NS BIKES RAG+
£1649.99 > Do big tyres equal big fun?
Poland’s NS is more widely known for its dirt jump, gravity full-suspension bikes, and its take on the ‘gravel’ bike bears plenty of influence from the more extreme end of cycling. RAG+, which stands for Road and Gravel Plus, means the frame has been designed to take up to a 45mm 700c tyre, or if you switch to a 650b wheelset you can get massive 2.2in rubber in with room to spare.
The RAG+ doesn’t really need much more than the 43mm Panaracer Gravel King SK TLCs it comes equipped with. They are simply brilliant off road, their big volume and lower pressure capability making for a plush ride that offers superb grip on gravel and hardpacked dirt. The closely-spaced square block tread handles tarmac better than we’d have expected, so riding on the road between the trails isn’t the chore it can be when running fat rubber. The tyres and wheels are tubeless compatible, so you could easily lose the inner tubes.
The geometry makes it a more aggressive ride than most, which adds up to a bike that’s built for fun. The handling is sharp but the overall ride is balanced, showing great stability whether riding over rocky surfaces or cranking it over on a tarmac corner.
The RAG+ is a blast to ride yet still finds room for mudguard and rack mounts for versatility. We even like the old-school quickrelease seatpost, which allows you to easily drop the saddle when riding through tricky technical sections, for a lot less cash than a mountain bike dropper post.