27.5 inch Wheel - Advantages

[NicoBoshoff]

Negative. Our obsession with anything "marathon" makes the 29er the "better choice"

 

Take out the obsession, and wheel size becomes irrelevant. In fact, if people understood geometry better, they'd realise that the biggest factors are Head Tube angle, chainstay length and BB height / drop. Not wheel size.

 

I might be wrong here, but this is exactly why my Stumpy 29'er is so sick

 

Really good geometry on that bike.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I might be wrong here, but this is exactly why my Stumpy 29'er is so sick

 

Really good geometry on that bike.

 

yeah, it is. Really, really good geo.

[sometime]

I might be wrong here, but this is exactly why my Stumpy 29'er is so sick

 

Really good geometry on that bike.

 

Stumpy has good geometry if you're not riding a small 29er in which case the geometry really doesn't / can't work. If you're running a small or medium frame then geometry is far less compromised in 27.5 than it is in 29.

Edited August 28, 2013 by sometime

[Gen]

Will it be an advantage if the new Elite XC world champion rides with 27.5

 

I'm sure the current one already does

Edited August 28, 2013 by Gen

[kosmonooit]

Any other XC Elites running 650b besides Scott Swiz Powah?

 

Nino seems to have had bad luck with his hand built tubbie tyres lately (two flats in the last to XC WC races), maybe I should bring some Stans down for him?

[rock]

Any other XC Elites running 650b besides Scott Swiz Powah?

 

Nino seems to have had bad luck with his hand built tubbie tyres lately (two flats in the last to XC WC races), maybe I should bring some Stans down for him?

 

can only think of the giant team, not sure who's racing in elites though?

[SwissVan]

I'm sure the current one already does

 

Yep, and if he wins again... hopefully it will help the wheel turn in favor of 27.5

Not enough manufacturers supporting 27.5 imo (Hello Specialized :-) )

[sometime]

Interesting fact #532

 

About 95% of the bikes on the start line at Masters XCO World Champs were 29ers.

 

Strange because I thought 29er was only king in SA. It seems serious XCO racers the world over are going the 29er route.

 

Notable exception was Patrick Jansen riding a Giant XTC 26er hardtail who smoked all of us in the 45-49 category. But he looked about 5 foot tall so it makes sense he rides the smaller wheels

[Headshot]

If you're not riding a small 29er in which case the geometry really doesn't / can't work. If you're running a small or medium frame then geometry is far less compromised in 27.5 than it is in 29.

 

Regardless of the geo, a niner, no matter how good, is not as nimble as a sixer when it comes to technical riding, manuals, hops, switchbacks and jumps etc. If all you want is roll over and long distance riding and only the odd bit of tech trail riding, then go for it. I would not ride the Epic on a sixer unless I had to.

 

SA is a good few years behind the rest of the world when it comes to proper technical trail riding venues and rider skills and the bike sales stats show this...

[Gen]

Yep, and if he wins again... hopefully it will help the wheel turn in favor of 27.5

Not enough manufacturers supporting 27.5 imo (Hello Specialized :-) )

 

Don't think Specialized will go the 650B route yet, they've invested too much bucks in the 29".

 

Like I said in other thread, hubby slapped some 650B's on his Zula and loves it.

[Gen]

You could give a pro a "dikwiel" and he will still ride me in my $#%@ in

[Heel Drop]

did u see Miley Cyrus the other night ?

[Jewbacca]

If you're not riding a small 29er in which case the geometry really doesn't / can't work. If you're running a small or medium frame then geometry is far less compromised in 27.5 than it is in 29.

 

Absolute rubbish.... I ride a small 29er, several in fact. I ride a small 650b and I have a small 26er as well. The 29er geo is actually great. Niner SIR9, with 470 carbon rigids.... super short chain and seat stays, really low slung top tube which is short enough to allow 808 bars on a 30mm stem without feeling like im falling over forwards. By shortening the wheel base one creates a slightly more manouverable beast... The head angle is super with the lack of sag and all the above make the bike super agile and very responsive.

 

I rode the Freedom Challenge on it this year and it was absolutely great.

 

I have several other small 29ers and with the right set up they are nimble, climb fantastically well and are absolutely NOT hampered by obscure geometry at all.... That my friendly folk is just excrement...

 

 

Oh, I am 1.76cm tall. I could happily ride a medium and have done but the small kicks its ass hands down.

[SwissVan]

Don't think Specialized will go the 650B route yet, they've invested too much bucks in the 29".

 

Like I said in other thread, hubby slapped some 650B's on his Zula and loves it.

 

Sad that, even market leaders (Spaz) can get it wrong....time will tell and hopefully they will change.

 

hijack

Off hand what's the difference with the zula 26 and 27.5 frames?

Is there a topic that discusses this?

bijack

[TALUS]

A slacker/variable headset, shorter stem and wider bar improved my riding a lot for ? 3k. I am tired of thinking about wheelsize.

[Gen]

Sad that, even market leaders (Spaz) can get it wrong....time will tell and hopefully they will change.

 

hijack

Off hand what's the difference with the zula 26 and 27.5 frames?

Is there a topic that discusses this?

bijack

 

Hubby did the slap on 650B wheels on his 26" frame before the 650B frame came out, he did have a look at the geometry, said there was some place where something was a few cm further back ... don't know erm I often just nod when it comes to the technical chatter.