CX anyone?

Do you cyclocross?



I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...







Looks great, but where the hell would someone ride this thing???







Oh.






More info below:

Specs and Design

Review

start to finish...

blue pigs aren't born... they're made.

for those of you waiting on yours, this should make the wait a little more bearable...

i like my pigs dirty...

something different from all these clean bike shots i've been putting up...

29er, anyone?

THE BUY

I recently started riding a 29er (Haro Mary SS - very affordable, steel, and very affordable) and I don't quite know if I'm a convert - at least not yet - and believe me, I'm big on keeping an open mind about these things!

I actually had a hard time finding a Mary, but I did find a Haro Ally SS to test ride (even more affordable, aluminum alloy, lighter, EVEN MORE AFFORDABLE). Here's what I noticed right away:

• much less small object chatter under the wheels
• with a 32-20, a little easier to pedal than the equivalent 32-16 26er with the same tires (Kenda Nevegals)
• much heavier wheels (I know it was stock, and that the tires are heavier, but still worth stating, right?)

After just the parking lot ride, I wanted one, but I wanted it in steel - always good to have something different in the quiver, and a 29er singlespeed in 4130 fit the bill. Based on how hard it can be to find a Haro Mary (there aren't that many, to my knowledge), I was happy to find out that All Terra in Home Depot had one (priced right, too!)

So I was all set to pick up my Mary, BUT - and note, it's a big BUT just like JLo's - it came stock with a rigid fork. I hadn't ridden rigid since a Surly 1x1 a few years back, and I knew where I could pick up a nice little 29er suspension fork on the cheap, so I figured no biggie and loaded the Mary into my little car.

THE RIDE

Ride 1: My first ride was at the Aguinaldo track. First time there, too, so I had no idea what to expect. Just to be on the safe side, I had my wingman on a Santa Cruz Heckler go ahead, I didn't want to get run over or hold him back.

All said, its really a different ride from a 26er. Much more body english involved, and A LOT more adjustment on the twisties and the switchbacks. Better? I don't know, but definitely different.

I did notice that I was feeling a lot less vibration on the downs than usual (steel + 29, I guess) which was nice.

Ride 2: Figured I'd take it for a test ride down Rojas in Maarat (someone please correct me if it's actually spelled Ro"x"as)... Here are some things I noticed:

• I've gone down clipless before, but it was a bad idea going clipless on a new ride - part of my brain was concentrating on clipping and unclipping
• Ruts didn't seem as big, especially when you're crossing over them, so I just ran through
  
• Roots didn't seem as big either, didn't feel the need to jump over them (but I really should've, I checked my rear wheel when I got home and I had to get out the truing stand to get the alignment right)
  

What I can't quite understand is that at the bottom, me and Heckler-riding buddy checked out our fork travel - I was under 3 inches and he was at about 4. I know I was going faster and I set both our forks up, so must be that a 29 inch wheel just offers that much more damping before it compresses - or something...

Would I do it again? Sure, but I'd add some gears first, cause getting up that mountain was a bitch and a half - I could get traction when I was standing, but my legs would run out before I hit the crest (I know, I know, I'll work on getting some stronger legs, too)

The point of all this? I couldn't imagine doing the ride on the bike WITH the stock rigid fork - I already pick my lines because I'm usually the only guy on a hardtail, I can't imagine how much pickier (is that even a word) I would have to be with a rigid fork.

WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH RAGLEY?

Up and coming - a Ragley Titanium 29er! Design by Shedfire, manufactured by Lynskey and designed specifically to run a rigid fork. This thing is made to go fast! It's designed to fit a 440mm axle-to-crown fork. That's 10mm shorter than the rigid fork designed for my 26" wheeled Orange P7!

Oh, but it must be okay to add a suspension fork, right? Nope - not a chance - this is extremely niche, and designed as such. It's one of the things I'm sure not everyone will get, but I'm under the impression you'll know it's for you when you see it.

On a personal note, do I get the whole 29er thing (and more so, do I get the whole rigid 29er thing)? Not yet - but then again, I've only gotten two rides on a 29er so far, so we'll see how it goes...

Those of you who've gotten more time on 29ers (and with rigid forked 29ers, at that), feel free to chime in...

After the pic, more details straight from the brains behind the ride:





An unashamedly specific design, the TD-1 is a “rigid only” 29er. Meaning you can’t run suspension forks on it.

Well, I suppose you could, but it would handle awfully. It’s designed around a 440mm fork – which is a common size for 26in wheeled bikes – but a 29in wheel fits in there just fine. Typically 29in bikes run 470-490mm forks, and so by running the shorter fork, we can lower the handlebars by 30-50mm. Which means a more racey position. What’s that? You don’t like a low racey position? You want a suspension fork? Well hey, I guess this isn’t the frame for you.

But, if you’re fed up with bars-in-the-air, bouncy forks, and just want something pure and rigid and fast, then here’s something for you. Race proven too – our races Dave and Jase got 2nd and 3rd at the ludicrously tough Strathpuffer race earlier in the year, riding their pre-production prototypes. - From Ragleybikes

Ti it up

The Ragley Ti
design by Shedfire, manufactured by Lynskey


Designed by Brant Richards, who designed the On-One Ti 456 - the ONLY hardtail to ever get a perfect 10 out of 10 stars in the U.K. bike mags.

(click to see detail)









Specs and design
Review

Available by order.

mmm

Bop.

Introducing the mmmBop frame. Named after one hell of a ride in Calderdale (here's a sample, leading to more similar videos), NOT named after that 90's overplayed radio earworm (here's a sample of that, too, but I take ZERO responsibility for your last song syndrome)...





Features:

Quick Lime or Blue.
16", 18", 20" sizes.
Sub-4 pounds of aluminum goodness.
1.5 inch headtube - run it your way, full 1.5 inch steerer, more common 1.125 via reducers, or tapered - your ride, your headset and fork, your choice - change your mind down the line on your fork, you can still run the same frame!
Run it with a 130-150 mm fork and a 50-70mm
Same great handling as a Blue Pig, because the geometry is EXACTLY the same. Think of it as a Blue Pig, in an aluminum-2-pounds-lighter-with-a-1.5-head-tube flavor :)

Specs and Design
Review

Saddle-icious

Cheeky Saddles!

Ragley’s saddle line all feature “distressed” logos so your saddle won’t look worn after a few weeks – it looks worn from the day you get it! Using top saddle manufacturer Velo’s expertise and customisation facility, Ragley mix and matched their favourite base, padding compound and cover to give the ride and profile they wanted. No soggy sofa, this is a performance perch built for knocks and spills and day long comfort.

Features:

• Available in "Logo" and "Natural" flavors
• Size 275mm x 132mm
• Superslim profile
• Tough one piece Lorica cover with no stitching
• Logo available in Black and White or White and Black
• Natural available in Black/Orange, Black/White, White/Black, White/Green and White/Blue
  
• Weight: 216g (chromoly) 206g (ti)

That's 2 colors for the Logo model, 5 colors for the Natural model, and both models available in chromoly and ti.... that's... 14 different saddle combinations! Click on the pic for some serious detail on the natural saddle, that stuff isn't spray-painted on!

Got yellow?

New 4x bike from Nuke Proof

Check out that rear axle - on a hardtail!

Not available.... YET...

40 days, 40 nights...

Lent's over.





Time for some pork.






The Ragley blue pig, design by Shedfire, smooth ride by triple butted CrMo.

what the fork?

Need a rigid fork for that singlespeed project?
Wanna drop some weight on that lightweight bike build?
Wanna build a 69er?


The new Nuke Proof Carbon fork is disc specific and a great addition to any single speed or hardtail. The fork features 34mm Carbon Fibre legs bonded to Cold Forged alloy crowns and dropouts to ensure precise steering and plenty of strength.

(click on pics to enlarge image)



Features:
• 3K Woven Carbon legs for ultimate strength and performance
• Cold forged alloy crown and dropouts offer precise steering
• I.S Disc Specific design
• Weight: 26"- 810g, 29' - 830g (uncut steerer tubes)
• 34mm Legs
• Axle to crown length: 26" - 445mm, 29" 470mm
• 1.1/8" Alloy steerer
• 26" decals available in Gunmetal Gray, Silver, Radiation Yellow and Stealth, 29" decals available in Gunmetal Gray

Note: There is also a 26" version that comes with a V-brake and I.S. Disc brake combo - just in case you want the option to run Vs...

Pedalphilia - when pedals turn you on

When was the last time you bought new pedals?

More importantly, why did you need new pedals at all?

If it was because you needed them for a new bike, that's great! If it was because your last set isn't spinning so smoothly cause your bearings are worn out or you bent your axle, not so great...

Good news, though - all Nuke Proof pedals have available axles, bearings, bushings, seals and replaceable pins should you need them.

The NEW Nuke Proof pedals feature a forged 6061-T6 alloy pedal body for optimum strength and fatigue resistance with extensive CNC machining to shave off any unnecessary weight.
The low profile parallelogram design offers maximum ground clearance and features a deep concave which allows the foot to “sit in” the pedal which improves grip and comfort. There are a total of ten replaceable and adjustable pins per side to allow you to customize the level of grip to meet your own requirements.

The pedal body spins on high quality DU bushings with two sealed cartridge bearings per pedal to help spread the stress loads from heavy impacts and to prolong service intervals. The CroMo axle features a lip seal between the axle end and pedal body to help reduce ingress of water and dirt which further prolongs service intervals.

(Click on the pics to enlarge)

The Neutron Pedal



Features:
• Forged 6061-T6 alloy pedal body
• CNC Machined
• CroMo axle
• Parallelogram design
• 2 x High quality DU bushings & 4 x sealed cartridge bearings
• Laser etched graphics
• Colour: Anodized Black
• Weight: 440g per pair
• Replaceable and adjustable pins

The Neutron pedal is also available in Mag-Ti version, same as above but...
• Forged Magnesium pedal body
• Titanium axle
• Colour: Black
• Weight: 280g per pair


The Proton Pedal

Features:
• Forged 6061-T6 alloy pedal body
• CNC Machined
• CroMo axle
• Parallelogram design
• 2 x High quality DU bushings & 4 x sealed cartridge bearings
• Laser etched graphics
• Colour: Anodized Black
• Weight: 415g per pair
• Replaceable and adjustable pins

And yes, ALSO available in Mag-Ti version, same as above but...
• Forged Magnesium pedal body
• Titanium axle
• Colour: Black
• Weight: 268g per pair

________________________

Currently taking orders for the next shipment, feel free to contact us for pricing information and delivery timelines!