Am I crazy to want a 27.5?

[goldenboy]

I'm starting to look at buying a new bike. I'm currently on a 2016 SB5. I never really loved it, in fact it was the bike I disliked the least, not loved the most, when I was searching for new bikes the last time around. I guess I got used to it, and it's certainly capable, but it always felt like a tank to me. Not agile, not playful, not even really that fun- it just goes straight and I hold on.

I'd really like my new bike to have more of those agile/nimble/playful characteristics. I'm a pretty fast descender, but at 48 I am finding myself wanting to go a hair slower, while also utilizing micro terrain features like roots and rocks rather than just blasting through them. I love adventure rides, I have no problem HABing to the top of a 14er and riding loose chunk all the way down- that's some of my favorite shit. And my backyard is the ski area, so the short after work rides I do the most are the flow trails there (pedaling up, no pass).

Almost anything I look at will be even slacker and longer than what I already have, that's just the way it is. But I think going 29 will exasperate that problem even more than sticking with 27.5. Right now the Pivot Shadowcat is really catching my eye, as something that seems more playful than a 29er enduro bike or something. I don't think a shorter travel bike is what I'm seeking given the trails I ride.

Anyway, a lot of you guys nerd out on this stuff way more than I do, so help me out. What the hell should I be looking for? If I buy a 27.5 will it be worthless in a couple years if the shift to 29 is complete?

PS, I'm 5'7", all leg and no torso or arms.

[rideit]

Mullet

[snowaddict91]

27.5 Revel Rail could be another good option, their geo is a little more "conservative".

I also thought the Rascal was a very intuitive bike, but yeah 29er.

[t.odd]

not crazy, sounds similar to me. I'm 5'9" riding a 2019 Bronson for the past 4 seasons and have a hard time seriously considering anything new, mostly due to price and how big the bikes have all gotten. Mine is a size large and even then I want to go back to medium, current gen bikes are almost all longer, lower, more reach, etc. I love a fast handling bike and being creative on the trail, never been a basher or smasher so the modern trends just don't really appeal to me as I want to drive the bike, not have it take me for a ride. That being said, options are certainly not improving for people like us! haha

[skaredshtles]

You're not crazy. 27.5 may be your jam, man. It certainly is mine. And I'm 6'1".

[toast2266]

I'm starting to look at buying a new bike. I'm currently on a 2016 SB5. I never really loved it, in fact it was the bike I disliked the least, not loved the most, when I was searching for new bikes the last time around. I guess I got used to it, and it's certainly capable, but it always felt like a tank to me. Not agile, not playful, not even really that fun- it just goes straight and I hold on.

If you dislike the SB5 because it feels like a straight line plow bike, you're really, really not going to like how most modern bikes ride. The SB5 is tiny and steep compared to almost any modern bike, and it's going to feel ultra twitchy compared to the modern sleds. Even XC race bikes these days have longer, slacker geometry than the Yeti.

Anyway, a lot of you guys nerd out on this stuff way more than I do, so help me out. What the hell should I be looking for? If I buy a 27.5 will it be worthless in a couple years if the shift to 29 is complete?

PS, I'm 5'7", all leg and no torso or arms.

Agreed with rideit. Mullet is your answer. And preferably a mullet that can be converted to a full 29er, so when the mullet fad ends and 27.5 becomes more rare, you can just buy a 29" rear wheel.

Getting used to a modern trail bike will take a little doing, but as it turns out, they're actually really fun. There's a reason that very few people are yearning for the geometry and wheel sizes of yore. I get that you love a more playful ride, but modern bikes can still offer that. It just takes a little adjustment. It's kinda like saying you love snow blades because they're so easy to play around on. While that's true, you can still have a lot of fun playing around on full size skis, and it turns out they're more competent in almost every scenario.

Long story short, just get a Specialized Stumpjumper. They're easy to find. There's an option for every budget. They do everything pretty well. They can be set up as a mullet or as a full 29. etc.

[skaredshtles]

And for the record: fuck Specialized

I know... broken record, right?

[XXX-er]

All the right people are into the Mullet

[evdog]

And for the record: fuck Specialized

^^^ This exactly.

If you dislike the SB5 because it feels like a straight line plow bike, you're really, really not going to like how most modern bikes ride. The SB5 is tiny and steep compared to almost any modern bike, and it's going to feel ultra twitchy compared to the modern sleds.

I test rode a bunch of Yetis around the model year of OP's bike. All of them felt muted and dead to me, some of the most "meh" bikes I've ever ridden. Have never been able to figure out why they're so popular aside from the bro factor.

27.5 Revel Rail could be another good option, their geo is a little more "conservative".

I would second the 27.5 Rail suggestion. I have a Spur and a Rail and haven't ridden the Spur in months. The Rail climbs almost as well but is a ton more fun every time the trail points down. Super playful and agile. As a bonus they seem to be 20% off or more right now. Mullet it if you want, but that's another fad I really don't get the point of. I'm not a fan of the constant lower/longer/slacker progression so the "conservative" geo of the Rail seems perfect for me.

[Dantheman]

Right now the Pivot Shadowcat is really catching my eye

That seems like exactly the wrong bike for alpine chunder and pedal-driven CB bike park laps. Short/mid-travel 27.5s don't make much sense at all, IMVHO, and this is coming from a guy with a 27.5 hardtail that I love riding (Ragley Mmmbob).

As a ColoRadBro, GG Megatrail is the obvious answer here. Easy mullet option if wanted, still rips in full 27.5 mode, simple geo/travel adjustment that works. I've been too cheap and lazy to go mullet on mine and have no problem hanging with Marshal and Boissal on their Gnarvanas in Wasatch alpine gnar.

Agreed with rideit. Mullet is your answer. And preferably a mullet that can be converted to a full 29er, so when the mullet fad ends and 27.5 becomes more rare, you can just buy a 29" rear wheel.

Getting used to a modern trail bike will take a little doing, but as it turns out, they're actually really fun. There's a reason that very few people are yearning for the geometry and wheel sizes of yore. I get that you love a more playful ride, but modern bikes can still offer that. It just takes a little adjustment. It's kinda like saying you love snow blades because they're so easy to play around on. While that's true, you can still have a lot of fun playing around on full size skis, and it turns out they're more competent in almost every scenario.

On mullets: Mullet seems to have staying power in DH racing, FWIW.

On new geo: I remember when I first started riding circa 2007. I'd catch myself riding with my chest up and forward with lots of weight on the front wheel, because that's how aggressive skiing is properly done, and then I'd have to shift my weight back because riding those bikes with forward body position was a guaranteed way to go OTB in spectacular fashion. New geo allows you to ride like my instincts wanted to back in the day, it's like coming home to the way things were always supposed to be. But, if you ride new bikes like old bikes they just don't work at all.

[XXX-er]

I duno if it was the wheel size or the geo but I like the Bullit 29/ 27 mullet > the 29/ 29 Yeti it replaced, much more playful, the bike seemed to pivot much easier on that back wheel/ get around corners easier

[toast2266]

On mullets: Mullet seems to have staying power in DH racing, FWIW.

I'm not convinced.

The DH crowd are slow adopters. They clung to 26's, and then to 27.5's front and rear for longer than the rest of the industry. Mullet is just an incremental step to getting the DH crowd on full 29ers.

But regardless, like you said, short travel 27.5's don't make any sense (unless the rider is like 5' tall).

[Dantheman]

I'm not convinced.

The DH crowd are slow adopters. They clung to 26's, and then to 27.5's front and rear for longer than the rest of the industry. Mullet is just an incremental step to getting the DH crowd on full 29ers.

Fair point. Counterpoint: Last summer my bike was in the stand so I took the wife's Stumpy EVO for a rip on one of my favorite descents. Strava said I wasn't any faster on the EVO, and I buzzed my ass pretty good on the rear tire twice which never happens on the Megatrail. I'm 5-6, so perhaps for the midget contingent mullet has its place.

[MarcusBrody]

I'm not convinced.

The DH crowd are slow adopters. They clung to 26's, and then to 27.5's front and rear for longer than the rest of the industry. Mullet is just an incremental step to getting the DH crowd on full 29ers.

But regardless, like you said, short travel 27.5's don't make any sense (unless the rider is like 5' tall).

Counterpoint 2, some of those DHers on mullets now were on full-29ers previously and went back to mullets. It might just be the difficulty of adapting and the next generation never will ride anything but 29ers, but Gwin and Dakotah Norton were on mullets this year after being on full 29ers in the past (though I think Gwin switched to a prototype mullet sometime last year).

I think you should just ride what you like. I'm still on my Gen 1 Bronson with an angleset and really I'm pretty happy. I do want to try out a 29er though, so I just picked one up, but I am not selling the Bronson until I see if I actually like it. My rerrain is rocky so I suspect I will, but i have little bad to say about the "small" wheeled bike.

And to short travel 27.5: I think it's for people who just like to slash around and pop off stuff. Being fun and being fast or efficient aren't always perfectly correlated. There's a reason I bought a BMX when my son learned to ride around a parking lot rather than just using my mountain bike. At lowish speeds and with small things to jump over, a smaller, short travel bike is great.

[HAB]

Counterpoint 2, some of those DHers on mullets now were on full-29ers previously and went back to mullets. It might just be the difficulty of adapting and the next generation never will ride anything but 29ers, but Gwin and Dakotah Norton were on mullets this year after being on full 29ers in the past (though I think Gwin switched to a prototype mullet sometime last year).

Yeah, I'm 6' tall with not-short legs and I still run my seat as low as it can get and still clear the rear tire on most 29er DH bikes. And I think there's definitely such a thing as too low. I'm fine with it, but it's easy to imagine a lot of shorter people struggling with a 29'' rear wheel on a bike with that much travel.

[volklpowdermaniac]

275 guy here. And gonna do one more when/if I trade my 165 in. But I’m short 5’9 with criminally short arms and legs, like 27.5-28 inseam, I love it, I can carry sped longer and act like more of an imbecile because I’m confident I can change the bike direction super quick. Just my .02, I ride 29” on my ST so my opinion probably worth shit

[bagtagley]

Definitely not crazy. All my working rigs are 29, and I'm still not completely sold. For outright speed, you can't beat a 29er, but like MB said, there's more to having fun on a bike than just speed. Ultimately, I switched for a reason and I've got too much invested, and I have a pathological need to be able to swap parts between bikes, so I won't be going back. But, if I had an unlimited budget, I'd have a 27.5 enduro rig in the stable.

I'd like to try a mullet. It's pretty straightforward with the GG (rear wheel and seatstays), but still more than I want to spend on an experiment.

[toast2266]

For sure. Especially for shorter riders, smaller rear wheels make sense on bikes with a bunch of travel.

But I still think that the next generation of dh racers will be on full 29ers, with maybe a few short exceptions.

[goldenboy]

Thanks for the replies. I'm glad a few of you get where I'm coming from, especially t.odd- I guess we have to ride together some day since we appear to be of like minds.

There is a lot of talk in the replies about "short travel"- the shadowcat I'm considering is 140/160. Is that short travel, because I wouldn't call it that?

As far as mullets, I don't know. That seems like it will be a fad for about a year, just like 24" rear tires on DH bikes back in '02 or whenever it was. They just didn't come up with a cool name like mullet.

If there's a 29er out there that is agile and nimble and flickable and fun, I'll check it out for sure.

[skaredshtles]

<snip>
There is a lot of talk in the replies about "short travel"- the shadowcat I'm considering is 140/160. Is that short travel, because I wouldn't call it that?

I've got a 160/140 and would *not* consider it short travel. But perhaps that's a philosophical discussion?

[t.odd]

Thanks for the replies. I'm glad a few of you get where I'm coming from, especially t.odd- I guess we have to ride together some day since we appear to be of like minds.

.

right on! I definitely want to get back to CO sooner than later for some riding...just need to find time, which seems to be at a premium these days with a 4 year old and running a business! haha

[Tailwind]

The bike that comes to mind is a Pivot Shadowcat.

(edit just saw you referenced this upthread. Seems like a good choice).

It’ll feel quick, light, playful and etc.

I don’t think you’ll like more aggressive bikes based on your descriptions. Buy a bike you’ll be stoked on for 5-7 years. Nothing is worth much after that long and at the end of the day buying a bike you like less for resale value undermines the goal of having fun while biking.

[chicken feathers]

I'm still into 27.5". Planning to build up a trail bike in the next couple of years and hoping there's still 27.5" options around 150-160mm then. Probably will be? Who knows? I don't really follow bikes until it's time to buy one.

Buy the bike you love this time

[toast2266]

There is a lot of talk in the replies about "short travel"- the shadowcat I'm considering is 140/160. Is that short travel, because I wouldn't call it that?

I wouldn't call 140/160 short travel in overall scheme of bikes, but I would call it short-ish travel in the 27.5 vs 29 debate.

A bike like the shadowcat is intended to be a do it all trail bike that can cover some ground, and that's kinda prime territory for a 29er. Most of the 27.5's recommended in this thread are longer travel, because big wheels on a big travel bike can feel like a lot, so smaller wheels on big travel bike can be easier to manage.

Ultimately, any bike is playful if you play on it. You'll get used to whatever you're on and be able to push and flick it around just fine. Yes, even if it's a 29er.

[sb]

Years ago i put 650b wheels on my 26” stumpy. The
Bike came alive and i still have it.

Do it!