700c is the future !!!!

Oh sweet mother of Jesus!!!!

unless you have to buy, i would just wait. give it a year or two and see what is left.

single teak? I mainly ride a nice laminate myself.

Facepalmgrandcentral

Get a tricycle and fit one wheel of each size ffs

@op, seriously, my take is:

29 for hard tails and short travel FS that you’ll use for going places and having fun (choose a HT if it will do the job)
650b for medium – long travel FS that you’ll pedal uphill
26 for DH specific bikes (nobody rides them uphill they push them)

or put another way, the biggest wheel that will do the job is the best for the job

anyway that’s how my money will be spent in the future

29ers for tall people.
26ers for everyone else.
650b for those who will suffer greatly in governmental wheelsize correctional facilities when I am elected to power.

Every time someone buys a 650b bike, Satan becomes more powerful.
Is that what you want, a world where the Dark Lord and Master rules by hatred and violence?
Because that’s what will happen if we allow ourselves to be anally violated by corporate greed.

Think about it.

Quite glad I’m tall and riding 29ers to be honest.

Would be a pain buying into 650b and needing new wheels and forks, on the flip side wouldn’t want to buy new 26″ bits for risk of them losing all resale value instantly.

So here is the summary…

26″ – been around for ages – plenty of people still love them (me included) – several predictions of their imminent demise about – critical mass means they will be around for a good few years yet – plenty of manufacturers dropping this size (IMHO – 26″ wheeled bikes are the most fun). Most of the bikes I see out on the trails have 26″ wheels.

650b – the newbie – apparently very popular – availability of parts not good currently (one of my mates had to get parts shipped from the US to get his finished (and no – it’s not odd bespoke kit)) – manufacturers don’t seem to have kept pace with (susposed) demand (IMHO – only marginal difference compared to 26″ – having demo’d a couple the benefits are negligible). Looks likely to be ‘the main standard’ going forward, whether we want it or not.

29er – the big popular thing last year, but seems to be moving towards mainly XC/short travel bikes. Very likely to continue to exist in the future, but probably becoming more niche. I can see the point of them, but they’re not for me (IMHO they are less engaging to ride & more suited to mile munching).

At the moment I’ll be sticking to 26″ wheels (after a brief flirtation with 29″) – the market will (hopefully) sort itself out in the next couple of years.

Well, only if we are stupid enough to let them.

Sadly, history suggests that people will fall for any old marketing bullshit – hell, they’ll even queue up to be the first to be ripped off.

This willingness to capitulate is pathetic, but were so used to believing what we’re told, it’s hardly surprising.

No, it’s not 😀

It’s about corporate greed & the blatant cynicism displayed by the manufacturers.

But how are we supposed to fight with no weapons?

Just don’t buy one.

It’s that simple.

Your money and your spending power are powerful weapons.

Buy something else.
Take your old bike abroad.
Treat yourself to a secondhand ‘dream’ bike.

Well, that’s up to you, isn’t it?

If you don’t buy one, they’ll stop making them. 😀

On the plus side there are some bargains to be had as companies who have moved to 650b have to dump their 26″ stock.

I’m serious about the Satan/650b link, btw.

Some extensive research has revealed photographs of some famous 650b riders practicing their disgusting, evil, rituals:

‘One Reich, one volk, one tyre size!’

Satan’s little helper makes plans to convert all hire bikes to 27.5:

The first 650b bike off the production line is ‘heiled’ as a success:

Tests show no correlation between larger wheelsize and larger IQ:

Vicky P tests the new 650b track bike – they make everything ugly:

The American Cycle Press Association Band express their delight at the new ‘innovation’:

Be afraid.
Be very afraid.

I’m currently riding 160mm 650b (which is awesome), at next bike purchase I’ll probably go to a 120mm 29er for Xc duties & a big old DH bike for playing on (been riding for 20 years etc etc blah. But for a jack of all trades the 650b does the trick just fine

Bellefied +1