Hi Guys

First post but have been reading and absorbing for a while and no would like to ask for some advice.
I have been riding a Boardman HT Comp for the past 3 months. Purchased 2nd hand for a good price, it was perfect for me to get back into riding after a 20 year sabbatical. It has been faultless but I am now wanting to be able to tackle more ‘interesting‘ terrain while also wanting to be able to ride the Surrey Hills XC trails as well.

I have thought about a full susser but after reading more and more on the subject, I think a longer travel, stronger hardtail would be just the ticket.

So to my queries:
– If i purchased a Ragley Piglet, could I just bolt my Boardman gear to it and ride away?
I can set the forks up for 140mm of travel no problem but what about the rest of it?

– If the answer is no, what could be used and what would I have to buy at a minimum?

Links to Boardman Spec: http://www.boardmanbikes.com/mtb/ht_comp.html
Ragley Frame specs: Frame Specs:

• Front Derailleur: 28.6mm Top Pull
• Seat Post: 27.2mm
• Seat Collar: 29.8/30mm
• ChainLine: 50mm
• BB Shell 68mm
• Headset 1.125in standard
• Rear disc size up to 203mm
• Fork length 130-150mm optimised.

I may be barking up the wrong tree but as a born agin noob I would appreciate any help.

Thanks
Jeff

I am hoping the

I did much the same, building my Boardman HT Pro (old version) onto a Cotic Soul frame. Needed a different front mech, headset and seat clamp, but everything else worked fine, and the new frame rode much better. Gradually upgraded all the parts and now the old Boardman is my wife’s occasional MTB.

Cheers for the info guru.

If it’s a fairly easy/cheap swap I think I’ll go for it and then upgrade/replace as and when things break.

🙂

If you want a new bike then buy a new bike.

If you want to tackle more interesting terrain then just learn how to ride your current bike properly.

That is an option but with a new frame designed to handle tougher terrain it will essentially be a new bike. I have thrown the Boardman down this stuff already and while I can get the bike down and tackle the trail, I feel it would be more enjoyable if I had a more compliant frame and a geometry to suit. Actually being able to control the bike rather than let the terrain control the bike. After all, the frame must be the most important part of a bike and the way it handles/performs? Also. The cost of an all new bike is prohibitive at the moment.

If the answer to my question was no and I would have to replace most if not all of the components I already have then, I would have to look at an alternative solution.

Every days a school day when it comes to getting the most out of your riding, regardless of what your sitting on 😉

You might want to think about getting some test rides under your belt. Piglet may be tricky though. See if you can try a Soul maybe. Don’t know much about the boardman but you could end up with something not too dissimilar from what you have. Maybe try swapping bikes with mates for bit of a ride too. Worth thinking about what the limiting factor are. Maybe upgrading the forks may give you a better ride. Or if it’s geometry you could fit a slackset.

Alternatively you could take the cash and spend it on a skills day (Jedi off of here gets rave reviews) and address what for the majority of us is the real limiting factor! You’ll not end up with something new and shiny, but it’ll probably do more for your riding than a new frame. You may also end up with a deeper understanding of your riding and a better idea of what to change.

In the last few weeks I did the same with my old boardman ht pro just like chief.
Swapped the frame out for a second hand Cove Handjob.

Logically it doesn’t make sense.Going to all the hassle (it’s a bit time consuming) to swap out a nice light frame like the boardman for a heavier steel one, but i don’t regret it for a second. Maybe its the better sizing (I went from a 16″ boardman to a 17.5″ cove), or maybe the geometry but the bike just feels right now. Yes its heavier by a pound or two but such a comfy ride. As good as the boardmans are for value they not particularly cool. Its nice to get on a bike that looks good. (To those ITK anyway).

The boardman didnt owe me anything anyway as I got it from a guy at work who had it from new. That plus the handjob frame cost me less than £700. A good price for a Cove equipped with X9/X0.
Plus the boardman is now my commuter with much worse bits but still.

That does make a lot of sense Mrblobby but alas, I have no mates. None that ride bikes anyway 😆
Would be good to demo a bike but it’s just not easy to do so. Find a bike to demo and take it out in all the conditions and all the situations I may encounter though out the year. By doing hat I suggest, I may hate the end result but I can then swap something’s back over and carry on as before. Yes I will lose a little in doing so but not as much as if buying new and selling on. So, I have to rely in the reviews, real world accounts and general information found on the Internet and all of that points towards a well built steel, long travel hardtail.

A session for my boy and myself with Jedi is on the Christmas list.

Thanks for all the responses and fingers crossed, the end result will be like that of mikesbikes71 🙂

” After all, the frame must be the most important part of a bike and the way it handles/performs? “

Well we witter on here about our bikes character and ability, but by far the biggest difference is the rider. I had a first generation boardman HT and liked its spry feel tho it was a bit too compliant at speed ( there I go again). I thought the later versions were rather stiffer. No?

You can tailor a bike quite a bit with some small changes like tyres stems bars and fiddling with saddle and bar height. The suggestion of some skills coaching is an idea as you are quite a recent convert to the game. Im still applying the lessons from one day of coaching taken 3 years ago ( must do another one when I have time)

You will break before the boardman*

Don’t believe all the hype about different frames etc, go out ride, if you enjoy it swap wheels (stronger and lighter) and forks before frame. Any components you change can be pu on a new frame, that would be last thing I would change, forks and wheels as well as contact points such as saddle, wider bars and shorter stem, better brakes maybe will make a bigger difference for less money
When you run out of other part to change, then it’s time to look at the frame 🙂

*disclaimer I don’t know you so if you do or if the bike does please don’t sue me

As good as the boardmans are for value they not particularly cool

Oh dear! Really would you rather ride a bike that’s heavy and rides like a pig but you think looks good, or one thats a decent weight and a good all rounder for the money, but slightly less ‘cool’?

(To those ITK anyway).

When I see a boardman out I actually think the rider is pretty clued up for spotting the value, they are pretty respectable bikes and pi$$ all over several larger brands at almost twice the price,I often see people out on fancy expensive brands totally unsuited to their riding or skills though, I think something different ( then look down and think I’m a similar mug as well 🙂 )

^^Iains right, even changing something seemingly minor like stem height / length can have a big impact on how your bike handles.. Have a play round, lower / higher the front end a bit, fit some wider bars maybe. You’d be surprised what difference little things make. Although many us us know what it’s like to have a new bike itch that we have to scratch…….

I am right 😉 but reading back I realised last two paragraphs sounded a bit pissy, they weren’t meant to be, but was too late to edit
Not dissing any other frame or bike but the boardman shouldn’t be knocked they are tidy capable bikes for the money, cool or not

Are you sure about the specs above?

Look here: http://www.tamedearth.com/product/ragley-piglet/

You are likely to need a new headset, gear cables, stem (shorter for the Ragley) and then you might need a new seatpost & clamp.

Later on you will want better forks, wider/tougher wheels, possibly wider bars etc etc.

Steady chaps 🙂

I actually made a mistake in my OP. I am looking at a Blue PIG frame not a Piglet.
Sorry 🙁

I must also say that this was just a question about whether the bits and bobs could be swapped over although it has thrown up some interesting things to think about and have me questioning my reasoning. I am not about cool to be honest. I bought the boardman based on a lot of reading and have not disappointed but when I push it it. Just seems to say “no, I am an XC bike, stop being silly!” Now that maybe be me but if I hark back to when I started riding in the late 80’s, my Rockhoper always said “DO IT” and that bike was was not Ali and had rigid forks, skinny wheels etc but it made me want to ride it down anything.

It could very well be age getting the better of me though.

Well I have a Ragley mmmBop which has the same geometry as the blue pig but in aluminium. Was a bit of a stop gap punt at the time but it’s turned out to be a keeper. It’s a fantastic frame, it feels spot on with my forks wound down to 120, though people do seem to run them anywhere between 160 and 100. It can feel quite harsh at times as it is so stiff, but it is quite a bit lighter than the steel version and it feels so fast. I’ve not ridden the steel version (blue pig) but can understand why people rate it.

You will want to change a few things though to get the best out of it. It’s designed for a shorter stem and wider bars, and they do make a big difference (60 and 710 for me). Does also benefit from a lighish build if you want an all day up and down bike. I had it built quite burly originally and it was a bit of a pig, a lighter build totally transformed the bike.

Worth doing a quick Internet search for quality issues though as Ragley seem to be having a few problems at the moment.

Just seems to say “no, I am an XC bike, stop being silly!” Now that maybe be me but if I hark back to when I started riding

With the boardman it’s probably you… with the blue pig it’d definitely be you 🙂

lol! Cheers Mrblobby.

Now I am confused!

Regarding Ragley issues…. Makes for some interesting and concerning reading.
Thanks for the heads up.

Maybe a shorter Stem and wider bar will yield the results I am looking for from my current bike. Tyres and wheels are an issue though as the Boardman has very little tyre clearance. The 2.1 Ignitors I have on at the moment with the stock rims is as big as I can realistically go on the rear.

Back to the man-cave for more research!

Right – Decided to go for the wider bar / shorter stem option and see how we go.

Currently 670mm (low rise or almost flat) Boardman bars with a 90mm Boardman Stem

Can anyone recommend a suitable width and stem length?
For instance would a 760mm with 50mm stem be too drastic to begin with?

Any recommendations on some good quality bars (not carbon) and a good quality stem would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all!

i’m a noob too! I got a genesis core 26.4 which cae with a 70 stem and 680 bars, i bought a 55 stem and 720 bars after a bit of internet bargain hunting. really transformed how the bike felt, made it feel much more like it was “with me” on the descents, easier to lift the front wheel, hop and shove into corners, way more room to move fore and aft as needed. Hasn’t seemed to make much difference climbing unless it’s super steep when it is a bit more tricky to keep the front down!

I do have a suspicion i should have bpought a size smaller originally and the shorter stem makes it fit better.

Interesting question though as i do have a hankering to buy a soul at some point in the future and port some of the genesis kit over until it breaks

Got 760/50 on my big bouncy bike, great for the alps where it’s all down, but find it a bit wandery on trails that need quite a bit of pedalling input. Have 710/60 on my trail bike which I find works a lot better for me.

Got carbon Easton Haven bars which are lovely. Though you seem to be against carbon. Any of the Easton alu bars and a Thompson stem would probably be the typical STW recommendation.

Worth also playing around with saddle position. Try moving it back and forwards on the rails a bit and seeing what difference that makes. Maybe even think about a layback as it may put you in a better position. Also try lowering the saddle for more technical stuff to get it out the way, even an inch can make quite a difference. Though that may lead to a dropper post purchase!

@ceepers – The Soul does look a nice package. Maybe next year for me 8)

Saddle is well out of the way going down a long descent. A dropper would be nice but then so would loads of things and I am trying to get the best out of the bike on a budget 😀

As for carbon – I am just looking trying this set-up out so I dont want to spend a s*it load on super spanky gear.

Sounds like 710/60 combination is the ticket. Will go shopping and see what I can pick up then maybe I should actually get my arse on the saddle and go for a ride!

Cheers for your help Mr B.