Wow! Wasn’t expecting to see me in the vid 😂. Just for a point of clarification. I was a bit harsh in my comment. I do still love your content and watch every video! do love the expensive stuff. Hopefully you keep doing both budget and high end mix!
@@EvansMTBSaga of course! Still love your vids and you honestly just seem like a great dude. Loved the new vid! Hope you keep growing and have tons of success! Now go put a dropper on that Ragley 🤣
No idea why anyone cares what kind of helmet you prefer to wear. You’re the one riding, take the precautions you feel is necessary that will benefit you the most.
After riding a full suspension bike for a while now I really miss how sharp a hardtail feels compared to it, you learn to be a way better rider on a hardtail too. Maybe I'll get one again some day. I usually hate the sponsor messages mid-video, but having the actual video content running in a split screen is actually such a good way to do it.
Hi! Just talking about hardtail's ability to train your skills... There was a experiment performed by either GMBN or pinkbike (I'm not sure) which you may find interesting 😉
@@gabrys187 pinkbike did one with Tom Bradshaw, he went from his commencal meta full suspension bike to a hardtail for 30 days and then compared times from before and after on both bikes on the same trail
Yeah I always recommend starting on a hard tail because it helps you learn good habits in mountain biking then when you are ready and get too rough or whatever with a hard tail you go to a full suspension and those habits carry over, whereas if you start on a full suspension your gonna miss out on key elements and probably be a lousy rider
Swapping out parts to fit the bike to you and make your riding experience is not being a snob, it's just being a bike enthusiast and making your ride better. As far as helmets go, wear what makes you feel safe and comfortable. The better and more relaxed you are while riding, the less likely you'll need the helmet to do its intended job.
Swapping out parts makes any bike review absolutely pointless because it's no longer the bike purchased for $940. He added a $1,500 crankset. Half the time he swaps out all kinds of S and still calls it a review. Reviews are for bikes left alone, as purchased, otherwise don't call it a review for so and so bike, call it a review for specific parts.
@@MotoAtheist A crankset which doesn't change anything about how the bike rides.. As stated it even made the bike heavier with the power meter so they weigh about the same so why should that change how it rides? Cranks are so stiff ALWAYS that they don't give at all with bumps. Swapping out the cockpit to something that better fits you also doesn't change the bike itself. It's just like getting the right size frame. Same goes for grips. Not every grip fit's everyone's hands. Tubeless conversion? Can't be called an upgrade as it's meant to be tubeless just that nobody ships bikes already setup this way.
@@kaedeschulz5422 When parts are changed, the original parts are no longer being evaluated for durability, quality, etc. so the review becomes irrelevant to the actual stock bike. Most people who swap out parts are seasoned riders and wouldn't be watching a review video anyway, so who is the video for at that point? And yes, it does change the ride because he swapped to a smaller front ring as well.
@@MotoAtheist No not really. If you wanna know the durability of the cranks for example look specifically for that. On a whole bike the frame is the most important part. If the frame is bad the whole bike handling is bad. You don't choose a different bike just because one has better cranks. You can always change cranks for very cheap if you don't like em. A frame is always expensive.
I completely agree about the full face helmet! Trails can be very harsh and using a lighter helmet isn't very smart imo, especially with mountain trails rather than more maintaned ones or bikeparks
I agree too, I got one when I stating going to the bike parks and haven't really gone back to a half shell since. Most of my local trails are up nice smooth fire roads where I can take it off then down hill all the way back down with no climbing so it doesn't really both me. They're still too hot for trail centre, more XC style riding though.
I definitely recommend the idea of having an enduro bike and an aggressive hard tail. If you wanted to try a steel hard tail, Marino does custom builds for a good price
Changing contact points can make a huge difference to the feel of the bike as well as tire setup. I don't care how expensive your bikes are, I like that you are open to experiment with bikes. To me 2 bikes is the sweet spot. I have a trail bike for my normal mountainbiking and an old 26 inch bike to practice bike control and pumping
THat is a seriously budget build for a Ragley. I've ridden the steel version of this, the Bigwig, a lot and it definitely deserves a refined build and a mid/ high level fork. Will be an excellent upgrade platform I reckon. Fork will, as always make the biggest difference.
I really appreciate the budget builds you do. There are lots of UA-camrs with $6,000 bikes. When hardtail party reviewed the Big Al he said it handled better with a 50mm stem than the 40mm he was used to. And just get a damn dropper
I love the fact that I'm not the only one who ditched half helmets and went with full face, it might be heavier but it could save your head better in case of crash and safety always comes first
I've never worn a half shell helmet since I got into riding in 2021. Maybe I am just used to them as I rode motorbikes as a kid wearing a full face was just natural, I'm always shocked at the sends people do in non-full face helmets. I like my face, plan on keeping it that way lol.
lol. This budget bike was the one I wanted and couldn't afford, with the shipping and import fees pushing the cost up. I ended up getting a Sync'r instead during black friday 50% sale, it gets me out on the trail which means it's good enough! It did come with a dropper and decent pedals which I can't imagine riding without now.
@@ssp.razvanyeah I totally agree the people in the comments saying "for me 200-300 is budget" kinda annoying I get they don’t have much to spend but bikes are expensive
I have a Ragley Big Al for almost 2 years now and it is really good. On the frame geometry i agree it could have a steeper seat sube angle for 1-1.5 degrees more. The rest of the bike I had custom built, so its really good.
Great video! I started on an Axum at the start of covid too. Recently upgraded to a Ripmo AF. You are absolutely right about riding full face. They can weigh barely more than a half shell and offer way more protection. One mistake landing on your face is all you need to see why. Ignore the critics. You should ride anyway you feel safe.
The comment wasn't wrong though lol. He'd say in one video how the cheaper bike was built just right and you don't need expensive parts to have fun. Then literally the next video he would replace all the cheap parts with top end components. A bit contradictory but it's whatever, he's gotta make content.
Great video, it’s easy to get caught up wanting the latest and greatest stuff out there. I like taking something decent and making it better or make it mine with my parts choices. You’re not being snobby at all, keep making great content!
Great video! It’s pretty wild that small changes can make or break how a bike feels. The narrower bars and lower pressures with the tubeless setup is what made this bike feel that much better 🤠
I'm happy to be to a point where Ive learned that those small changes would get the bike running how it should. Let me know if you're coming to ride today or tomorrow!
I have the big Al, mine is the model up though with the marzocchi z2. It's a amazing piece of kit. I must admit though, before I took it on the first ride I made it tubeless, changed grips. Getting the psi right is a game changer on a hardtail. I think your example is one of the reasons I never want a full sus, think I'll just get too hooked on how plush they are and forget how capable and easy a hardtail can be. My other bike is a gravel bike, the two suit my riding nicely.
Had my ragley for 3 years now, truly a do it all kind of bike. Taken it bike packing, on epic rides, tackles steep and gnarly, flowy trails, pump tracks, bmx tracks. And that's not to mention the ease of maintenance and repair costs. I don't miss the full suspension bikes one bit haha
Looks like a pretty decent budget hardtail. IMHO first upgrade I would do is add a dropper, also great that they have the wheels pre-taped for tubeless out of the box. I didn't even know Sun Race made derailleurs. At that price range I would normally expect MicroShift Advent X or Deore 10 speed
Dude I'm the same with the full face, I had a crash a couple months ago that got me on the thumbnail of Friday fails, and if I wasn't wearing a full face I would 100% have a broken jaw. Love the vids too bro!
So glad you talked about using only the full face helmet. I have been exclusively using a FF for a couple years now, even riding on sidewalks. I threw away my half dome so it’s not an option. The comfort is acceptable and the protection is 10X. And yes I live in Iowa and it gets to 100 degrees at times and I wear it, I get just as hot and sweaty as my friends without a FF, that is 100% hot and sweaty. If I get exhausted in the heat and fall at least I’m wearing real protection.
I have a suggestion. If you put a tyre insert like Cush core in the rear you can run really low tyre pressures and still do the knarliest downhill sections . Plus it will protect your rim.
Just got back from a trip to Bentonville I had a great time riding some of those trails on my own bike, a Giant Fathom 1 29 (2021) It's a hardtail with a 130mm air fork and 2.6 inch tubeless tires I knew I didn't have the ability to ride Cease and Desist because I haven't ridden anything like it before (I live in west Michigan where we have sandy XC trails) but I sized up the Drop the Hammer drop and, while I didn't hit it, thought it looked completely manageable on my bike. My main reason for not hitting it was my riding gear, just a half shell and a XC race jersey, nothing that would protect me if I messed up. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, you have a lot more confidence in hardtails when it's all you've ridden. I didn't look at anything on my trip and think "I'd hit that if I had a full suspension" but rather "I'd hit that if I had practice on features like this" On a separate note, while I didn't have the experience or confidence for a lot of the jump trails, I found the climbs to be rather enjoyable, specifically Copperhead Road, I'm a lot stronger than most people in places like Bentonville so I found myself passing ebikers on climbs even on my 5th or 6th lap of something like thunder dome. The takeaway from this being, your confidence in your equipment and own abilities, as well as your training, is always more important than how much travel you have.
Thanks for the comment! Copperhead Road is a blast to climb. I do it every once in a while because it reminds me of my old home trails in Phoenix. Gotta stay sharp on tech climbing! That's cool to hear your perspective on sizing up the trails. I did the same when I first visited and said no way was I going to hit DTH without a full face. If you come back shoot me a message on IG and we can ride!
That helmet is badass, I would not go back either. PLEASE do not let haters hold you back!! You ride whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want….just keep making quality content like you always do. Just remember to not lose focus on what makes YOU happy. Looking forward to the next video drop
Still loving my Trek Marlin 5. My first MTB and ill use it till I cant no more. Does everything I need it to. Took it on a super rough 20 mile trail and it held very well. Decent bike and a good rider makes all the difference.
I'm looking at a couple Diamondbacks like the hook in the hatch I believe but the Kona dome as well I'm looking to spend around 600 bucks and I was looking at getting the Trek Marlin 5 generation 2???? After seeing these I'm thinking about to get any more cuz I have it in baby blue which is one of my favorite colors
Love the way you incorporated the element ad with footage of your work. I respect that. Good job! Oh, and yeah, a little snobby. Not many people can spend even $1000 on a "budget" bike. Love the info. Thanks and thumbs up.
Got the exact same frame and I love it. If you go back to back between the meta and the ragley I'm sure you'll notice the suppleness. Also I've never ridden a better cornering hardtail so I got a bit worried when you had cornering issues :) Great value bike, that frame should cost way more for how well it handles.
There should be zero judgment on the helmet worn, that comes down to personal preference and in part style of riding. In my 20's I raced BMX, full faces weren't mandatory, but everyone wore one. In the last few years I've gotten into mountain biking, and this offseason purchased a full face. I wanted something that offered more protection when I was doing faster (to me) descents, but also offered breathability and light weight for wearing during climbs. It may look "extreme" wearing a full face in some settings, but if it's a comfort thing for you personally, go for it. It's a "you do you" sort of thing in my books. My wife calls me a bike snob. But she doesn't understand bikes in the sense she can't understand/appreciate the difference between the big box stores and what's available at the LBS. It took me a while to realize that too myself. In my first attempt to get into MTB, I bought an entry level GT Aggressor from a local big box store and I absolutely hated it and sold it after a few months. A couple years later I increased my budget and bought myself a used Kona Process 134 and it's an absolute joy to ride. To me, a bike snob is someone that is biased towards specific brands , refuses to consider economical component upgrades and always wanting the best of the best product even if it isn't what is best suited for them personally, etc. Your example here, buying a "budget bike" and making some upgrades due to personal preference/performance, is not snobbish in any way, it's realistic. Wanting to make any bike suitable to your personal preference is just normal. Enjoy the content, keep it going!
In my eyes, it is absolutely fine having multiple bikes!!! I have a "bike problem" too - Niner Rigid SS, an old Klein Road Bike, Cannondale "Townie" bike, Surly Bikepacking rig, REEB Hardtail, and my new one, a REEB SST full suspension...AND I want at least three more! I've built them all up from the frame up. So, they've been a lot cheaper than buying complete bikes. Some have even been eBay buys N+1
I am definitely glad to see you break yourself out of the "the more expensive the bike the better it will perform" mindset. I was beginning to think you had forgotten that it should always be about the ride, not the bike! I still enjoy riding the crap out of my five '92-'04 Cannondale's. Yeah I know the haters will say the Cannondale is hardly a budget brand, but the only one I ever purchased at full price way my 1992 M700 that I bought brand new in 1992 and STILL ride it! I did recently build up a NIB 2020 Cannondale Habit frame though because as much as I love riding a 2001 Jekyll with a Lefty fork on the trails and the crazy looks I get while doing it. I am getting very reluctant to really send the bike because a 22 yr old Lefty is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find repair/replacement parts for the fork. So to avoid the wear and tear, I built up a more modern 2020 Habit frame. Gotta say, the improvements in geometry do make the ride feel different and more easy to repair if I should happen to break anything. I would love to see more about your impressions of the SRAM DB8 brakes though. I use SRAM 12 speed drivetrains on nearly all my bikes and have been considering adding the DB8's since I like the idea of an all SRAM bike. I use Magura MT5's on all my bikes so I wonder how they'd feel and perform against them. I still think SRAM has been in error by sticking to DOT fluid brake and the maintenance hassles that come with them.
Great video. As a big Al fan, you had me at the edge of my seat the whole time. I was waiting for this video and it's banger. Worth the wait. But don't let th haters calling you a bike snob. Put a good fork and droper on that bad boy. Edit: and 30 psi!?! No wonder why the bike felt the way it did and screw the hates talking shit about full face helmets.
No snootery about upgrading a built bike - there will always be bits that dont suit you (or often the bike) and especially on an emtry level. I have in fact recently bought my own budget hardtail which comes preetty well specced - RockShox FS-35 Gold air sprung fork, shimano hydralic brakes, 12 speed shimano drive train - but still needed upgrades including grips, going tubeless, dropper, and pedals to make it a genuinely decent bike. Will upgrade tyres as soon as justifiable for a bit more width and grip up front but otherwise will let wear and tear do its thing before i upgrade any other bits.
I want you to try something: buy a frame, whatever you want. Next, buy only parts in the mid level for cost. You get to enjoy nice parts you find used, and building a bike from the ground up. I think that not having a budget, but being sensitive to price is a good way to enjoy building and riding, and not let money get to your head. You will also be riding a bike we can relate to, something with used parts, and stuff that most of us might have on our bikes.
Ragley are really a frames company, that's what they were always known for but good on them making their frames available as full builds for those not sure about building their own bike. I bought a Ragley Marley frame which I thought was a better buy than a Nukeproof Scout and built it up with Rockshox Revelations, custom built wheels, dropper, SLX kit, etc and it's a little hooligan, hardcore hardtail for sure and I dont feel as if I need (or want) anything else. p.s. forgot to add I run it tubeless too.
This is comical cuz a lot of the people that say you should go back to budget bikes said the opposite back in the day when your channel was new. I’m not a hater (infact your my favourite UA-camr), but it’s true that the videos went from dissing Chads to reviews of expensive stuff. At the end it doesn’t matter if it’s a video about budget parts, expensive parts, or just riding, I love all kinds of videos you make!
Oh yeah for sure, putting myself in a box of budget only would get boring after a while. It's funny I went from dissing Chads to wanting to explore Enduro racing
@@EvansMTBSaga btw i have the sram db8 brakes on my canyon neuron, and they are surprisingly good for the price! I have no plans to change them to the codes
Big Al is the best hardtail I've ridden. I would 100% agree that it's more compliant. I got rid of a Chromag Stylus, a steel frame, for the Big Al and then took said Big Al down Noble Canyon. It was amazing. If you have a problem with that bike you should probably just stop riding. Honestly, I don't think you're a snob. I think you're spoiled. There's a difference. It's REALLY hard to enjoy a Rockshox 35 when you know what a Factory Fox with a Push conversion feels like and you can afford one. Haters gonna hate. Please put a dropper on that thing.
Haha I might say that in the next video. Urge people to not get top tier suspension because it'll ruin you forever. It's crazy how Ragley figured out how to make a more compliant frame than a steel hardtail. But I have bad news, the next video where I upgrade the Ragley I'm still not putting a dropper on it 😂😂 you'll have to see why
@@EvansMTBSaga I was equally surprised at how compliant the frame is, especially compared to steel and I was a steel fanatic. I thought the Stylus was amazing and the Big Al killed it. I've not ridden another hardtail the compares to the Big Al. I have an El Roy and YelliScreamy right now and they're both nice but neither frame, alone, is as nice. The El Roy is compliant but heavy and slow feeling. The Canfield is efficient, fast and lighter feeling but it's harsh. As soon as one pops up in a color scheme I like I'm grabbing it.
Ok so my opinion on this bike.. I had a 2017 Cannondale Cujo with 3.0 tires, a 2019 Stumpjumper ST, a Marin San Quentin 1 with 40mm wheels and 2.6 tires, then a 2020 Marin Rift Zone 1. Went back to hardtail. After watching Steve's review of this bike, I had high hopes this bike was gonna be God's gift to the hardtail world. So I bought it. I definitely don't think it's as smooth as I thought. I think plus tires are the best thing ever for hardtails. I want cushcore but I'm gonna wait until the stock tires wear out and get some wider wheels with some 2.6's. My favorite bike I've owned was the Cannondale. I miss the 3.0 tires but you can't really jump around too much with fat tires and low tire pressure. So 29x2.6 with some cushcore would make this bike perfect. But it's much more harsh than I expected it to be
I have a full suspension and a hardtail. My hardtail is a Ragley Blue Pig ( the MMBop is the aluminum budget version) and I love it. I’ll take both my full suspension Sentinel and my Ragley to the the Bike Park. The Ragleyis so fun on blue trails! The Blue Pig carves corners! The best upgrade anyone can do is a dropper post. Makes riding so much more enjoyable! A budget bike with the right upgrades can be amazing! Keep up the great videos!
Nothing wrong with wanting better bikes and components. Most people who Mountain Bike get better and progress, like you. And sometimes your bike holds you back, which is why you upgrade and get better components. Yes sometimes MTB do get carried away and become bike snobs. But it's hard to go back to budget when you already know what at good bike can do. It's different when people buy components outside their capabilities. Or buy parts that way out of their budget. But then again who cares coz it's your money. It's like a Coil fork and then going to Air fork. You're not gonna go back to Coil. Good video as always.
Suppleness from a hardtail is basically splitting hairs. However, it can be perceived, and is real. I had an aluminum Rockhopper many years ago, before disc brakes, and it was super stiff. My feet would get numb from the vibration. I had a different aluminum bike, and I didn't notice a harshness at all. Compared to full suspension, no comparison! I rediscovered hardtail riding, after a full suspension for years, and really love it again. Glad you are enjoying it too. Get the dropper post!
I think you should do a type of high low series that you buy an expensive frame and a cheap frame, on the cheap frame, you put expensive parts on it, and with the expensive, you cheap parts on it
I can understand that some people may not like expensive bikes (let's be honest, likely because they can't afford them and that's ok) but this "how dare you" and "you changed" mentality is not helping anyone. I recently bought a bike that's really above my means in many regards an I'm absolutely stoked - and more importantly, MY BACK is stoked. I've been riding rough stuff for years and it's taken a toll on my lower body. Since I bought a full sus it's just been an absolute dream. Much less fatigue overall and much more enjoyable because of it. So no, it's not snobbery it's really about making the best out of the time you have to ride.
Not a snob. But also not yet a hardtail veteran. Everything on a hardtail contributes to the ride when you don't have rear suspension. 2.6 tires. XC CushCore on the rear. Even the midsoles of the shoes you use with flat pedals are important. Adidas BASF Boost cancels out vibrations through the bottoms of your feet. No more numb feet after a couple hours of riding non-flow. And the fork is also a major factor. The Recon Motion Control damper is limited and can't be upgraded because of the inner dimension of the stanchions.
I owned a Big Al for 5 months 240 miles of riding. It was a spectacular bike until it wasn’t. The seat tube cracked at the dropper cable entry point. This is not an isolated issue on just my frame. Buying new has its perks - warranties are great.
And i don't complain about my 360+€ MTB. Oh well. And the under/oversteer thing could be because you're used to the back compressing when you go into a berm.
Evan, I love the riding footage of this video! Personally I don't think you need the speedometer and all that data, I'm more then happy just seeing it how it is like this video, and if it is really relevant to the video(Power or speed or time) you could just put that in the corner. But overall I don't think it adds much and i'm sure it takes up your valuable time to add it.
I've bought my fancy full sus mtb in late 2021 used, and i love it. Still, sometimes i love to go out with my commuter bike (a 90's rigid mtb) and i just love to be underbiked and ride the usual trails with way more challenge. So i guess going back to hardtail wouldn't be bad at all. The only thing i would NEVER give up is a dropper post. Absolutely the best mtb invention after suspension forks and disk brakes
Got my first MTB in 2020 during COVID. $500 hard tail from my local bike shop. 9mm qr wheels, 100mm suspension (spring) good times! Since then I’ve upgraded every single part on the bike (:
I think it's stupid to call anyone a bike snob because they appreciate nice components or bikes, or on the flip side, that they're "basic" because they ride a stock setup. This sport is all about personal preferences, and if you can get nice parts that's your call. If you're happy with your bike, no matter what you spent on it, good for you. As long as you're not making your kids go hungry so you can put on a fancy part, more power to you. We don't need any gatekeeping here, whether it's "you're not a real MTBer without AXS," or "you're a snob if you don't ride a budget hardtail." Have fun, help others out, enjoy the outdoors; that's what I'm about.
Nice bike, It will be interesting to see if the rear derailleur holds up. I guess you did not like the longer stock stem, it makes you swing the bar instead of rotate it. No wonder it felt weird. Things I wish Ragley implemented: more larger sizes, for it to fit me I would need to slam stem and use high riser bar, and the stock stem or longer adjustable sliding dropouts to adjust chain stay. would be nice with barrel nuts at post mount for easy repair if threads get destroyed. Upgrade I would do: dropper post, oval chain ring, oval bash guide. but those are must have features for me. but I would test the stock parts see how they do.
I just pared down from 6 bikes to 4. I have a trail FS, a road bike, a fat bike, and a commuter hardtail. I do miss having a trail hardtail, and maybe in the future I'll get one again. I hear awesome things about the Ragley Mmbop.
Hardtail essentials if you are going to ride hard. Dropper post and clip pedals. Clips because you will bounce around more. My Ragley Big Al has a mullet wheel setup plus Tannus tyre armour for tubes, running 2.6" Maxxis Minions @ 18psi rear and 12psi rear. So important with a hardtail to get the tyre casing wall tensions appropriate.
Haha it's funny you mentioned that. Ive upgraded the bike now, just posted that video I hope you check it out. But I have Specialized Ground Control tires now and I swapped the front with the back because the side wall is stiffer on the T7 compared to the T5. I dig those stiffer side walls now, I've even been running super gravity tires on the Enduro and I love not folding the tire in turns
Impressive seeing those parts on a budget mtb. Usually the ones around 900$ like a trek, u get mt2000, Suntour coil fork, and basic drivetrain with a clutch.
I wouldnt call this Ragley a "budget" bike but I guess it depends if you live in eastern Europe or not:P Regarding full face helmet - if you're an adult, have a family, have a job that requires you to get up in the morning each day - I'd say wear as much protection as you possibly can. It's not worth loosing teeth or breaking jaw/ribs/collar bones. People often forget mountain biking is still an extreme sport. It's very easy to say you dont need FF or other protective gear for flow trails and its true.. until you crash :P
I think the five parts I’d change immediately on any bike I get would be tires, grips, bar, stem, and pedals. Outside of that I’d happily run whatever came stock on the bike until it breaks.
dont let the full face hating people bother you....makes you stonger and keeps you warmer in the winter...makes your neck stronger too...which will also help in a crash...and having a strong neck makes you look diesel ... i ride full face too...went back to a half shell recently for every now and then riding but i use the full face most of the time...white onza porcupines would look good on that bike..i got a orange crush...similar-- want a mmbop frame next
For Bentonville I can't fathom needing an enduro bike there. A trail bike with good geo, something like a Transition Smuggler or Trek Fuel EX is about perfect for there.
I really like hardtails because you can dress them up and kit them with the top tier stuff on the market, or just run F'ing Deore and still have a great experience. The best thing is that the more premium hardtails really only improve on the geometry for a target type of riding. The lower/budget ones tend to cast the widest net and make it as versatile as possible. My favorite hardtail of all time is my '16 Santa Cruz Chameleon with the rocker dropouts to run singlespeed or geared. Its fast and smooth with great build quality. I believe I paid $750 for the frame and was coming off a Honzo ST. The sage and purple colorway aesthetic is just amazing IMO. Its not built up with anything spectacular for a trailbike....GX drivetrain, RS Revelation RCT3 and XT brakes. It does need new wheels as it was fed the OEMs from my Ibis which were somewhat poorly built w/ spoke tension....which brings me the biggest problem w/ most budget HTs...the wheels. In the end though, its a simple reliable bike that's fun to ride..and that's really what its about.
I just bought some F'ing Deore to rebuild my gen1 Ragley Blue pig, and am looking forward to it! I've had wheels that had trouble with holding tension and unscrewed each spoke and applied boiled linseed oil to the treads of each spoke then retensioned. I had never attempted something like it before but it was fairly easy to re-true the wheel and it held a true super well afterwards.
First time seeing your videos! Cool to see a youtuber riding our local trails. I was a hardtail rider for a long time and Copperhead Road is a rough tech climb on them. Much easier on the full sus for sure. Looping fireline was much nicer on the hardtail though, the jumps are more fun to me and the climb back to the hub was much easier without the extra weight and less pedal power getting robbed by suspension.
I think it’s the natural progression of riding. I started riding on a Walmart bike. Broke that, got a nishiki 29er. Rode that for a year. Went on a deployment and ordered a bunch of parts cause I couldn’t find a new bike due to covid. Then I got my hands on a nucleus (heavily due to your videos) and now I’m looking to build a tricked out steel full sus. Don’t let the haters get to you. Love the content.
Agreed about natural progression. Id add that natural progression will lead you to a 10k bike sometimes that is underwhelming and then you end up at a $3k-5k bike
I had a $200 hot pink (light purple) pro hustler in 1985 and I loved it. It ended up being stolen twice. I'm 49 and just got a Trek Roscoe 8 in an XL frame. It immediately brought me back to my childhood. No offense to the GTs and Diamondbacks I'vce had over the years but the Trek with the boost and through axles make the bike super stable. I am a tall and heavy rider too and my XL GT agressor PRO with 27.5 " wheels jjust doesnt hold a candle to the trek with 29" wheels.
If you get the ragley 1.0, get a better drive chain a dropper, better wheels and get a z2 fork. Just make it tubeless and have a massively capable and fun bike.
I bought a Ragley Big Al Frame in 2021 after Steve @hardtailparty reviewed it and talked about how good it was for the price. I had been riding FS for many years and got in the HT game for local trail because my Reign SX was too much bike. The Big Al is a fun bike. I love it. But I haven't taken it on any features that big so this was a great video. It's one of my favorite for sure. I didn't really mind your nicer bikes but having fun on less expensive bikes is more interesting. Those Boutique parts look good most dont improve riding. Glad to see this type of vid though I would upgrade the fork :)
The helmet criticism is amusing. I wear a full face helmet even when I'm just tooling around on mild trails. I like my face and I'm not interested in paying a dentist to build a new set of teeth for me, thank you very much.
Was very happy to see the Ragley!! I was in the process of getting a hardtail as well and the decision was between this, the nukeproof scout and the Dartmoor hornet, went with the last one. I was coming from fully, never ridden a hardtail in a long time, but unlike your first impression mine was actually really good! Still have to hit some harder stuff, but for now I am really happy! Oh yeah, I didn't buy a complete bike but instead built it up, what I had to get was only the frame. Oh yeah, personally I find the upgrades u did are the right ones, everyone would pretty much do the same
Everyone starts out with budget bikes/components because you're just getting your feet wet its hard to justify the expensive bikes/parts and you aren't riding trails/features yet that might demand more robust and capable parts. I don't think your a snob at all, you've progressed to a point where the trails you ride have higher demands/consequences and you feel more confident and ride those trails faster/safer when you're on a bike with your preferred components. I love seeing you build up budget bikes with mid/high end spec parts, and hope you continue to do so. Very impressive this bike came with 3c minions, boost front/rear, sram 4pot brakes, and a rockshox recon up front for under $1000, hope other bike manufacturers are paying attention. That is better value than the budget hardtails from polygon, marin, vitus, trek, etc. If you're okay with the drivetrain, the only thing this bike really needs now is a dropper and a pike up front and it could be a great hardcore hardtail for under $2000 total which is still fairly budget friendly.
I ride a Big Al. I was worried at the start that youvwere going to miss out on the awesomeness! Glad you felt it at the end. Absolute screamer of a bike! I would say for watchers that getting the upgrade version is worth it as the fork is considerably better and there's a decent dropper. So well worth the price difference. Great content as always. Thanks!
MTB is no different than anything else. When your skills improve you're going to want better equipment to keep up. My friend can ride a Schwinn Axum and be fine but i will either break it, hurt myself, or both. In the end if you're happy then i'm happy.
Happy to see the Big Al getting some publicity. I'm hoping more people in the US getting them will get Ragley to offer them directly like the other Chain Reaction brands Nukeproof and Vitus. I got a Big Al 2.0, got a dropper and swapped the fork for a Pike Select- also like Evan swapped the bars for the PNW ones. I am not an experienced MTBer but it rides very well for me.
@@EvansMTBSaga Yes! Agree it made a big difference. I also got a great deal on the Nukeproof Horizon V2 wheelset, which has a much higher engagement hub, but I have yet to put those on as I got them over the winter. Oh, and of course I put some pedals from Amazon on there.
Wanting a high end bike and parts is what every rider wants. And does not make anyone a snob. But people also should have fun with what they can afford and save up for what they want. You should just stay the course of being a pretty "every man" mtb you tuber and give honest reviews of products at all price points. If something is cheap and works, great, if it's expensive but not worth it or just plain sucks well, that's how it is. I think your channel is good and gives a more realistic look at what most people can expect from getting into mtb.
As a moto and mtb guy I’d never down someone for going full face helmet. But, when you put on the roll-off goggles I got a chuckle out of that. Only ever run roll-off systems in mud races.
i used to do smaller dirt jumps with an open face and then i crashed, broke my nose and a lot of bones on the right side of my face, always wear a full face when hitting jumps
There are some very fun HTs to be had for around a kilobuck. I ride my Polygon Xtrada-6 more than I ride my multi-thousand-dollar FS because it climbs like a goat and is generally faster. Also, it hones my skills; when my back tire is pinging to the side off of rocks, roots and little stumps, and I don't fall, I know I am doing it right. The down side is that drops to flat much over a foot high can get harsh.
Budget bikes are fine, they're perfectly capable in the right hands. Expensive gear is not required, you don't need a carbon bike for your local trails or a fancy fork to hit a jump.
I have a rocky mountain instinct. My 1st full suspension. The only thing i did was upgrade the rear suspension to a rock shox super deluxe ultimate. Now, I have my eye on a Poseidon Norton. Ill upgrade the forks to Marzocchis. Both for two different syles of riding i do. Plus, I'm restomodding a 97 Mongoose to ride around the neighborhood. All these local Chads are like "A Mongoose?!" Trust me, that (legit non-Walmart) Mongoose has some serious miles on it and a storied history as its been ridden in Waco, Belton, Austin, San Antonio, and Bandera Texas. I just tell them if they have such a problem with it then they can go buy me the bike of their choosing (like a $4k santa cruz or something). That usually shuts them up. Point is, you do you, and dont let those critics talk smack about your bikes , your gear, or your helmet. Theyre just insecure. Oh and im an 80s kid so helmets are optional. Ha ha. Lets see which snow flake get triggered.
Buying a used higher end mountain bike that may have some deferred maitenance can be a much better value depending on CListings locally. A reputable bike shop oowner who was retiring gave me this advice when I asked how to get the most bike for the least cost. Insted of the new $1000 Marin bike I wanted I found a Specialized alloy full suspendsion with comp grade components, dropper and tubeless same price. That eas three years ago and since then I have built and maintained several other bikes. I ride a low end hardtail with upgraded compoenents but its a perfect fit. Learning bike mechanic basics is really the best investment of time and money I wish I made sooner. Low end bikes can be great but often have heavy frames which most riders will want to ditch iif they are riding regularly and in shape.I am sure it varies regionally but in CA $1000 will get you a lot of MTB at or above Deore grade.
Having done motorcycle trials on a trial bike I can see the points you are making with making jumps with a bicycle. Extreme trail riding needs full suspension and an electric motor for sure.
I still ride a 15 year old entry level Specialized that's at least one if not two sizes too small for me that I bought used on Craigslist. I have no idea what makes someone a bike snob, I say do what makes you happy. All I know is I aspire to someday own what most people in the MTB community apparently consider to be "budget bikes."
I think the work you do to dial a bike in to your riding style and fit is a great thing any rider can take with them on any bike. . .budget to big-shot.
End of the day it’s about getting out and just riding. It shouldn’t matter what people say, they’ve picked the bike(s) they’re happy with. You’ve picked the bike(s) you’re happy with.
For 900 bucks that's a pretty solid deal. You have a really great base to modify on and parts that are great to keep. I'd say all this bike really needs is a dropper. Once things start breaking then you replace them. It also looks pretty cool!
Wow! Wasn’t expecting to see me in the vid 😂. Just for a point of clarification. I was a bit harsh in my comment. I do still love your content and watch every video! do love the expensive stuff. Hopefully you keep doing both budget and high end mix!
B W you came back! Heck yeah. I hope you liked the video and thanks for the idea/inspiration
@@EvansMTBSaga of course! Still love your vids and you honestly just seem like a great dude. Loved the new vid! Hope you keep growing and have tons of success! Now go put a dropper on that Ragley 🤣
Also are those grips going to come out for us to buy? They look sick
Bro switched up real quick
@@mtbpeen9899 People do that all the time, it's cringe.
No idea why anyone cares what kind of helmet you prefer to wear. You’re the one riding, take the precautions you feel is necessary that will benefit you the most.
I get why most mtb presenters use half shell. It just looks better on camera. But in the end it's your life. I wear my ff on every mtb ride.
They only time people should care is if someone is wearing no helmet or an unsafe helmet. Being extra safe shouldn't bother people!
There are certain States in the Summer that wearing a full helmet is considered a torture.
Yes, no big deal. I would also think as an ex-nurse, you would be more focused on protection after seeing some injuries.
True😂 if he feels to wear that, no one cares
Ok I ABSOLUTELY LOVE how you kept video content running through your ad read with the split screen. Wish more people would do that
After riding a full suspension bike for a while now I really miss how sharp a hardtail feels compared to it, you learn to be a way better rider on a hardtail too. Maybe I'll get one again some day.
I usually hate the sponsor messages mid-video, but having the actual video content running in a split screen is actually such a good way to do it.
Hi!
Just talking about hardtail's ability to train your skills... There was a experiment performed by either GMBN or pinkbike (I'm not sure) which you may find interesting 😉
@@gabrys187 pinkbike did one with Tom Bradshaw, he went from his commencal meta full suspension bike to a hardtail for 30 days and then compared times from before and after on both bikes on the same trail
Yeah I always recommend starting on a hard tail because it helps you learn good habits in mountain biking then when you are ready and get too rough or whatever with a hard tail you go to a full suspension and those habits carry over, whereas if you start on a full suspension your gonna miss out on key elements and probably be a lousy rider
@@sufyanm4661 yep, that's the one I'm talking about 😁
@@sufyanm4661 times and skills aren’t necessarily the same thing…not sure why nobody seems to understand this
Swapping out parts to fit the bike to you and make your riding experience is not being a snob, it's just being a bike enthusiast and making your ride better.
As far as helmets go, wear what makes you feel safe and comfortable. The better and more relaxed you are while riding, the less likely you'll need the helmet to do its intended job.
Nah this guy is 100% a bike snob
Swapping out parts makes any bike review absolutely pointless because it's no longer the bike purchased for $940. He added a $1,500 crankset. Half the time he swaps out all kinds of S and still calls it a review. Reviews are for bikes left alone, as purchased, otherwise don't call it a review for so and so bike, call it a review for specific parts.
@@MotoAtheist A crankset which doesn't change anything about how the bike rides.. As stated it even made the bike heavier with the power meter so they weigh about the same so why should that change how it rides? Cranks are so stiff ALWAYS that they don't give at all with bumps. Swapping out the cockpit to something that better fits you also doesn't change the bike itself. It's just like getting the right size frame. Same goes for grips. Not every grip fit's everyone's hands. Tubeless conversion? Can't be called an upgrade as it's meant to be tubeless just that nobody ships bikes already setup this way.
@@kaedeschulz5422 When parts are changed, the original parts are no longer being evaluated for durability, quality, etc. so the review becomes irrelevant to the actual stock bike. Most people who swap out parts are seasoned riders and wouldn't be watching a review video anyway, so who is the video for at that point? And yes, it does change the ride because he swapped to a smaller front ring as well.
@@MotoAtheist No not really. If you wanna know the durability of the cranks for example look specifically for that. On a whole bike the frame is the most important part. If the frame is bad the whole bike handling is bad. You don't choose a different bike just because one has better cranks. You can always change cranks for very cheap if you don't like em. A frame is always expensive.
I completely agree about the full face helmet! Trails can be very harsh and using a lighter helmet isn't very smart imo, especially with mountain trails rather than more maintaned ones or bikeparks
I agree too, I got one when I stating going to the bike parks and haven't really gone back to a half shell since.
Most of my local trails are up nice smooth fire roads where I can take it off then down hill all the way back down with no climbing so it doesn't really both me.
They're still too hot for trail centre, more XC style riding though.
I definitely recommend the idea of having an enduro bike and an aggressive hard tail. If you wanted to try a steel hard tail, Marino does custom builds for a good price
Oh yeah my superfan Eugene told me about those last night. Aggressive Hardtail and Enduro bike is the perfect line up!
Hardtail Party liked the alloy Big Al over steel Big Wig since alloy version is almost as compliant as steel.
My big Al rides as good as my steel Kona honzo esd.
@@EvansMTBSaga love my Marino
Yep.. Spot on. I do the same. Norco Sight and a Merida Big Trail.
Changing contact points can make a huge difference to the feel of the bike as well as tire setup. I don't care how expensive your bikes are, I like that you are open to experiment with bikes. To me 2 bikes is the sweet spot. I have a trail bike for my normal mountainbiking and an old 26 inch bike to practice bike control and pumping
For most, a capable FS and a zippy hard tail is everything one needs to have it all these days.
This is Vsauce with a MTB channel
“MTBsauce - EVAN HERE!”
THat is a seriously budget build for a Ragley. I've ridden the steel version of this, the Bigwig, a lot and it definitely deserves a refined build and a mid/ high level fork. Will be an excellent upgrade platform I reckon. Fork will, as always make the biggest difference.
I really appreciate the budget builds you do. There are lots of UA-camrs with $6,000 bikes. When hardtail party reviewed the Big Al he said it handled better with a 50mm stem than the 40mm he was used to. And just get a damn dropper
I just wanna say that you are my favorite person to watch hit jumps, just the style that you've adopted from BMX is just so cool and satisfying
Thanks Brayden! I'm glad to have brought the style over. I hadn't speed jumped in like 4-5 years. Once I started again it's so satisfying 😄
I love the fact that I'm not the only one who ditched half helmets and went with full face, it might be heavier but it could save your head better in case of crash and safety always comes first
I've never worn a half shell helmet since I got into riding in 2021. Maybe I am just used to them as I rode motorbikes as a kid wearing a full face was just natural, I'm always shocked at the sends people do in non-full face helmets.
I like my face, plan on keeping it that way lol.
@@grounddodger3212 exactly
lol. This budget bike was the one I wanted and couldn't afford, with the shipping and import fees pushing the cost up. I ended up getting a Sync'r instead during black friday 50% sale, it gets me out on the trail which means it's good enough! It did come with a dropper and decent pedals which I can't imagine riding without now.
nice man, I've had my Sync'r for a few years now and I absolutely love it
That's what one of my buddies ended up doing as well in looking right now and said the same thing holy cow 350 dolla shipping
How the hell is a $900 Hardtail budget bike? I'm thinking $400-$500 is a budget Hardtail....
Where does one acquire a 400 dollar hardtail
Mines $200 brand new 😅@@Tralblzr
@@Tralblzrfacebook
@@Tralblzrsecond hand?
@@Tralblzr decathlon
Ragleys are dope they just price them were they should be.
Going for $940 on sale for 3 months now
I've got 2 Ragleys. They are awesome bikes for the price. They are clearing way for the 2023's right now. Great deals.
Bruh since when is 900$ budget?
That’s definitely budget, mine’s over 8k.
my bike is like 2k and is considered a budget bike for enduro so yeah 900 is budget
@@ssp.razvanyeah I totally agree the people in the comments saying "for me 200-300 is budget" kinda annoying I get they don’t have much to spend but bikes are expensive
I have a Ragley Big Al for almost 2 years now and it is really good. On the frame geometry i agree it could have a steeper seat sube angle for 1-1.5 degrees more. The rest of the bike I had custom built, so its really good.
Great video! I started on an Axum at the start of covid too. Recently upgraded to a Ripmo AF. You are absolutely right about riding full face. They can weigh barely more than a half shell and offer way more protection. One mistake landing on your face is all you need to see why. Ignore the critics. You should ride anyway you feel safe.
The comment wasn't wrong though lol. He'd say in one video how the cheaper bike was built just right and you don't need expensive parts to have fun. Then literally the next video he would replace all the cheap parts with top end components. A bit contradictory but it's whatever, he's gotta make content.
My opinion: it is 100% not a snob thing to upgrade a couple parts. Especially a dropper post. Best upgrade, period.
You might’ve underestimated how much those clipless pedals change the hardtail game. First mod I always do on a HT
Great video, it’s easy to get caught up wanting the latest and greatest stuff out there. I like taking something decent and making it better or make it mine with my parts choices. You’re not being snobby at all, keep making great content!
Great video! It’s pretty wild that small changes can make or break how a bike feels. The narrower bars and lower pressures with the tubeless setup is what made this bike feel that much better 🤠
I'm happy to be to a point where Ive learned that those small changes would get the bike running how it should. Let me know if you're coming to ride today or tomorrow!
I have the big Al, mine is the model up though with the marzocchi z2. It's a amazing piece of kit. I must admit though, before I took it on the first ride I made it tubeless, changed grips. Getting the psi right is a game changer on a hardtail. I think your example is one of the reasons I never want a full sus, think I'll just get too hooked on how plush they are and forget how capable and easy a hardtail can be. My other bike is a gravel bike, the two suit my riding nicely.
Ragley doin the Lord's work putting out real bikes at this price point. I have an older Marley with some upgrades and love that thing
Had my ragley for 3 years now, truly a do it all kind of bike.
Taken it bike packing, on epic rides, tackles steep and gnarly, flowy trails, pump tracks, bmx tracks.
And that's not to mention the ease of maintenance and repair costs.
I don't miss the full suspension bikes one bit haha
Looks like a pretty decent budget hardtail. IMHO first upgrade I would do is add a dropper, also great that they have the wheels pre-taped for tubeless out of the box. I didn't even know Sun Race made derailleurs. At that price range I would normally expect MicroShift Advent X or Deore 10 speed
May be because of supply chain issues. I believe these would have ordinarily come with a deore 10
Love the quote “any ride is better than no ride”.
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
Dude I'm the same with the full face, I had a crash a couple months ago that got me on the thumbnail of Friday fails, and if I wasn't wearing a full face I would 100% have a broken jaw. Love the vids too bro!
Oh wow! Do you remember which number Friday fails it was? I'll watch it. Glad you're okay
It was number 258.
I was also on my brand new bike on my first run which was a bummer
So glad you talked about using only the full face helmet. I have been exclusively using a FF for a couple years now, even riding on sidewalks. I threw away my half dome so it’s not an option. The comfort is acceptable and the protection is 10X. And yes I live in Iowa and it gets to 100 degrees at times and I wear it, I get just as hot and sweaty as my friends without a FF, that is 100% hot and sweaty. If I get exhausted in the heat and fall at least I’m wearing real protection.
I'm in the camp of wearing my FF 95% of the time, but when it is too hot hot I slow down a little ride more mellow trails and rock the half-dome
I have a suggestion. If you put a tyre insert like Cush core in the rear you can run really low tyre pressures and still do the knarliest downhill sections . Plus it will protect your rim.
Just got back from a trip to Bentonville
I had a great time riding some of those trails on my own bike, a Giant Fathom 1 29 (2021)
It's a hardtail with a 130mm air fork and 2.6 inch tubeless tires
I knew I didn't have the ability to ride Cease and Desist because I haven't ridden anything like it before (I live in west Michigan where we have sandy XC trails) but I sized up the Drop the Hammer drop and, while I didn't hit it, thought it looked completely manageable on my bike.
My main reason for not hitting it was my riding gear, just a half shell and a XC race jersey, nothing that would protect me if I messed up.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, you have a lot more confidence in hardtails when it's all you've ridden. I didn't look at anything on my trip and think "I'd hit that if I had a full suspension" but rather "I'd hit that if I had practice on features like this"
On a separate note, while I didn't have the experience or confidence for a lot of the jump trails, I found the climbs to be rather enjoyable, specifically Copperhead Road, I'm a lot stronger than most people in places like Bentonville so I found myself passing ebikers on climbs even on my 5th or 6th lap of something like thunder dome. The takeaway from this being, your confidence in your equipment and own abilities, as well as your training, is always more important than how much travel you have.
Thanks for the comment! Copperhead Road is a blast to climb. I do it every once in a while because it reminds me of my old home trails in Phoenix. Gotta stay sharp on tech climbing! That's cool to hear your perspective on sizing up the trails. I did the same when I first visited and said no way was I going to hit DTH without a full face. If you come back shoot me a message on IG and we can ride!
That helmet is badass, I would not go back either. PLEASE do not let haters hold you back!! You ride whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want….just keep making quality content like you always do.
Just remember to not lose focus on what makes YOU happy.
Looking forward to the next video drop
It’s crazy how tubeless can give you a much different feeling then tubes 14:50
Still loving my Trek Marlin 5. My first MTB and ill use it till I cant no more. Does everything I need it to. Took it on a super rough 20 mile trail and it held very well. Decent bike and a good rider makes all the difference.
Love my Marlin 5 also. Hard to beat the value
I'm looking at a couple Diamondbacks like the hook in the hatch I believe but the Kona dome as well I'm looking to spend around 600 bucks and I was looking at getting the Trek Marlin 5 generation 2???? After seeing these I'm thinking about to get any more cuz I have it in baby blue which is one of my favorite colors
Love the way you incorporated the element ad with footage of your work. I respect that. Good job! Oh, and yeah, a little snobby. Not many people can spend even $1000 on a "budget" bike. Love the info. Thanks and thumbs up.
Got the exact same frame and I love it. If you go back to back between the meta and the ragley I'm sure you'll notice the suppleness. Also I've never ridden a better cornering hardtail so I got a bit worried when you had cornering issues :) Great value bike, that frame should cost way more for how well it handles.
Its actually unreal how well it corners
There should be zero judgment on the helmet worn, that comes down to personal preference and in part style of riding. In my 20's I raced BMX, full faces weren't mandatory, but everyone wore one. In the last few years I've gotten into mountain biking, and this offseason purchased a full face. I wanted something that offered more protection when I was doing faster (to me) descents, but also offered breathability and light weight for wearing during climbs. It may look "extreme" wearing a full face in some settings, but if it's a comfort thing for you personally, go for it. It's a "you do you" sort of thing in my books.
My wife calls me a bike snob. But she doesn't understand bikes in the sense she can't understand/appreciate the difference between the big box stores and what's available at the LBS. It took me a while to realize that too myself. In my first attempt to get into MTB, I bought an entry level GT Aggressor from a local big box store and I absolutely hated it and sold it after a few months. A couple years later I increased my budget and bought myself a used Kona Process 134 and it's an absolute joy to ride. To me, a bike snob is someone that is biased towards specific brands , refuses to consider economical component upgrades and always wanting the best of the best product even if it isn't what is best suited for them personally, etc. Your example here, buying a "budget bike" and making some upgrades due to personal preference/performance, is not snobbish in any way, it's realistic. Wanting to make any bike suitable to your personal preference is just normal.
Enjoy the content, keep it going!
Guy just casually called a 1000 dollar bike cheap
In my eyes, it is absolutely fine having multiple bikes!!! I have a "bike problem" too - Niner Rigid SS, an old Klein Road Bike, Cannondale "Townie" bike, Surly Bikepacking rig, REEB Hardtail, and my new one, a REEB SST full suspension...AND I want at least three more! I've built them all up from the frame up. So, they've been a lot cheaper than buying complete bikes. Some have even been eBay buys
N+1
Evan this vid is terrific. Your insights are continually more on point and well developed. Nice work. I’ll stay a bike snob tho😂
I am definitely glad to see you break yourself out of the "the more expensive the bike the better it will perform" mindset. I was beginning to think you had forgotten that it should always be about the ride, not the bike!
I still enjoy riding the crap out of my five '92-'04 Cannondale's. Yeah I know the haters will say the Cannondale is hardly a budget brand, but the only one I ever purchased at full price way my 1992 M700 that I bought brand new in 1992 and STILL ride it! I did recently build up a NIB 2020 Cannondale Habit frame though because as much as I love riding a 2001 Jekyll with a Lefty fork on the trails and the crazy looks I get while doing it. I am getting very reluctant to really send the bike because a 22 yr old Lefty is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find repair/replacement parts for the fork. So to avoid the wear and tear, I built up a more modern 2020 Habit frame. Gotta say, the improvements in geometry do make the ride feel different and more easy to repair if I should happen to break anything.
I would love to see more about your impressions of the SRAM DB8 brakes though. I use SRAM 12 speed drivetrains on nearly all my bikes and have been considering adding the DB8's since I like the idea of an all SRAM bike. I use Magura MT5's on all my bikes so I wonder how they'd feel and perform against them. I still think SRAM has been in error by sticking to DOT fluid brake and the maintenance hassles that come with them.
Great video. As a big Al fan, you had me at the edge of my seat the whole time. I was waiting for this video and it's banger. Worth the wait. But don't let th haters calling you a bike snob. Put a good fork and droper on that bad boy.
Edit: and 30 psi!?! No wonder why the bike felt the way it did and screw the hates talking shit about full face helmets.
Depending on the tires he was running 30 psi might be too much. If it was tubeless then that's sounds about right.
@@michaelmichaelagnew8503 in think you mean 30 psi with tubes is about right.
Yeah, definitely needs to ditch the tubes, shedding some weight and running lower pressure.
No snootery about upgrading a built bike - there will always be bits that dont suit you (or often the bike) and especially on an emtry level. I have in fact recently bought my own budget hardtail which comes preetty well specced - RockShox FS-35 Gold air sprung fork, shimano hydralic brakes, 12 speed shimano drive train - but still needed upgrades including grips, going tubeless, dropper, and pedals to make it a genuinely decent bike. Will upgrade tyres as soon as justifiable for a bit more width and grip up front but otherwise will let wear and tear do its thing before i upgrade any other bits.
Xo1 cranks with rockshox recon? Still nice bike i am very excited for the video!
You'll have to watch to find out about the X01 haha
😂
I think it’s for the power meter
I want you to try something: buy a frame, whatever you want. Next, buy only parts in the mid level for cost. You get to enjoy nice parts you find used, and building a bike from the ground up. I think that not having a budget, but being sensitive to price is a good way to enjoy building and riding, and not let money get to your head. You will also be riding a bike we can relate to, something with used parts, and stuff that most of us might have on our bikes.
Put dh forks on a hardtail🙏🔥
Gmbn did that a while ago- go check out their video
@@ThomasFielden i was just kidding (or was i😈)
Ragley are really a frames company, that's what they were always known for but good on them making their frames available as full builds for those not sure about building their own bike. I bought a Ragley Marley frame which I thought was a better buy than a Nukeproof Scout and built it up with Rockshox Revelations, custom built wheels, dropper, SLX kit, etc and it's a little hooligan, hardcore hardtail for sure and I dont feel as if I need (or want) anything else. p.s. forgot to add I run it tubeless too.
This is comical cuz a lot of the people that say you should go back to budget bikes said the opposite back in the day when your channel was new. I’m not a hater (infact your my favourite UA-camr), but it’s true that the videos went from dissing Chads to reviews of expensive stuff.
At the end it doesn’t matter if it’s a video about budget parts, expensive parts, or just riding, I love all kinds of videos you make!
Oh yeah for sure, putting myself in a box of budget only would get boring after a while. It's funny I went from dissing Chads to wanting to explore Enduro racing
@@EvansMTBSaga btw i have the sram db8 brakes on my canyon neuron, and they are surprisingly good for the price! I have no plans to change them to the codes
Big Al is the best hardtail I've ridden. I would 100% agree that it's more compliant. I got rid of a Chromag Stylus, a steel frame, for the Big Al and then took said Big Al down Noble Canyon. It was amazing. If you have a problem with that bike you should probably just stop riding.
Honestly, I don't think you're a snob. I think you're spoiled. There's a difference. It's REALLY hard to enjoy a Rockshox 35 when you know what a Factory Fox with a Push conversion feels like and you can afford one. Haters gonna hate.
Please put a dropper on that thing.
Haha I might say that in the next video. Urge people to not get top tier suspension because it'll ruin you forever. It's crazy how Ragley figured out how to make a more compliant frame than a steel hardtail. But I have bad news, the next video where I upgrade the Ragley I'm still not putting a dropper on it 😂😂 you'll have to see why
@@EvansMTBSaga I was equally surprised at how compliant the frame is, especially compared to steel and I was a steel fanatic. I thought the Stylus was amazing and the Big Al killed it. I've not ridden another hardtail the compares to the Big Al. I have an El Roy and YelliScreamy right now and they're both nice but neither frame, alone, is as nice. The El Roy is compliant but heavy and slow feeling. The Canfield is efficient, fast and lighter feeling but it's harsh. As soon as one pops up in a color scheme I like I'm grabbing it.
Ok so my opinion on this bike.. I had a 2017 Cannondale Cujo with 3.0 tires, a 2019 Stumpjumper ST, a Marin San Quentin 1 with 40mm wheels and 2.6 tires, then a 2020 Marin Rift Zone 1. Went back to hardtail. After watching Steve's review of this bike, I had high hopes this bike was gonna be God's gift to the hardtail world. So I bought it. I definitely don't think it's as smooth as I thought. I think plus tires are the best thing ever for hardtails. I want cushcore but I'm gonna wait until the stock tires wear out and get some wider wheels with some 2.6's. My favorite bike I've owned was the Cannondale. I miss the 3.0 tires but you can't really jump around too much with fat tires and low tire pressure. So 29x2.6 with some cushcore would make this bike perfect. But it's much more harsh than I expected it to be
I have a full suspension and a hardtail. My hardtail is a Ragley Blue Pig ( the MMBop is the aluminum budget version) and I love it. I’ll take both my full suspension Sentinel and my Ragley to the the Bike Park. The Ragleyis so fun on blue trails! The Blue Pig carves corners! The best upgrade anyone can do is a dropper post. Makes riding so much more enjoyable! A budget bike with the right upgrades can be amazing!
Keep up the great videos!
Nothing wrong with wanting better bikes and components. Most people who Mountain Bike get better and progress, like you.
And sometimes your bike holds you back, which is why you upgrade and get better components. Yes sometimes MTB do get carried away and become bike snobs. But it's hard to go back to budget when you already know what at good bike can do.
It's different when people buy components outside their capabilities. Or buy parts that way out of their budget. But then again who cares coz it's your money.
It's like a Coil fork and then going to Air fork. You're not gonna go back to Coil.
Good video as always.
Suppleness from a hardtail is basically splitting hairs. However, it can be perceived, and is real. I had an aluminum Rockhopper many years ago, before disc brakes, and it was super stiff. My feet would get numb from the vibration. I had a different aluminum bike, and I didn't notice a harshness at all. Compared to full suspension, no comparison! I rediscovered hardtail riding, after a full suspension for years, and really love it again. Glad you are enjoying it too. Get the dropper post!
Haha I'm glad you commented this. I'm gonna do some upgrades videos to hopefully tap into that suppleness, or not and I'll just swap out frames 😂
I think you should do a type of high low series that you buy an expensive frame and a cheap frame, on the cheap frame, you put expensive parts on it, and with the expensive, you cheap parts on it
I can understand that some people may not like expensive bikes (let's be honest, likely because they can't afford them and that's ok) but this "how dare you" and "you changed" mentality is not helping anyone. I recently bought a bike that's really above my means in many regards an I'm absolutely stoked - and more importantly, MY BACK is stoked. I've been riding rough stuff for years and it's taken a toll on my lower body. Since I bought a full sus it's just been an absolute dream. Much less fatigue overall and much more enjoyable because of it. So no, it's not snobbery it's really about making the best out of the time you have to ride.
Not a snob. But also not yet a hardtail veteran. Everything on a hardtail contributes to the ride when you don't have rear suspension. 2.6 tires. XC CushCore on the rear. Even the midsoles of the shoes you use with flat pedals are important. Adidas BASF Boost cancels out vibrations through the bottoms of your feet. No more numb feet after a couple hours of riding non-flow. And the fork is also a major factor. The Recon Motion Control damper is limited and can't be upgraded because of the inner dimension of the stanchions.
I owned a Big Al for 5 months 240 miles of riding. It was a spectacular bike until it wasn’t. The seat tube cracked at the dropper cable entry point. This is not an isolated issue on just my frame. Buying new has its perks - warranties are great.
And i don't complain about my 360+€ MTB.
Oh well.
And the under/oversteer thing could be because you're used to the back compressing when you go into a berm.
Evan, I love the riding footage of this video! Personally I don't think you need the speedometer and all that data, I'm more then happy just seeing it how it is like this video, and if it is really relevant to the video(Power or speed or time) you could just put that in the corner. But overall I don't think it adds much and i'm sure it takes up your valuable time to add it.
I've bought my fancy full sus mtb in late 2021 used, and i love it. Still, sometimes i love to go out with my commuter bike (a 90's rigid mtb) and i just love to be underbiked and ride the usual trails with way more challenge. So i guess going back to hardtail wouldn't be bad at all. The only thing i would NEVER give up is a dropper post. Absolutely the best mtb invention after suspension forks and disk brakes
Got my first MTB in 2020 during COVID. $500 hard tail from my local bike shop. 9mm qr wheels, 100mm suspension (spring) good times! Since then I’ve upgraded every single part on the bike (:
3:46 was that pump drop?
I think it's stupid to call anyone a bike snob because they appreciate nice components or bikes, or on the flip side, that they're "basic" because they ride a stock setup. This sport is all about personal preferences, and if you can get nice parts that's your call. If you're happy with your bike, no matter what you spent on it, good for you. As long as you're not making your kids go hungry so you can put on a fancy part, more power to you. We don't need any gatekeeping here, whether it's "you're not a real MTBer without AXS," or "you're a snob if you don't ride a budget hardtail."
Have fun, help others out, enjoy the outdoors; that's what I'm about.
Nice bike, It will be interesting to see if the rear derailleur holds up.
I guess you did not like the longer stock stem, it makes you swing the bar instead of rotate it. No wonder it felt weird.
Things I wish Ragley implemented:
more larger sizes, for it to fit me I would need to slam stem and use high riser bar, and the stock stem or longer
adjustable sliding dropouts to adjust chain stay.
would be nice with barrel nuts at post mount for easy repair if threads get destroyed.
Upgrade I would do:
dropper post, oval chain ring, oval bash guide. but those are must have features for me. but I would test the stock parts see how they do.
I just pared down from 6 bikes to 4. I have a trail FS, a road bike, a fat bike, and a commuter hardtail. I do miss having a trail hardtail, and maybe in the future I'll get one again. I hear awesome things about the Ragley Mmbop.
Hardtail essentials if you are going to ride hard. Dropper post and clip pedals. Clips because you will bounce around more.
My Ragley Big Al has a mullet wheel setup plus Tannus tyre armour for tubes, running 2.6" Maxxis Minions @ 18psi rear and 12psi rear. So important with a hardtail to get the tyre casing wall tensions appropriate.
Haha it's funny you mentioned that. Ive upgraded the bike now, just posted that video I hope you check it out. But I have Specialized Ground Control tires now and I swapped the front with the back because the side wall is stiffer on the T7 compared to the T5. I dig those stiffer side walls now, I've even been running super gravity tires on the Enduro and I love not folding the tire in turns
Impressive seeing those parts on a budget mtb. Usually the ones around 900$ like a trek, u get mt2000, Suntour coil fork, and basic drivetrain with a clutch.
I wouldnt call this Ragley a "budget" bike but I guess it depends if you live in eastern Europe or not:P
Regarding full face helmet - if you're an adult, have a family, have a job that requires you to get up in the morning each day - I'd say wear as much protection as you possibly can. It's not worth loosing teeth or breaking jaw/ribs/collar bones. People often forget mountain biking is still an extreme sport. It's very easy to say you dont need FF or other protective gear for flow trails and its true.. until you crash :P
I think the five parts I’d change immediately on any bike I get would be tires, grips, bar, stem, and pedals. Outside of that I’d happily run whatever came stock on the bike until it breaks.
dont let the full face hating people bother you....makes you stonger and keeps you warmer in the winter...makes your neck stronger too...which will also help in a crash...and having a strong neck makes you look diesel ... i ride full face too...went back to a half shell recently for every now and then riding but i use the full face most of the time...white onza porcupines would look good on that bike..i got a orange crush...similar-- want a mmbop frame next
For Bentonville I can't fathom needing an enduro bike there. A trail bike with good geo, something like a Transition Smuggler or Trek Fuel EX is about perfect for there.
Ahh but the wonderful Lake Leatherwood is where my heart is
I really like hardtails because you can dress them up and kit them with the top tier stuff on the market, or just run F'ing Deore and still have a great experience.
The best thing is that the more premium hardtails really only improve on the geometry for a target type of riding. The lower/budget ones tend to cast the widest net and make it as versatile as possible.
My favorite hardtail of all time is my '16 Santa Cruz Chameleon with the rocker dropouts to run singlespeed or geared. Its fast and smooth with great build quality. I believe I paid $750 for the frame and was coming off a Honzo ST. The sage and purple colorway aesthetic is just amazing IMO. Its not built up with anything spectacular for a trailbike....GX drivetrain, RS Revelation RCT3 and XT brakes. It does need new wheels as it was fed the OEMs from my Ibis which were somewhat poorly built w/ spoke tension....which brings me the biggest problem w/ most budget HTs...the wheels. In the end though, its a simple reliable bike that's fun to ride..and that's really what its about.
I just bought some F'ing Deore to rebuild my gen1 Ragley Blue pig, and am looking forward to it! I've had wheels that had trouble with holding tension and unscrewed each spoke and applied boiled linseed oil to the treads of each spoke then retensioned. I had never attempted something like it before but it was fairly easy to re-true the wheel and it held a true super well afterwards.
First time seeing your videos! Cool to see a youtuber riding our local trails. I was a hardtail rider for a long time and Copperhead Road is a rough tech climb on them. Much easier on the full sus for sure. Looping fireline was much nicer on the hardtail though, the jumps are more fun to me and the climb back to the hub was much easier without the extra weight and less pedal power getting robbed by suspension.
I think it’s the natural progression of riding. I started riding on a Walmart bike. Broke that, got a nishiki 29er. Rode that for a year. Went on a deployment and ordered a bunch of parts cause I couldn’t find a new bike due to covid. Then I got my hands on a nucleus (heavily due to your videos) and now I’m looking to build a tricked out steel full sus. Don’t let the haters get to you. Love the content.
Agreed about natural progression. Id add that natural progression will lead you to a 10k bike sometimes that is underwhelming and then you end up at a $3k-5k bike
Imagine kev central getting into high end bikes, I couldn’t handle it
I had a $200 hot pink (light purple) pro hustler in 1985 and I loved it. It ended up being stolen twice. I'm 49 and just got a Trek Roscoe 8 in an XL frame. It immediately brought me back to my childhood. No offense to the GTs and Diamondbacks I'vce had over the years but the Trek with the boost and through axles make the bike super stable. I am a tall and heavy rider too and my XL GT agressor PRO with 27.5 " wheels jjust doesnt hold a candle to the trek with 29" wheels.
If you get the ragley 1.0, get a better drive chain a dropper, better wheels and get a z2 fork. Just make it tubeless and have a massively capable and fun bike.
That Bike-park looks amazing, I just came home from a relaxed 2 hour Trailride and wish we had something like that where I live in Switzerland🙂
I bought a Ragley Big Al Frame in 2021 after Steve @hardtailparty reviewed it and talked about how good it was for the price. I had been riding FS for many years and got in the HT game for local trail because my Reign SX was too much bike. The Big Al is a fun bike. I love it. But I haven't taken it on any features that big so this was a great video. It's one of my favorite for sure. I didn't really mind your nicer bikes but having fun on less expensive bikes is more interesting. Those Boutique parts look good most dont improve riding. Glad to see this type of vid though I would upgrade the fork :)
The helmet criticism is amusing. I wear a full face helmet even when I'm just tooling around on mild trails. I like my face and I'm not interested in paying a dentist to build a new set of teeth for me, thank you very much.
Was very happy to see the Ragley!!
I was in the process of getting a hardtail as well and the decision was between this, the nukeproof scout and the Dartmoor hornet, went with the last one.
I was coming from fully, never ridden a hardtail in a long time, but unlike your first impression mine was actually really good!
Still have to hit some harder stuff, but for now I am really happy!
Oh yeah, I didn't buy a complete bike but instead built it up, what I had to get was only the frame.
Oh yeah, personally I find the upgrades u did are the right ones, everyone would pretty much do the same
Everyone starts out with budget bikes/components because you're just getting your feet wet its hard to justify the expensive bikes/parts and you aren't riding trails/features yet that might demand more robust and capable parts. I don't think your a snob at all, you've progressed to a point where the trails you ride have higher demands/consequences and you feel more confident and ride those trails faster/safer when you're on a bike with your preferred components.
I love seeing you build up budget bikes with mid/high end spec parts, and hope you continue to do so. Very impressive this bike came with 3c minions, boost front/rear, sram 4pot brakes, and a rockshox recon up front for under $1000, hope other bike manufacturers are paying attention. That is better value than the budget hardtails from polygon, marin, vitus, trek, etc. If you're okay with the drivetrain, the only thing this bike really needs now is a dropper and a pike up front and it could be a great hardcore hardtail for under $2000 total which is still fairly budget friendly.
I ride a Big Al. I was worried at the start that youvwere going to miss out on the awesomeness! Glad you felt it at the end. Absolute screamer of a bike! I would say for watchers that getting the upgrade version is worth it as the fork is considerably better and there's a decent dropper. So well worth the price difference. Great content as always. Thanks!
MTB is no different than anything else. When your skills improve you're going to want better equipment to keep up. My friend can ride a Schwinn Axum and be fine but i will either break it, hurt myself, or both. In the end if you're happy then i'm happy.
Great video, You know that social media has gone crazy when you have to apologize for protecting your head. Damn!
Happy to see the Big Al getting some publicity. I'm hoping more people in the US getting them will get Ragley to offer them directly like the other Chain Reaction brands Nukeproof and Vitus. I got a Big Al 2.0, got a dropper and swapped the fork for a Pike Select- also like Evan swapped the bars for the PNW ones. I am not an experienced MTBer but it rides very well for me.
That's cool to hear! I have a Pike fork for it already 😁 did you go tubeless too?
@@EvansMTBSaga Yes! Agree it made a big difference. I also got a great deal on the Nukeproof Horizon V2 wheelset, which has a much higher engagement hub, but I have yet to put those on as I got them over the winter. Oh, and of course I put some pedals from Amazon on there.
Wanting a high end bike and parts is what every rider wants. And does not make anyone a snob. But people also should have fun with what they can afford and save up for what they want. You should just stay the course of being a pretty "every man" mtb you tuber and give honest reviews of products at all price points. If something is cheap and works, great, if it's expensive but not worth it or just plain sucks well, that's how it is. I think your channel is good and gives a more realistic look at what most people can expect from getting into mtb.
As a moto and mtb guy I’d never down someone for going full face helmet. But, when you put on the roll-off goggles I got a chuckle out of that. Only ever run roll-off systems in mud races.
Great video! Glad your back to budget stuff. I’m an educator and can’t afford a lot of stuff for my bike. I enjoy watching the budget mtb channels 😊
do you watch Wolftick videos, I love them.
@@NonLegitNation2 sure do!
i used to do smaller dirt jumps with an open face and then i crashed, broke my nose and a lot of bones on the right side of my face, always wear a full face when hitting jumps
Channel rebrand: Evans Hardtail Saga
There are some very fun HTs to be had for around a kilobuck. I ride my Polygon Xtrada-6 more than I ride my multi-thousand-dollar FS because it climbs like a goat and is generally faster. Also, it hones my skills; when my back tire is pinging to the side off of rocks, roots and little stumps, and I don't fall, I know I am doing it right. The down side is that drops to flat much over a foot high can get harsh.
Budget bikes are fine, they're perfectly capable in the right hands. Expensive gear is not required, you don't need a carbon bike for your local trails or a fancy fork to hit a jump.
I have a rocky mountain instinct. My 1st full suspension. The only thing i did was upgrade the rear suspension to a rock shox super deluxe ultimate. Now, I have my eye on a Poseidon Norton. Ill upgrade the forks to Marzocchis. Both for two different syles of riding i do. Plus, I'm restomodding a 97 Mongoose to ride around the neighborhood. All these local Chads are like "A Mongoose?!" Trust me, that (legit non-Walmart) Mongoose has some serious miles on it and a storied history as its been ridden in Waco, Belton, Austin, San Antonio, and Bandera Texas. I just tell them if they have such a problem with it then they can go buy me the bike of their choosing (like a $4k santa cruz or something). That usually shuts them up. Point is, you do you, and dont let those critics talk smack about your bikes , your gear, or your helmet. Theyre just insecure. Oh and im an 80s kid so helmets are optional. Ha ha. Lets see which snow flake get triggered.
Buying a used higher end mountain bike that may have some deferred maitenance can be a much better value depending on CListings locally. A reputable bike shop oowner who was retiring gave me this advice when I asked how to get the most bike for the least cost. Insted of the new $1000 Marin bike I wanted I found a Specialized alloy full suspendsion with comp grade components, dropper and tubeless same price. That eas three years ago and since then I have built and maintained several other bikes. I ride a low end hardtail with upgraded compoenents but its a perfect fit. Learning bike mechanic basics is really the best investment of time and money I wish I made sooner. Low end bikes can be great but often have heavy frames which most riders will want to ditch iif they are riding regularly and in shape.I am sure it varies regionally but in CA $1000 will get you a lot of MTB at or above Deore grade.
Having done motorcycle trials on a trial bike I can see the points you are making with making jumps with a bicycle.
Extreme trail riding needs full suspension and an electric motor for sure.
I still ride a 15 year old entry level Specialized that's at least one if not two sizes too small for me that I bought used on Craigslist. I have no idea what makes someone a bike snob, I say do what makes you happy. All I know is I aspire to someday own what most people in the MTB community apparently consider to be "budget bikes."
I think the work you do to dial a bike in to your riding style and fit is a great thing any rider can take with them on any bike. . .budget to big-shot.
End of the day it’s about getting out and just riding. It shouldn’t matter what people say, they’ve picked the bike(s) they’re happy with. You’ve picked the bike(s) you’re happy with.
For 900 bucks that's a pretty solid deal. You have a really great base to modify on and parts that are great to keep.
I'd say all this bike really needs is a dropper. Once things start breaking then you replace them. It also looks pretty cool!
$900 isn't the total price. Get ready to be gouged on shipping.