Ragley Blue Pig Build – Advice please!

Hi everyone – first post on here, so please be gentle….I will almost definitely ask stupid questions… 🙄

After years of spending a large amount of time and money in my local bike shop, I’ve convinced myself to do my first bike build. with the aim of teaching myself a few skills and hopefully end up with a nice bike.

I’ve got an 18 inch blue pig (last years model) that I picked up in a sale, and it’s now clamped in my new workstand, asking to be started. I’ve acquired a Rockshox Sektor 140mm u-turn from a friend who bought it earlier in the year and never used it so that’s saved me a bit of cash, and also a full XT 10sp groupset off ebay. I’ve got about a million questions to ask, but I’ll start with a couple so as not to bore everyone straight away…

Bit late for this question, but has anyone used the 10sp XT kit on a blue-pig? And do I need a rear wheel with a specific 10sp hub, or will any shimano compatible hub do the trick?

On the blue pig frame, I notice the brake mounting holes on the seat stays don’t seem to be threaded and have some sort of backing/cap at the rear which is also painted – does a brake caliper go straight onto these, or do they need tapping? Is this post mount ir IS?

I’ve got a headset press (borrowed) and was going to fit a hope headset with head doctor. I’ve read a few threads where people have had issues with these, and a similar amount of people having problems with the standard star-nut type of mounting. Can anyone tell me if they’ve fitted either/both on a blue-pig and whether you had any trouble?

Lastly, is the XT bottom bracket a good piece of kit, or seeing as I’m building this from scratch, is it worh investing in something like a Chris King BB from the off?

Any help/advice is much appreciated – and again, sorry if I’m asking any glaringly obvious or stupid questions.

Cheers,

Rich.

9sp/10sp hubs are the same.

it is an IS brake mount. ie two holes which are parallel to the wheel axle. (postmount they are perpendicular)

head doctors go in the fork – i have one and it’s fine. i prefer star nuts as they are simpler/ lighter but you need a tool to fit them, you don’t need any tools with a hed doctor.

fit the XT BB when the bearings are shot (be a while yet.) send it off to betd and get enduro bearings put in it.

the park blue book[/url] might be a worth while investment.

HTH

Hub – No special hub required.

Rear Brake – Post to IS mount required.

Headset – Up to you but star-nuts are simple if you have the tool.

XT BB – I definitely wouldn’t bother as you’ll get plenty of time out of the XT and its paid for.

Cheers guys – I’ve got the park book ordered, so hopefully when I’ve had a good read of that, all will become clear. I’ve cobbled most of the tools together with the exception of a torque wrench. I have a habit over tightening things so I guess that will be a wise investment.

Can you humour me regarding the brake mounting?Still slightly confused…. So if I have, say, a hayes stroker (postmount) fastened to an IS adapter – how does the adapter then bolt to the frame if it’s not threaded? Or is it threaded, but covered in paint?

Think I’ll give the head doctor a go, seeing as it comes with the headset but I have the star-nut and tool if needs be.

XT bottom bracket it is then… cheers guys. Is it likely that the axel will need maching to length? If so, this might be the one job for the bike shop I guess.

Does anyone recommend any particular wheelset for around £150 to £200? Mainly trail centre centre use and a bit of XC.

Cheers,

Rich.

So if I have, say, a hayes stroker (postmount) fastened to an IS adapter – how does the adapter then bolt to the frame if it’s not threaded?

Bolts go through the hole in the frame and bolt into the IS adaptor.

you need something like this:

for your rear brake.

and you don’t need to ‘machine’ your crank axle to length…

(troll?)

i have a pig, i have a head-doctor, it’s fine.

Ah, right. That’s why I’m confused – the holes are covered on the inner faces with what looks like a thin disc of plastic, and painted. I assume I have to remove these. Guess you have to do it carefully so as not to remove any paint from the rest of the mount.

Thanks again guys. Got a steep learning curve ahead of me!

Thanks again guys. Got a steep learning curve ahead of me!

I learnt the basics of bike maintenance by stripping and rebuilding a cheap GT (my first mountain bike) and I’d suggest going easy on your first build.

You might want to consider asking your local bike shop to help fit the headset and BB/cranks if you are at all unsure, as it is cocking up on installing these items that can & does kill a frame before it has even been ridden!

Good advice. I’ll be having a good read of the park book, and watching a hundred different clips on youtube before deciding whether or not to do the BB and headset myself. I’m mechanically minded, having worked with cars a lot in the past – and the reason I’m doing it is to learn so I’d hate to have to get the shop to do it, but I’d also hate to kn@cker the frame too….

The headset is easy with the correct tool, £25 from Wiggle.

The BB is hard to get wrong, either it screws in flush or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t you probably need the threads chased. You need spacers for your cranks.

Cheers Shandy – I have the headset tool, and just ordered a hope headset so I’m going to give that a go.

Are the crank spacers to align the front drivetrain with the rear? I take it these are a specific size for the Blupig frame, and won’t be included in the XT groupset I’ve bought?

all about BB fitting;

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/external-bearing-crank-systems-hollow-tech-ii-megaexo-gigaxpipe-x-type-ultra-torque-bbt

Cheers wwaswas!

Are the shell faces likely to need machining, or does the frame come from ragley already prepared?

This is what I meant in my post above, but got my terminology mixed up and called it the ‘axle’!!

Nope they are standard to go between the BB and the frame, can’t remember the set-up on the Blue Pig but you should have spacers in with your groupset and all you need is the BB size of the frame and then you can follow the Shimano instructions to give you the spacers required for that BB size.

Your BB is probably in decent nick straight from the factory.

Aha, the park link had a good sketch on there. 68mm shell on the pig, so looks like 2 x 2.5mm spacers on the drive side and 1 on the non-drive.

Thanks again gents. I’ll stop pestering you all now until I’ve actually started doing it and encountered some ‘real’ problems…. 😯

The headset is easy with the correct tool, £25 from Wiggle.

Well that really depends on the headset and the frame. Some frames are designed to have elastic deformation when the headset cup is pressed in so that the cup is held under a much higher pressure than normal. This allows repeated removal and replacement of a bearing cup whilst continuing to ensure a firm fit each time, but makes fitting them a bi*ch

Similarly, some headsets are notoriously hard to fit, the Chris King Steelset being legendary in this regard. My LBS actually snapped the arms of a £130 Park tools headset press trying to get a CK Steelset into my Nicolai Ion!

So my point is, a £25 wiggle special headset press might work for some applications but it might also be as useless as a kick in the nuts. Indeed, it might also cause you serious problems.

Fitting a headset is something I’d always have an LBS do; it’s just not worth getting it wrong.

The BB is hard to get wrong, either it screws in flush or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t you probably need the threads chased. You need spacers for your cranks.

This bit more true IMO, but not impossible. Some BB cups (external ones) are a much tighter fit than others, to the point where you’ll struggle to get more than one or two turns in by hand before you have to resort to using a BB spanner. With only one or two turns in, it’s possible to still have the threads crossed; if you then use a BB spanner to force the cups in, you could strip the threads on the BB shell.

Scared now…..

Best policy is if you’ve got any doubts whatsoever when it comes to headsets and BBs, STOP! Get your LBS to take over.

FWIW a star spangled nut is a bugger to fit but I find they work better than the head doctors.

Rich!

the threads for the Bottom-bracket:

have funny threads, the drive-side is a left-hand thread, the non-drive-side is a right hand thread.

(left hand thread = anti-clockwise to go in)

(right hand thread = clockwise to go in)

i din’t know if you knew that or not, they should go in by hand until the last 1/8th turn. if it feels tight going in, you should get the thread ‘chased’ by your local best bike shop.

Yep, understood on the BB threads. I’ll wind them into the frame by hand and see how smoothly they go, to see if t needs the threads chasing.

This leads me to anoother question though….. even if they screw in nice and smoothly by hand, is there a chance that the faces on the frame might not be complately parallel (excess paint etc) and that they could become slightly miss-aligned with the last ‘nip’ using the BB spanner? Even on a brand new frame?

I’m not really too fussed about paying a few quid to have the shop do the BB and headset, just I kinda wanted the satisfaction of having done it myself, especially as I have access to the tools.

I think you’re right – see how I go, and if at any point I think I’m going to break something, just stop and consult the LBS!

Cheers,

Rich.

rich_959 – Member
This leads me to anoother question though….. even if they screw in nice and smoothly by hand, is there a chance that the faces on the frame might not be complately parallel (excess paint etc) and that they could become slightly miss-aligned with the last ‘nip’ using the BB spanner? Even on a brand new frame?

yes, it can happen.

if may or may not be down to excess paint, the face of the frame might be not be square to the thread.

many people don’t believe it, but it can happen, and a wonky face will shorten the life of the bearings.

your frame is probably fine, but the only way to know for sure is ask your best local bike shop to ‘face’ the B-B.

(screw the bearing in, when it’s close to the frame, have a look to see if it’s obviously not wonky, use some feeler gauges if you’ve got them to see if there are any spots closer than others)

I thought Ragleys (headtube and BB) were already faced?

Geetee I don’t really see why you are being suck a know-all, the majority of headsets will go into a Blue Pig perfectly well with a cheaps headset press, even if it does take a whole room full of experts to get your Chris King into your Nicolai.

Similarly, some headsets are notoriously hard to fit, the Chris King Steelset being legendary in this regard. My LBS actually snapped the arms of a £130 Park tools headset press trying to get a CK Steelset into my Nicolai Ion!

So my point is, a £25 wiggle special headset press might work for some applications but it might also be as useless as a kick in the nuts. Indeed, it might also cause you serious problems.

Whilst we’re in the “kick Geetee” mode… you say a £25 wiggle headset press might cause problems, but you’d suggest what? The £130 one that snapped the arms off when trying to install your CK?

Personally I use a big lump of wood and a rubber mallet.

**** me Shandy who pi**sed in your bed last night?

Personally I use a big lump of wood and a rubber mallet.

That’s wonderful Brant but you’re sexual preferences are a bit out of place on this thread.

Hey Geetee – this one’s for you.

😯 Brant bit harsh bringin your mum into the whole equation isn’t it?

OK cease fire!

Has anyone measured the elastic deformation on a Blue Pig? I’m concerned that the headset on mine might fall out while I’m riding and cause an accident – could, for example get flicked up by another rider and hurt someone. Is this a major risk?

Is it wrong that I’m kinda enjoying starting all this bickering?

Screwed the BB in last night, and after a small amount of resistance (I assume from the bit of oversprayed paint in the threads) it went in smoothly, almost all the way up to the frame – gap seems the same all the way around with feeler gauges (cheers ahwiles). I reckon I’ll nip it up and see how I get on.

Next….the headset….

bloody hell, i wrote something that someone found useful, my mum will be so proud!

I didn’t find it THAT useful, I just wanted to be accepted by the crowd so thought it was best to thank someone… 😀