I would have to say it's not that they're underrated, they aren't the money machines like big brands, resulting in them not being able to stretch out the advertising as much.
I finished few months ago my first hardtail build-from-scratch...it's a Ragley Marley, yari 140 (with updated 2021debonair), mrp ramp control, mullet configuration (29" 2.6 front, 27.5+ 2.8 rear), Slx 1x11, shimano xt m8000 brakes and discs (203f, 180r), rental fatbar +40mm handlebar... It's just amazing...I ended up riding it more than my full 160mm even in techy-rough descent.
Giuseppe Scalia I just started my Marley build with a 130mm fox34 29er fork and 20mm rise bars, but I’m sticking to 27.5 front and back. So my geo will be a little more aggressive. GX build, XT brakes, 150 dropper, and custom Rasta themed rims being made right now (hope hubs with 35mm rim and 2.6 minions)
My riding buddy rides this bike and he loves it. I’m riding a Nukeproof scout and together we blast down the trails and others look at us and think how is this possible on a hardtail😂🚵🏻👍🤘 Best moment ever. Keep doing this reviews I love it!
when I first got my NProof scout I thought nothing could replace that bike till I built my Marley with a 140 and eagle set up. The Marley is a riot and has given my scout some serious run for the money. I just cant stop riding it.
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@@hardtailparty it's a good bike. I run it with a 140mm 29+ fork, but about to swap it for a 150mm 29er fork. Then I can bump it to 160 if needed, but I doubt it.
@@hardtailparty I don't really love the fork on it, but I love the Geo. So I'm looking for a better fork with roughly the same axle to crown measurement. It's easier to find one that's a 29er with more travel though.
@@hardtailparty I'll keep my eyes open for that. Looking at 29er hardtails, considering a move back to hardtail from my full suss Commencal Meta AM. BFeMAX, Big Wig, Scout 290...too many good bikes to choose from!
I came across your channel from the Pinkbike comment section and I just have to say what a gem of a channel you have! This is by far one of my favorite MTB channels I have come across in terms of quality, content, and of course hardtail awesomeness!
You nailed it man. you really do have to be riding this bike at speed to feel in full control. It's less controlled at slower speeds. it's like every time I stop the handlebars drop to the side due to the HTA. not a huge deal, but I could barely ride handless without going 20 miles an hour on a road. Overall, loving mine with 150mm fork and upgraded 35mm rims
I was so sold on this bike and missed my chance on this years last restock and my not willing to wait till 2021 butt pulled the trigger on a Big Al! Fingers crossed it's just as lovely. I'll be sure to send Ragley a message about the influence your channel had in me settling on their brand!
Been waiting on my purple Mmmbop frame since early April, on the fence about canceling the order. Not anymore, thanks Steve your review is making the wait seem like it’s worth it. Can’t wait to build this one up.
@@thembrown They came in a couple days ago. The black / grey ones were all gone after about 5 hours, and I think a few small and large pruple ones made it to the next day or so (in my time zone - wouldn't be surprised if the entire stock was gone in less than 24 hours).
I love mine! This is the review I have been waiting for, before I bought mine I couldn’t find much of a review on it. Decided to just go for it and I’m so happy I did!
Where do you live mang? Get this, there are 3 other Ragley riders here near Cincinnati Dayton area. Crazy fate for such a rare bike brand in the states
Thanks so much for this review! Doing research for a new hardtail for when they come back in stock and have been looking at bikes like the nukeproof scout, commencal meta and mmmbop and I think I might be sold on the mmmbop! great to hear you compare the meta and the mmbop during the ride
hardtail party guys all of us can help with this.... if you love this channel, email companies that you want to see and mention Steve and this channel. You’d be surprised how much value doing that has. I’ve emailed Cotic and went back and forth at length.... and I think Steve just got that Solaris in recently after the BFE!! Let’s help him pump this channel up.
@@hardtailparty Their homepage still runs without SSL encryption (yours too btw) and you have to visit their Facebook page to find proper news. To me this says that marketing isn't their strong suit, unfortunately. Right now it is probably likely that they also simply did not have the stock available for review bikes though. Maybe they can improve on that after things settle down a bit, because the demand for bikes is likely going to go up in the next years, and I think we all want to see well thought out frames like these on the market.
I love the cleanness of having cable tucked away, but I get the preference for external routing. The great thing about this bike is the cable routing is so clean, it wouldn't make me miss internal.
Just ordered one of these. I got the silver color that comes with the Marzocchi Bomber fork. Super pumped to hit the local trails. Thanks for the great review on this bike.
I just built up the steel version of this bike, the 2020 Blue Pig, with a 150mm fork and Eagle. I built it with a bunch of spare parts I have in the garage with the intention of selling it. If I didn't already have a hardtail I would be keeping it.
Nice to see some good reviews on ragley bikes. I've just ordered a big al,sadly it won't be delivered until at least August. It will be my first 'decent' hardtail. I think the ragley's look superb and offer good spec for the money.
@@hardtailparty yeh can't wait to get out on it. It was a toss up between the ragley big al and the sonder transmitter. Same price but the big al won me over on looks.
YES! So glad you managed to get your hands on one of these. I've been interested in Ragley since seeing a Blue Pig in the UK last year. Really enjoyed hearing your opinion on the MMMBOP. Keep up the great work, loving your channel!!
Great review, never heard of this bike before and that’s what makes your channel great 👍!!! Awesome job keep the videos coming your subscribers are climbing this channel is getting bigger and better!!!!!
Don't know if this is of any interest to anyone but... I got a new, Large Mmmbop frame (Parma Violet 😍) last week and built it with 27.5" wheels with the idea to run it 'stock' at first just to get a feel for it and then with a mullet setup. I rode it on some muddy, flat trails close to home which aren't that testing but a start. I'm running Fox Rhythm 34mm,130mm travel forks which will steepen the seat tube angle a bit. It's slack enough at the front as it comes. Front tyre was a Nobby Nic 2.25" x 27.5" and rear was a Maxxis Shorty 2.3" x 27.5" both on 30mm internal rim widths. The bike felt good but hard work through the boggy trails. I got a 'base' feel after riding about 6 miles. Then back home to swap bits. Switching to a mullet setup, the front tyre is a Bontrager XR4 2.4" x 29" on a 25mm internal rim width wheel and a Bontrager XR4 2.8" x 27.5" on the same 30mm wheel as earlier. The Mmmbop immediately felt better on the front. Slightly slacker steering/seat tube angles but I didn't really notice that. The bigger tyre on the front could account for the grip but the steering of the bike felt much better. The rear felt good as well, not so much for extra grip but seemed to roll faster even though the XR4 is over 100g heavier than the Shorty 2.3". I'm going to ride it on some proper off road trails next and will update this post as to how it feels out in the wild.
The mmmbop and blue pig are amazing, super aggressive. I'd be really interested to see what you think about the Ribble HT 725. Similar geo, steel and from a company that usually only sells road bikes. If you can get your hands on one, it would be great to see a review.
Great review. I'm looking at building a single speed hardtail later this year, and have been looking at using the MMMBOP frame. I think this review has settled it for me, thank you for reviewing it.
I love my Ragley Big Wig. I had bought a second hand Niner WFO9 that had some great parts like a 150mm Fox 34. When a weld broke in the BB area on the Niner, I got a Big Wig frame and swapped most of the parts over (minus adding TRP Slant T4 brakes, a new dropper (due to different seat post sides) and new rear wheel). It has been excellent and haven't missed a full squish at all.
Same with the dark grey one for me. Keep an eye out, they expect a charge for the end of this month or the beginning of the next. As far as I can tell they will probably sell out very quickly though - so don't hesitate if you see it available.
@@jeffloucks2120 color is American English and colour is British English. The purple looks hot (especially on the proper photos, not the white ones), but I have too much of a fetish for black stuff, which as far as aggressive hardtails go is very rare this year. Kinda why I might jump on it, if I can get the chance, despite having no idea how to build a bike.
@@rol9832 AWESOME! Sadly the Blue Pig that i will build is probably not going to be anywhere under 14kg heavy but hey it will have other things going for it as steel is absorbing vibrations more for example.
Great review. Just got my mmmbop and love it!! It does it all. I may try a 140mm fork in the future, but really enjoying the 150! So forgiving and comfortable, it doesn't fight you at all, it parties, it's smooth and does all the work. Thanks Steve!!
Great channel/content! That bike looks sweet in a polished frame but I still love my 2 year old Chameleon (your review sealed the deal) Those trails look like a western movie set!
Been waiting for this One!! It is an Awesome Frame for the Price! My Gf Just Got Her's built up to a rideable state with a few Old Parts from her last bike. she's got size Small in a Beautiful Purple paint.. got a great Deal on Spank oozy wheel set and she got 150mm Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork solid HT build still not fully done with her customizing..
The Marley has the 130mm fork, 65.5° with the same CS at 425mm. I just picked up a frame. I hope the frame ride as well as this Mmmbop you reviewed. Great review btw, thanks Steve and to Chris for lending his bike for us viewers... 👊
@@michaelderr9736 - I have both Marley and Mmmbop. I would suggest the Marley. The Mmmbop's front end feels high and you can feel that SA is steep. Lowering the fork makes the SA feel even more steep. The Marley to me, is balance. My weight is dead center and the SA/Reach is spot on.
@@tjay_mac have you ever ridden a Big Al in comparison to the Marley? @hardtailparty's review of the Big Al is glowing i just feel like i'd like the 27.5 more (i really need to ride some to compare)
@@S1XTY7 , I haven't unfortunately. Only the Specialized Fuse 29 for an aluminum HT. If I was to buy a HT now, I would buy the Big Al only because of the resale value. If you like to run plus tires (2.6-2.8), I would go with the Marley. If you like 2.4-2.5, I would go with Big Al. The Plus tires tends to have this bouncy feel while the 2.5-2.5 tires have this damped feel to them (MaxxTerra or MaxxGrip compounds btw).
I was able to pick up a 2019 frame for more than reasonable price and serves as my super budget build with only a 1x10 setup (11-42). Off the back, I noticed a difference from my previous 2010 rockhopper. Not as much vibration and harshness. Much kudos to the builders and satisfied although I missed a deal for a production privee frame. Thanks again for the review, haven't completed build so this review helps alot. Would love to see if you can get a Marino frame review.
Marino isn't interested in sending me a frame at this time. Unfortunately production privee has pretty short reach and outdated geo on their models. I hope they make a revised frame, because tgier Shan gt has the coolest chainstays around.
Absolutely ecstatic for this review! Been super curious what you would think of it and delightfully surprised with how much you enjoyed it. Thank you for all that you do, you're amazing. I thought it was awesome that you mentioned how you could just forget about the bike and just ride and enjoy. My ragley Marley has the same effect for me which I absolutely love, allows me to enjoy myself more and focus on having fun and building skills to become a better rider. Don't worry about energy levels in your voice, as someone who rides every day(kind of a necessity for testing new sections of trail and features on my local trails that I build on that recently got legitimized through our park district 👍) it's hard to always seem like a ball of energy and besides you're more of a beast than most especially riding ss
Thanks man. I'd love to try a marley one day, it looks like a fantastic trail bike. I'm gravitating more towards 130mm forks anyway on my hardtails, and it looks like a great match.
@@hardtailparty if you think you could review a small frame with basic spec I'm sure we could figure a way I could ship mine for you to try. Realize it's not ideal for you and you probably have better methods and access to test bikes but the offer always stands. Absolutely love the channel and all the knowledge you offer.
@@JonWMS888 right on. One of the few! You set up stock alerts? I did, and hounded the manufacturer. Daily. Till that one shiny Tuesday at 330am Eastern time. Bam. Got on the site and got the mmmbop !
Totally agree with your analysis here. My daily driver is an Mmmbop and it is so much fun. If you're looking for an underforked ragley try the one designed for 130mm of travel, the Marley.
Steve, this is awesome. Been looking for inexpensive bike yet capable for my teenage son (still growing). Been looking at Ragley, Nukeproof, and Vitus for modern geo. Thanks for riding one ... and giving honest feedback.
I'm a huge fan of Ragley, especially their aluminum bikes. This one is perfect for shredders who aren't super tall. Little guys (like me) often struggle with the size of 29er wheels.
@@hardtailparty sweet feedback. I was wondering about 29ers being too big. Really enjoyed your review of the Ragley mmmbop. Also your video on the low supply. Well done. Keep rocking.
Well, I just ordered the Vitus Nucleus. It was honestly the main bike I was looking at. Waited almost 2 months and settled with the VR instead of the VRS. Didn't even see this bike when I was looking around.
So, I'm curious, what hardtail would you recommend that blurs the lines between Trail and XC? Something comfortable on intermediate trails but really rips when you want to race? One other detail, I'm finding I really like a more upright riding position, so I've added riser bars and a big riser stem to my XTC. It looks a little goofy, but, way more comfortable. I've been binge watching your vids, man, so many choices, I had no idea! I'm really enjoying all the reviews and all the info, you're doing a great job!
Thank you verry much for this review! I preordered the 2021 frame and i am verry excited about the build up and the ride in summer! thanks for your content :)
I got a stock alert for a mmmbop frame on a famous ecommerce site, came here to watch review, back to site and i just bought last one in stock! These sell like popcorn :) will try a mullet experiment with 140 fork
Man, watching those hardtails at sedona makes me very excited for when i can purchase the nukeproof scout 275 expert. What's your favorite travel range for a hardtail.
You have to kinda hate yourself a little bit to take a hardtail on those trails but a great testing ground for checking frame compliance, I’m thankful for Steve doing the hard miles for us, I’m looking at a ragley Marley for my local easy trails that are overbiked with my FS giant trance
Thanks for the great review, I've been so exited for it ever since you made the first look video. I have one question tho, did you feel like it was too slack at times? Do you think it would be fun with a 140mm on flatter connector trails or does it just want to bomb downhill? Thank you for the great content, keep it up!
If you're worried the mmmbop is too slack, take a look at the marley. I've never ridden a Marley, but in my head I imagine it to be the perfect all-rounder. I find I rarely need more than 130mm of travel on a hardtail.
@@hardtailparty Yeah, you are probably right. The mmmbop does have a bit more reach, stack and a steeper STa tho but if I'm being honest, I just don't like the paint job the Marleys with 4 extra colors thrown in just for the branding. The mmmbop is just so much cleaner and slicker in compassion. Thanks for the advice, I might reconsider it after all.
@@rauldragu9447 pick the right geo for your trails. I wouldn't let looks be the determining factor. That's just me though. I had a lot of pedal strikes even with a 160mm fork on here. I imagine I'd have a lot more with a 140. I still love this mmmbop though. Look at it like a win win. I wonder if sizing up on a Marley would do the trick? You've got a great point about the different geo though. Mmmbop feels fantastic, I just think it'd be even snappier with a slightly shorter fork.
Good review. I have the bluepig (steel same geo) and a riding buddy has the mmmbop. Bluepig is more compliant but heavier (swings and roundabouts). You can't go wrong with a Ragley.
Interesting. Some people say the mmmbop is more compliant and some say the blue pig is more compliant. i hope I get to try the blue pig, big wig, marley, and big al out someday.
Nice riding man. Those trails look so fun. I'm debating between the mmmbop and the marely. My local trails are mostly flat here in florida but I travel to NC and TN alot so not sure if I should go with the slacker mmmbop or the marely. Thoughts?
You might also try the new Marzocchi Z2. It is much less costly than Fox's other forks, and has a simpler, more user serviceable damper. I bet your buddy is ready for his bike back! Hey, as long as the single speed doesn't trash your knees... I tried single speed once, 15 years ago, glad I dumped it like a hot rock. It stressed my knees too much, especially hard climbs. Here I am 15 years later, and my knees are doing ok.
MIllion thanks for the great view! The info in the review is just spot on!! Looking for a aggressive HT and I just saw this frame back in stock. I am about to pull the trigger. However, I come from Roadbike background from many years and i decided to try something new. It will be my first MTB and I have no idea on the MTB geo...My height is exactly 170cm. From the geo chart. I am right in the middle of size S and M...so I have no idea on which size to choose. You are ride a size medium, may I know how tall are you? and how do you feel riding this size?
I think a mullet mmbop would be rad. The danger of going with a Marley is that a Marley is specced with a 27.5 fork. Keep in mind that a 29er fork has a 20mm taller atc than a 27.5 fork.
@@hardtailparty Isn't an mmmbop also specced with a 27.5 fork? Or is it because it has a 150mm 27.5 fork you could then use a 130mm 29er fork on the mmmbop to keep angles the same? Vs 130mm 27 on the marley?
I had the 2019 Mmmbop in Medium (same geo as 2020) and replaced it with a 2020 Blue Pig in Large back in Feb. I'm 5'10 and a bit. I bent the Alu downtube riding into a tree head on at speed. Both are brilliant frames for the price IMO, although there are lighter, better, more expensive steel alternatives. You've got to pay a lot more to notice it though. The ride quality is fairly similar between them, which shows how well they've have made the Alu frame, but the steel is more compliant and stronger. The size and weight change was far far more noticeable than the frame material change when I swapped. I run a pretty progressive 150mm Pike, and definitely wouldn't want 160mm. A less progressive 140mm fork would work well too. The geo means it loves the steeps, really love it. But it's great on everything. Only time I want a full sus, or a 29er, is over repeated square edged hits or super greasy roots, but I'm running 2.35 tyres and some 2.6's at lower pressure would help that a bit.
@@Nit2315 my Large chromoly Blue Pig frame is nearly 0.5kg heavier on the scales than a similar sized 853 frame. Makes it comparatively more planted and stable, and less playful and lively.
Nice review. I almost bought 1 of these to build up in lock-down, gutted I didn't now Apparently the alloy (mmm bop) frame rides better than the steal (blue pig) model be good to see a back to back review
I'd love tondo a back to back. Unfortunately ragley is out of bikes right now and I can't get my hands on a blue pig. I wouldn't be surprised if this rode better than the pig. This frame feels better than most steel frames.
I’ve got a 160mm pike on mine. Already bought a 140mm air spring before I watched this. My only concern is more pedal strikes if I lower the travel. Bit other than that, I love it. 👍
hey mate what are your thoughts on hardtail with Yari vs some more premium forks with the RCT3 damper? I am a 150mm revelation owner thinking about damper upgrade in the future! great review on this bike as well as usual..
Great content. As always, never enough of a good thing. Any info on the Cannondale Cujo1. Got one on the way and can’t find an opinion on it. Thank you for all your work on this channel!
I don't have any plans to review the cujo 1, sorry. Awful spec for the price, and it's got outdated sketchy geo. I hate to rag on your bike. If you like it, that's all that matters. But these modern hardtails I'm reviewing will ride SO MUCH BETTER than a Cujo 1.
@@wolfteeth the timberjack is the best out of those 3. I have a review of the timberjack. It's a great starter hardtail. I prefer bikes a little more modern and aggressive but the timberjack is a nice bike.
Good stuff. Not new, just tryin to update my ride. Much has changed since the 90’s. Big wheels, 1x drive, “modern geometry”, electricity!!! You are awesome for chatting with me. Thank you.
Great review 😁 currently trying to decide what frame to go for to build a hardtail from scratch. Have been considering the Piglet but can't find much in the way of reviews. Any plans to ride one in the near future?
Hi. Thanks for review! I bought my mmmbop used and love it. I also have been thinking I want to go from 150mm to 140mm. What 140mm fork would you recommend?
Hi, did you ever switch to 140? I bought a second hand Mmpob and it came with a 160 which, like Steve, I think is too long. I'm thinking of switching it out for a 140 and was curious to hear from someone who would have done that.
I've heard you say the Blue pig is the steel version of the Mmmbop and it's actually attainable currently. Wondering how compliant it is vs other steel frames.
Amazing, you got the review out on my birthday! Quick question, how different is the mmmbop to the Specialized Fuse? Interesting you say that maybe 150mm could be too much for the mmmbop as this is what the full bike ships with (Sektor)!
See the previous video when I go over this bike's build. The bike in this video has a 160mm fork, not a 150 (it's not a stock ragley build). I talk about how it compares to the specialized fuse in this video. They ride pretty different.
@@hardtailparty Yeah I watched that, it was a really good break down! I must have missed the Fuse comparison. I'm aiming to buy my first hardcore hardtail and stock shortages aside, it's hard to decide which one to go with! I'm 6'5" and I live in a small town so there's no chance of trying anything XL first. Your video has me interested in the mmmbop again, I was looking at the Fuse, Scout 290 or the Ragley Big Al (all 29ers)!
My friend Omar at Bike Bondsman can get a Ragley Big Al for you still (they're not all 100% sold out yet). Hit him up and let him know I sent you: bit.ly/2YczCZ7
Would you say this is the best bike you could ride for under $2K? In the Fuse Comp review last month, you had given the Specialized the title. Btw Love the reviews, your energy and approach to things! it’s rare that I want to watch all the videos on a channel. I hope this becomes sustainable for you 🥂
Your killing me on choices lol..bit I have a plan to make a hybrid.. Do you like a stiffer front or a softer front? And between the paradox V3, middle child and this, which is softest up front and which is stiffest I think I'm going custom TI frame
i bought mine based on this review, similar build, but i opted for a lyric ultimate 150mm (love that fork!). This review truly captures the traits of this bike. it loves shredding and from a mechanics standpoint this is a dream (outside cable routing)! Few things to note during build up: - steerer tube was a bit contaminated with paint making the cup installation on the upper side a bit of a struggle (but worked in the end using patience :D ) - seat tube is straight but inner diameter is unfortunatly not constant (widens down the hole) so heavier riders might face creeking issues from the dropper post. for me (65 kg) its only an issue under hard pedalling. other than that quality is top notch. for the 400€ i paid, this frame is a no brainer. So Much FUN!
It surprised me when I learned that most seat tubes are indeed only narrow at the top. It's pretty common these days. It kinda blew my mind, but since that's where the clamp is, it doesn't pose any problems.
You mention running 2.8 tires on this bike but the Ragley website states the max tire width for this frame (and the Marley which I'm looking at) at 2.6. Is there no problem fitting a 2.8?
The Mmmbob has been on my radar for a while. It's official once my bike shop gets their next Ragley shipment there is a Small Mmmbob reserved for me. This video just confirmed that it is the bike I want. I have a funny feeling it will become my Go-To bike since I prefer Hardtails...my full squish is nice but there's just something about a Hardtail (probably related to the fact my first MTB was a mid-90's full rigid).
@@hardtailparty we were looking at that too, and the Piglet. They went from being a odd ball suggestion from our bike shop (I told my mechanic what I wanted in a bike and he introduced me to Ragley) to being a Ragley super fan.
@@hardtailparty they're orders go in in the next couple of weeks. They told me even my Mmmbop won't be until January ish maybe earlier. Which is fine, worth the wait.
A quick unrelated question - is it feasible for you to travel to areas like forests etc? It would be really interesting to see you apply your great pinch climbing, downhill and rock hopping skills to other technical terrain :)
Would you say this bike is equal parts playful and plow? I want a fun hardtail to complement my Ibis Ripmo AF. Mmmbop has smaller wheels, less reach, and shorter wheelbase. What do you think?
