what do these frames ride like for normal XC/all day riding? Is the rear end harsh? I quite fancy an alu frame but i'm not sure if this is too hardcore for me or not?

You'll be fine. It is definitely harsher than my steel frame but not bad. Did 36miles gentle offroad in the new forest on sunday, done 3hours round swinley fine as well. Yet to take it somewhere really rocky yet but it's fine over rooty stuff

Its a great frame to blast the trails. Not sure it would be ideal for an all day bike … prob a bit too short in the top tube for most. But for 2-3hr riding of steep techy stuff … its just great.

I m 5ft8" and ride the 16". Sometimes it can feel a little cramped if the seat isnt dropped on fast dh sections(im too lazy to keep dropping it)

That's what it looks like, great for a fun fast blast on technical trails but maybe not the best all day bike. Still tempted, they look great. 😀

my new Blue pig is my new best friend.

the 'top-tube' is a bit shorter than Brants other bikes… i have an 18" inbred, but i found the 18" Ragley a bit less 'reachy' – so went for a 20".

(reach and stack – makes sense to me)

i reckon itsa great 'all day bike' – light, climbs well, there's room for a MASSIVE tyre in the back, so they can be as comfy as you want them to be. descends well, cheap and very well made.

it's not perfect, some people will hate the handling – but i reckon it's ace.

(oh and the steeper seat angle on the 20" is a very good idea)

PaulGillespie they are great as both an all day ride and also as a 2-3 hr xc thrasher round your local woods or the trail centres, very comfortable ride as an all day epic bike not in the least harsh through the rough stuff but tracks the terrain aswell as my full suss stumpy fsr. My advice would be to trial one you will not regret it, but be sure to select the right size frame and ensure you get the right travel fork for the frame 😀

i'll jump on the posting bandwagon too……

is there an unwritten rule that Ragleys must be fitted with SLX cranks?

is there an unwritten rule that Ragleys must be fitted with SLX cranks?

Lol…..i'm looking to buy some for my new mmmbop 😉

Nice looking bike Peterfile and i must commend you on the photography!

Mine has stylos 🙂

I think it should be the law to have white accent colour though…

SLX Doubles just look the nuts!!! oh and they work well also!!

DT78 – Member

I think it should be the law to have white accent colour

white forks and seatpost here…

(on an orange skwosh frame – would green pedals be too much?)

I must say that I really like the look of the Mmmbops & Blue Pigs. I have a couple of 18" On One Inbreds (one SS, one geared) and they both fit really well despite being set up differently. I am just over 5'9" but have a long upper body and longish arms. So, would I need an 18" or a 16" frame? Just wondering really, I know a test ride'd sort that quandry out.

weird.

i'm 6'2" – and have an 18" inbred – but found a 20" Ragley was a more 'familiar' size.

(both around 430mm Reach – see 'reach and stack' – the 18" Ragley was about 410mm reach – and just felt a bit cramped)

Brant will be along in a moment to laugh at me, but the long inbred toptube seems a conscious decision to encourage us to use long seatposts – so it's nice and flexy and comfy when you're sitting down.

and it seems that the ragleys are designed with a shorter top-tube / reach so that you need a bigger frame, so it's more flexy and comfy when you're standing up.

(bigger frame = longer tubes = more flex)

as with most things i say, it's might be rubbish, but it makes sense to me…

MrSparkle I'm 5'10" and a similiar build to you i was advised by the bike chain to get a 16" and a layback seatpost and it is just perfect not at all a cramped cockpit and superb reactions on the twisty stuff aswell as a great seating position for climbing. Perhaps you should give them a ring they were ever so helpful with me.

Think I said above I went for an 18" and I'm nearly 6' average build. I've been sizing down bikes for ages and fancied trying the 'recommended' size. It feels big, but in a really good way.

Whats really odd is that on most frames I can easily get the seatpost to the right height and really spot when it's not at the perfect height for pedalling with back/knee/thigh pain. With the mmmbop it is not clear what the perfect height is for me, keep ending up with the saddle far too high for proper riding. Odd.

Also has a pretty high BB. Other observation is for a 'big' bike it feels remarkably balanced and easy to jump (I'm not talking huge stuff here under 3-4 foot)

Rode my XC hardtail last night after 2 weeks on the Ragley. It felt very very weird!

So long as you're happy, that's the main thing.

The top tube length and seat angle are sized for steep climbing, rather than flatback hammering, so you're sat a little more forward, but in the saddle, rather than having to shuffle forward on the nose. Reach and stack is a good indicator, but personal preference may vary.

Yep, happy, it definitely is good at climbing steep stuff too. It is much easier to clean climbs that I normally have the front of the XC bike popping up. There is only so long you can sit on the nose of the saddle!

It does encourage me to take risks, and given I have a wedding coming up the missus is suggesting I don't ride it until after the big day 🙂

I'm 5'9" and ride a 16" with a 50mm stem and inline seatpost.

The size feels perfect to be honest, and I tried quite a few different bikes before settling on the mmmbop. I always seemed to be inbetween sizes.

For general trail use I have lots of seatpost out and a lovely stretch thanks to the short stem. For more hardcore activities (i do a lot of drops), I can get the seatpost all the way down (it's cut) and it gives me plenty of room for error.

The only draw back is that the 16" frame with a 50mm stem can make the front end a bit light and twitchy on steep climbs. But i'm used to it now and just shift my weight a bit further forward than I normally would. Anyway, it's the first bike I've owned in a long time that actually climbs!!!!!

peterfile found the same on my climbs so i changed to a 70mm thomson now perfect

The only draw back is that the 16" frame with a 50mm stem can make the front end a bit light and twitchy on steep climbs.

I found the opposite actually. It canes it up stuff i previously couldn't get up on other bikes… experience variation is an odd thing for sure.

don't get me wrong, the stiff rear end and geo turn it into a mountain goat on crack when it comes to actually putting the power down an driving the thing uphill – it's just that it sometimes feels like i'm on a unicycle on really steep slopes! That said, it's probably more my poor climbing technique than anything else, since i'm gradually finding the sweet spot between keeping traction on the rear and weighting the front.

The other issue for me might be because i've got some Fox 36's up front. I have a massively slack head angle.

peterfile borrow a 70mm or even a 60mm stem and give it a go it made a sigificant difference to the front end handling on the climbs for me. then if it does not work you have not lost any cash as the stem was borrowed.

i will do, thanks fudge 🙂

Well i've just joined the mmmbop club thanks to The Bike Chain in Edinburgh, cheaper than CRC too and great service, thanks guys!