Haha I almost did another high low spin off starting this month but couldn't make it work. I was going to pimp out the Schwinn Taff but it just didn't feel right
Head tube badges is one of thoose "novelty" things that i feel give a lot of personality to bikes, i think it's a shame that many bikes just don't have them anymore.
Awesome series!! I really like that you are just going to transfer parts over to each bike to try and keep a level playing field. The Ragley looks sweet and when the price is considered, it looks even sweeter. Looking forward to the series!
Nice review. I've had this frame since May and its been great. Its extremely confident on steeps and jumps. The bike is also great as an all-rounder- long cross country epics. I'm running 2.6 tyres and run them below 20psi for a comfortable ride. Well worth considering if you want a great 'do it all ride'
Enjoying the HT videos. These days I ride my Big Al 9 times out of 10 and leave my 160mm enduro bike at home. The HT is so much better at climbing and super fun downhill too. As you say like a jump bike. The only time I miss the rear travel is on hardcore downhill tracks.
I just went biking at Coler for the first time last Tuesday and I have to say Fireline was one of the best trails I may have ever ridden. And some of rental shops out in bentonville are amazing. I was able to rent a 2023 Trek Fuel Ex carbon for only 100 dollars a day!
Yeah Even!! I love this series. I have a 21 Ragley Big AL and I have 30mm of spacers as well as 35mm risers. So I get the Low stack. I love the bike but have been wanting a change as well so I was looking at the updated frame. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Awesome work :)
Ragley big al and Nukeproof scout are my favorite hardtails. Affordable and fun. Plus you can get them frame only and build them up how you want. Or you can get them built already(except the new big al, frame only). Im glad you got to review this bike. The new ragley big al will be my next bike. I like that you are doing this series. Cheers!
@jesseonly1327 Why are you choosing the Ragley over the Nukeproof ? May get one or other in the future. The new nuke has different geometry to the old, have you tried it ?
I have a Ragley Marley and by far my favorite bike that I've ridden. I will say that there are times I would like some rear squish but it honestly shreds.
Imo you want a hardtail to be shorter in reach, and slacker in head/seat angles because the lack of rear suspension rotates the frame at sag and as you go through the suspension. 63.5 sounds extra slack but it’s not that bad.
I agree that tech trails are where a hardtail is great. Especially when you are on the edge of exposed trails and have to do some “trials” type of maneuvering. After seeing your interpretation of tech trails, I guess it depends on where you are used to riding. To me that trail seemed very tame and not that technically. Definitely didn’t have a lot of chunk or ruts. Not any drops or natural features. Thanks for sharing
@@EvansMTBSaga I got hammered blue and I think it looks sick! And yes they do make custom geo for cheap I got mine for 500 shipping and all. Only problem is the wait time is 4 months
Great stuff! But I'm confused by point 1. Why does an aluminium frame mean a 'mountain bike with no rear suspension'? That's the definition of a hardtail. Script issue?
Ahhh, now I understand why you were "secretly" riding the NukeProof Scout 290 we saw a couple of videos ago. At $499 for a bare frame, it is in the same price class as this new Ragley. Edit: Maybe I should wait until the end of a video before commenting.
Bro Evan you should also try a Marin San Quentin (a hardtail designed by Matt Jones) its a really good hardtail when I had it hope you get it in this series :D
Hey Evan I’m going to be in bentonville the first week in august and was wondering what the best trails are or the best area for a intermediate on a not good hard tail. I also want you to know I am a huge fan or your channel keep up the good work.
Best area is Coler - Thunderdome, Esther's, Family Flow, Fireline Slaughter Pen - Castle hub, Boo Boo, Leopards, Jesses Last Stand Hope to see you on the trail!
@@EvansMTBSagaif you don’t already know this my main channel is “Backyard MTBer” but I do this one for fun. Also if you can afford a Trek Roscoe 7 I would like to see you test it in this new series. I have and it’s great on everything. I haven’t ridden it on very much tech but I’ll be testing that when I hopefully go to wind rock bike park for the first time here in a couple months.
The new Ragley looks gorgeous, a bit like the Yeti. Do you tested the Commencal meta hd also aren't you? Isn't that a Hardtail, too?Nevertheless I'm looking forward to see your opinion on the Nukeproof scout.
You should put more travel on the fork it looks like the bb height isn't that high, I have a 180mm on my hardtail which is kind of overkill lol and it has been pretty good looking to upgrade into a downhill bike but put a single crown on it
I’ve just bought this frame and plan to build it up but before I get it, can you give me an idea on what bottom bracket you installed please? Also, head cups…..and crank size 😅 thank you. Its worth mentioning that I bought this frame on your recommendation 👍🏻
I love for you to try and source a Trek Roscoe frame and try that out. HT party said it was pretty well balanced but I’d love another opinion from someone I trust.
@@EvansMTBSaga hell yeah! They come stock with 140mm but I find the 150mm on mine more usable for where I ride. You’ll also need the 31.6 seat post shim for this one.
Excluding steel as a material for your hardtail choices seems like your going to miss out of some of the best options out there. Steel to me feels like the best material to ride as a hardtail as it soaks up chatter and is remarkably durable. I have a Chromag Stylus and it rivals my full squish enduro bike for fun factor and soaks up the chunk unbelievably well.
👍great video, i have the 2022 model, but that 2023 big al frame looks very nice🤔it will be interesting to see how the nukeproof scout compares to the big al👍
I highly reccomend the Starling Roost, they are a smaller company out of the UK. It is steal so I guess we wont see it on this series. None the less it is an absolute blast.
When judging bikes the most important geometry measurement is the wheelbase. The wheelbase of most modern full-sus Trailbikes is in the 1230mm to 1250mm range for a size large bike which would have something like a 77* STA and 65* HTA which I consider about ideal full-sus Trailbike Geometry. Ideal Hardtail geometry would also have a 1230mm-1250mm size-large wheelbase but would have slightly different geo because it doesn't have rear suspension and would have about a 76* STA and 64* HTA. Unfortunately, most Hardtails have wheelbases that are not long enough and therefore do not perform as well as most full-sus Trailbikes in terms of geometry. If you're buying Hardtail Trailbike, the first thing to look at is the wheelbase of the size-large bike and confirm that it has a 1230mm-1250mm wheelbase.
Thanks for the comment. I was really happy with the feel of the long wheelbase, but a lot of the other frames I'll be testing don't cross the 1200 threshold. We'll see how they perform
Yeah hardtails definitely don't have as steep seat angles because once they are squatted down in the suspension they are usually a degree or 2 steeper.
@@EvansMTBSaga A 1200mm or less size-large wheelbase is full-sus XC bike geometry. Most Hardtails still come with XC geometry which hinders the bikes ability to be a good all around Trailbike.
@@MB-jz3uu Yes. Hardtails should be judged by their "sagged" geometry. If the fork has 25mm/1.0in of sag that will steepen up you seattube and headtube by about 1*. A 76* STA will become a 77* STA and a 64* HTA will become a 65* HTA. Which I consider about ideal geometry for a full-sus Trailbike. Full-sus bikes don't do this because both the front and the back of the bike sag together at the same time. Ultimately, I find it simpler to just think a think about wheelbase for the size bike I ride which is size-large.
@@marksandoval5361 So the basis of your logic is that everything has to be exactly the same as everything else, within a narrow window of wheelbase, or else they are disadvantaged.
63.5 head tube is cool going downhill, but for most people thats almost to slack for a hardtail. I think Realistically most riders would benefit closer to 65 HT angle. But all these companies are matching the market and I don't blame them. Where will it end? Who knows? I would not doubt if some of the bikes that end up ultra slack end up going the other direction in the future back to that mid ground. Please Test the 2022 Santa Cruz Chameleon R build! Don't do the D build because the spec is awful. That is my favorite frame and id like to know your opinion. Its a 65 degree head tube but don't let that fool you, it shreds. Mine is fully upgraded. I wish I was local so I could do a bike swap with you and let you review it.
This is going to be a really great series!! Just what I have been waiting from you after the high low ended😊
Haha I almost did another high low spin off starting this month but couldn't make it work. I was going to pimp out the Schwinn Taff but it just didn't feel right
@@EvansMTBSaga You might not remember but I actually requested that a while ago and we had a conversation about it. Can’t wait to see the Scout🤟
I remember you too man 😂
Head tube badges is one of thoose "novelty" things that i feel give a lot of personality to bikes, i think it's a shame that many bikes just don't have them anymore.
Right! *cough* Ibis lol
Salsa for the win. Peppers are cool
Canfield wins for coolest head badge
Original Cotic badge takes some beating 😎
Awesome series!! I really like that you are just going to transfer parts over to each bike to try and keep a level playing field. The Ragley looks sweet and when the price is considered, it looks even sweeter. Looking forward to the series!
Nice review. I've had this frame since May and its been great. Its extremely confident on steeps and jumps. The bike is also great as an all-rounder- long cross country epics. I'm running 2.6 tyres and run them below 20psi for a comfortable ride. Well worth considering if you want a great 'do it all ride'
The routing for the cables on ragleys work better if you cross them after the first bolt on cable guide so they flair eitherside of the head tube .
Enjoying the HT videos. These days I ride my Big Al 9 times out of 10 and leave my 160mm enduro bike at home. The HT is so much better at climbing and super fun downhill too. As you say like a jump bike. The only time I miss the rear travel is on hardcore downhill tracks.
I’m so excited for this series. I just built up a Kona Honzo ST so I’m really interested to see how all the frames I did NOT pick stack up!
good choice, steel hardtails are the best!
Wished kona didnt phased out the Honzo (down country geo)
Thanks for the review. Glad you liked the changes we made.
Love this new series you got going on, looking forward to the Nukeproof scout video. Congrats on the big 100k subs Evan!
Thanks Derek! I hope you're getting to ride this summer!
I just went biking at Coler for the first time last Tuesday and I have to say Fireline was one of the best trails I may have ever ridden. And some of rental shops out in bentonville are amazing. I was able to rent a 2023 Trek Fuel Ex carbon for only 100 dollars a day!
Yeah Even!! I love this series. I have a 21 Ragley Big AL and I have 30mm of spacers as well as 35mm risers. So I get the Low stack. I love the bike but have been wanting a change as well so I was looking at the updated frame. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Awesome work :)
Perfect! I was looking forward to see this 23 version in review.
Ok now this is epic
This series is gonna be insane!
Ragley big al and Nukeproof scout are my favorite hardtails. Affordable and fun. Plus you can get them frame only and build them up how you want. Or you can get them built already(except the new big al, frame only). Im glad you got to review this bike. The new ragley big al will be my next bike. I like that you are doing this series. Cheers!
@jesseonly1327 Why are you choosing the Ragley over the Nukeproof ? May get one or other in the future. The new nuke has different geometry to the old, have you tried it ?
I have a Ragley Marley and by far my favorite bike that I've ridden. I will say that there are times I would like some rear squish but it honestly shreds.
Imo you want a hardtail to be shorter in reach, and slacker in head/seat angles because the lack of rear suspension rotates the frame at sag and as you go through the suspension. 63.5 sounds extra slack but it’s not that bad.
Loved the video! Brings back the vibe of the bit older ones. Excited 4 the series.
I ride a specialized fuse it comes in 29 and 27.5, has an adjustable dropout, and 130mm of travel and I love the frame
The Kona Honzo ESD is the hardtail to beat for all around performance. The Rocky Mountain Growler is decent, too. They are super long and slack.
Excited for the next episode, I've been eyeing that Scout for quite a while.
Hardtails are a blast! Keep the HT content coming!
Can not wait for the rest to come. Hopefully you got a Stanton Switch9er or a Kona Honzo ESD in 😍
small mistake at 2:31. You had the old and the new stack heights stated as the same
Love my paradox! Hope you get to try one in the series.
That is one I'm trying!
@@EvansMTBSaga sweet!
@@EvansMTBSagathis is the hardtail I'm most curious about. Looking forward to your review!
Yeah. The Paradox is awesome. Built mine up last fall.
I just love how versatile it is. Currently running it at 140 but considering a more xc oriented 120 for lower weight.
Cant wait to see more of this cool series good job man!!
Sick to see this one dude, can't wait for the next episode !
Great video man. It really helped me to find good hardtail.
Love riding my Nukeproof scout! Really looking forward to hearing what you think 👌
Just get ya a Commencal Meta HT and you'll love it way more than any other bike. I stand by it. Scouts honor
*80’s action voice*
HARDTAIL QUEST!!!!
Great video Evan! I am looking forward to the series 🤠
I agree that tech trails are where a hardtail is great. Especially when you are on the edge of exposed trails and have to do some “trials” type of maneuvering. After seeing your interpretation of tech trails, I guess it depends on where you are used to riding. To me that trail seemed very tame and not that technically. Definitely didn’t have a lot of chunk or ruts. Not any drops or natural features. Thanks for sharing
You should consider the new updated Trek Roscoe, I built one and I’m in love with it!
Definitely excited about this series, great video dude! If you had to go with either full squish or hard tail only,forever, what would you do lol?
I'd honestly pick a full sus with your rules, just cuz I like riding the Enduro stuff too
@@EvansMTBSaga hell ya I dig it man
Check out the dartmoor range of Hardtail. I ride the hornet and love it, its 27.5, I think the primal is the 29 inch version 👍
Awesome build and the turquoise blue frame looks super.💯👌🏻🚴♀️
Well, i build up a Dartmoor Primal 29 frame last year. Its awesome. I wonder of you could bring that one in too?? Keep up the good work 👍
Great new series!! Try out a Banshee Paradox. I have had many HT and this one is the absolute pinnacle (for an enduro hardtail). 😅
Banshee Paradox will be one that I test!
This is going to be an awesome series of hardtails, would you do a marin bike build, and can't wait for Nukeproof bike.
Aluminum is a good choice since it’s what most people ride and can afford. If I could I would add a nimble 9 and a yeti arc to my bike fleet.
Evan does the best reviews much love bro
Looks like a Yeti if you squint! absolutely beautiful bike!
Great series idea! I think you should also try the Salsa Timberjack!
Think giving it a 2 because you prefer the look of different tubes is harsh tbh.
Evan have you tried a Downhill bike?And are you going to build one?love your videos!
The Geo chart for this bike is based on a 160mm fork, I believe. I think 140mm fork might be better suited to their Marley frame. Thanks.
Now that Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles have filed for restructuring, its pretty much impossible to get a Ragley frames shipped to the US.
I'm selling the two that I have if you're interested in a medium!
I need size large.
Dude your videos are so high quality
Thanks dude!
This came out at the wrong time for me 😂 I just barely pulled the trigger and bought myself a steel Marino hardtail
Dude that's rad! Steel will be season 2. What color frame did you pick? Do they customize geometry too?
@@EvansMTBSagayeah they make custom frames. Spindatt has a custom Marino full suspension that's been good to him so far.
@@EvansMTBSaga I got hammered blue and I think it looks sick! And yes they do make custom geo for cheap I got mine for 500 shipping and all. Only problem is the wait time is 4 months
Oh yeahhh this is an awesome series
Really fun video, look forward to future frame comparisons
Great stuff! But I'm confused by point 1. Why does an aluminium frame mean a 'mountain bike with no rear suspension'? That's the definition of a hardtail. Script issue?
Ahhh, now I understand why you were "secretly" riding the NukeProof Scout 290 we saw a couple of videos ago. At $499 for a bare frame, it is in the same price class as this new Ragley.
Edit: Maybe I should wait until the end of a video before commenting.
I just bought a big al and I can safely say its a good bike!
Bro Evan you should also try a Marin San Quentin (a hardtail designed by Matt Jones) its a really good hardtail when I had it hope you get it in this series :D
I wish! They're 27.5 only
@@EvansMTBSaga ohhh yea i forgot its a 29er only series
I knew it! I could tell in the last video that one of the hardtails was gonna be the nuke proof scout
Pretty smart to compare the last gen vs new gen ragley back to back (black vs blue)
Hey Evan I’m going to be in bentonville the first week in august and was wondering what the best trails are or the best area for a intermediate on a not good hard tail. I also want you to know I am a huge fan or your channel keep up the good work.
I would love to ride with you Ik you prob get this a lot but I would also like to know what the best areas
Best area is Coler - Thunderdome, Esther's, Family Flow, Fireline
Slaughter Pen - Castle hub, Boo Boo, Leopards, Jesses Last Stand
Hope to see you on the trail!
@@EvansMTBSaga thanks
I'll take the old Big Al frame!
Evan, test out the Stoic. It's an amazing hard tail and looks fantastic.
Great vid hope the giant fathom and specialized fuse are in this
Loving the Goonzquad T-shirt I watch them a lot tooo!
Heck yeah. Maybe one day I'll be buying $135k Shelby trucks too 😂 (doubt it lol)
@@EvansMTBSagaif you don’t already know this my main channel is “Backyard MTBer” but I do this one for fun. Also if you can afford a Trek Roscoe 7 I would like to see you test it in this new series. I have and it’s great on everything. I haven’t ridden it on very much tech but I’ll be testing that when I hopefully go to wind rock bike park for the first time here in a couple months.
@@Nate12345 Oh thats rad Nate. The Roscoe will be one of the 8 bikes I'm testing!
2022 seat tube angle is 74° (not 72). Thanks for the review 👍
Thanks for that!
🤔do you grease the headtube cups or do they go in dry🤔just incase i build me own one day👍
Finally! Hardtail content is a-booming
The new Ragley looks gorgeous, a bit like the Yeti. Do you tested the Commencal meta hd also aren't you? Isn't that a Hardtail, too?Nevertheless I'm looking forward to see your opinion on the Nukeproof scout.
Meta HT (HardTail)
You should put more travel on the fork it looks like the bb height isn't that high, I have a 180mm on my hardtail which is kind of overkill lol and it has been pretty good looking to upgrade into a downhill bike but put a single crown on it
I’ve just bought this frame and plan to build it up but before I get it, can you give me an idea on what bottom bracket you installed please? Also, head cups…..and crank size 😅 thank you. Its worth mentioning that I bought this frame on your recommendation 👍🏻
headset is ZS 44 56, bottom bracket is a standard BSA. Crank size - up to you, 170 is what I used. I hope you enjoy it!
@@EvansMTBSaga legend! Thank you!
Cool idea for a series!
I love for you to try and source a Trek Roscoe frame and try that out. HT party said it was pretty well balanced but I’d love another opinion from someone I trust.
That'll be episode 3!
@@EvansMTBSaga hell yeah! They come stock with 140mm but I find the 150mm on mine more usable for where I ride. You’ll also need the 31.6 seat post shim for this one.
Can you review the new canyon stoic? With your parts but also a review of just stock
The ad was amazing! 😂
So keen for the nukeproof scout video
Excluding steel as a material for your hardtail choices seems like your going to miss out of some of the best options out there. Steel to me feels like the best material to ride as a hardtail as it soaks up chatter and is remarkably durable. I have a Chromag Stylus and it rivals my full squish enduro bike for fun factor and soaks up the chunk unbelievably well.
Season 2 will be steel only!
@@EvansMTBSaga Thats what I'm talking about!
I wanted to buy a marin el roy but couldn't find one so just bought
A trek roscoe 😂
Review the Santa Cruz Chameleon please! Can’t be on a quest for the ultimate hardtail without the Chameleon
Great series, please try and get your hands on a a canyon stoic
👍great video, i have the 2022 model, but that 2023 big al frame looks very nice🤔it will be interesting to see how the nukeproof scout compares to the big al👍
I highly reccomend the Starling Roost, they are a smaller company out of the UK. It is steal so I guess we wont see it on this series. None the less it is an absolute blast.
Steel will be season 2!
The only thing better than a good hardtail, is an indesteuctible hardtail. Afterall, rims break anyways right?
Rocky Mountain Growler would be a good comparison.
When judging bikes the most important geometry measurement is the wheelbase. The wheelbase of most modern full-sus Trailbikes is in the 1230mm to 1250mm range for a size large bike which would have something like a 77* STA and 65* HTA which I consider about ideal full-sus Trailbike Geometry. Ideal Hardtail geometry would also have a 1230mm-1250mm size-large wheelbase but would have slightly different geo because it doesn't have rear suspension and would have about a 76* STA and 64* HTA. Unfortunately, most Hardtails have wheelbases that are not long enough and therefore do not perform as well as most full-sus Trailbikes in terms of geometry. If you're buying Hardtail Trailbike, the first thing to look at is the wheelbase of the size-large bike and confirm that it has a 1230mm-1250mm wheelbase.
Thanks for the comment. I was really happy with the feel of the long wheelbase, but a lot of the other frames I'll be testing don't cross the 1200 threshold. We'll see how they perform
Yeah hardtails definitely don't have as steep seat angles because once they are squatted down in the suspension they are usually a degree or 2 steeper.
@@EvansMTBSaga A 1200mm or less size-large wheelbase is full-sus XC bike geometry. Most Hardtails still come with XC geometry which hinders the bikes ability to be a good all around Trailbike.
@@MB-jz3uu Yes. Hardtails should be judged by their "sagged" geometry. If the fork has 25mm/1.0in of sag that will steepen up you seattube and headtube by about 1*. A 76* STA will become a 77* STA and a 64* HTA will become a 65* HTA. Which I consider about ideal geometry for a full-sus Trailbike.
Full-sus bikes don't do this because both the front and the back of the bike sag together at the same time. Ultimately, I find it simpler to just think a think about wheelbase for the size bike I ride which is size-large.
@@marksandoval5361 So the basis of your logic is that everything has to be exactly the same as everything else, within a narrow window of wheelbase, or else they are disadvantaged.
I was just thinking of this channel yesterday wondering where you've been.
Took a week off to dial in this series. No more breaks until September!
@@EvansMTBSaga I won’t ever criticize a break!! You have to live life too! Can’t wait to see what’s next!
Even with my infinite love for the confort of a full sus, you just can't go wrong with the classic format
I've been looking at hardtails recently I've ridden a trail and Enduro bike for 2 years and I miss the chaos hardtail
nothing beats the first hard tail you ride :) love the blue though 🤘
Haha my first Hardtail was a Schwinn Axum. Everything beats that bike
@@EvansMTBSaga it got you into the sport regardless of it's faults fond memories were made. Mine was a Fuji Nevada.
Great idea!. Back to looking forward to a new video each week. I'm very keen to see how the Scout goes. Funny how Americans say Aluminium 🙈.
Aggressive hardtail should always be steel. Unless you're extra fancy, in which case it should be titanium! When you try one, you'll know why.
Why?
Try the Canyon Stoic!!
Bro you better try out the 150 mm fork raise de bottom bracket an makes it more play full
63.5 head tube is cool going downhill, but for most people thats almost to slack for a hardtail. I think Realistically most riders would benefit closer to 65 HT angle. But all these companies are matching the market and I don't blame them. Where will it end? Who knows? I would not doubt if some of the bikes that end up ultra slack end up going the other direction in the future back to that mid ground. Please Test the 2022 Santa Cruz Chameleon R build! Don't do the D build because the spec is awful. That is my favorite frame and id like to know your opinion. Its a 65 degree head tube but don't let that fool you, it shreds. Mine is fully upgraded. I wish I was local so I could do a bike swap with you and let you review it.
I really have my eyes on a Chameleon, but I'm hesitant cuz I can't find it in frame only and would have to fork out at least $2300 for the complete
@@EvansMTBSaga I know. Boooo!! They had frames available at mikes bikes but I’m not sure if they are selling them anymore.
Oh yeah I checked Mike's Bikes, sold out for now :(
Perhaps. But…. 63.5 with 561 axle to crown unsagged…. 140s sagged will be more like 65 degrees.
you did great job on the intro that was cool.
Season 1 of Hardtail Quest is going to be epic
Heck yeah thanks Clint
Great review, one question: which fork travel do you have?
140 mm pike ultimate
@@EvansMTBSaga thanks a lot!!
我也喜欢HardtailMTB，尤其是喜欢HardtailAM，因为现代化结构几何很好看，且强度高，而且也好维护，所以对我来说，我选择山地车肯定是选择Hardtail，还有一个原因就是价格比较便宜。
Hardtails are the jam!
the geo of that bike calls for much rowdier trails than that. definitely would be way overkill for those trails.
thats a really good intro for the series! Also the ragley reminds me of your sb115. Why not carbon?
Carbon will be season 3
@@EvansMTBSaga what’s the plan for season 2?
Steel!
can you do the new Cannondale Habit hardtail.
You should test NS Bikes Eccentric. Super stiff and realy fun to ride. Grest series - love hardtails
Why no steel frames? The Guerrilla Gravity Pedalhead is an awesome hardtail.
Season 2 will be steel only!
That ad was amazing