So I’m currently running a 27.5 Saracen Kili Flyer, but have decided that its time for something different.

Ive got a budget of around 2k, and having looked on pinkbike there are some cracking deals on 26″ bikes – for instance a carbon Yeti SB66C, with full XTR kit for around £1500.

Genuine question though – am I daft buying a 26″ bike? Am I going to struggle to find parts in the next couple of years?

Yes, unless you are buying a 2nd bike and paying cheap money.

I’m sticking with 26″ for the foreseeable.
My bikes are faster than me, buying bigger wheels wont make me any better, so no point in upgrading.
The only thing that’ll change that is if the 2 26er’s I’ve got are stolen, then, maybe, I’ll change, but it does still annoy me that the one standard size is now 4 ‘standards’, or is it more now?

No. I would be more concerned about the geometry on an older bike rather than the wheelsize though.

Standard ultimately mean nothing, it’s all about being fit for purpose and fitting you properly. People are still trading and riding bikes/parts from the 1930’s(!), for example, and there’s absolute bundles of 26er parts available – it’ll take donkeys years for you to struggle to find parts.

If you can genuinely live with not having the latest trend then as you already note, you could pick up a real high end bike for not much monies.

No. I would be more concerned about the geometry on an older bike rather than the wheelsize though.

Why ? My 2012 bikes are fabulous.

OP why not have a look and compare with something similar in 275 spec, price etc. What oarts do you think you’ll need, wheels maybe if you break them, forks aren’t going to go pop, rest of stuff is the same. I have 2 26 bikes both new in 2012 and am thinking about another built from numerous spare parts I have (either used Coric Soul or a new BFe 26 frame)

OP why not have a look and compare with something similar in 275 spec, price etc.

Eye wateringly expensive is the conclusion there!

Granted I haven’t properly looked at what is available for my kind of budget in 27.5, but the 26er deals are mighty tempting…

The only real issue I know of at the moment with 26″ parts are replacing straight steerer forks, so if the bike you are looking at has a tapered head tube or a 44mm straight head tube you won’t run into that problem

There is no justifiable reason not to buy a 26er.

As long as it’s the right bike. Is the geometry and size right for the type of riding you do?

As long as it’s got a head tube that will take a tapered steerer then forks won’t be an issue. If you can’t find 26er forks in the right flavour, then stick some 27.5″/650b forks on there. Sod all difference that a few rides won’t sort out.

There will be 26″ rims available until long after the rest of the bike has been turned in to food tins.

I have just bought a 26″ orange five, it is great 😀 Loads of cheap deals around on parts, so I am starting to buy multiple parts so I have a stock if ever they do start to become rarer!

Your thinking ahead of the curve dude cheap spares and second hand parts and soon to be the next big thing!

Still running 26″ myself suits my riding style and I know how the bikes gonna handle ever time as I’ve had it so long.

As long as you’re happy with the depreciation- and low price should help that- then no, not mad. They’re as good as they always were. I’ll admit I sold mine just recently basically because I wanted to get out while it still had some value, and I knew I’d want to replace it sooner or later… But it was very close to being a Keep Forever Bike.

I’ve just bought brand new 26 inch bike.

The vast majority of MTB’s in use are 26 inch.
I think we’ll be able to get rims for a while yet.

Can see a healthy market for s/H straight forks though.

As above…it’s only rims & tires, can use 27.5″ forks. They’ll be around for a long time as the are 000,000’s good 26″ bikes out there!

Like you say you can pick up a £5k bike from a year or two back for £1500. A £5k bike for 12 months ago would be better than a £1500 brand new 27.5″ bike from this seasons models…to me people buying a new £1500 bike are crazy given what you can get almost new 2nd hand…26″ or 27.5″!

as well as angles and tapered steerer, look at rear clearance, you’re not going to have space for 3in and the like but if all you can get in is a glorified hybrid slick then it could get tyresome (see what I did there)

and if you have a tyre that you like, buy in bulk, especially if you are going to burn through rear tyres

but yeah why not, 26 isn’t dead 🙂

I would buy other 26″ bikes but not sure I would for the sums you are suggesting, but as a n+1 I would. So long as it suited (geometry) then why not. However you can get some great bikes these days for relatively little puts me off a lot of expensive second hand purchase (just my opinion of course and loads will disagree). Just ordered a Bird Aeris for example, lifetime guarantee on the frame and a decent build spec for less than your budget

Just ordered a Bird Aeris for example, lifetime guarantee on the frame and a decent build spec for less than your budget

Yeah I have had a look at those – they look pretty nice. I guess part of me is being drawn to the bling of a bike like the Yeti!

I think it might be time for countless weeks of humming over bikes – love it

I’m still on square taper and don’t own a bike from this decade, so no prizes for guessing what wheel size I’m on. Tyres are surely the biggest worry, not just availability per se, but a decent range of models.

@alish I thought you might say that about the price ! I paid £1200 for my Covert frame in 2012, a brand new complete Yeti for just £1,500 seems a no brainer to me.

@thecaptain, if you’re worried about tyres just buy a few spares. Yes the rubber does’t last forever but I just put some 10yr old unused tyres back on my loaner bike

£1500 ? is that new ? Struggling to find it using my rubbish google skills…

If it’s a “bang for buck” exercise I’d halve your budget and see what you can score for under £1k…

But TBH if I were shopping for a new bike now it would probably be 27.5 or 29″ if only because I tend to keep bikes a while and those are going to be the defacto standards going forwards, like it or not (and I don’t really)…

I wouldn’t invest a lot in one, so I’d be looking for something that frame and forks will last until I got bored of it or wanted something new.

The rider makes a bigger difference than any wheel size.

As has been said, if it can take a tapered steerer you will have enough fork choice to make a very good bike. That’s been the only limitation I’ve seen; tyres and rims are in plentiful supply.

Just had my second ride on my new 26er yesterday.

Same reach as my 650b enduro weapon with slacker angles and more travel. Feels good.

Wouldn’t buy a short travel one now myself, plenty of reasonably priced 29ers about now too and I’m really sold on big wheels for less than 140mm travel.

I wouldn’t invest a lot in one, so I’d be looking for something that frame and forks will last until I got bored of it or wanted something new.

That depends on how often you change your bikes, mine where great bikes in 2012 and stll are. I tend to keep my cars 10 years or more, I don’t see any reason to treat bikes differently. £1.5k for the 26 Yeti or £5k for one with wheels a tiny bit bigger ?

My point being that 26 forks are becoming harder to come by and the quality of used will decline over time. Hence investing too much in a frame that a major component will be harder to replace after another 2 years.
If your 1500 is great and lasts as long as you want great.

Just dusted off my 2007 XC 26er. Had to change the stem and bars as, whilst they were perfect 6 years ago, they now felt really odd compared to what I had been riding. Also the fork looks alarmingly thin and noodly, and 2.0s are not big tyres any more.

A change of bars and stem has helped, but we will have to see how it rides compared to the 29er I’ve been on mostly. It does look very low to the ground though!

As above – forks will become the issue faster than tyres. It’s more expensive to produce different forks than tyres, plus there are more variations on bits and the high cost of forks means there’s competition to bring prices down. Having said that, Mojo told me that they could put something together to meet special requirements so they might be good people to talk to if things get difficult.

You can buy a ‘new’ trance/reign for just a little more [ faultless bikes ] , just saying .

People keep saying that fork availability will be an issue…most 27.5″ forks have a 10mm c2a difference! My 26″ Five runs 150mm could live with a 140mm 27.5″ fork no bother!!

Good point, but how many are straight steerer ?

He’s not going to be buying a straight steerer-only frame.

I love my 26 hardtail. I’ve been tempted to sell it but why. I can ride it. I looks nice. It’s taken years to build it up to what it is now.

There’s plenty of straight steerer forks around and probably heard of people selling old ones that would just need a service and some tlc.

that would just need a service and some tlc.

Except when you get generations like the fox stanchion wear, the rs lowers with the non replaceable bushings etc.

No you wouldn’t be stupid, especially if you buy my bargain SB66!

Never mind buying one think of us who are contemplating selling one.

My 2013 Flux in raw with 1×10 XTR, AC/Crests and WW bits gets ridden about once a month. It might get me £800 if I split it. I don’t ‘need’ the money and I have the storage. I might put it on the wall because every time I look at it I smile.

My Fox forks are 10yrs old, good enough for me and my riding.

Comparing a Yeti with Giant is a bit daft, my first FS was a Reign (those Fox 36’s I am still using) and it was a great bike but a brand like Yeti is different alltogether.

Hoarde forks if you have straight steerers

3 in the attic for me

I’ve not long got back from a ride with a friend, I’m on a 3 year old soul, decent kit, he’s on an ancient spesh Rockhopper with crap forks, V brakes etc. I’m no riding god, but in the fast flowy and general xc stuff I was being caught, the wheels weren’t the limiting factor.

In techier stuff my more modern geo and dropper came into their own, wheel size has sod all to do with it. For fast xc I like my light 29er, for tech I like the 26″ soul, not because of speed, just the way they feel to ride.

There are 26″ bargains to be had.

Yes, if you are hoping to sell your 26″ specific parts at a later date. If not, go for it!

That full used Yeti sb66 full xtr on pb is actually £3500 not £1500 as per ops post.
But yes there are deals to be done!

I’m still riding 26ers and have 29er but for full suss still in thinking that they’re better for handling the fun twisty stuff.