It corners in a fun and confident manner
but it should also be easier for new riders to find the perfect gear. Running out of ratios isn’t a problem either, thanks to the nine-speed 11-46t cassette that offers enough grunt to get up some pretty steep inclines, and the Microshift rear mech even has an effective clutch to stop your chain from flapping around when going downhill.
It’s probably no surprise that the Braag has adopted 29in wheels for
2022 given how widely accepted the larger wheel standard now is. New riders will appreciate the economy of power, speed and stability those wheels bring, and Voodoo should be applauded for backing up this gain with a great tyre front and rear – the Maxxis Ardent.
It’s a story repeated throughout the Braag’s build; again and again Voodoo has made brilliant decisions. The Clarks
M2 hydraulic disc brakes have good power and feel to them (and bigger rotors than the high-spec Bizango) while the WTB Volt saddle is very comfortable, and the 780mm bar and 40mm stem ensure confident control.
HOW IT RIDES
The Braag feels pretty normal when you swing a leg over and sit on the saddle. This doesn’t sound like a glowing report, but I can’t stress enough how good this is on a £550 hardtail. The bike is long and roomy, and sits low enough to the ground to make you feel secure, and that in itself pops it sky high in my rankings.
Now with 29in wheels, the Braag was always going to be on to a winner, and the Maxxis Ardent proved quick rolling, but with decent grip in dry conditions. There are limits, of course, but its bite is given up slowly and predictably – just what a new rider (actually, any rider) wants.
Leading out the Braag is a coil-sprung Suntour XCM32 fork with 15mm thruaxle, which is very supple and provides ample comfort on the trail. Ideally I’d prefer an air-sprung fork because it means you can more easily get the right sag for your weight, but the XCM32 with its 120mm travel felt about right to me. Besides, I did in fact try the XCR air fork on the pricier Horde, but honestly it wasn’t as comfortable or active.
Back to the Braag, and there’s a lockout dial that closes an aperture in the damper, thus reducing the flow of oil – I twiddled it halfway round to stop the fork from diving, which held me up better on the descents. Push the Braag harder and faster and you do reach the limits of the fork – with no rebound dial to slow down the return speed, the XCM32 is a little quick, and it does top out something chronic. It’s the obvious upgrade you’d make after a year or so on the bike, but we’ve been bemoaning this issue for over 20 years on entrylevel hardtails, so I was somewhat surprised that it’s still a problem.
Still, the Braag is a dialled budget hardtail, the riding position is dead right, the saddle is comfortable and the components are sorted. Pedal the bike and the gears shift beautifully: descend and it corners in a fun and confident manner. I never thought I’d be able to say that about a £500 hardtail, but times are a changin’. Buy a Braag and, in effect, you’re getting access to a baby Bizango with more modest components but none that fail to perform. The only problem you’ve got then, is snapping one up before they sell out.