NS Bikes Launches RAG+

Over on Singletrackworld.com we’ve been testing the NS Eccentric – a playful hardtail mountainbike with its roots in dirt jump bikes. It turns out it’s not just mountain bikes that NS Bikes thinks it can put the dirt jump stamp on – they’ve launched the RAG+, a #dirtydropbargoodness meets dirt jump machine.

RAG+ is so called because it stands for Road And Gravel Plus, and NS Bikes is convinced that its experience in hard living abuse standing bikes puts them in the right place to do gravel better than road bike manufacturers. They certainly know how to put together an eye pleasing press release package.

You can ride the RAG+ on 700C wheels equipped with 40C tires, or with 27.5 MTB wheels with tyres as big as 2.2inches.

The bike is made with an NS Bikes 6061 T6 custom formed alloy frame and butted tubes. The fork is an NS Gravel+ carbon fork with 15mm dropouts and NS thru axle.

NS Bikes says: The geometry is aggressive, which makes you wanna push the pedals harder and corner faster, but at the same time comfortable enough to keep you smiling during a whole day trip.

It’s a 1x set up, with SRAM S350 1x X-SYNC™ 42t, 170/175mm cranks up front and a SRAM PG-1130 11 speed 11-42t cassette at the rear with SRAM Apex derailleur.

Brakes are SRAM Apex hydraulic disc, 160mm rear & front.

Bars are Zipp Service Course 70-Ergo aluminium bars. The headset is NS Bikes integrated tapered IS42/52.

The bike comes in at a claimed weight of 9.9kg in a size medium.

Tricks are down to the rider, and not automatically instilled. Practice may be needed. Here’s someone who has been practising.

If that doesn’t make you want to go play out, we don’t know what will.

The bike ships with the Panaracer Gravel King SK 70x40c, brown side-walled tyres.

Hub spacing is 142×12, and the bike comes built with NS Rotary 15 disc (sealed bearing) and NS Rotary Cassette 142 (sealed bearings) hubs. Rims are Alex Draw 2.1P Asymmetrical, 32h, tubless ready, laced with double butted spokes and 14mm nipples.

Billed as being as good for playing as it is for a long day out, we’d quite like to get our hands on one of these to test. Let’s ride ’til the sun goes down. They’re £1649.99 and will be landing with UK distributer Hotlines in early March.