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Thread: Wheel size for trail bike
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06-05-2017, 07:11 AM #1yelgatgab
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Wheel size for trail bike
It's new bike time and it's time to decide on wheel size. Initially, it was a no-brainer. 27.5 trail ripper. But, after having ridden a couple of bikes, and realizing that I'm doing a lot more XC than I like to admit, and having Krispy of all people touting the virtues of 29" wheels, I'm torn.
woo will say he rides 26 cause fuck you. toast will say 29er all day for under 130mm. Damian will go off the rails. What about everybody else?
Currently have a GG Megatrail in 27.5 flavor. Badass, highly capable long travel trail bike. But, too much bike for most of my rides. I want something with less travel (120mm), shorter, quicker handling, better for all day in the saddle. Everybody I ride with rolls their eyes and says "duh, 29er". But most of the people I ride with are either XC weenies or are well over 6' and have no business on anything else.
What I really want to know is, with a 29er, how much maneuverability am I giving up? What else am I giving up versus what I gain (besides necessary increases in wheel weight/decreases in relative strength)? I'm an active descender, popping off anything that'll offer some pop. For that, 27.5 seems obvious. But, yesterday I rode 45 miles/~6500 feet of climbing, and a lot of those miles I was wishing for something more efficient. The Megatrail did fine, but it's not ideal I'm realizing.Remind me. We'll send him a red cap and a Speedo.
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06-05-2017, 07:16 AM #2
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06-05-2017, 07:53 AM #3
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06-05-2017, 08:03 AM #4yelgatgab
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Current plan is to keep the Megatrail, which definitely pushes me more towards 29er.
Sirshreds: Demos are highly limited here. Shops rent bikes, but they're mostly XC bikes. I've ridden a couple of buddies bikes and have been pleasantly surprised by how much different they were than 29ers I rode a few years ago. I was supposed to demo a Pivot 429 today, but rain is going to push that back. That's probably the impetus for this post. I'm getting antsy. You're right though, there's no substitute for saddle time.Remind me. We'll send him a red cap and a Speedo.
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06-05-2017, 08:14 AM #5
I'd PM Damian Sanders. He rides both and is super helpful and knowledgable on the subject.
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06-05-2017, 08:59 AM #6
I'm biased I guess. I have ridden all, 26/27.5/29 but now I have a Scout 650, Jamis HT 650 for riding cross country when I feel like it. The Jamis is now set up SS but just switching from the Scout to the Jamis makes me really appreciate how well it climbs and corners. I have done the HC 100 on the Jamis with no problem.....other than the whole 100 mile thing. Ive never felt limited on any techinal stuff and downhill is a blast. My .02
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06-05-2017, 09:20 AM #7
If you like the Megatrail for what it is, but are looking for a little bike, why not go for a Trail Pistol?
Florence Nightingale's Stormtrooper
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06-05-2017, 09:30 AM #8
I recently demoed a Pivot 429, and rode it with the 29's and 27.5+. The pivot guys will switch out the wheels in about five minutes, so you get to ride the same setup with only the wheels diffferent. My personal ride is a Surly Karate Monkey, full rigid. Of course the suspension was amazing, but I was really impressed with how quick the bike felt overall with 29's- absolutely no limits on the terrain I was on, and so quick. I didn't think it was as much fun on the 27.5+, but I was in Bend so fast rolling was more important than huge traction. For my trails at home the Monkey is perfect, but I was really impressed with the 429, and the pivot guys make it so easy to try the stuff out. If I was able to swallow the idea of spending that much on a bicycle, the 429 would get my money for sure. I'm 5'10" on a Large, and maneuverability never stands out as a problem on my ride or the 429, in my opinion.
Gravity always wins...
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06-05-2017, 09:36 AM #9Registered User
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Junior said to me "dad I run a bike store you can't be riding that old Prophet anymore " so I took out his large Yeti sb5.5 they all been raving about at the shop, I really take a medium ( being a short AZN man ) SO I wondered if I could get the bike with them big 29 hoops around the corners?
but I found on the trail was able to go left/right/over/down rocks roots anything, I railed bank turns I even railed uphill banked turns so I found riding it intuitive more stable everywhere and cha-ching ... I bought a medium
i didn't ride anything elseLee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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06-05-2017, 10:51 AM #10Banned
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99% = "most" now, eh?
Congrats, another poseur who acts the hero and needs the equipment to provide what he lacks in skill.
Maybe just ask what all the Badasses run? That's what rideit does!
When you stop playing shower-buddy-who-drops-soap-innocently, ballbag tagger, try choosing a bike based on what you ride, and what skills you have/lack, rather than what you wish you were because your online self presents an Ultimate Honch profile.
I know someone who recently got a Giant Anthem, 110mm rear travel, 130mm front, seems decent enough for its asking price. Mr Weagle probably disapproves, but I pedaled the thing around and found it surprisingly good. The wheels are the "new standard" of 27.5/650B/wekilled26.
But I'm not stuckie.
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06-05-2017, 10:58 AM #11
apologizing for thread drift...but as a former dirtbike rider, having had no trouble riding lots of singletrack trails on honda CR250s and CR500s, I can't imagine how a slightly bigger mtb wheel could really be that difficult to maneuver in comparison to a motorcycle frontend, which itself is not difficult to maneuver. The difference has to be so subtle. I've never had a 27.5, but I've never felt a big difference between 26 and 29 except that 29 rolls over roots and rocks easier.
Then again wtf do I know.
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06-05-2017, 11:28 AM #12
Nah I say 26 because you deserve it,
Go ride some 29ers. It's the only way to know if you like them. I don't like having to lean over so far to get them to turn and they accelerate slow as shit going up hill (but do keep motoring better once up to speed). If your goal in riding is pedaling, they're good for that. If your goal is catching pockets, pumping transitions and whipping around turns, not so much.Besides the comet that killed the dinosaurs nothing has destroyed a species faster than entitled white people.-ajp
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06-05-2017, 11:39 AM #13
As my mechanic said to me when I inquired about upgrading my wheelset- "if you want to get from point A to B with speed, then get the 29er, but if you want to do it with style, get the 650b "
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06-06-2017, 07:25 AM #14yelgatgab
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Remind me. We'll send him a red cap and a Speedo.
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06-06-2017, 07:30 AM #15yelgatgab
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That's at least two non-disparaging 29er posts this week. You feeling okay?
The slow to accelerate is something I've noticed, and it confuses me. Everybody says they're better for XC, but when most of the big climbs require (me, at least) going as slow as physics will allow without falling over, it seems you'd lose that advantage.Remind me. We'll send him a red cap and a Speedo.
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06-06-2017, 08:32 AM #16
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/banshe...view-2016.html
I'd go with a Banshee Spitfire 26" and a 150mm Rockshox Revelation 26" RCT3 solo air, paired with 26" Stan's Arch MK3 rims on Hope hubs.
If you're super baller, please feel free to pick a wheelset with carbon rims and lighter hubs (DT 240?) or the WC version of the fork w/carbon crown. Or if you're super aggressive, get a Pike or Fox 36, and possibly Stan's Flow MK3 (459g vs. 406g claimed).
Tires, probably maxxis or schwable tubeless. I'd say a 26x2.3 Minion DHF DC/EXO/TR and Minion SS DC/EXO/TR. For more aggressive riding 26x2.3 Minion DHF 3C/EXO/TR and Aggressor DC/EXO/TR.
Your choice of grouppo and cockpit. This could be built in the 25-26lb range with light wheels and light parts, or about 27.5 lb with a burlier build. My yeti is currently 29.2 lb with most of the parts here listed for a burlier build, and my frame and rear shock are about 1.5 lb heavier than the spitfire (~7.25lb with shock).
This thing will be much more fun to ride than any 29er on the planet, fast up and down too.Last edited by Damian Sanders; 06-06-2017 at 09:44 AM.
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06-06-2017, 09:19 AM #17
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06-06-2017, 10:07 AM #18Registered User
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I think as a general statement this is true, but there is so much variation among bikes within both wheel sizes that it's more important to focus on the bike than the wheel size. That said, I just went from a Pivot 429C (100mm travel, 29 inch wheels) to an Intense Spider (130mm travel, 27.5 inch wheels) and feel like I got a much more fun bike that accelerates quicker and doesn't seem any slower point to point.
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06-06-2017, 10:13 AM #19
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06-06-2017, 10:35 AM #20
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06-06-2017, 10:38 AM #21
After demoing both 27.5, 27.5 + and 29 I went for this and can't wipe the shit eating grin off my face.
http://enduro-mtb.com/en/devinci-tro...trail-machine/あなたのおっぱいは富士山のように美しいです。富士
Kendo Yamamoto "1984"
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06-06-2017, 11:17 AM #22
Is wheel size really what makes a bike more or less "maneuverable?" Seems like wheelbase and steering geometry would have more to do with it. A size small process 134 for example has a longer wheelbase than my XL 29er.
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06-06-2017, 03:01 PM #23yelgatgab
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I know, I'm just giving you shit.
Geo does make a big difference, but holding that constant, and considering comparable wheel builds, 29" wheels will always be heavier and have a greater gyroscopic effect. I'm just trying to determine if that actually matters to me. A couple quick spins on buddies bikes were enough to leave me intrigued, but not enough time to really make any judgements.
I know nobody can tell me what I like, but people's viewpoints are always interesting, and often informative. I'm not expecting any ah-ha moments, just hoping to spark a positive discussion.
Pretty revealing couple of days. I'm stuck with local rides only, nothing big. I've been hitting old, unused trails, clapped out old jump lines, everything I can to get a better feel. Buzzed my ass once today, which I haven't done in a very long time, and which I really don't like. I've got some quality Fuel EX time lined up tomorrow. I'll post some thoughts.Remind me. We'll send him a red cap and a Speedo.
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06-06-2017, 03:23 PM #24
I've been anti 9er until the last couple years. Geo is dialed in now for the most part. Don't think they'll ever be my one bike to rule them all but I'd like to have one for longer rides or to switch it up for my "xc" trails . Be a good compliment to my banshee rune 27.5. Transition smuggler, devinci 9ers, konas 9er line up to name a few that I like for that app. Canfield riot I think would rip on the downs as an enduro type bike but it's a bit heavy and 140mm. Could be a good one bike for some. I went from 26 to 27.5 on my rune. The 27.5 felt sluggish in the corners and lane changes at first but I don't notice it at all now. Really like how it carries speed and rolls thru stuff now. The only time I miss 26 now is at the bike park going from berm to berm is still crisper on the 26. I feel more agile but only slightly now that I'm used to 27.5. Everywhere else the bigger wheel rules. To a degree, same can be applied to 27.5-29. Trail/xc/alpine epic I think I'd like to have a 9er option especially for the alpine suffer fest where it's more biased towards survival than jumping or smashing thru shit not that that won't happen any way. 27.5 did open my eyes a bit
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06-06-2017, 11:53 PM #25
Try a 29er HT (steel maybe). Short stays, slack HA, plenty of braap. Put some real wheels/ tires on it. They rock.
I have a Canfield (as a 2nd bike to my 6"overkill steed), super short stays, almost too short sometimes. But super snappy. Also, climbs well, and can keep up with most full squish bikes most of the time on the downs. Some people are amazed when they see there is no rear shock on my bike.
And they can be had for super cheap.the drugs made me realize it's not about the drugs
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