Ragley Mmmbop Review

‍The hardtail category is booming with bikes designed for hard riding. This review of the Ragley Mmmbop dives into the performance of this hardcore hardtail.

The Ragley Mmmbop is a fantastic mountain bike for riders wanting to tackle tough trails on a hardtail. With modern aggressive geometry and a solid build kit, this dependable hardtail bike is equipped to handle steep, technical terrain. At $1,700, the Mmmbop gives you a lot of bike for your money.

I am a dedicated hardtail rider, and I love bikes that can take me on rough terrain without needing rear suspension. For this review I delved deep into the spec’s and performance of the Ragley Mmmbop to give you all the information you need before making a purchase.

‍Ragley Mmmbop Performance

Unlike the countless cross-country-oriented hardtails, the Ragley Mmmbop hardtail bike is designed for attacking technical trails with a bring-it-on attitude. Stepping over the Mmmbop, you immediately feel the confidence and stability of this bike.

27.5” wheels keep this bike fun and flickable for jump lines or just throwing around on the trail. This bike is ready for rowdy riding on all sorts of trails.

Whether you’re taking it out for laps in your local woods, crushing enduro descents, or heading out to ride all day on a backcountry epic, you’re not likely to be disappointed by the Mmmbop.

Descending

If any hardtail could be called an enduro race bike, this is it. With 150mm of front travel, long reach, and super slack 63.75-degree head angle, this bike is ready to ride hard no matter what the trail throws your way.

When descending, the 27.5” wheels may not roll as fast and smooth as 29ers, but they sure make for a fun, nimble ride. This bike manages to feel both stable and maneuverable as you charge down technical trails and weave your way through rock gardens.

In short: ripping downhill on the Mmmbob is sure to put a smile on your face. This is a bike that’s designed to be fun to ride, and it succeeds.

Climbing

While the Mmmbop is clearly designed to be a serious bike for attacking descents, it is still a decent climber. As a hardtail, the Mmmbop is naturally good at getting your power to the ground. Weighing in just under 30 lbs, this bike is reasonably light for such a sturdy, aggressive bike.

The steep seat-tube angle puts you in a good position for pedaling, but don’t expect this bike to be the most eager climber around. The 27.5” wheels require a little more work from you to get up and over rocks or roots in the trail, and something about the overall design just makes this bike less fun uphill.

If you’re looking for a hardtail like this, though, a lackluster climbing ability is definitely not a huge problem with the fantastic descending abilities.

Ragley Mmmbop Frame and Geometry

The Mmmbop is built around a lightweight alloy frame. The stable frame geometry is modern and gives you a ton of confidence on hard rides. Long reach, slack 63.75-degree head angle, and steep seatube angle all combine to make this taught frame ready for tough riding.

Features like internal route cables, boost spacing, and 12mm rear and 15mm front thru axles make this frame clean and future-proofed.

Specs and Components

With an MSRP of $1,700, this bike offers a lot of performance at an affordable price. You get some awesome components for this price including the Shimano Deore 11-speed drivetrain, Marzocchi Bomber Z2 150mm fork, and capable Shimano Deore M6100 hydraulic disc brakes.

Read on for a breakdown of the build kit on the Mmmbop and what to expect in terms of performance.

Drivetrain

The Ragley Mmmbop hardtail bike comes equipped with a reliable Shimano Deore 11-speed drivetrain. This setup gives you an 11-51 tooth cassette for an awesome 464% gear range. Top-end drivetrains are all 12-speed nowadays, but the 11-speed gives you a sturdier chain and more room for dirt or misalignment.

Suspension

The Marzocchi Bomber Z2 included on the Ragley Mmmbop gives you 150mm of smooth, responsive front travel. The Marzocchi Bomber Z2 isn’t the lightest or most advanced fork available, but it offers solid performance at a fantastic price.

This fork choice really makes sense for the Ragley Mmmbop. Rather than picking an expensive top-of-the-line fork that would bump up the overall price, Ragley chose this fork that’s a bit heavier, but still does a great job of absorbing big hits with an awesome 150mm of travel.

Brakes

The Mmmbop comes with Shimano Deore M6100 hydraulic disc brakes. Huge 200mm front and 180mm rear rotors give you fantastic stopping power and modulation.

Wheelset

The WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 27.5 32h rims on the Ragley Mmmbop are durable aluminum rims and are tubeless ready so you can get a lighter-weight, more comfortable ride.

Tires

Both the front and back tires on this bike are WT MINION DHF 3C MaxxTerra EXO TR. You get 2.5” width in the front and 2.4” width in the back. These big-volume tires offer great grip for all-around trail riding without slowing you down with excessive rolling resistance.

The frame has clearance for up to 2.6” tires for even more grip and confidence.

Other Components

• The X Ascend Dropper works well and is essential on a hardcore bike like this.
• The Ragley alloy handlebar comes in 780mm or 800mm width depending on the size, which is great for giving you control in the rough stuff.
• The Ragley Tracker saddle is surprisingly comfortable, even when you ride all day.

Competition for the Ragley Mmmbop

More and more riders are realizing the incredible value and fun they can find in hardtails designed for tougher trail riding. Stiff rear ends aren’t just for spandex warriors or newbies anymore, and bike manufacturers are responding.

In recent years, the hardcore hardtail category has boomed, with incredibly capable bikes being offered at great prices from many brands.

It’s aggressive design and solid component list put the Ragley Mmmbop near the top of the pack in the category. Here are a few of the top competitors an how they measure up.

Ragley Mmmbop vs Marin San Quentin 2

Marin Bikes have been part of the West Coast mountain biking scene since the ‘80s, and they’ve played a big role in the evolution of mountain bike design. The Marin San Quentin 2 is a fantastic hardtail with modern geometry for riding tough trails.

It’s slack 64-degree head angle inspires confidence on tough descents. This bike weighs in about the same as the Ragley Mmmbop, and climbing performance is similar: good but not outstanding.

Really there’s not a ton to differentiate the two bikes. They have similar components, geometry, and design. Either bike will leave you smiling on the trails.

The difference may come down to cost. The Marin San Quentin 2 is about $200 less than the Mmmbop.

Ragley Mmmbop vs Nukeproof Scout 290 Race

The Nukeproof Scout 290 is a household name in the hardcore hardtail category. It also has a lot of similarities with the Ragley Mmmbop hardtail bike with modern geometry, a 140mm travel fork, and a solid aluminum frame.

The biggest difference is going to be that the Nukeproof Scout 290 comes with 29 inch wheels. Wheel size makes a huge difference in ride quality, and the Nukeproof Scout is noticeably faster and smoother on most terrain.

A major downside of the Nukeproof Scout 290 race is that it only has a Shimano 10-speed drivetrain, which gives you a much more limited 11-46 tooth cassette. This is almost reason enough to pick the Mmmbop.

If you want bigger wheels, the Ragley Big Al has similar components and performance to the Mmmbop in a 29er package.

Ragley Mmmbop vs Specialized Fuse 27.5

Specialized is one of the biggest brands in mountain biking, and for good reason: they make some awesome bikes. The Fuse 27.5 is Specialized’s answer to the 27.5”-wheeled hardcore hardtail category, and it sure is a fun ride.

At $1500, the Fuse 27.5 is less expensive than the Mmmbop, but it has some pretty significant compromises in the build and design.

The Microshift Advent 1x9 drivetrain offers less gear range and larger jumps between gears than the Mmmbop’s Deore 11-speed groupset. The brakes are also lower spec than the Shimano Deore M6100’s on the Ragley. With skinnier 2.3” wide tires, you also don’t get the same level of traction and cushion.

The biggest downer is in the overall geometry. If you’re looking to tackle tough trails, the Fuse has less aggressive geometry and a less slack head tube angle than the Mmmbop.

The Fuse is a better climber, but for all-around trail performance, I’d opt for the Mmmbop.

Who Should Buy the Ragley Mmmbop?

Hardtails are inherently much less expensive than full suspension bikes, but often you are limited to cross-country-oriented geometry that limits how hard you can ride. The Ragley Mmmbop is a fantastic choice if you are looking for an affordable hardtail that can tackle tough trails and keep up with your full suspension riding mates.

The Ragley Mmmbop hardtail bike is a trail essential bike that’s ready for laps in your local woods or all-day epics. With Ragley’s lifetime crash replacement, you can be sure you’re getting a ride that will last.

Where to Buy the Ragley Mmmbop

Ragley is based in the UK, and with continuing global bike supply chain issues, it can be difficult to find Ragley bikes for sale. Right now the Ragley Mmmbop is available at Wiggle.com.