[Closed] Pinnacle Ramin One

Anyone at all bump 🙂

I've had a test ride on one, was intrigued by the rigid 29er thing. Felt pretty good and like you say- a good base for future upgrades. Other bikes are full sus so didn't have much to compare it to. Pretty easy to organise a test ride for yourself though!

Thanks Duner, if you say it felt good it's probably worth a little trst ride. I'll try and organise one after Chrimbo.

You may want to check the price on the ramin tomorrow!

You may want to check the price on the ramin tomorrow!

Someone must work for Evans 😀

Email arrived late yesterday, offering all sorts of discounts. Went into website, and it's basically the same old same old they were offering before the "sale"

Was the Ramin 1 reduced to £400 already?

I've got a ramin 3, though i've changed out the wheels/tyres and gears.

I like the geometry, it's regularly put through its paces on jumps and technical stuff, been real strong so far, had some flat landings/cases on it that i thought would break it, still going strong. I actually find it quite nimble, does what i tell it, definitely feel helped out by the 29er wheels to feel composed.

The frame is somewhat flexy side to side, definitely feel it when im putting power down, feels a little more bogged down than i ever expected a hardtail to, though im use to super stiff frames (BMX?jump bike/bombproof hardtails) it does help to snake through the bumpy stuff though, haven't worked if it's a good or bad thing.

A mate has one and rates it well enough, his usual ride is a Sovereign and he's a handy rider so I value his opinion. He paid £500 and is content, at the present £386 (topcashback) I figured it was worth a punt - XL on order!

Have you got yours through yet daveh? How is it? Struggling to find a reason why not at this price!

Certainly have. What do I think then..... It's my first 29er so I'll try to avoid any comments related to wheel size. Overall it's a nice bike, has quite a nice feel to it, not super sharp but well away from flip flop slack. The frame is nicely finished, seatpost fit, paint etc more so than a few much more expensive frames i've had. It's rigid, there's no getting away from the lack of a suspension fork, but that of course was the point, something a little different, something that suits different trails. I think it's circa 28lbs but on an initial comparison doesn't seem any slower than my CX bike. Ride quality is good, the back end seems to have a good bit of compliance in it. I like the simplicity of the 1x9 both in use and cleaning/maintenance. It's early days yet but I'm already considering the relevance of both my CX bike and 26er hardtail. The frame would stand upgrades in the future, with a nicer wheelset, a sprinkling of slx/xt and perhaps a carbon fork I reckon you could drop 2-3lbs off it but I'd say that's not really the point, it's a nice bike in its own right and at a bargain price. Need to get out there again!

Any chance of putting some real world pics up please?

I suppose the mess in my dining room is very much real world but perhaps a nice outdoor shot would be preferable :-). I can do that this afternoon.

Here we go then. Apologies for the mudguards but its filthy out there!

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I know i said no 29er comments but i've got to say the level of grip is quite remarkable, and thats with an oem spec fast rolling xc tyre!

Dammit I wish I hadn't asked now, that looks really nice in the real.

Whst size/how tall are you, how do you find the fit?

It's an XL, I'm 6ft1 but am longer in the back than leg. Fits me nicely, I'd say Evans's size guide is pretty much correct. One interesting thing, which I'd have to check to make sure I'm not making up, is the medium comes with a 27.2mm seatpost, but the XL comes with 31.6mm. Larger bike, larger bloke, bigger diameter tube. Nice touch if I haven't made it up!

Interesting, I'm 5'11 & usually go for a medium so maybe the large could be worth a look. Will have to see if my local Evans can get one of each for a demo & find out about seat post too.

That looks a great solution to a winter MTB/riding with the kids dilemma that I didn't know that I had 🙄

Pretty sure the different sizes have the same size seat tube - 31.6mm but they come with a shim and 27.2mm post for more comfort. last years Ramin was a 27.2mm seat tube. Daveh - does yours not have a 27.2mm post?

Stayhigh - my mate is 5.10 and bought a medium, he likes it (chuckable) but says it's only just big enough really. Large for 5.11 sounds about right.

Duner - that explains it then, seattube is for a 31.6 post, medium (and I guess small and maybe large) get a shim and a 27.2 post, the xl gets a straight 31.6 post.

Heres a pic of a 2013 Ramin I built from a frame for my nephew for Christmas. He loves it. 27.2mm seatpost, but believe the 2014 frames are 31.6

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I've been considering one of these for quite a while now. It seems a winner at this price point.

How do you find the components? I know they are "lower end", but as it is a simple 1x9 set-up I was wondering if the transmission really feels lower end or if it isn't an issue. What about the brakes, I've also heard relatively decent reviews about them but wonder what they are like on this bike.

I am in a toss up between this bike and a Genesis High latitude 1x9 which I have the offer to buy for a similar price. Fork aside, they seem similarly specced and I feel like I'm swaying towards the Pinnacle on looks alone.

Seems like a great bargain! I'd love to hear from more riders.

alanofm, I'm biased as I work for pinnacle but the current lower-end Shimano brakes and 9-speed kit is all suprisingly good. It also means upgrades from any older deore-XT level spares you have or parts off bikes that may be going 10-spd have a natural home on an ideal winter bike.

The Nottingham store had one in large last week, looked and felt really good for the money. The large felt ok for my 5'9" and a bit height, but the medium would have more seatpost showing. Sadly my efforts to convince the fun police that a cheap simple winter bike would be a good investment are failing.....

The low end shimano stuff is fine, I run slx and xt on my other bikes and I don't feel like I'm slumming it! Sure when you look at them they're not as nicely finished and they may not last as long but functionally there doesn't seem much in it. One thing perhaps is the non-shimano cassette, at certain points it seems to take a bit longer to 'pick up', but no biggy.

Just got one!

I'm living in Germany at the moment so I had it shipped here and put together by my LBS. The bike is superb. It is quick, comfortable, surprisingly light and well built.

Shifting and brakes are also working without a hitch. I'm surprised there's so little about this bike online, I thought there would be much more interest.

I still have to hit the trails and get it muddy, but it's been great for flying around the city. I'm very impressed so far!

I'll update after my first long trail ride.

cheers!

It's not exotic enough to generate interest. 😉

I think you might be right daveh, shame though.

I took it for a spin last weekend and was really impressed with how it handled. Shifting was was smooth, brakes worked well and silently and the ride was really fun.

As this is my first 29er, I am compelled to comment on how little I missed a front suspension fork. I was only out for 2 hours - and perhaps that's not long enough to judge - but riding rigid was really comfortable for me. I am also sold on the ease of the 1x9 system, I am coming from a 2x10 system which I thought was the way forward, but only having to worry about one shifter is strangely liberating.

I'm just gutted I have to wait until next weekend to take it out again.

^
😀
'someone gets it'
Low cost bike is fun + worthwhile bike. Happy here.

60mm stem on mine now to make it more lively and a different shaped bar (i found the std one a bit of an odd shape). Proper trail ripper now, but perhaps less xc capable!

So the 2013 frame @ £149 bargain or not thinking of building up 1 x 10 with carbon forks. Hmmm what to do?

I'm not sure how much the 2013 and 2014 frames differ, but the 2014 model is quite nicely finished and gives a pretty smooth ride for aluminium.

I'd agree with that :-), good price certainly.

Just gone for a Ramin 4 under the cycle scheme deal. Can't wait to use it. Will get used on mainly gravelly dry singletrack overseas 🙂

Went Into Evans tonight, the frame looks good quite tidy.

Yeah, they're good frames at a good price and well deserving of some future upgrades.

I had mine out for between 4 and 5 hours on some extremely muddy singletrack with plenty of roots, rocks, sand and general trail debris looking to see if I could find anything that was crying out for an upgrade (I have birthday money to burn). Despite the bike being thick with mud and taking the odd knock here and there, there was nothing on there that I thought needed immediate replacing.

The tyres are good enough and fast rolling enough to last me until summer at which point I may go for something lighter, the brakes have been solid and silent (even when covered in mud) and have caused me far less problems than the Elixir 5's on my last bike did. Despite wanting to upgrade to XT, the Altus gear is doing a surprisingly good job, and I would feel guilty ripping it off the bike just for the sake of it, so I think I will wait until it's worn out before replacing it. Heck, even the saddle was comfy enough for me.

The frame is definitely a highlight though, the geometry is spot on for me and my riding style.

I don't suppose anyone knows which hanger the Ramin frame uses? I'd like to get something a little less ductile from Betd.

It'll be for the orange framed beauty posted earlier.

Rob, it's a very common design so that spares are easy to get. I don't know the BETD code (only the Pinnacle supplier code) but I'd be suprised if they or Wheels Mfg don't have one. I can mail you a rough pdf of the hanger cut from an autocad file if needed.

Thanks for your input!

After hanger removal for comparison it looks like it's BETD hanger no. 38 ([url= http://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/items.asp?CategoryID=364&Name=Boardman+Hanger%2FDropout ]Second entry on this page[/url]). Could I get a second opinion? Because it does look very similar to [url= http://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/items.asp?CategoryID=76&Name=Orange+Dropout%2FHangers ]hanger 271[/url].

#38 looks more like it but only as I can see the shape at the back - I'll mail you a PDF if you PM me an address.

Anyone ridden the Ramin 4?

The Ramin 1 is now priced at £500. Still a good deal but now I'm in a position to get one, I'd feel a bit upset knowing it used to be £400.

It was good value at £386.50 😀 😆 😳

If you buy the full bike you get a spare hanger too!

Well, I know it's not the same model, but I took out my new Ramin 4 tonight and really enjoyed it.

Seems to carry speed well and managed to get some good air on some local jumps too. Nice and lively! Will ditch the basic pedals and suspect I'll upgrade the damper at the first fork service but otherwise 'Tick VG!'

Just figured out why my Ramin 1 (commuter edition 😀 ) is such fun, with 35C tyres the bottom bracket height is less than 11.5 inch! 😈 Mind those pedals!

Bought one of these in December. Its been in the garage ever since. I paid £400 and I've just spent £105 on a full narrow wide 10 speed upgrade. It's now looking amazing value for the £505 I've spent. One question I have though is does anyone have opinions on the brakes (shimano entry level hydros) or the tyres (conti x king)?

What kind of 10 speed set-up did you go for? How is it running?

I'd say the brakes are surprisingly good. They don't have the same bite as some of the higher end models but I weigh over 14 stone with backpack and they have no problem stopping me in a hurry. I mentioned before that I rode Avid Elixr 5's previously, and whilst they had bags of power, I always had problems with rubbing, squealing etc. The basic Shimano's work silently and consistently, even in the mud - give them a chance and see for yourself.

The tyres are ok, they do roll pretty well and will do a decent job in dry conditions, but they're not the grippiest when things get wet. I have been running mine through winter and plan to upgrade to something a bit lighter for summer.

I have found that everything on the bike functions pretty well, there is definitely room for upgrades, but it will get you round the trails off the shelf.

I haven't fitted the bits yet or even ridden the bike for that matter. I got a narrow wide works ring, slx cassette, slx chain, xt shifter and deore shadow plus mech.
I may fit the zee 10 speed stuff off another bike though as im going to split/sell.
The tyres look like a good summer tyre but I worry about puncture resistance with low-ish pressure. Glad your enjoying life with it. I didn't really have a place for it at the time of purchase but really wanted one as soon as I saw it. For the money I've paid inc upgrades I couldn't be happier, really happy with the frame quality aswel.

Very nice! You will need to post a picture when it's all put together, and actually ride it!

I managed to find a very good online deal for an XT shadow derailleur, shifter, chain and cassette for a 1x9 set up that I decided to go for. However, I still have respect for the Altus gear for putting up with the beating I gave it over the last few months. There was quite a price difference between 9 speed and 10 speed components, so I decided to stick with 9 speed as it has served all my purposes up until now.

I suppose it all depends on where and how you ride, but I have been lucky so far and had no punctures and I run my tyres quite soft.

Upgradeitus continues here too, new wheels! The bike certainly is nice/fun etc enough to justify it so why not! Hope Hoops Crest, XT cassette and some lighter tyres has shed a barely believable, wait for it, 1.6kg from the wheelset (42c tyres mind you)! £/g on that one is amazing! As you'd guess, has totally transformed the bike.

That is an unbelievable saving!

I don't think I will be shedding anything like that any time soon. I will keep the wheels the bike came with for now and do some lighter (more inexpensive) tinkering.

Out of interest, what tyres did you go for?

Conti SpeedRides, 42c. Quite a nice tyre by all accounts but I think I've thought better of them for my urban detritus commute. Schwalbe Marathon Supremes (28x2.0) will add 400 and some grams back but I hope will save me from glass strikes!

Does anybody know if the Ramin 1 wheelset will accept a 10 speed cassette? Apparently the hub is Shimano FH-M475 6-bolt disc

Thanks

Yep it will take a SRAM/Shimano 10spd cassette.

Just bought myself one of these. First ride at the weekend, and very nice for the money.

Can't comment on the Altus 9 speed the bike comes with, as fitted 10 speed bits from the off. Reason being, I had to change the 32T front ring anyway, as not many hills in my part of the world, so figured I would chang the whole lot while I was at it.

Other than popping on some ODI grips I got given ages back, and a Charge spoon, it's going to stay stock. Would like to go for a lighter tubeless wheelset and upgrade the 'agricultural but functional' brakes, but that's getting away from what this bike is about. A cheap and cheerful 29er.

As an aside when did 720mm bars become the norm? Going to take a bit of getting used to after 4 years on drops.

and a carbon fork for another 700+ grams...

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Not that it's exactly on thread but I've been having a great time on my Ramin 4.

It's done several hundered rocky and loose downhill miles (volcanic rock) and is a riot.
The conti tyres didn't last long (nor is the replacement purgatory rear) and pad wear is quick (will only accept resin pads with disc) but it's otherwise fab.

I'm so chuffed I'm going to get another next year (prob the Ramin 5) to hoon around in the UK.

@Dave

You running tubeless?

Also, how much were the wheels?

You running tubeless?
Also, how much were the wheels?

Not quite yet, the marathons aren't tubeless ready and have pin holes in them that I couldn't get to seal up. I'm back on tubes for the moment but will probably try again at some point because I'm not sure the sealant I used was in the best state (and I forgot to shake it! 😳 ).

Wheels were £250 though I dropped on quite a good deal.

I don't suppose you weighed the original wheelset when you took them off, Dave?

Just wondering how much of a saving I might make switching to some diff wheels, but same-ish tyres.

Certainly did, whether I've still got the numbers is a different thing! I'll have a look...

Cheers, fella.

I promised myself I wasn't going to upgrade the bike, and it's already got a full 10sp drivetrain, and possibly some new wheels.

Whoops.

It's all a bit messy but if I'm interpreting my scribbles correctly the front is 1115g (no skewer or rotor) and the rear 1341g (no skewer, rotor or cassette).

On the plus side the bike does stand upgrading, the frame really is quite nice.

Hmm, so a new 1.9-2kg wheelset, running tubeless should free up nearly 1kg. Interesting.

Thanks for that, Dave.

daveh:

If you buy the full bike you get a spare hanger too!

Just realised, I didn't get one. Did everyone else?

Changing the wheels makes a big old difference, more quickening up the handling than noticable improvement in acceleration to my feel.

I didnt get a hanger either, anyone else?

Not with my R4

@Dave

Forgot to ask, did you weigh the original fork?

Also, what is going on with that fork you have fitted?

Specifically here:

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Looks weird compared to what I assume is the same fork on the O-O site.

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Out of interest is it a standard 1 1/8th head tube or can it take tapered forks?

Forgot to ask, did you weigh the original fork?

But of course, 1400g.

Also, what is going on with that fork you have fitted?

That be my super special patent pending mudguard, black tape wrapped around the legs to prevent water being thrown at my face. Fast commuter see 🙂 You should also be able to make out my super special patent pending lower headset cup seal too! 😀

Out of interest is it a standard 1 1/8th head tube or can it take tapered forks?

Is it 44mm? Anyway, it'll take a tapered fork but only with an external bottom headset cup, keeping it nice and flush (and low more importantly) as per original then it's 1/8th only.

Thanks......1400g's .....oooh la la !!

1400g is wild! I am in the process of upgrading my Ramin one, but haven't yet decided what to do about the fork. I have been looking at getting a carbon fork that is under 600 grams or perhaps going for a Manitou Tower Pro. Seeing how little extra weight it would be to add a front shock in comparison to the stock fork makes the decision even more complicated.

Can't wait to get my bike back in its new guise.

1400g is a 'suprise' here. Tube spec is same as another fork I have here that's little over 1000g. The crown shape adds some weight but not that much. Off to check..

So I'm buying some Rebas with a tapered steerer, would a Hope Mix & Match HSCF Traditional Bottom 1.5" be what I need??

Thanks

Nath

Looking around for bikes for my brother in law and I've landed on these for the moment. Ticking more bockses than anything else so far.

jameso - did you get to the bottom of the fork weight?

I did - it's correct, I mis-judged what the added length (470mm vs 450mm) and the crown shape added. I got 1350-1370g. I expected a bit over 1100g.

aha, ta! Just more potential for weight savings!

2015 model has been enduro'd, love the color:

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Might buy another..!