By my own admission, the Summer Season was a really quick (knock 2degs off the head angle and make it in PG tubing) revision of the 456. The 456 is a six year old design. However, it all works really well.
The Blue Pig/mmmbop mmmbop geometry was a clean sheet design created from ideas I’d picked up and not had chance to bring to production before. Influences as varied as HarryTheSpider’s chainsuck problem, following Ton up the hill to Jack Bridge, my really old Inbred 853, a Pace I had ages ago, my old Bonty Racelite, my Fat Chance Yo Eddy, mmmbop steps, Ed Oxley…
The 2011 Ragley’s evolve the original geometry and construction even further because of the new manufacturing partners and volume we’ve been able to achieve and partner with… letting us spec our own tubing and stuff.
That said, I’m still very fond of my memories of my old Summer Season and Summer Season Ti frame I made (with Van Nicholas!). on-one still offer amazing value with their cost-to-retail business model which Ragley’s never sought to copy – I wanted to do something through dealers cos I kept getting glared at in bike shops 🙂