26/27.5/29 Mega Merge Thread.

[RockCoach]

One man's "lighter than 29er and better rolling than 26er" is another man's "heavier than 26er and doesn't roll as well as 29er"...

 

One day people will realise that there is no better or worse wheel size. There is better for YOU and worse for YOU. Look at your riding style, riding/racing length, terrain you frequent, leg power, skill set etc and pick the wheel size that you enjoy most or are fastest on.

 

Same goes for shimano or sram, hard tail or duallie, SS or geared, riser or flat bar, carbon or alu...

 

Don't forget the different wheel sizes can be just another arrow in the quiver. Another bike for a specific purpose.

 

 

As for 650B or 29ers I will buy one when they start making strong enough wheels for the way I ride. I have broken enough supposedly strong 26" wheels which is why I now have DH/FR indestructible wheels on my do anything 26" trail bike.

[RockCoach]

What I really want is a Santa Cruz Blur LT 650B

Pity they have no plans to make any...

 

You are looking for one of these:

http://www.vitalmtb.com/product/feature/First-Look-Intense-Goes-650b-with-the-Tracer-and-Carbine,128

 

Santa Cruz are Intenses baby brother

[GhostRider2]

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/21353087.jpg

[Andre 77]

not me

[HandH]

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/21353087.jpg

 

Nee Boet... not again.....still??!!

Same s#1t, different day fred

[Wil6]

Some of you guys have way too much money to spend....and I hate you.Still riding my 26er but still loving every moment on it.

[BergForce]

I am for a dually trail-bike, my race bike will stay 29er hardtail.

[Li Mu Bai]

no ways. hard enough to set up a 29" with the current limited choices, cant imagine 650b. Enjoying my 29er immensly.

[DubbelBuys]

One man's "lighter than 29er and better rolling than 26er" is another man's "heavier than 26er and doesn't roll as well as 29er"...

 

One day people will realise that there is no better or worse wheel size. There is better for YOU and worse for YOU. Look at your riding style, riding/racing length, terrain you frequent, leg power, skill set etc and pick the wheel size that you enjoy most or are fastest on.

 

Same goes for shimano or sram, hard tail or duallie, SS or geared, riser or flat bar, carbon or alu...

 

Good explanation Eldron.

 

I ride faster than many 29ers on some races (& I'm not even fast or the racing type) so the bike can make a fast rider even faster yes, but it won't make you go from the middle of the group to the front of the group.

 

The 650B sounds like a good idea for a bit shorter riders if wheel sets & tyres becomes more freely available.

 

Guess it all boils down to personal pref. as stated by many others before.

[GLuvsMtb]

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/21353087.jpg

The topic is not to debate 26 vs 650B vs 29er. It is a simple question to who that went to 29 is now considering 650B and why. So what's the problem here?

Edited August 3, 2012 by MorewoodMad

[DIRT EATER KZN]

Is it just me or are there more and more 29er riders that's starting to talk 650B? If you are one of them, please share. I'm going over to Canada and the States next year and I may or may not come back with some new toys.

bud that would admitting that they made a mistake what wil happen is they will save up to buy a 650b as a second bike after they get beaten at a few races..............here it comes

[HandH]

The topic is not to debate 26 vs 650B vs 29er. It is a simple question to who that went to 29 is now considering 650B and why. So what's the problem here?

 

That good sir is the problem righ there... If the Question was "who's going the 650b route"

then we could have answered..Me...not me etc.

Like yesterday I told my wifie I wanted a new 27.5" bike, she said No!!!!..... I asked WHY...!!??!!

Fark my couch is uncomfortable!!!!!

[GLuvsMtb]

That good sir is the problem righ there... If the Question was "who's going the 650b route"

then we could have answered..Me...not me etc.

Like yesterday I told my wifie I wanted a new 27.5" bike, she said No!!!!..... I asked WHY...!!??!!

Fark my couch is uncomfortable!!!!!

I told my wife this morning that I want a 650GS - to make driving to work easier with traffic and that. And I will be saving kms on my car (doing 35 000 a year, so my car lasts less than 3 years then I replace it). She said no, and I asked why. She said because she said so. So I'm sleeping in the spare room tonight?

[RockCoach]

 

I told my wife this morning that I want a 650GS - to make driving to work easier with traffic and that. And I will be saving kms on my car (doing 35 000 a year, so my car lasts less than 3 years then I replace it). She said no, and I asked why. She said because she said so. So I'm sleeping in the spare room tonight?

 

You know it doesn't work when you withhold the nuptuals, right?

[Danger Dassie]

Is it just me or are there more and more 29er riders that's starting to talk 650B? If you are one of them, please share. I'm going over to Canada and the States next year and I may or may not come back with some new toys.

 

From a personal perspective: To be honest at the start of this whole 29r malarky I was more keen on experimenting with the 650b, but industry available was predominately 29r and as things progressed many of the brands were putting out well handling 29rs.

Recently I was fortunate to be able to ride two same model bikes in the different wheel sizes.

I gravitated more towards the 650b than the 29r.

BUT, heres the rub, another rider preferred the 29r. The differentiating factor was our differences as riders though, not the bikes, the difference on the bikes just accommodated our our differing styles. If that makes sense.

 

For me, I'm stand height (5.8+-) from more of a dirt background and so enjoy the responsiveness and technical stuff more.

 

He's from a road background and taller than I am, so possibly feels more at home on the bigger wheel.

 

Conversely there was also a German dude over 6ft. He preferred the 650b more, being from a BMX/DH background.

 

Taking from this, and as has been mentioned already. There is no better wheel size, just what suits your style and height. We have better options to taylor a bike to ourselves, great for the more experienced riders, more confusing for the newbies sure, but just as beneficial.

 

To answer your question directly though, my riding is technical but not 'extreme' and I enjoy longer endurance rides and XCO stuff .. I personally enjoy the 650b and feel it gives a good balanced ride and lends itself better to FS designs for general trail riding over all.

 

Hope that's clear mate, typed it all in a rush

[flymango]

To add to Eldron's post, one man's 6 month credit card budget is another man's hot cash treat. So we tend to justify our purchases. Some posts have been very insightful. Would love to have an honest opinion from a professional whose salary isn't paid for by marketing and sales budgets.