Considering a fork swap – To keep cost down yet be as future proof as possible I’m thinking of using my existing wheels in some 27.5″ forks. Pikes specifically. I can Pike 160 fairly cheap but they’re quite a short fork compared to my current 36 170. If I got a 27.5 160 pike it would be almost the same as the 36 axle to crown.

Has anyone experienced any issues doing this? All I can foresee is the widest part of the tyres rubbing on the narrow part of the arch.

Yeah my 26 frame was designed for the 170 lyric I run a 160 mm Marzocchi 350. Others I know with the same frame run a 160mm 650b pike. With my 350 I get epic mud clearance with a 2.5 DHF, 2.4 Chunky Monkey or 2.4 Conti TK.

BTW offset might different so consider that.

Nice one cheers.

To be fair, I’ve never been able to tell the difference with different offset (certainly not like I can with length).

Where are the fairly cheep Pikes ?

Running 27.5 160mm dual pikes in 26″ Canyon frame, with 1.5 degree angleset and offset bushes on CCDB shock and its lush!

Best pike price I found was on pinkbike from bikebitz http://www.pinkbike.com/u/bikebitz/

Running dual position 27.5 Pikes on my Remedy 2013 26″…i did drop them from 160 to 150 though. Stakes of clearance with the 2.35 Hans Dampf on there. Bloody brilliant fork so far

I’m using 26″ wheels in 700c forks on a 26″ HT with no issue.

I’m running 650b Pikes in my 26″ Spitfire. No clearance issues with a 2.5 Minion on a Flow EX rim.

I’ve been using a 27.5 160mm Pike on my Mega with 26″ wheels for the past year for exactly the same reasons. No issues and it has paid off now with a transplant to my new 27.5″ frame.

And your fork length difference is minimal. Old 170mm Fox is 555mm, 160mm Pike is 552mm.