Wow! Wasn’t expecting to see me in the vid 😂. Just for a point of clarification. I was a bit harsh in my comment. I do still love your content and watch every video! do love the expensive stuff. Hopefully you keep doing both budget and high end mix!

No idea why anyone cares what kind of helmet you prefer to wear. You’re the one riding, take the precautions you feel is necessary that will benefit you the most.

Ok I ABSOLUTELY LOVE how you kept video content running through your ad read with the split screen. Wish more people would do that

After riding a full suspension bike for a while now I really miss how sharp a hardtail feels compared to it, you learn to be a way better rider on a hardtail too. Maybe I'll get one again some day. I usually hate the sponsor messages mid-video, but having the actual video content running in a split screen is actually such a good way to do it.

How the hell is a $900 Hardtail budget bike? I'm thinking $400-$500 is a budget Hardtail....

Bruh since when is 900$ budget?

I definitely recommend the idea of having an enduro bike and an aggressive hard tail. If you wanted to try a steel hard tail, Marino does custom builds for a good price

I completely agree about the full face helmet! Trails can be very harsh and using a lighter helmet isn't very smart imo, especially with mountain trails rather than more maintaned ones or bikeparks

Changing contact points can make a huge difference to the feel of the bike as well as tire setup. I don't care how expensive your bikes are, I like that you are open to experiment with bikes. To me 2 bikes is the sweet spot. I have a trail bike for my normal mountainbiking and an old 26 inch bike to practice bike control and pumping

I just wanna say that you are my favorite person to watch hit jumps, just the style that you've adopted from BMX is just so cool and satisfying

Swapping out parts to fit the bike to you and make your riding experience is not being a snob, it's just being a bike enthusiast and making your ride better. As far as helmets go, wear what makes you feel safe and comfortable. The better and more relaxed you are while riding, the less likely you'll need the helmet to do its intended job.

This is Vsauce with a MTB channel “MTBsauce - EVAN HERE!”

THat is a seriously budget build for a Ragley. I've ridden the steel version of this, the Bigwig, a lot and it definitely deserves a refined build and a mid/ high level fork. Will be an excellent upgrade platform I reckon. Fork will, as always make the biggest difference.

I really appreciate the budget builds you do. There are lots of KZfaqrs with $6,000 bikes. When hardtail party reviewed the Big Al he said it handled better with a 50mm stem than the 40mm he was used to. And just get a damn dropper

Ragleys are dope they just price them were they should be.

lol. This budget bike was the one I wanted and couldn't afford, with the shipping and import fees pushing the cost up. I ended up getting a Sync'r instead during black friday 50% sale, it gets me out on the trail which means it's good enough! It did come with a dropper and decent pedals which I can't imagine riding without now.

I love the fact that I'm not the only one who ditched half helmets and went with full face, it might be heavier but it could save your head better in case of crash and safety always comes first

The comment wasn't wrong though lol. He'd say in one video how the cheaper bike was built just right and you don't need expensive parts to have fun. Then literally the next video he would replace all the cheap parts with top end components. A bit contradictory but it's whatever, he's gotta make content.

Great video! I started on an Axum at the start of covid too. Recently upgraded to a Ripmo AF. You are absolutely right about riding full face. They can weigh barely more than a half shell and offer way more protection. One mistake landing on your face is all you need to see why. Ignore the critics. You should ride anyway you feel safe.

This is comical cuz a lot of the people that say you should go back to budget bikes said the opposite back in the day when your channel was new. I’m not a hater (infact your my favourite KZfaqr), but it’s true that the videos went from dissing Chads to reviews of expensive stuff. At the end it doesn’t matter if it’s a video about budget parts, expensive parts, or just riding, I love all kinds of videos you make!

Still loving my Trek Marlin 5. My first MTB and ill use it till I cant no more. Does everything I need it to. Took it on a super rough 20 mile trail and it held very well. Decent bike and a good rider makes all the difference.

I can understand that some people may not like expensive bikes (let's be honest, likely because they can't afford them and that's ok) but this "how dare you" and "you changed" mentality is not helping anyone. I recently bought a bike that's really above my means in many regards an I'm absolutely stoked - and more importantly, MY BACK is stoked. I've been riding rough stuff for years and it's taken a toll on my lower body. Since I bought a full sus it's just been an absolute dream. Much less fatigue overall and much more enjoyable because of it. So no, it's not snobbery it's really about making the best out of the time you have to ride.

Dude I'm the same with the full face, I had a crash a couple months ago that got me on the thumbnail of Friday fails, and if I wasn't wearing a full face I would 100% have a broken jaw. Love the vids too bro!

Love the quote “any ride is better than no ride”. Great video! Thanks for sharing!

I have the big Al, mine is the model up though with the marzocchi z2. It's a amazing piece of kit. I must admit though, before I took it on the first ride I made it tubeless, changed grips. Getting the psi right is a game changer on a hardtail. I think your example is one of the reasons I never want a full sus, think I'll just get too hooked on how plush they are and forget how capable and easy a hardtail can be. My other bike is a gravel bike, the two suit my riding nicely.

You might’ve underestimated how much those clipless pedals change the hardtail game. First mod I always do on a HT

I have a Ragley Big Al for almost 2 years now and it is really good. On the frame geometry i agree it could have a steeper seat sube angle for 1-1.5 degrees more. The rest of the bike I had custom built, so its really good.

Just got back from a trip to Bentonville I had a great time riding some of those trails on my own bike, a Giant Fathom 1 29 (2021) It's a hardtail with a 130mm air fork and 2.6 inch tubeless tires I knew I didn't have the ability to ride Cease and Desist because I haven't ridden anything like it before (I live in west Michigan where we have sandy XC trails) but I sized up the Drop the Hammer drop and, while I didn't hit it, thought it looked completely manageable on my bike. My main reason for not hitting it was my riding gear, just a half shell and a XC race jersey, nothing that would protect me if I messed up. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, you have a lot more confidence in hardtails when it's all you've ridden. I didn't look at anything on my trip and think "I'd hit that if I had a full suspension" but rather "I'd hit that if I had practice on features like this" On a separate note, while I didn't have the experience or confidence for a lot of the jump trails, I found the climbs to be rather enjoyable, specifically Copperhead Road, I'm a lot stronger than most people in places like Bentonville so I found myself passing ebikers on climbs even on my 5th or 6th lap of something like thunder dome. The takeaway from this being, your confidence in your equipment and own abilities, as well as your training, is always more important than how much travel you have.

Great video, it’s easy to get caught up wanting the latest and greatest stuff out there. I like taking something decent and making it better or make it mine with my parts choices. You’re not being snobby at all, keep making great content!

The helmet criticism is amusing. I wear a full face helmet even when I'm just tooling around on mild trails. I like my face and I'm not interested in paying a dentist to build a new set of teeth for me, thank you very much.

I have a suggestion. If you put a tyre insert like Cush core in the rear you can run really low tyre pressures and still do the knarliest downhill sections . Plus it will protect your rim.

I wouldnt call this Ragley a "budget" bike but I guess it depends if you live in eastern Europe or not:P Regarding full face helmet - if you're an adult, have a family, have a job that requires you to get up in the morning each day - I'd say wear as much protection as you possibly can. It's not worth loosing teeth or breaking jaw/ribs/collar bones. People often forget mountain biking is still an extreme sport. It's very easy to say you dont need FF or other protective gear for flow trails and its true.. until you crash :P

That helmet is badass, I would not go back either. PLEASE do not let haters hold you back!! You ride whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want….just keep making quality content like you always do. Just remember to not lose focus on what makes YOU happy. Looking forward to the next video drop

So glad you talked about using only the full face helmet. I have been exclusively using a FF for a couple years now, even riding on sidewalks. I threw away my half dome so it’s not an option. The comfort is acceptable and the protection is 10X. And yes I live in Iowa and it gets to 100 degrees at times and I wear it, I get just as hot and sweaty as my friends without a FF, that is 100% hot and sweaty. If I get exhausted in the heat and fall at least I’m wearing real protection.

Looks like a pretty decent budget hardtail. IMHO first upgrade I would do is add a dropper, also great that they have the wheels pre-taped for tubeless out of the box. I didn't even know Sun Race made derailleurs. At that price range I would normally expect MicroShift Advent X or Deore 10 speed

Nothing wrong with wanting better bikes and components. Most people who Mountain Bike get better and progress, like you. And sometimes your bike holds you back, which is why you upgrade and get better components. Yes sometimes MTB do get carried away and become bike snobs. But it's hard to go back to budget when you already know what at good bike can do. It's different when people buy components outside their capabilities. Or buy parts that way out of their budget. But then again who cares coz it's your money. It's like a Coil fork and then going to Air fork. You're not gonna go back to Coil. Good video as always.

My opinion: it is 100% not a snob thing to upgrade a couple parts. Especially a dropper post. Best upgrade, period.

Had my ragley for 3 years now, truly a do it all kind of bike. Taken it bike packing, on epic rides, tackles steep and gnarly, flowy trails, pump tracks, bmx tracks. And that's not to mention the ease of maintenance and repair costs. I don't miss the full suspension bikes one bit haha

Great video! It’s pretty wild that small changes can make or break how a bike feels. The narrower bars and lower pressures with the tubeless setup is what made this bike feel that much better 🤠

Great video, You know that social media has gone crazy when you have to apologize for protecting your head. Damn!

Guy just casually called a 1000 dollar bike cheap

Love the way you incorporated the element ad with footage of your work. I respect that. Good job! Oh, and yeah, a little snobby. Not many people can spend even $1000 on a "budget" bike. Love the info. Thanks and thumbs up.

Evan this vid is terrific. Your insights are continually more on point and well developed. Nice work. I’ll stay a bike snob tho😂

Got the exact same frame and I love it. If you go back to back between the meta and the ragley I'm sure you'll notice the suppleness. Also I've never ridden a better cornering hardtail so I got a bit worried when you had cornering issues :) Great value bike, that frame should cost way more for how well it handles.

I think you should do a type of high low series that you buy an expensive frame and a cheap frame, on the cheap frame, you put expensive parts on it, and with the expensive, you cheap parts on it

Put dh forks on a hardtail🙏🔥

No snootery about upgrading a built bike - there will always be bits that dont suit you (or often the bike) and especially on an emtry level. I have in fact recently bought my own budget hardtail which comes preetty well specced - RockShox FS-35 Gold air sprung fork, shimano hydralic brakes, 12 speed shimano drive train - but still needed upgrades including grips, going tubeless, dropper, and pedals to make it a genuinely decent bike. Will upgrade tyres as soon as justifiable for a bit more width and grip up front but otherwise will let wear and tear do its thing before i upgrade any other bits.

Xo1 cranks with rockshox recon? Still nice bike i am very excited for the video!

Big Al is the best hardtail I've ridden. I would 100% agree that it's more compliant. I got rid of a Chromag Stylus, a steel frame, for the Big Al and then took said Big Al down Noble Canyon. It was amazing. If you have a problem with that bike you should probably just stop riding. Honestly, I don't think you're a snob. I think you're spoiled. There's a difference. It's REALLY hard to enjoy a Rockshox 35 when you know what a Factory Fox with a Push conversion feels like and you can afford one. Haters gonna hate. Please put a dropper on that thing.

Great video. As a big Al fan, you had me at the edge of my seat the whole time. I was waiting for this video and it's banger. Worth the wait. But don't let th haters calling you a bike snob. Put a good fork and droper on that bad boy. Edit: and 30 psi!?! No wonder why the bike felt the way it did and screw the hates talking shit about full face helmets.

dont let the full face hating people bother you....makes you stonger and keeps you warmer in the winter...makes your neck stronger too...which will also help in a crash...and having a strong neck makes you look diesel ... i ride full face too...went back to a half shell recently for every now and then riding but i use the full face most of the time...white onza porcupines would look good on that bike..i got a orange crush...similar-- want a mmbop frame next

It’s crazy how tubeless can give you a much different feeling then tubes 14:50

In my eyes, it is absolutely fine having multiple bikes!!! I have a "bike problem" too - Niner Rigid SS, an old Klein Road Bike, Cannondale "Townie" bike, Surly Bikepacking rig, REEB Hardtail, and my new one, a REEB SST full suspension...AND I want at least three more! I've built them all up from the frame up. So, they've been a lot cheaper than buying complete bikes. Some have even been eBay buys N+1

And i don't complain about my 360+€ MTB. Oh well. And the under/oversteer thing could be because you're used to the back compressing when you go into a berm.

Ok so my opinion on this bike.. I had a 2017 Cannondale Cujo with 3.0 tires, a 2019 Stumpjumper ST, a Marin San Quentin 1 with 40mm wheels and 2.6 tires, then a 2020 Marin Rift Zone 1. Went back to hardtail. After watching Steve's review of this bike, I had high hopes this bike was gonna be God's gift to the hardtail world. So I bought it. I definitely don't think it's as smooth as I thought. I think plus tires are the best thing ever for hardtails. I want cushcore but I'm gonna wait until the stock tires wear out and get some wider wheels with some 2.6's. My favorite bike I've owned was the Cannondale. I miss the 3.0 tires but you can't really jump around too much with fat tires and low tire pressure. So 29x2.6 with some cushcore would make this bike perfect. But it's much more harsh than I expected it to be

For Bentonville I can't fathom needing an enduro bike there. A trail bike with good geo, something like a Transition Smuggler or Trek Fuel EX is about perfect for there.

Impressive seeing those parts on a budget mtb. Usually the ones around 900$ like a trek, u get mt2000, Suntour coil fork, and basic drivetrain with a clutch.

I owned a Big Al for 5 months 240 miles of riding. It was a spectacular bike until it wasn’t. The seat tube cracked at the dropper cable entry point. This is not an isolated issue on just my frame. Buying new has its perks - warranties are great.

Channel rebrand: Evans Hardtail Saga

I think it's stupid to call anyone a bike snob because they appreciate nice components or bikes, or on the flip side, that they're "basic" because they ride a stock setup. This sport is all about personal preferences, and if you can get nice parts that's your call. If you're happy with your bike, no matter what you spent on it, good for you. As long as you're not making your kids go hungry so you can put on a fancy part, more power to you. We don't need any gatekeeping here, whether it's "you're not a real MTBer without AXS," or "you're a snob if you don't ride a budget hardtail." Have fun, help others out, enjoy the outdoors; that's what I'm about.

I just pared down from 6 bikes to 4. I have a trail FS, a road bike, a fat bike, and a commuter hardtail. I do miss having a trail hardtail, and maybe in the future I'll get one again. I hear awesome things about the Ragley Mmbop.

MTB is no different than anything else. When your skills improve you're going to want better equipment to keep up. My friend can ride a Schwinn Axum and be fine but i will either break it, hurt myself, or both. In the end if you're happy then i'm happy.

I am definitely glad to see you break yourself out of the "the more expensive the bike the better it will perform" mindset. I was beginning to think you had forgotten that it should always be about the ride, not the bike! I still enjoy riding the crap out of my five '92-'04 Cannondale's. Yeah I know the haters will say the Cannondale is hardly a budget brand, but the only one I ever purchased at full price way my 1992 M700 that I bought brand new in 1992 and STILL ride it! I did recently build up a NIB 2020 Cannondale Habit frame though because as much as I love riding a 2001 Jekyll with a Lefty fork on the trails and the crazy looks I get while doing it. I am getting very reluctant to really send the bike because a 22 yr old Lefty is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find repair/replacement parts for the fork. So to avoid the wear and tear, I built up a more modern 2020 Habit frame. Gotta say, the improvements in geometry do make the ride feel different and more easy to repair if I should happen to break anything. I would love to see more about your impressions of the SRAM DB8 brakes though. I use SRAM 12 speed drivetrains on nearly all my bikes and have been considering adding the DB8's since I like the idea of an all SRAM bike. I use Magura MT5's on all my bikes so I wonder how they'd feel and perform against them. I still think SRAM has been in error by sticking to DOT fluid brake and the maintenance hassles that come with them.

There should be zero judgment on the helmet worn, that comes down to personal preference and in part style of riding. In my 20's I raced BMX, full faces weren't mandatory, but everyone wore one. In the last few years I've gotten into mountain biking, and this offseason purchased a full face. I wanted something that offered more protection when I was doing faster (to me) descents, but also offered breathability and light weight for wearing during climbs. It may look "extreme" wearing a full face in some settings, but if it's a comfort thing for you personally, go for it. It's a "you do you" sort of thing in my books. My wife calls me a bike snob. But she doesn't understand bikes in the sense she can't understand/appreciate the difference between the big box stores and what's available at the LBS. It took me a while to realize that too myself. In my first attempt to get into MTB, I bought an entry level GT Aggressor from a local big box store and I absolutely hated it and sold it after a few months. A couple years later I increased my budget and bought myself a used Kona Process 134 and it's an absolute joy to ride. To me, a bike snob is someone that is biased towards specific brands , refuses to consider economical component upgrades and always wanting the best of the best product even if it isn't what is best suited for them personally, etc. Your example here, buying a "budget bike" and making some upgrades due to personal preference/performance, is not snobbish in any way, it's realistic. Wanting to make any bike suitable to your personal preference is just normal. Enjoy the content, keep it going!

Not a snob. But also not yet a hardtail veteran. Everything on a hardtail contributes to the ride when you don't have rear suspension. 2.6 tires. XC CushCore on the rear. Even the midsoles of the shoes you use with flat pedals are important. Adidas BASF Boost cancels out vibrations through the bottoms of your feet. No more numb feet after a couple hours of riding non-flow. And the fork is also a major factor. The Recon Motion Control damper is limited and can't be upgraded because of the inner dimension of the stanchions.

I have a rocky mountain instinct. My 1st full suspension. The only thing i did was upgrade the rear suspension to a rock shox super deluxe ultimate. Now, I have my eye on a Poseidon Norton. Ill upgrade the forks to Marzocchis. Both for two different syles of riding i do. Plus, I'm restomodding a 97 Mongoose to ride around the neighborhood. All these local Chads are like "A Mongoose?!" Trust me, that (legit non-Walmart) Mongoose has some serious miles on it and a storied history as its been ridden in Waco, Belton, Austin, San Antonio, and Bandera Texas. I just tell them if they have such a problem with it then they can go buy me the bike of their choosing (like a $4k santa cruz or something). That usually shuts them up. Point is, you do you, and dont let those critics talk smack about your bikes , your gear, or your helmet. Theyre just insecure. Oh and im an 80s kid so helmets are optional. Ha ha. Lets see which snow flake get triggered.

Got my first MTB in 2020 during COVID. $500 hard tail from my local bike shop. 9mm qr wheels, 100mm suspension (spring) good times! Since then I’ve upgraded every single part on the bike (:

I bought a Ragley Big Al Frame in 2021 after Steve @hardtailparty reviewed it and talked about how good it was for the price. I had been riding FS for many years and got in the HT game for local trail because my Reign SX was too much bike. The Big Al is a fun bike. I love it. But I haven't taken it on any features that big so this was a great video. It's one of my favorite for sure. I didn't really mind your nicer bikes but having fun on less expensive bikes is more interesting. Those Boutique parts look good most dont improve riding. Glad to see this type of vid though I would upgrade the fork :)

Hardtail essentials if you are going to ride hard. Dropper post and clip pedals. Clips because you will bounce around more. My Ragley Big Al has a mullet wheel setup plus Tannus tyre armour for tubes, running 2.6" Maxxis Minions @ 18psi rear and 12psi rear. So important with a hardtail to get the tyre casing wall tensions appropriate.

I still ride a 15 year old entry level Specialized that's at least one if not two sizes too small for me that I bought used on Craigslist. I have no idea what makes someone a bike snob, I say do what makes you happy. All I know is I aspire to someday own what most people in the MTB community apparently consider to be "budget bikes."

I had a $200 hot pink (light purple) pro hustler in 1985 and I loved it. It ended up being stolen twice. I'm 49 and just got a Trek Roscoe 8 in an XL frame. It immediately brought me back to my childhood. No offense to the GTs and Diamondbacks I'vce had over the years but the Trek with the boost and through axles make the bike super stable. I am a tall and heavy rider too and my XL GT agressor PRO with 27.5 " wheels jjust doesnt hold a candle to the trek with 29" wheels.

Suppleness from a hardtail is basically splitting hairs. However, it can be perceived, and is real. I had an aluminum Rockhopper many years ago, before disc brakes, and it was super stiff. My feet would get numb from the vibration. I had a different aluminum bike, and I didn't notice a harshness at all. Compared to full suspension, no comparison! I rediscovered hardtail riding, after a full suspension for years, and really love it again. Glad you are enjoying it too. Get the dropper post!

I want you to try something: buy a frame, whatever you want. Next, buy only parts in the mid level for cost. You get to enjoy nice parts you find used, and building a bike from the ground up. I think that not having a budget, but being sensitive to price is a good way to enjoy building and riding, and not let money get to your head. You will also be riding a bike we can relate to, something with used parts, and stuff that most of us might have on our bikes.

I think it’s the natural progression of riding. I started riding on a Walmart bike. Broke that, got a nishiki 29er. Rode that for a year. Went on a deployment and ordered a bunch of parts cause I couldn’t find a new bike due to covid. Then I got my hands on a nucleus (heavily due to your videos) and now I’m looking to build a tricked out steel full sus. Don’t let the haters get to you. Love the content.

i used to do smaller dirt jumps with an open face and then i crashed, broke my nose and a lot of bones on the right side of my face, always wear a full face when hitting jumps

If you get the ragley 1.0, get a better drive chain a dropper, better wheels and get a z2 fork. Just make it tubeless and have a massively capable and fun bike.

I've bought my fancy full sus mtb in late 2021 used, and i love it. Still, sometimes i love to go out with my commuter bike (a 90's rigid mtb) and i just love to be underbiked and ride the usual trails with way more challenge. So i guess going back to hardtail wouldn't be bad at all. The only thing i would NEVER give up is a dropper post. Absolutely the best mtb invention after suspension forks and disk brakes

Evan, I love the riding footage of this video! Personally I don't think you need the speedometer and all that data, I'm more then happy just seeing it how it is like this video, and if it is really relevant to the video(Power or speed or time) you could just put that in the corner. But overall I don't think it adds much and i'm sure it takes up your valuable time to add it.

I have a full suspension and a hardtail. My hardtail is a Ragley Blue Pig ( the MMBop is the aluminum budget version) and I love it. I’ll take both my full suspension Sentinel and my Ragley to the the Bike Park. The Ragleyis so fun on blue trails! The Blue Pig carves corners! The best upgrade anyone can do is a dropper post. Makes riding so much more enjoyable! A budget bike with the right upgrades can be amazing! Keep up the great videos!

Buying a used higher end mountain bike that may have some deferred maitenance can be a much better value depending on CListings locally. A reputable bike shop oowner who was retiring gave me this advice when I asked how to get the most bike for the least cost. Insted of the new $1000 Marin bike I wanted I found a Specialized alloy full suspendsion with comp grade components, dropper and tubeless same price. That eas three years ago and since then I have built and maintained several other bikes. I ride a low end hardtail with upgraded compoenents but its a perfect fit. Learning bike mechanic basics is really the best investment of time and money I wish I made sooner. Low end bikes can be great but often have heavy frames which most riders will want to ditch iif they are riding regularly and in shape.I am sure it varies regionally but in CA $1000 will get you a lot of MTB at or above Deore grade.

I think the five parts I’d change immediately on any bike I get would be tires, grips, bar, stem, and pedals. Outside of that I’d happily run whatever came stock on the bike until it breaks.

Having done motorcycle trials on a trial bike I can see the points you are making with making jumps with a bicycle. Extreme trail riding needs full suspension and an electric motor for sure.

Had my brand new Big Al for a week or so, 1st time out on it tomorrow, I can't wait, been riding a 14 yo 26er GT Avalanche for many a moon. Hoping to feel some differences.

I invested in a Banshee Paradox V3 best compliant hardtail with the exception of a titanium framed bike. With frame only option, build it the way you want, part for part, just like I did, custom job. Never been better.

Budget bikes are fine, they're perfectly capable in the right hands. Expensive gear is not required, you don't need a carbon bike for your local trails or a fancy fork to hit a jump.

Ragleys come with tubeless valves as standard too and the pedals are supplied by the dealer not Ragley.

Bro just Jan a budget dropper in that bike and you should be fine. Droppers don’t need to be electric or expensive. I do have high end parts on my bike but the last thing I changed was my cheap xlc dropperpost because it just worked perfect! Now I have a bikeyoke divine sl (no regrets) but a xlc dropperpist for €150 new is just bang for your buck and they are in Manu sizes too

As a moto and mtb guy I’d never down someone for going full face helmet. But, when you put on the roll-off goggles I got a chuckle out of that. Only ever run roll-off systems in mud races.

Im still running my Schwinn Axum from 2020, only upgrades are pedals, bars/grips, mineral brakes & a micro drive train. Still tubed, still on stock forks, heck I even have the non dropper equipped version. And if I’m being honest I have 0 motivation to go for another bike. I think the Axum is the best budget, bang for buck, hard tail. I can’t even consider calling a almost 1k dollar bike “budget” but I guess it all depends on your tax bracket.

Now that I’ve finished the video, take it from a guy who spent waaay too much on his Banshee hardtails…Hardtail is best tail and being snobby about your build just shows your love of your bike. Carry on sir. Nice work. 🤛🤘

Anyone saying you are a bike snob for wanting and EARNING nice bikes is just ignorant. I started on a $1300 polygon D7, then in a year I saved my money for a Polygon N9, Now after two years on the N9 I upgraded again to a Propain Hugene. I got the hugene so I can ride more often and longer rides being less tired out and having less risk of injury due to being worn out

I agree on the helmet. And Kit.

That Bike-park looks amazing, I just came home from a relaxed 2 hour Trailride and wish we had something like that where I live in Switzerland🙂

Great video! Glad your back to budget stuff. I’m an educator and can’t afford a lot of stuff for my bike. I enjoy watching the budget mtb channels 😊

Was very happy to see the Ragley!! I was in the process of getting a hardtail as well and the decision was between this, the nukeproof scout and the Dartmoor hornet, went with the last one. I was coming from fully, never ridden a hardtail in a long time, but unlike your first impression mine was actually really good! Still have to hit some harder stuff, but for now I am really happy! Oh yeah, I didn't buy a complete bike but instead built it up, what I had to get was only the frame. Oh yeah, personally I find the upgrades u did are the right ones, everyone would pretty much do the same

Woah!! You are rippin the trails on that ragley! 🤘🤘You make me wanna buy one! Can't believe there are ppl complaining you wearing ff helmet. I'm your age and have small kids too, cant afford to smash my teeth out on a stupid crash. Have seen it too many times. Full support for Full Face Helmet on every MTB ride! 👍

Crc had the big al on sale for about 1100-1200 if I remember correctly, it was the up spec build came with deore 11 speed Manitou bomber v2 fork and dropper post was worth it to me to get this rather than spend money on upgrades to get to the same place

First time seeing your videos! Cool to see a youtuber riding our local trails. I was a hardtail rider for a long time and Copperhead Road is a rough tech climb on them. Much easier on the full sus for sure. Looping fireline was much nicer on the hardtail though, the jumps are more fun to me and the climb back to the hub was much easier without the extra weight and less pedal power getting robbed by suspension.

3:45 bye bye water bottle. Oh you got it back! Lol

I ride a Big Al. I was worried at the start that youvwere going to miss out on the awesomeness! Glad you felt it at the end. Absolute screamer of a bike! I would say for watchers that getting the upgrade version is worth it as the fork is considerably better and there's a decent dropper. So well worth the price difference. Great content as always. Thanks!