So is it 26 or 27.5"

ultrazenith":1q9n5sb3 said:
I'm more concerned that a 29er will make me want to give up on retrobikes.
I found that it was like putting on a really comfortable pair of shoes.

I then made all my 26” bike more interesting and different to each other, changing each in some way.
 
ultrazenith":1cyb1hag said:
I'm more concerned that a 29er will make me want to give up on retrobikes.

This is a real danger. It could well happen.

If last week's evening ride at some local woods is anything to go by then 27.5 is the "new standard". The car park was rammed with mtbers, mostly on full-suspension and 27.5" wheels.
The 5 guys I rode with were all on full-sus and 27.5" wheels. Made my 29er hardtail seem like a niche bike!
Guess it depends on the type of riding, but for general trail use it seems 27.5 is ubiquitous.
Tbh I couldn't tell a difference between 26 and 27.5.
26 and 29 was noticeable though, mostly in a good way.
 
And round here, 29er is the "new standard".
27.5 seems to be for those with delusions of adequacy in the realms of downhill or enduro racing. Very rarely see one built up for anything that'd pass as an XC ride. Even though what most of the people riding them for is essentially XC. Just slower.

Just got out for the first time "in anger" on my 29er, can certainly tell the difference over my 26. Other than the 2.5 kilos weight difference and 100mm of added travel on the rear wheel.......
 
I've never seen the need to change the wheel size. Always been very happy with 26er. And when i got back into mtbing i went for a 26er.
 
I'm sure this won't surprise anyone, but the 29er I tested (KTM Aera Pro) was faster overall than my rigid Dynatech, but (a surprise to me) only by about 10% overall.

On the climbs with big rocky sections in them, the 29er was about 17% faster. I noticed on the 29er I felt like I maintained my speed and floated over the rockiest section, so clearly some time got saved in those places. These were the same climbs where I was faster on my 26x2.35 set up vs 26x1.8.

However, on smoother climbs and flat pedally sections, the 29er was faster, but only by about 3%. This difference is so small it might even just be down to the faster rolling tyres (Rocket Rons) and/or the better suspension on the 29er. Again, on these sections I found no difference between 26x2.35 and 26x1.8 either.

My conclusion is that a 29er is almost certainly faster on average than a 26er, but it is possible for this speed advantage to be vanishingly small on some types of trail. Obviously, this applies to the very specific circumstances I've tested, and to me personally. But I'm glad I know what kind of boost I can expect from spending over a grand on a new 29er...

I understand now why the bike industry doesn't bother to quantify the differences between the different wheel sizes on offer, because it depends so much on the specifics of the trail and terrain.
 
My LBS have a pair of 650b crossmax SLR's discounted to £200 and they cant sell them!

I am tempted to buy them and build a bike up from that :facepalm:

but the voice on my other shoulder keeps stopping me....

if any one wants them give me a shout I will give you the details

26 forever in my house
 
fotorat1":1xpribpy said:
My LBS have a pair of 650b crossmax SLR's discounted to £200 and they cant sell them!

I am tempted to buy them and build a bike up from that :facepalm:

but the voice on my other shoulder keeps stopping me....

if any one wants them give me a shout I will give you the details

26 forever in my house

Narrow rims or wrong axel width?
 
sorry they are 27.5, not sure of the rim width or axles - didnt look silly to me - but then again I dont have any 4" tires!
 
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