27.5" frontwheel with Pace fork?

[Spankyfart]

I was thinking about, at some point in the summer, to maybe add a 27.5" wheel to my still to be built Marin.
So seeing the canti notches won't match the rim and I don't want hydrolic brakes with rotors I was looking at the Pace fork and the adjustable canti notches.

Never rode one, but I also heard people like their looks but they are a terrible ride.
There are also these post extenders, but you need a fork with detachable posts.
They need to be a fit for M900 canti brakes.

So far it's just an idea, and it might never happen but I'm intrigued for some odd reason. Because it can.
Or can it..

 

[Spankyfart]

 

[joglo]

Nice post to raise attention .

No worries, personally I'll find the idea also a bit intresting. A mule...

I have no 27.5 wheel at home to test but would question:
- Is there enough free space for the bigger wheel diameter? At my pace RC35 there is not a lot space between 26x2.1 tire and in particular the brake arch.

- Impact on geometry. Depending on the frame and year of your Marin it may have already a suspension corrected frame geometry. But as this post is in the pre-97 section here, this was limited to early suspension forks. The different radius of the wheel is at least moving the front up, and a bit also the bottom braket. The angles change slightly.
As the radius difference is small, as long if you're not adding a bigger tire too, the impact should be small.
If your Marin has no suspension corrected geometrie (roughly before 94) than adding suspension fork plus bigger wheel at the front may be an overkill.

- My 94 Pace RC35 has fixed brake bosses, I have no clue or experience it other Pace allow to move them.
A good resource for the variants and model years:

GoatSurfer Retro MTB - Pace Forks Timeline

BTW, with old Aluminium Amp Suspension forks it's possible to move the brake bosses.

 

[Carge]

Morning @Spankyfart
Interesting question - and I'm a bit surprised no one has asked or tried it before. There's plenty of threads asking about the old Mavic 700c convertors and such-like - and I'm running long reach V-brakes that use the 26" mounts.

I presume you mean the rigid RC-30 or RC-31 forks? I'm not sure I'd fancy sticking a larger wheel in a 26" suspension fork.

But if there is room for a 27.5 in the RC-31 - moving the mounts up is potentially the perfect solution. I have RC31 - I have the canti-mounts - I don't have a 27.5" wheel to try it with .

If there isn't the room then Exotic make a fork very similar to the RC-31 which is available in 27.5 too.

 

[novekili]

If you are willing to accept to use new school vbrakes, and if you can't find a Pace with adjustable brake bosses, there are some with the brake pads slot so long to accept 27.5 or even 29" wheels

 

[Spankyfart]

Never owned a Pace fork, but I did see them where the cantimount is movable.
Pretty sure it was Pace, but could well be another brand with the same'ish looks.
V brakes, not an option but they do sell the vbrake extenders, I've seen them on Amazon.
Not sure how that would work as the arm is longer and it should affect lever action in some shape or form.

My Marin I picked up is the 96 Palisades trail, the blue/antracite(sp?).
Wasn't my first option but the IFT I bought had a cracked neck

First I need to rebuild it as an MTB, long before I can think about adding a larger wheel.

That fork, that's not a Noleen is it? Looks different. Very pretty though I like that exotic different looking gear.

 

[novekili]

It's a Girvin Vector... Vbrakes can be made to work with canti levers with adapters, like Travel agents. And yes, I remember the canti bosses were movable.

 

[ishaw]

I recall looking into this a while back as a cheap way to try 27 5.

The main issue was that while it can work, only some suspension forks would not try and kill you when at full compression. When compressed, the tyre can hit the fork crown and stop the wheel dead and hurl the rider over the bars. That's the first thing I'd check, will it kill me.

Then you can think about brakes

Pace did various suspension forks where the brake mounts could be moved on the lower legs, then they moved to implant style which were fixed length/position.

You should be fine with the various rc36 and 38 versions pre the full carbon lowers (hollowform?).

My brain doesn't compute a bike with different wheel sizes at each end so I'd be looking for brakes that allow more adjustability over a pad position adapter, like Paul's though I'm sure there are others that allow a wide range of pad positions that could work on 27.5. I'd use one of the frame adapters I've seen over a pad one.

 

[Spankyfart]

That's the first thing I'd check, will it kill me.

 

[novekili]

I this nk you meant Pace rigid forks