So, this 27.5er thing.

[canfan]

"The first trend is Trail/AM riding is becoming the type of riding most mountain bikers want to do (61% currently)"

 

Doesn't apply in this country.

Sad but true.

[Bomberman]

Hi my name is Bomberman.... and I ride a 26er,

[rudi-h]

so my take is that 29" is here to stay for bikes with up to 120mm of travel and 27.5 is here to stay on 120mm + bikes.

 

Currently Spez are the only guys still making long travel bikes in 29", and my guess is that even they will phase it out completely.

[DirtyFrank]

I think Giant are going to be left with a 27.5" egg on their face in the near future.

 

Anyway, 26" for the small boys and 29" for the big men. 'Nuff said.

 

I think Giant are going to be left with a 27.5" egg on their face in the near future.

 

Anyway, 26" for the small boys and 29" for the big men. 'Nuff said.

 

[Tubehunter]

You gotta love these kinds of arguments. It's easy to see which will be better suited to the requirements based on the majority of what lines up for different types of events. Yes there will be the odd pro who could ride a bike with square wheels and still have a decent showing, but when you get beyond the guys who are paid to ride something and you look into the next part of the field you will see which rig is the most popular because it is the most effective tool for the job!

 

As stated already, 650b is the new standard for All Mountain\Trial riding. That alone means it is going nowhere. This segment of the market is where manufacturers are focusing their energy as the offerings for this finally start looking at the cutting edge of bicycle design with regards to weight and performance, which was generally not the case 5 plus years ago and all mountain bikes were somewhat clunky but had longer travel and it came with a weight penalty to consider using them for anything other than social riding. Not so now. If anything the advance in AM bikes means that you can finally have one decent bike and use it for a multitude of disciplines.

 

2015 I'll be adding a 650b Dual Sus to my garage to get stuck into the local Enduro scene.

[Johny Bravo]

so my take is that 29" is here to stay for bikes with up to 120mm of travel and 27.5 is here to stay on 120mm + bikes.

 

Currently Spez are the only guys still making long travel bikes in 29", and my guess is that even they will phase it out completely.

The Spez Enduro 29er is currently one of their best selling, and most talked about bikes. So dont hold your breath. 

[canfan]

You gotta love these kinds of arguments. It's easy to see which will be better suited to the requirements based on the majority of what lines up for different types of events. Yes there will be the odd pro who could ride a bike with square wheels and still have a decent showing, but when you get beyond the guys who are paid to ride something and you look into the next part of the field you will see which rig is the most popular because it is the most effective tool for the job!

 

As stated already, 650b is the new standard for All Mountain\Trial riding. That alone means it is going nowhere. This segment of the market is where manufacturers are focusing their energy as the offerings for this finally start looking at the cutting edge of bicycle design with regards to weight and performance, which was generally not the case 5 plus years ago and all mountain bikes were somewhat clunky but had longer travel and it came with a weight penalty to consider using them for anything other than social riding. Not so now. If anything the advance in AM bikes means that you can finally have one decent bike and use it for a multitude of disciplines.

 

2015 I'll be adding a 650b Dual Sus to my garage to get stuck into the local Enduro scene.

Would love to do the same, not so sure my wife will be convinced its a good idea.

[cpelser]

I think

 

Short people ( <1.60m) should always ride 26er

Medium length people (>1.6 m < 1.8m) should ride 27.5er

Tall guys (> 1.8m should ride 29er)

Hemelbesems (>2m) should get a 31.5er

 

Why should MTB'ing be any different to every other activity on earth where there's a custom size piece of equiptment that fits specific people.

 

Answer - it wouldn't make sense to stock 10 different size frames/wheels for each person's needs...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

so my take is that 29" is here to stay for bikes with up to 120mm of travel and 27.5 is here to stay on 120mm + bikes.

 

Currently Spez are the only guys still making long travel bikes in 29", and my guess is that even they will phase it out completely.

 

 

Erm, nope. Wrong. 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I think

 

Short people ( <1.60m) should always ride 26er

Medium length people (>1.6 m < 1.8m) should ride 27.5er

Tall guys (> 1.8m should ride 29er)

Hemelbesems (>2m) should get a 31.5er

 

Why should MTB'ing be any different to every other activity on earth where there's a custom size piece of equiptment that fits specific people.

 

Answer - it wouldn't make sense to stock 10 different size frames/wheels for each person's needs...

Because - we all ride different things and different conditions. I'm 1.8 and I ride a 26er. Will I cahnge to a niner? No. Why? I like the added strength that 26" wheels offer, and it suits my riding style. 

 

Seems as if you went to the Cycle Lab School of Marketing ©®

[NixM]

Because - we all ride different things and different conditions. I'm 1.8 and I ride a 26er. Will I cahnge to a niner? No. Why? I like the added strength that 26" wheels offer, and it suits my riding style.

 

Seems as if you went to the Cycle Lab School of Marketing ©®

Sorry that's not true: I am 156cm and I ride a 29er, fits me like glove

 

Edit - this was aimed at koening not your post Mayhem. Sometimes I hate Android.

[2 X 2]

If you ride a 26" and you want to change but you are not convinced by a 29", then get a 27.5". If you ride a 29" and you are not satisfied and you don't want to change back to a 26", then get a 27.5"

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Sorry that's not true: I am 156cm and I ride a 29er, fits me like glove

one billlllion percent. 

 

It's all about what you ride, how you ride it, and what your personal preferences are. 

[Hairy]

What's the consensus on 27.5? Giant seems convinced... at least they are convinced that the will sell a lot.

 

I can see that the 27.5er / 650b has it's place on dual suspensions. I mean for a trail bike a 27.5 would make sense, as the 27.5 makes the bike more responsive and more like a 26".

 

But a 27.5 Hardtail race bike just doesn't make any sense at all. The 29er hardtail race bike would always be better than the 27.5 equivalent.

 

Personally, I think the manufacturers experienced a surge in sales with the 29er, and now that the 29er sales are slowing down they are thinking : "remember how many bikes we sold when we bought out 29ers? Let's do the 650b thing and get rich for the next decade. Then when that's done let's go back to 29er again."

 

I'm not convinced yet. I think the 27.5 is too much in the middle. With 26ers being phased out, the 29er and 650b will just be too close to each other IMO. It's way better to have a 29er racing bike and a 26er trail bike as a combo than a 29er and 27.5 combo?

 

 

27.5.....just doesn't cut it. A bit like kissing your sister!

have either of you two ridden all three formats yet or are you just firing away from behind your keyboards and coughing up what you read in the local "outstanding" cycling magazines we have in this country?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

have either of you two ridden all three formats yet or are you just firing away from behind your keyboards and coughing up what you read in the local "outstanding" cycling magazines we have in this country?

I do believe it would be the latter!

[canfan]

I think

 

Short people ( <1.60m) should always ride 26er

Medium length people (>1.6 m < 1.8m) should ride 27.5er

Tall guys (> 1.8m should ride 29er)

Hemelbesems (>2m) should get a 31.5er

 

Why should MTB'ing be any different to every other activity on earth where there's a custom size piece of equiptment that fits specific people.

 

Answer - it wouldn't make sense to stock 10 different size frames/wheels for each person's needs...

Anybody want to buy a 29er(or 3). Looks like I need a smaller wheel sized based on this. 

 

On a serious note; This might work as a rule of thumb for noobs or the uneducated (no its not the same thing). But you cannot just apply it across the board like that.