650B (27.5") MTB Bikes Only - Photos

[Vetseun]

Mine, enjoying it plenty

[Dubber88]

I chatted to a Scott rep the other day. In his opinion you would not have issues on a spark conversion.

 

Cool.

 

I'm considering to buy a second hand Spark and do the conversion.

 

I think it will make a great addition to my Niner HT.

[Dubber88]

Mine, enjoying it plenty

 

Did you import those Ritchey tires?

[Iwan Kemp]

My Momsen in the Tsitsikama forest. Really loving this bike.

 

[awesme]

Crow,

 

As they said in Fast and Furious, it's not how you stand at your "bike" its how you drive it, give us some feedback, we alllll know it's a pretty damm nice looking bike, how does it ride.

 

Looking forward to Momsen doing a dual suspension, in the 120mm format.

 

G

[Brian Fantana]

My Momsen in the Tsitsikama forest. Really loving this bike.

 

 

// off topic

 

Hey Crow, where is this trail? Is it open to the public? I live close to Tsitsikamma.

 

\\

 

Nice bike BTW.

[Iwan Kemp]

Crow,

 

As they said in Fast and Furious, it's not how you stand at your "bike" its how you drive it, give us some feedback, we alllll know it's a pretty damm nice looking bike, how does it ride.

 

Looking forward to Momsen doing a dual suspension, in the 120mm format.

 

G

Will do a write-up tomorrow.

 

// off topic

 

Hey Crow, where is this trail? Is it open to the public? I live close to Tsitsikamma.

 

 

 

Nice bike BTW.

Starts from Misty Mountain Reserve. Reserve is near the Total Petroport on the N2. Well worth a stay as well.

http://www.mistymountainreserve.co.za/attractions.htm

 

They have 4 trails. The Yellow is around the farms / reserve and mostly just for holidayers wanting to try something out. Orange trail is 15k loop to a Look Out in the forest. Killer view of Storms River mouth. Very easy ride on Jeep track only. But it's still beautiful. Blue loop takes you Tsitsikama Village and back. Awesome ride.

 

There's a 65k black route which I didn't give a go. They say you have to be fit (Kevin Evans pops in regularly to train on this route), but apparently it is very beautiful.

['Dale]

My Momsen in the Tsitsikama forest. Really loving this bike.

 

 

Awesome pic.

Cool machine.

Love that forest scene.

[Iwan Kemp]

Here goes:

 

Let me get straight to the 650B / 27.5" debate part of it: There isn't much in it between this and a 26" bike. There, I said it. Let me put it this way:

26 - 29: Like going from my Titus MotoLite to a Mojo SL. Huge difference that could be felt and (kinda) explained immidiately

26 - 27.5: Like going from my Mbuzi to my Mojo HD. Both 160mm travel and apart from the one being single pivot, the other DW-Link and the HD being MUCH lighter, once you have both pointing down and in their stride there wasn't much in it. Yeah the DW equipped HD tracked better thanks to the suspension staying "open" and "active" when going through rough stuff under braking, but once they are up to speed you'd be hard-pressed to put your finger on it.

 

Kinda the same going from 26 to 27.5. Yes, there is a difference, but chances are you'd be able to tell them much easier apart in a lab or on a test bench. With a 29er you can immediately feel the difference. Now, that's not a bad thing. When you think about it that means Momsen designed a 650B that rides like a 26" with the added benefit of "roll over stuff" and the rest. That's quite a mean feat. It also means that it has none of the negatives a 29er has. Half of which most people will never read about. Although, some of the truths have been coming out now that marketers need to sell their latest, greatest 650's.

 

I will try to get my hands on a HT 29er in the very near future to do some timed runs and if everything works out like planned maybe even a 26" bike as well. Then we'll be able to see what the REAL difference is for Joe Soap on the street.

 

BEFORE I GET FLAMED A 29er does make sense for SOME people and makes most sense for SOME people under SOME riding conditions. I just don't buy into all the mooted advantages. Not for Joe Soap. To really benefit you have to be fit enough to keep momentum going and, like we all know by know, when it gets tight and twisty you're at a loss. Anyway, back to the Momsen..

 

It's been a good 6 years since I've last owned a Hardtail. Why now? 1. I really wanted to feel for myself what 650 is all about (same reason I owned a Anthem X29) and 2. I recently realized that I miss longer rides and (to some extend) races. My SL-R is light and capable enough to race, but I wanted to keep it trail / AM focused (burlier rims, fatter tires and 1x10) so I decided to have a look around at the options. Rode a good couple of bikes before I decided to venture into the dark and pull the trigger on the Momsen. I broke both my buying rules in doing so.

Rule 1: Never again buy before you ride

Rule 2: Neven, ever again buy before you ride.

Not only that, I also decided to follow my gut and go with a Large (rather than my usual Med) so I could run a short stem. Idea was to keep the feel and reach of the cockpit similar to my Large SL-R.

SL-R has 600mm TT with 65mm stem (725mm handlebar)

Momsen has 615mm TT with 50mm stem (711mm handlebar)

 

Boy, am I glad I did! Never again will I ride a bike with a long stem. For me that's anything over 70mm MAX. I may go 65mm stem on the Momsen as well just to try, but for now I'm loving this set up. LOTS of control and a very comfortable feel for me.

 

Looks? Frame looks killer! It's a beaut. I've always liked black, red and white a color combo on a bike (anyone say Felt F3?!) and Momsen have managed to get it 100% spot on. Frame looks quality from all angles. The big "Inspired by the Mountain" on the TT have been polarizing. I'm not a fan of logo's and slogans and crap all over a bike (Pivot anyone?!), but this I like. Maybe I'm just used to it by now. Finish is up there with the best with no smudging or color bleeds. Carbon on the inside is smooth and certainly better than a lot of high end frames I've seen. Punching above their weight here! I like!

 

Riding tight single track is a joy on this bike. It really likes twisty stuff. And with the fork bedded in (roughly 16 hours of mixed riding up to now) it's coping with most obstacles thrown at it. Don't get me wrong, it's a hardtail and it still only has 100mm's worth of travel, but as far as 100mm HT's go, this one is the best I've ridden. Ever. Chances are I'll up the travel to 120mm with the aid of a Reba in an effort to eek out some more fun out of the frame. I'm 100% sure it will just add to the fun factor without sacrificing any of it's racing pedigree.

 

Back to the 650B debate. I'm 100% convinced that 650B is the better big wheel option for me. But I'm not so sure it's worth the upgrade for everyone. I say that cause I'm sitting here thinking, wondering, debating whether I'll let this bike go for a 650B dual. Yes, I prefer duals, but I don't want or need a bike that strays onto the SL-R's territory. And it's a BIG territory. I know a 29er won't do the trick (for now) and I know I'll have to spend top dollar to beat the Momsen's 9.73kg all-in race ready weight.

 

Does that mean I'll be riding this bike for a while? I believe so. Will be XC racing it for sure and will definitely ride it on longer XC / marathon "get fit" rides. The SL-R will see all the Tokai / Eden and Jonker's technical sgl track action. Not because the SL650B can't go there, but because my main frame has a short when I smell a jump or a drop or, even better, a jump into a drop! And for that this bike wasn't build and designed.

 

Would I go 650B on my SL-R. Not sure. Doubt it. I believe in purpose-build bikes. Look how far the Stumpjumper, Trance, Reign, Fuel, Remedy and the likes have come since dropping it's "one bike for all" cloak. You do get freak bikes that somehow manage to cope with more than that what it was designed for (the Anthem is a good example), but they are few and faaaaaaaaaar between the rest of 'em. Also, I have ridden a converted 650B and std bike back to back and the difference on the stopwatch was negligible You then realize the power of the mind. But, having said it, I'm sure you will get different results on different trails. And to be fair it would be better and more accurate to compare a purpose-build 650B to a 26er.

 

Back to the Momsen. In tight and twisty stuff you quickly realize how stiff the frame is. Have it with QR front and back at the moment (Reba will be 15mm when I do change), but that doesn't stop it from staying it's course. Thanks to a fat downtube and generously sized BB area the frame is also stiff under load. I'm not the strongest peddler but I do like to pedal out of a berm and on some frames you can feel the rear tri battling to cope with all the forces thrown at it at the same time.

 

On paper I would always like a slacker head angle, but the 71 on the SL650B seams fine. Haven't ridden it any other way so can't say whether I would like it better slackened out. The extra 20mm of the Reba will drop the HA to 70.5...will let you know how it feels! For now, the handling is sharp and precise. To be honest, on a bike like this I actually prefer the sharper, almost nervous handling of a steeper head angle. Makes your every move feel razor sharp and on the edge. Adds to the feeling of speed. All in the mind I know, but if it adds to the fun factor the what the hell, right? Direction changes are almost intuitive...sharp. And precise. Yes, sharp and precise.

 

When I had my first look at the frame specs I was kinda hoping for a 27.2 seatpost - anything to help cope with the lack of rear squish. But a couple of rides have put those worries to bed. Even with the 31.6 required post it's still not as harsh as most HT's I've ridden. And I'm on a Selle Italia SLR Superflow so there's NO grace from that side! Must be the shape of the seat stays and mold of the tubing around the TT / ST / SS "junction".

 

Bike bunny hops and manual like a sharp handling 26er and, come to think of it, belies the fact that it's a longer than usual frame for me. 50mm stem does help there. Getting it in the air or on one wheel was no effort coming from a 26" 150mm bike. The Anthem I had to wrestle. Really, truly, badly wanted to try a shorter stem on the Anthem, but thanks to Giant's stupid Overdrive "standard" I couldn't get my hands on a single aftermarket stem.

 

Kit notes:

X-Fusion Velvet has been velvety smooth. Up to now there's been no reason to swap it out (other than wanting a bit more travel). Time will tell if it's as reliable as a RockShox, but at this price it's worth the gamble. Comes with Air, Rebound adjustment and one-turn lock out and all of them works like advertised. No wonder more and more pro's are turning.

 

SRAM's X0 has been perfect as usual. Gripshifts are just the bee's knees. First time in a while I'm riding their brakes as will and so far so good. Can't compare them like for like to the Formula's on my SL-R as they have to cope with quite a bit more than the X0 stoppers on a XC bike. While I'm mumbling away, have the new Type 2 rear der on my SL-R and that is one seriously brilliant piece of kit. Loving it.

 

When I ordered the frame I decided to give Momsen's accessories and parts a go as well. Have their setback seatpost, carbon flat handlebar and bottle cages on my bike and they have been flawless. Seatpost use a very clever way of tightening down and adjusting the saddle. Shocker that they can get it so right while some of the biggest companies still waste time cumbersome unreliable designs.

Handlebar is stiff and well shaped. Will try one with a bit or rise and sweep when I do try a longer stem, but only because of the combo considerations. This bar is a worthy piece of aftermarket kit on ANY bike.

Bottle cages keep the bottles in place like they should. Find it amazing how many companies battle to get that right!

 

Other than that...O, yeah, Stan's wheelset. I have their Crest wheelset on 3.30 hubs on my SL650B and they have been true and fast. Nice and light as well which helps to keep overall weight down. Was easy enough to mount and tubeless the Racing Ralphs on them. Talking of which. We all know a dual has better grip under pedaling load, but I'm sure the RR on the Momsen grips better than the ones on the Anthem I had. Could be that the tread pattern works better...maybe not. Hmmm...Will have to give it some thought, but I'm sure I've been getting better traction from the 650B RR's the 29er ones.

 

Right. There you have it. A bit of a write up. Trust I've covered most aspects and can only say that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this frame to anyone looking for a light, fast and agile handling 650B hardtail. Time to go ride...

[Wheeler 71]

Bought this 650B spark conversion last week and loving it!! Only weighs 11kg !!!!

[forkie]

Got mine yesterday. Was originally looking for a 26, but they are like hens teeth, so did this conversion. Still have to do a proper ride, but I like it lots so far.

[awesme]

Thanks Crow,

 

G

[Skylark]

Does anyone have an idea which frame this is. The China's says it's a 650b.

 

G

 

Man thats a sexy and well made looking frame...

[Iwan Kemp]

Thanks Crow,

 

G

[NotSoBigBen]

My son just finished this ....

 

[Dubber88]

Bought this 650B spark conversion last week and loving it!! Only weighs 11kg !!!!

 

 

Would like to hear your comments on your conversion.