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  • 45650b, who's got one?
  • markfu
    Free Member

    And how are you finding it?

    I’ve been out of the game for a while, but am seriously considering one of these.

    My current rides are an 05 Orange 5 and an 08 Gary Fisher Rig. I’m getting rid of both, and i just want one bike for a bit of everything really.

    How does the 650b wheel size affect steering, traction, etc? Much of an improvement over the 26″ overall?

    Pics to whet my appetite are more than welcome 😉

    deviant
    Free Member

    I have one. I went from a 26 inch 456-evo to the 27.5 45650b so feel well qualified to offer an opinion.

    It’s a good bike, the frame is long and low with slack angles and once built up makes for a very stable hardtail. Mine has a 150mm fork and feels like it could ride down anything.

    But….the 26 inch wheeled Evo had a certain something the bigger wheeled bike is missing.
    Riding the Evo had me looking for roots to pop off, the rear triangle had a playful twang or snappiness to it that the 45650b doesn’t have.
    The 45650b feels like a blunt instrument, a sledgehammer to crack a walnut…. I can see why Enduro has gone in that direction as the bigger wheels make for a stunningly capable bike and in racing that’s all that matters, I’m just not sure it’s what the masses need for fun trail bikes.

    The bigger wheels are of course easy to blame, I’m no frame designer and the dullness from the 45650b could be due to chainstay length, the extra material used in the larger tubing (it has a 44mm headtube for any fork standard and a large diameter seat tube for dropper posts) etc etc…

    Anyway, I still enjoy riding it, it is future proofed if nothing else, it’s just that I felt the Evo was the better bike.

    darrenspink
    Free Member

    Yep, love it. I bought the frame and built it to my own specs, its a great ride.

    Good at climbing and dropping down the hills. Bit heavier than my last aluminium hardtail but it does feel planted because of it thus it gives you that confidence in the thing to get through that mud or rock garden.

    Dropper post fitted now but here she is under a bridge with me.

    Contrary to above I find her very playful, the cheeky minx.

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    markfu
    Free Member

    Thanks for the replies both. Food for thought certainly. I have considered the Evo aswell… and the 456c, and a Bird Zero, and a Genesis High Latitude LT. I am pretty sure it will be an On-One though, and most probably the 650b.

    That’s lovely Darren, i do like the super raw colour, out of stock in 18″ though at the moment. If i get one, i’ll be getting the stock build, but with a dropper aswell.

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