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Big Dog Is an Affordable Steel Mountain Goat for Bringing Back the Good Old Days

Most people don't have thousands of dollars to spend on a bicycle. With this in mind, I've decided to bring to light a bike that's both affordable and capable, not to mention completed from an age-old favorite material, steel.
Big Dog MTB 9 photos
Photo: On-One Bikes
Big Dog MTBBig Dog MTB DrivetrainBig Dog MTBBig Dog MTB FrameBig Dog MTB DrivetrainBig Dog MTB FrameBig Dog MTB CockpitBig Dog MTB Cockpit
Ladies and gentlemen, the mountain bike before you is known as Big Dog and is manufactured by a crew from the U.K., On-One Bikes. If the name On-One doesn't sound familiar, it's because this crew mostly stirs up waters over on the other side of the world and not necessarily in the Americas. Still, with a bicycle manufacturing history of over thirty years, I feel you should get to know them and the bikes they offer.

Take Big Dog as a great example of the sort of trinket that On-One likes to manufacture and under what circumstances. As I mentioned, one trait of this manufacturer's cycles is that they come in with quite an attractive price tag. For example, Big Dog cruises in for 1,200 GBP (1,580 USD at current exchange rates), and for this rate, some capable components are also added to the steel frame.

Since I keep bringing up the frame, it should help to know that Big Dog is completed from hand-welded and triple-butted steel tubes. Why steel? Well, there may be some nostalgia for the whole ordeal, but in truth, steel has some rather exceptional properties that continue to make it a favorable material for bike building, among other applications. One important aspect of steel is that it will first bend on a molecular level before breaking; the same can't be said for aluminum and carbon fiber.

Big Dog MTB
Photo: On-One Bikes
Just to give you some idea of how this puppy may feel under you, you're looking at a head tube angle dropped down to 65 degrees, the seat tube is sitting at 75 degrees, and for a medium-sized frame, you'll have a reach of 44.6 cm (17.56 in).

For the medium bike, a wheelbase of 120.6 cm (47.5 in) is also yielded by the offset on the RockShox 35 Gold RL fork. For 29 in wheels, like those you'll find on Big Dog, the fork can feature a 44 mm (1.73 in) or 51 mm (2.0 in) offset. Oh, just a little side note: SRAM shows an MSRP for this fork at around 580 USD, which means the rest of the bike is completed for just 1,000 USD.

One thing I enjoyed about On-One, and something you may too, is the fact that they make an effort to add the best components possible for the price they sell their bikes at. For example, the builder chose to equip the rest of this machine with SRAM components and features a 12-speed drivetrain with SX Eagle gear.

Big Dog MTB Drivetrain
Photo: On-One Bikes
The rear showcases an SX Eagle derailleur, a PG-1210 cassette with 11-50T, and the crankset is an SX Eagle DUB with 32T. While brakes are also from SRAM, rotors are a pair of Avid Centerline with 160 mm (6.3 in) and 180 mm (7.1 in) diameter.

Since On-One initially saw its beginnings as a component manufacturer, like quite a few of the great cycling teams, things like seat clamp, seat post, handlebar, and grips are all proprietary tech. With everything in place, a medium Big Dog is going to weigh around 14.2 kg (31.3 lbs). Yes, it's leaning towards the heavier side of bikes, but can you remember what it was like to rock down trails on something this heavy? It has its benefits.

At the end of the day, the bike comes with good gear, a geometry that can handle an array of off-road terrains, and if you do happen to destroy the frame, you won't feel bad about it, not for this price. You could even take the components off of it and throw them onto another bike you already own. Looking for a new bike? Take a peek at Big Dog.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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