26er to 650b conversion

[m_jhb]

hi  all 

This has probably already been discussed before,  I  am in the process of doing this conversion on my Merida TFS 300,  I  have gotten a set of wheels however have not had a chance fit them yet.  my problem is that everybody says that only fox suspension will  work  however I  have the standard SR XCM-HLO 100mm with lockout,  does anybody know if it will  work?  

Will  I need to  get another suspension that will  work  better does anybody know what forks will  work ?

Is there any safety risks in doing something like this?

[Onegear]

Hi, if you have the wheels, why dont you fit them and see for yourself if they fit ? It will take you the same amount of time as it did to start the thread. Goodluck though with the conversion ????

[BenGraham]

Personally I think I would have checked this before I sourced wheels. 650B conversions are a mine field. If its a hardtail it might work but your fork may well not have the clearance. The only forks known to generally have the clearance are fox (but only some models) from what I've heard. Also if this is a full sus you may find that on compression the rear wheel contacts the seattube. These are all things that can happen with the conversion. I don't know your bike and I'm not going to do the research but from what I've heard unless you frame can clear at least a 2.4" tyre you may find yourself in trouble.

 

Also consider that you'll simply have to run narrower tyres. Narrower tyres negates some of the roll over benefits of the whole 650b business. What motivates the change? From what I've heard the differences are so subtle you'll hardly notice except that you will be forced to run narrower tyres which could negatively impact performance. If its about finding tyres there are still shops selling good 26er tyres so that isn't a problem yet. It was a concern of mine but it seems there are still options for those of us still riding small wheels.

 

Have a look at this http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/trail-tech-five-reasons-not-to-convert-26in-to-650b-36241/Don't mean to rain on your parade and it might still work but I'd do a lot of reading and measuring before you do too much more buying. It could get expensive.

 

edit: typo

[RockHound]

Is there a list of bikes that convert well?  

[BenGraham]

There's lot of discussion online. People have been doing ghetto conversions for years. That's why its a big joke that the bike companies are pretending it was their idea. All they did was make it mainstream and force a whole lot of 26er riders to upgrade out of fear that their bikes were obsolete. Let me try not to turn this into a wheel size debate. Suffice to say if you search 650b conversions you'll eventually find what you're looking for.

[m_jhb]

HI   all  ,  the reason  I  decided to  do  this is cause I  wanted to  go  tubeless.

This would have cost me a bit, but I  found a set of tires with rims and tyres that are tubeless for the same price or less than the tubeless would have cost me on  the 26 inch,  so  I  figured let me take a dive and see if it fits.  I  fitted it to  my bike and it fits 100% in the front and the back with a bit of space to  spare  . I have 27.5 X 2.2 tyres on so  I  don't know if it will  make a big difference,  we will  have to see. 

Will  keep  you updated after my 1st ride    

[dirtypot]

Ghetto tubeless.

For around R250 you can get the tape, valves and sealant.  No need to spend huge amounts on it.  I've been running this on my bike for about two years now with no problem at all.

[(Deon)]

HI   all  ,  the reason  I  decided to  do  this is cause I  wanted to  go  tubeless.

This would have cost me a bit, but I  found a set of tires with rims and tyres that are tubeless for the same price or less than the tubeless would have cost me on  the 26 inch,  so  I  figured let me take a dive and see if it fits.  I  fitted it to  my bike and it fits 100% in the front and the back with a bit of space to  spare  . I have 27.5 X 2.2 tyres on so  I  don't know if it will  make a big difference,  we will  have to see. 

Will  keep  you updated after my 1st ride    

Unless you bought the gum guard already, typing is definitely what you'll be doing if your fit in front turns out to really only be 90%.

[BenGraham]

Unless you bought the gum guard already, typing is definitely what you'll be doing if your fit in front turns out to really only be 90%.

You mean this problem.

http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.imdserve.com/images/news/2013/01/22/1358832082349-216ho6cgw827-960-540.jpg

I'd also be nervous.

[m_jhb]

Unless you bought the gum guard already, typing is definitely what you'll be doing if your fit in front turns out to really only be 90%.

 confused?

[INDABUSCHE]

Unless you bought the gum guard already, typing is definitely what you'll be doing if your fit in front turns out to really only be 90%.

 

Word of advice here - I have been down this road using a 26 Yeti asr with a FOX

Fork 32 RLT. Everything worked perfectly with some really aggresive riding. The problem is that there is minimal clearance for mud which packs up against the frame / fork exponentially. Fellow riders on 650 & 29 cleared these obstacles easerly. It would be a gamble to approach a race after the time spent training and putting yourself at an immediate disadvantage should the weather not be in your favour. Almost took the gamble for Sani and yes it did not rain but how was I to know that.

[Wally39]

You mean this problem.

http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.imdserve.com/images/news/2013/01/22/1358832082349-216ho6cgw827-960-540.jpg

I'd also be nervous.

Ja, that might ruin your day.

[m_jhb]

from all  the advice here it might be a better bet to  just get a proper 650b frame or a whole new bike, wheels fitting seems to  only be half of the problem

[(Deon)]

Word of advice here - I have been down this road using a 26 Yeti asr with a FOX

Fork 32 RLT. Everything worked perfectly with some really aggresive riding. The problem is that there is minimal clearance for mud which packs up against the frame / fork exponentially. Fellow riders on 650 & 29 cleared these obstacles easerly. It would be a gamble to approach a race after the time spent training and putting yourself at an immediate disadvantage should the weather not be in your favour. Almost took the gamble for Sani and yes it did not rain but how was I to know that.

Thanks but if was going to decide on who's advice to listen to, it would be the response to the injuries caused by incorrect use of the equipment issued by the manufacturer, in this case Fox.

[Bomberman]

from all  the advice here it might be a better bet to  just get a proper 650b frame or a whole new bike, wheels fitting seems to  only be half of the problem

Frame and a Fork

[J∆kk∆ls]

I have been told that I could do 650b conversion to my Cotic Bfe. When looking into it the designer of the frame Cy Turner advises against it as it will raise the BB there by turning the Bfe into a less nimble machine.