Demo’d an HD3 yesterday to see what a modern 650b bike would be like and if it would be more fun than the Ripley.

Used to ride a mojo hd 160 up until a year an a half ago when I got a Ripley.

Did a back-to-back test loop on both bikes, HD3 first.

Felt like the 650b was pinging me about like crazy on the slippery roots and I felt like I had to work real hard keeping it on track. Tires were not an issue, shorty maxx grip and the suspension was setup nice. Great acceleration tho.

Was glad to get back on the Ripley, still fast and sprightly but just more stable which I like. Must just be getting old.

You need to try +

A different bike will always often feel a bit wrong or weird to start with I reckon.

Got a 650b last week – instantly felt much better and riding quicker.

Not got much to do with the wheel size tho

Yep!!!
Got 3 x 29ers -Ripley, Transition Bandit and Solaris
Also 2x 26ers- Soul and Rocket
Like riding both wheel sizes cos they’re different and I can tell.
Like the OP also demoed an HD3 and it felt like it was a 26 really.
Nice bike though just meh as the OP puts it.
If I could only have one it would be 29-probably the ripley
Cheers
Steve

You need to try +

WON’T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE POOR, SOON TO BE SLAUGHTERED, QUOKKAS?

Yep!!!
Got 3 x 29ers -Ripley, Transition Bandit and Solaris
Also 2x 26ers- Soul and Rocket

You need to get a few more bikes…

Clink
I had more- I’ve Benn cutting down

I feel much the same about 29ers.

Any other 29er riders tried 650b and thought – meh?

Yep. Went from a 26″ 5 to a 29″. Then demo’d the 650b and thought it felt 29″ lite, as in it had the benefits of 29″ but not as much. Didn’t really notice the similarities to 26″ as although I appreciate the plus points of tiny wheels the negatives compared to 29″ mean I have stopped considering them.

The HD3 is very short in wheelbase too, so will likely feel more BMX like. You need to try my Enduro, compared to the E29 for a proper back to back comparison of wheelsize, as almost everything else is the same. 🙂

Are we really STILL doing this?
Quokkas are AWESOMES.

Got 26 & 29, tried 650b. All different, tried 2 650 bikes and they were different, don’t tell anyone but some 26 bikes I’ve tried have been awesome and some have been pants. Think it might not be all down to the size of the wheels.

I’ve no beef with 650b at all but I still don’t really see hte point of it, if you think big wheels are better get big wheels, if you don’t then why not stick with normal wheels? It’s a change for people who want novelty but fear difference.

But it’s a perfectly good wheelsize once you get past the bullshit about it. If the HD3 didn’t work out for you it’s more likely about the bike, or the tyres, or the setup. Ibis make short bikes, is one thing (the XL HD3 is basically the same size as my medium BMC)

I’ve no beef with 650b at all but I still don’t really see hte point of it, if you think big wheels are better get big wheels, if you don’t then why not stick with normal wheels? It’s a change for people who want novelty but fear difference.

But it’s a perfectly good wheelsize once you get past the bullshit about it. If the HD3 didn’t work out for you it’s more likely about the bike, or the tyres, or the setup. Ibis make short bikes, is one thing (the XL HD3 is basically the same size as my medium BMC)

This x A LOT

I’ve ridden a number of very good 650b bikes in the last couple of years. Bikes have genuinely come so far in the last few years that the wheel size really isn’t the most important factor, by some margin!

That said, when pushed, my personal preference is still for 29ers. For the type of riding I do mainly, dropping 20-30mm of wheel travel but gaining 1.5″ on the diameter of the wheel is a trade off I’m more than happy to make. The physics of a bigger wheel mean that it inherently has a little more grip, rolls a little better over rocks/roots/bumps, and though they have their weaknesses I don’t notice these half as much as I notice the benefits.

A good 650b bike usually feels like exactly what it is… A compromise between the agility of a 26″ wheeled bike and the stability of a 29er. The marketing men convinced us all that more choice was a good thing, so instead of the 2 wheel sizes we’d had a choice in effectively for 10 years or so, we now had 3. 2 seasons later, and the choice is all but gone, as most new bikes are 650b, 26″ has all but disappeared, and 29ers have thinned out on the shop floors by some margin too!

Anyway… Good geometry will always be far more important than the wheel size. The holy grail is of course combining the benefits of each wheel size, with none of the downsides (which inevitably is why 650b has gained so much momentum), but there are still incredibly nimble 29ers on the market that don’t posess any of the traditional 29er traits, and there always were some incredibly stable 26″ wheeled bikes on the market too…

But it’s a perfectly good wheelsize once you get past the bullshit about it.

I liked 26
I liked 29
I like 27.5

🙂

29ers have thinned out on the shop floors by some margin too!

I haven’t ridden a 650b bike but I love my 29er. I also love my 26″ bikes too. I always thought 29er would be the preserve of hard tails and shorter travel FS bikes but it’s interesting you mention the above.

The last shop I was I had no other tyres than 650b which said a lot to me.

They’ll get everyone on 650b (+?) and change it in three years to boost sales again…..

boost sales

I see what you did there.

mboy – Member
That said, when pushed, my personal preference is still for 29ers. For the type of riding I do mainly, dropping 20-30mm of wheel travel but gaining 1.5″ on the diameter of the wheel is a trade off I’m more than happy to make. The physics of a bigger wheel mean that it inherently has a little more grip, rolls a little better over rocks/roots/bumps, and though they have their weaknesses I don’t notice these half as much as I notice the benefits.

Although probably more limited experience with 650b than you, I have to say you’ve pretty much summed up my view of 29ers above.

29ers for wheels on the ground fun

650b for more gnaaaaaaaar

I have one of each so I’m an expert

What if you put the big wheels in the gnaar bike?

29ers for wheels on the ground fun

Which is wierd as out of all my bikes it’s the fatbike (i.e. biggest and by far heaviest wheels) that get’s the most airtime apart from the actual jump bike (which is 26″, but only by default rather than any actual choice, I’d be equally happy on a 24″ or BMX)!

And I’ve no trouble getting my 29er (or fat bike) sideways over hip jumps. Although weirdly I find the fat bike easier to hip left and the 29er goes right. Strange the things your head does to your riding.