Noob's adventures in MTB land - In association with the 2022 Ragley Big Wig steel hardtail

[Kingfisher101]

It's a bike Wafter, the main priority is that it doesnt get stolen, it will get scratched whatever you put on it.
Live your life, its short.

 

[wafter]

Whilst I agree in principle, I do take some measures to protect my MTBs. Chainstay protection for example. And my carbon frames have the underside of the down tubes protected too.

I don’t think about resale value though; I think that worrying about what the next owner might think about it defeats the object (and enjoyment) of using it for yourself.

Indeed; while some degradation is inevitable I'm always going to do my reasonable best to prevent what I can..


Due to my total lack of tolerance for any facet of riding that involves mud in anything other than solid form, the Ragley has very much become a fair weather bike.

It remains at the homestead so opportunity for use are limited, however given the arid summer it's been out on a few excursions this year.


Recently I started getting a creaking on the NDS pedal stroke so after investing in an Octalink adaptor for my square taper crank puller to suit the proprietary Race Face crankset, off it came.

After a bit of a clean the BB cups were checked for tightness (OK) and everything else inspected; to find the grease on the axle a slightly rusty brown and the mating surfaces of the NDS crank spindle and bearing journal showing some limited corrosion.

Everything was cleaned and put back together with a good dollop of grease; especially behind the seals that sit on the outside of the Nukeproof BB as this was evidently how water had got in and it was pretty dry.

Unlike Shimano BBs the crank spindle runs directly inside the BB’s bearings (rather than being separated by a plastic sleeve, IIRC). Alignment permitting this seems like a good idea as it allows larger bearings to be used, and while I’m still a little unsure about the Race Face crank I generally continue to be impressed by the bike’s quality of design and execution.

I also planned to fit some Race Face crank boots to said crank arms recently to protect the ends against rock strikes etc; however bizarrely they didn’t fit so that’s that idea shafted.

The only other change the bike has seen is the fitment of a set-back King bottle cage in place of that standard item previously fitted (which will shortly find a new home). This has proven to be a great decision, since the small penalty in reach more than pays for itself in the greater clearance at the top end and now almost total absence of twatting my hand on the top tube every time I drag the bottle out..

While I’ve still covered less than 300 miles on the once-very-alien Ragley, it becomes increasingly familiar and confidence inspiring. It seems the more I ride it the more I enjoy it and I’m finally starting to feel the oft-aired cliche that it comes alive as the speed increases.

I’d initially thought narrower bars might have been an improvement, however having got used to the monstrously wide bars I’ve come to appreciate them – at least when not attempting to manoeuvre the bike through doorways in the house.

I do think that I’d probably benefit from a larger chainring than the 30t item fitted since on the flat I’m consistently in the smallest three sprocket (one of which is 10t – won’t someone think of the efficiency!) and while the lowest gear is occasionally welcome it doesn’t see that much use and I did an admittedly short 12.5% climb on grass earlier whist two or three sprockets from the biggest.

That said being 1x the chainline’s a bit of a sh*t with the largest sprocket being the worst in this regard as the crank chainline’s offset outboard from that of the cassette by about 3-4mm.. so from this perspective I’m better off nearer the outside of the cassette.

I’ve really been hankering for something to waft across the meadow / down the Thames with in Oxford but have so far resisted the urge to drag the Ragley in as I’m not sure the living room would welcome a fifth, massive, dirty resident..

A few from today's short but enjoyable egg run: