Stanton Bikes Sponsor Ian for 2017

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This is really exciting!!

When Ragley Bikes approached me last year to act as a brand ambassador I must admit I was a bit hesitant. For a start, I had my incredible Ibis Mojo HD3 sat in the garage waiting to become weapon of choice for 2016. Secondly it meant stepping away from riding my usual hand picked choice of components and thirdly, and I only found this out after I agreed to the deal, Ragley aren't the small scale UK rider owned company that I saw them as, they're part of the great Chain Reaction/Wiggle acquisitions conglomerate. Whilst there's nothing wrong with that, the purist in me always wanted to ride for a small company where the exposure I can get them might actually make a difference and also where I could get a chat with the fella who designs the frames to get all geeky about materials and seat tube diameters.

Now I'm taking nothing away from Ragley here, they were good to me and the Bigwig is a ripper of a bike so once again many thanks to them.  However, I must admit that when Dan Stanton offered me a deal for 2017 I didn't pause for thought.  There's a few reasons for me jumping at this opportunity so wholeheartedly.

1) I'd just got off the phone from having that exact hour long conversation where Dan was able to describe (in great detail) the evolution of Stanton frames over the last few years.  I instantly got the sense of a massive bike lover with a bubbling enthusiasm for producing the best hardtails in the World.

2) Titanium!  As a youngster I drooled (probably literally) over Merlins, Litespeeds and the other US produced titanium exotica that filled the dreambikes sections of MBUK.  They were so far beyond a pipe dream even for a teenager who had three jobs on the go and I couldn't ever really envisage a time when I'd be able to ride a top end Ti frame.  In recent years I've had my head turned by the plastic bike revolution with a couple of Santa Cruz's and a couple of Ibis's but that long dormant desire for the smooth lines, brushed natural finish and mythical whippy ride quality has never left me.

3) Stanton Bikes.  I've been a massive fan of the aesthetics of their frames for a while.  They've been at the forefront of the 'hardcore hardtail' revolution producing the bombproof and slacked out framesets that have left me questioning the need for rear suspension.  I was tempted by a Slackline a couple of years ago and every time I see one of their bikes I do stop and stare.  They have that ability to look fun from a distance, you know full well that if you swing a leg over the top tube you're in for a serious grinning session!

4) Wooly Hats.  Stanton make a really cosy looking one!

5) Race Support.  In sponsoring the hardtail category of the British Enduro Series and backing it up with some pretty amazing prizes Stanton have shown a solid commitment to the development of the race scene.  I love racing and definitely want to ride for a company who share that passion.

6) Steel.  Whilst I never got on to titanium I was fortunate enough during my XC racing days to ride some really classy steel frames.  I've still got my Voodoo Bizango from 1997 (when Voodoo were a pretty high end company) and love the springy nature of the material.  The Ragley had some of these qualities but I'm really looking forward to getting on some Reynolds tubing to bring back the memories and recall why it is so perfect for making bikes.

7) Future Developments.  Through chatting to Dan I've learned of all sorts of really interesting upcoming developments in their frames and their rapidly expanding component range.  The bike I plan on racing in 2017 doesn't actually exist yet but it sounds incredible on paper!

So for this Winter I'll be getting in the miles on the beautiful Reynolds 853 steel masterpiece that is the Sherpa 29er and then hopefully by Spring will be getting all aggro on a brand new Ti bike.  Kit choice will be a mixture of Stanton components, Shimano XTR, Chris King, Rockshox and I'll be continuing my links with Ibis through their industry leading 942 carbon rims. Timescales are a bit loose but the frame arrived yesterday so there'll be some shiny build pics coming soon.

It looks stunning in the flesh and really oozes quality.  Can't wait to get building and riding!

As ever, if you're interested in getting a test ride don't be shy about coming and saying hello at the races or on the trails.  I'm more than happy to let you have a spin and begin your hardtail conversion! The longer I coach and the better hardtails get, the less I'm convinced of the need for full bouncers at all outside of top end Enduro and DH racing. For beginners the rear suspension tends to mask and allow poor technique whilst for experts it overly sanitises trails, removing the joyous link between rider and terrain.  I love the precision required for fast, techy hardtail riding, as much as I enjoy reading the results sheets and seeing the bouncy bikes trailing in my wake!

It's going to be a fun 2017!

Ragley bikes make epic sponsorship error!

Shortly before Christmas I received an unexpected e-mail.  It basically went along the lines of blah blah free bike blah etc blah.  Well obviously it didn't but essentially that's what I read!  The long and short of it was that Ragley bikes have offered me a deal for 2016. 

The obvious question is why the hell have they done that?!  There are faster, more stylish riders out there filling up the results sheets who are paying for their own equipment.  The simple answer is that they're not doing it on the right kind of bike!  I spent 2015 as a vocal advocate of the hardtail, dancing my much loved Ibis Tranny all round Europe on epic Alpine singletrack whilst also schooling a few bouncy boys in the Enduro races.  Although I'm no purist and I do own a tasty HD3 my preference has always been for the precise riding style needed without the talent boosting travel, picking lines rather than muscling them.

The funny thing is that I was intending to race enduro on my now sold Nomad last year but decided that the nature of Castlewellan's trails in the first round of the Vitus series would be quicker on a 21lb speed machine.  I enjoyed that hardtail category experience so much that I carried on the series to its conclusion and finished with one of my most fun days ever on a bike smashing through the tech of Donard Woods.

So Ragley were looking for an NI based hardtail enthusiast to promote their superb steel machines and luckily I fitted the bill.  You'd have expected me to leap at the offer and tear their arms off but actually I stopped and considered it for a while.  After all, I've already got bikes I absolutely love and less time to ride them than I'd want.  The deciding factors were pretty simple.  Firstly I was dying to try a Ragley as I've always loved steel frames and they look so totally aggro and secondly because my teenage self would've killed my 37 year old self if I turned down the deal!

The new steed in all her big wheeled, slack angled glory

Given a free choice from their range I went for the Bigwig, Ragley's slacked out 29er.  I've only had one experience of the wagon wheels before and it was extremely positive, tracking closely behind my ex-pro guide in Colorado despite him being on a $12k Pivot and me being on a cheap hire bike.  The big wheels just trundled over everything and felt so planted on some of the most technical trails I'd ever encountered.  However, the problem with most 29ers is that they're angled to suit the XC crowd.  Not the Bigwig!!  This frame looks almost comically slack with a low-slung top tube and super raked head angle.  From the moment I jumped on for the inaugural spin it was begging to be mistreated and I was loving my first outing, confidently hitting saturated gaps and drops in Tollymore until Mexican Brian's untimely collarbone break abruptly halted the session.  Since then I've been tweaking.  The forks needed more pressure to cope with the aggressive style this bike demands and I've been doing what I can with the WTB tyres to force some grip out of this long running mud-fest of a Winter.  My great first impressions are being further enhanced on both the ups and downs with the big wheels feeling rapid on the climbs despite the bike carrying a hefty amount of weight compared to my Ibis Tranny.  Once I point it downhill it flies with a style best described as a 160mm travel bike without the travel.  It actually feels almost identical to my HD3 when I sit on it which suits me perfectly.

Ragley only do hardtails, with the heart of their range being crafted from steel.  Although some see it as an outdated material in this age of plastic it only takes one ride to see why it's the first choice of most artisan frame builders.  It has a unique feel, whippy and forgiving, soaking up trail chatter whilst accelerating fast.  Good steel has character and having ridden on the pinnacle of tubing perfection back in the late 90's it feels great to re-kindle that feeling.

Probably the biggest compliment offered to the Ragley so far is the fact that everyone who I've lent the bike to for a quick spin has instantly understood the philosophy.  They look at it with an air of initial intrigue but as soon as they jump on they feel what a slacked out steel 29er may be capable of.  I can see me having to wrestle this bike back off a few folk over the next 12 months!

If you want to have a test ride on the bike don't be shy.  I'll be at the Vitus Enduro series again as well as usually being found somewhere on the trails in Tollymore.  Come on over and ask for a spin, just be prepared to get your credit card out when you get home!

I'll be reviewing the bike throughout the year and I'll keep it bias free.  Ragley aren't putting any pressure on me at all to race, ride or even be complimentary which I think shows a refreshing faith in their equipment.  Hopefully I can repay their investment by getting the brand out there and providing worthwhile feedback on their bike design.  Watch this space.

Check out the range at www.ragleybikes.com