Not ridden for 6 months, kind of fell out of love with it all, towards
the end riding a rigid SS around the Rhondda just got to painful.

Looking at getting back into it with a nice handling HT to take the edge off the descents. Cotics top of the list, not sure I can afford the extra, PA's second, fancied one of these for years, thirdly the Blue Pig, being out of the game I've missed the reviews and online reports

How's it fared?

lmgtfy

Chain Reaction has 14 reviews, 4.85/5.

liking mine

liked mine.

it looks funny but rides good. apparently. the geo is 'nu skool' so give one a bash first, might not be your cuppa tea. something like a cotic is easy to just get on and razz, i was sorely tempted by the bfe.

didn't like mine, replaced it with a 456… much happier 😛

As much as I'd like to buy one, I can't say there's a single reason to ditch a 456SS for it.

Yeah wasn't sure about the head angle at first look –

wondered if the new style geo had huge benefits to something a little more old skool like the PA.

Only done a 2 hour very very muddy night ride on mine so far which didn't allow me to get to know the bike that well at all, but initial impressions were very promising.

Its not Blue.

Or a Pig.

HTH.

Are the 456SS still available?

i have had a 456, a 456ss and a blue pig……..oh and a mm bop.

the original 456 fitted with pikes was the best riding and most fun.
the 456ss felt far to choppered out.
the mm bop was nice, but did not feel robust enough.

😀 😀 😀 😀 and then 😆 😆

i have a blue pig and it feels crap compared to other bikes ive had just ordered a nice bright pink 456 instead 😉

tom

Not really doing yourself any favours there Tom 🙂

Not a blue pig but I have the Ti one (same geometry AFIK)- Only done 30 miles at most on it so a bit early to fully rate it. On the (first stage) of the first ride I was left wondering if I'd done the right thing it climbs OK but did feel a bit average, then I came to a bit that involves dropping the saddle and picking your way down a technical steep rocky bit that leads into an equally steep but very fast smooth piece of ST. I was totally blown away, it handles brilliantly, better even than the (steel) 456 i've ridden for the last 5 years. A bike I loved BTW and it is a more or less direct comparison becouse apart from seat-post all the bits are off the 456.

Time will tell but so far I'm liking it. Agree with other comments that the long (relative to my 456) and laid back head tube does look a bit odd when it's leant against the wall tho!

Daffy – Member
Not really doing yourself any favours there Tom

in what way?
he's simply giving his verdict on a product which he bought and is clearly dissapointed with.
freedom of speech an all that??

because its on the classifieds

oh 😳

sold my 456 and bought one its head and shoulders better i havent touched my five spot since ive had it apart from taking all the bling off it for the pig lol. Im seriously considering selling my five spot and my blue pig to buy a ti ragley with some big forks

mick,i thought my old 456 felt a bit more robust than my pig.

Can you run a pig with 160 mm forks, or a ti for that matter?
I've a hankering for a nice frame with some BOS devilles.

tony i think the pig feels much better mate it climbs great tho i climb seated most of the time so that may help in that sense and it goes down great much better than me. Its seriously making me consider selling my crosscheck karatemonkey fivespot and the pig frame and running only the ti ragley and my ti roadbike 🙂 i just cant see me using the others much any more tbh

swift ed oxley currently has 160 on his ti mate

I find my pig climbs and descends better than my old PA. I had 130mm forks on the PA and 150's on the pig… Pig feels a little more harsh on the rear end but that could be due to the thomson post I have on it over the FSA FR200 I had on the PA.

I've never ridden one but can't help but think the slackness of the head angle would have a negative effect on the steering. Back in '98 I chucked a set of Bombers onto a XC frame and it pushed the forks way out the front giving the steering a real flip/flop feel.

Might have to try one out.

tony i may dig out the turner for the nidderdale ride to see if it still does it for me 🙂

i just dont like it. I was looking foward to it when i got it thought it would be perfect for todmorden but is a bitch on the ups and crap on the downs i had a 456 four bikes ago and really liked it but a 20" frame was too big and for the classifeilds bit there are alot more good reviews than my bad one 😉

I bought mi©k 456 frame. Im 6ft2 and its a 16". A great gamble- its 'just' long enough for long rides and its also chuckable/nimble. Whereas the 18" 456's I had before felt choppered-out/waaay too long. Its also lighter and now has a different paint finish 😀

No idea what the Bluepig is like.

I had a lap of Stainburn on a Ti one. Thought it felt lovely. Virtually the same as my 160mm forked slack Blur 4X but without the bounce.

Keep on thinking of ways to afford a Ragley Ti…

DaveyBoyWonder I am disgusted that you just typed that. A Fatwah edit will issued shortly and someone will be round to collect your Blur4x as a penance.

i got it thought it would be perfect for todmorden but is a bitch on the ups and crap on the downs

ah – that'd be the problem. it's more hebden biased than todmorden. that'll be it.

oh i better keep the turner then incase i stray into tod area 🙂

Well, been riding mine since Crimbo and still really like it. Climbs well and likes the rough stuff. Comfortable ride for me too, not had any back twinges at all so far, whereas I have on other bikes.

Well im getting on with mine,one of the best hardtail frames ive had regarding how it rides,nice angles for both climbs and downhills,feels great.
mate has one too,and he loves it..

never should have sold the turner Dan 😉 wouldn't have got so beaten up and bored of biking. the geometry for the shedfire bikes is designed to make steep, techie descending easier and lots of fun I believe, but they aren't going to be as quick steering and nimble on tight twisty stuff I guess – that's the compromise. Where and what are you riding these days? Think about that and then decide if the pig is designed for it.

they aren't going to be as quick steering and nimble on tight twisty stuff I guess –

No – they're fine on that. We do tight twisty in the HX7 bit of the valley.

I can well imagine riding around, something like the Mary Townley loop, or canal bank stuff, that a Blue Pig might feel a bit odd.

I recently found out I have a second Cousin living in the centre of Hebden Bridge. So if you see a young Liza Minelli lookalike say hi 🙂

Plus……..Hebden Bridge has the second highest uninsured/convicted 20-something male drivers in the UK. source Saturdays Telegraph motoring section.

There. My pointless facts of the day is done 🙂

Loved mine, only not riding it now as i knicked the bits off it to build my full sus. Had mine built with 140 Pikes and found it great.

Climbs well, descents well and is good on singletrack….what else do you need? No problem on that technical steep climb on Tyn y Coed and great round the heritage park :-)Find the tightest, nastiest stuff possible to ride down and see how good it is.

Ran mine with a 50mm stem and inline post i'm 5'8 and ran a 16in frame. Like you i spent most of my time on a rigid or short travelled forked singlespeed but was very impressed by the Blue Pig