You’d think that being a mile from the heavily disguised and fortified Ragley Design HQ we’d see a lot of Ragley prototypes whizzing past on the canal path, but no. We have to trawl around the internet like the rest of you in order to find the really juicy stuff. Unlike most people, though, we also have Brant’s phone number so we can call him to confirm details before making wild presumptions based on a quick look at a photo.
So, first, here’s the bike:
And now for the facts:
Latest Singletrack Merch
Buying and wearing our sustainable merch is another great way to support Singletrack
This is a mechanical prototype of the new Ragley FS. This is similar to the mules that are made by many other companies. Their purpose is to check that mechanically, the bike and the suspension bits all work as they should. This is done without particularly paying attention to the fine details of the rest of the bike and certainly not to the aesthetics. This bike, therefore, isn’t geometrically correct, and things like the angles and handling will be looked at in further prototype runs, but the suspension system is near-enough what the final models will have when they’re launched at Eurobike in September.
The suspension uses a Dual Link system, developed by Ragley and its Taiwanese factory that is very experienced in the suspension field. The shock is ‘floating’, although the lower link moves the shock laterally, rather than vertically. Interestingly, and getting the thumbs-up from most of the Singletrack test-crew is the speccing of disparate travel. So there’s more travel at the front than the rear; a concept we’ve found to work very well on modern bikes.
There will be two different travel versions: a 100/140mm bike and a 130/160mm bike. Pictured is the 130mm rear bike (though in keeping with the rough and ready nature of this prototype this has a 130mm fork, not a 140.)
The finished range will have two 26 and a 29in and all will feature disparate amounts of travel
There we are…
See www.ragleybikes.com for information on its 2011 range – and keep your eyes on Singletrack for more juicy stuff in the coming months.
Hopefully they keep the name as ‘Prototype Ragley-FS’, it’s got a nice industrial feel to it.
been running bikes like this for some time, longer front than rear travel (usually against manufacturers recommendations), would be awesome with a dual position revelation giving 150mm/120mm
Looks like a Trance
Yep Trance lookalikey
interesting. I thought of meastro suspension bikes too, but we can’t really see enough – they need to turn the bike round!
I was thinking more Mondraker. Look forward to seeing a later version.
Ragley?
short travel?
29er?
when can i have one?
Do any existing bikes have a 130/160mm setup?
Sounds interesting…
The aesthetics aren’t that bad as they are…I quite like the industrial look.
Would someone please explain why disparate travel is an advantage? I’m not knocking the concept (both my full suss bikes run slightly more travel up front, but by accident rather than design) but I’d be interested in the reasoning.
http://www.thingswelike.org/ragley-revealed.jpg
fortunateson09: my cotic Hemlock is set at 130/160 – and it’s bloody great.
Hmmm… a 130/160 of these may just be what I am looking for 🙂
“Would someone please explain why disparate travel is an advantage?”
Keeping the rear snappy while still providing the desired amount of skill compensation at the front?
Disparate travel works pretty well on a hardtail doesn’t it? Take that concept and add more travel and you have a D.F.S (disparate full susser). There’s also something to say about the different forces that the wheels see – the front wheel has to take on the bumps head-on, with all the rider and bike weight behind it. The rear wheel has less weight behind it and is better at rolling over things.
Looks like the ‘Free Floater’ suspension set-up on Pace RC405/506.
Looks like it’ll build up well with rigid 29er front forks.
anyone know what price it might be?
Now I might have to change my mind about my next bike being an Orange 5, may well wait a bit just in case….
So from my ‘who should build what bike’ thread a bit ago..
Nukeproof should build a 140mm trail bike frame
not far off then
my old trance worked best with a 130mm fork at the front with 100mm at the back. Never worried about DFS.