troubles, but for a hardtail it's steel or Ti only.
Horses for courses. And a lot of the time you'll get better longer lasting and better performing kit for less money. Sometimes even unused to boot. How does that not equate? I buy new mainly but lightly used if it suits. So long as you're not a total dinlow and buy a complete shed you're doing alright. Plus a lot of people don't have the cash to wave around at new stuff, especially when they know it'll be 40% less in 6 months time when the manufacturer may have added an extra 3mm to it for f*ck all good reason...
Buying UK based Reynolds steel, while sitting in the United Kingdom, would cost a bit more than having Tange shipped. A person in the UK could get Columbus(Italy) steel or Nova steel(Chicago USA) cheaper than a person in the US, as the Pound is stronger than the dollar; while just being slightly higher in cost than Tange steel. US buyers pay big for Reynolds, though, Tange steel has shown to be just as strong and stiff.
Many of the US frame builders like using US steel, as such, many UK builders like using their local steel. Same with Taiwan and Japan. Unfortunately, withing the last 18 years, the pick of US produced steel bicycle tubing has dwindled, and as the demand has outgrown the supply, prices increase. Typically, many mass-manufacturers buy Tange steel as it generally cost less but performs close to Reynolds. Though, some mass-manufacturers and smaller shops that build frames buy Reynolds xxx exclusively. --Tange Champion #4(similar to 531CS) or #5(similar to 653ATB), or Tange Prestige(similar to properties of 725). Anyone, anywhere, who wants True Temper will pay more than any of the other available metals.
www.henryjames.com/about-henry-james.html --Current owners of True Temper
www.cycle-frames.com/bicycle-frame-tubing --Similar quality compared to True Temper, Reynolds and Tange[Nova tubes], but can be heavier.
www.handbuiltbicyclenews.com/c33-tubing/142-true-temper-to-discontinue-bicycle-tubing-line
I don't build frames, I've needed metals for other projects so I learned about some of the differences, inadvertently I learned a little about the economics of metals.
Do 130mm forks normally come with more or less?
Sorry for being today's troll but it made me chuckle a bit
Because you know, a few times it dropped twice!
Infleception.
Can we have a fact check on the "British-made" part of this sub heading please? Ta.
i.imgur.com/15cEwVQ.jpg
I prefer this bike over many of the 3-4k bikes I have in my garage. It flat out gets it and the geo is spot on. So if you can build your own steed, this is one of the best riding and one of the most fun bikes I've ever owned, and that's about 100+ and counting, yes i'm an addict.
Having ridden a modern geo aggressive hardtail earlier in the year I can 100% agree with this. I'm really hoping for a resurgence in simple ,CHEAP modern hardtails to allow more people to get into riding bikes down rough hills.
"there are plenty of good videos that show that, in the right hands, hardtails can be blisteringly fast. "
Also check out some of the Fod DH hardtail race times also the British Enduro Series times, often the hardtails are only a couple of seconds behind the full suss times.
Who would have thought!
Yes, the ride can be overwhelmingly stiff at times, and the weight limits its climbing pace, but those are small grumbles once you get into the bike's happy place - fast, challenging, technical descents, with lots of flowing turns, berms and drops to deal with.
Yes hardtail prices have gone up. A modern DMR hardtail is twice as expensive as what I've got (about ten years old indeed). Why? I don't know. Then again, full sus frame prices have gone up as well, even for aluminium frames. We don't question that, do we?
I wouldn't moan about frame prices really. If the prices for 9sp cassettes and chains went up considerably, well that would be reason for concern as that's what people need to keep their old bike running. But as for frame prices, it is more take it or leave it. The alternatives are there. If you need a proper cheap steel hardtail, get something from On-One (DeeDar or 456). If you're willing to spend more, there are other options.
yeah Curtis, bikes are about the same Shand also. Production Privee, are similarly priced as the Ragley.
There GT looks like a bike.
I could be incorrect though.
Short movie
"https://youtu.be/g7KZza_rS5M"
It's really nice and I got 20% off ! It shreds single track, highly recommended.
It would be interesting to see a "blind" test between steel and aluminum frames. Like maybe send testers out on different bikes with the frames covered up with foam packing protectors.
As for the bikes you recommended, yes indeed for someone looking for a full on downhill bike, that is a much better choice. Thanks for pointing that out.
No shit!
the seat tube extension means a low top tube, i personally much prefer it oer older style high top tube bikes.
as for their length, i'm actually a perfect fit on a medium, 150mm dropper with 28/29" inside leg.
I do run 165 cranks though, Mega BB drop on these!
Some Companies Charge ridicoulus high prices for what the sell...Like Specialized, intense or Ibis. Especially in Europe. I think there is a different in international Tax and how big the Companies wants to grow in the countries they sell theyr stuff.
I am leaving my options open, though. Cotic Solaris, Stanton Switchback and the PP Shan GT are being perused too.
29er with plus is my preference you see.
agreed too. Mechanical properties are very similar. The mix in the alloy cannot differ that greatly.
I have a 27.5 130mm boost version and it's not perfect, but the extra 200gr are not really a problem. I'd rather have that than a revelation. A fox 34 would probably be best in terms of stiffness/weight, not to mention damping.
Plus is the shit on a hardtail, made so much difference once i finally got a proper setup.
Came from a Trailblazer on a Parkwood, this was a revelation
A lot of riders go to trail centres which are often fun but slightly dull and steel rides are perfect for them.
Funnily, a lot of these frames are designed by the same person - well Ragley, On One and Stif anyway.
As long as it rains and the ground remains gritty and shitty, there will be a market for them. I ride my Stanton Switchback more than my carbon Enduro rig
Sad but true
The lovely gentlemen(not sarcasm) at the On-One shop said it must be something wrong with the manufacturers QA. Which I chuckled and said "yeah, there is no QA"!