Boost spacing was invented to stiffen up 29in wheels and create space for B+ tyres, yeah?

But now it’s appearing on new 650b bikes like the Orange Four, SC Bronson (IIRC) and Whyte’s new ones.

I don’t get this. Is it for even more stiffness or just for “latest thing-ness”?

Just assume it’s the new standard. In a round-about way, it makes sense. It means fewer standards “going forward”.

I guess it’s like oversize handlebars, everyone fitted 31.8 bars almost immediately, even those with 570mm flat bars because there’s little or no reason not to. Even if you don’t want a stiffer back end, you could make it just as floppy and lighter (probably).

Boost also involves a wider chainline, which gives you another 3mm (6 if your making the frame symmetrical) of pivot width which I guess is a good reason for most bikes.

You’re both probably right from the manufacturers’ POV, and I guess full bikes make up a much bigger portion of their sales than frame-only.

It’s just I’ve already read about heel rub and wide stays and I know there’s no issue with flex in my 650b wheels. So maybe it is “change for change sake” but with the motive of bike makers only needing to buy one type of hubs?

Doesn’t matter to me anyway, staying un-boosted on all wheel sizes for the next couple of years for sure.

Well, we complain when there are lots of standards and here’s an example of a way to reduce that number. Makes sense for the consumer, the retailer, the distributor and the manufacturer to have one standard hub width/dropout size. Of course, it’s frustrating when you’re caught in the crossover moment but I’m sure “old” width hubs will still be around for a while for those that need replacements.

Yea, irritating, but I’ve only ever bought one new even remotely ‘posh’ bike so I’m hardly the target market. I’d just shrug my shoulders and lace up the wheel onto a new hub, in the context of what’s likely a £1700 frame, £145 on a pro4 hub isn’t the end of the world, no worse than having a reverb that doesn’t fit.

Makes it easier to run shorter stays, while maintaining adequate tyre and chainring clearance around the chainstays.

New Bronson vs old Bronson is an example.

Shorter stays are old school – so what’s the point.

Really bet you guys are going to notice the stiffness difference….

Well, we complain when there are lots of standards and here’s an example of a way to reduce that number. Makes sense for the consumer, the retailer, the distributor and the manufacturer to have one standard hub width/dropout size. Of course, it’s frustrating when you’re caught in the crossover moment but I’m sure “old” width hubs will still be around for a while for those that need replacements.

Reduce the amount of standards by introducing new ones? Look on the trails…how many people are on brand new bikes….and how many are still on 26ers or older 29ers and 650b bikes.

Shorter stays are a matter of taste. Not right or wrong.
Most brands are currently going shorter in CS length when updating models. Many seem to prefer it. A vocal minority go the other way.

What counts as short now anyway?

425 to 435mm seems a good compromise to me.

It’s yet another case of: “Let’s invent a new standard that’s not better than anything else that already exists and will render your current bike obsolete in five years because we won’t make parts for it anymore”.

It’s time the industry got a grip, really.

..and how many are still on 26ers or older 29ers and 650b bikes.

And they’ll still be able to buy bits (for a while)

Annoying this. I think after the summer I’ll be due a new frame but don’t want to buy the last model year with non boost rear end and end up giving it away when it comes to selling. I’ve already bought the last year of 26ers and will end up selling the frame for less than the cost of a pair of new rims…

And they’ll still be able to buy bits (for a while)

Some 6 years after 650b first hit us, you can still buy brand new 650B forks.

Who gives a shit about boost. If you need a new pair of ****, a new hub wont cost much. Companies are still making 135mm qr hubs, you will be able to buy 142mm hubs for the next 15 years.

The big boys are doing it to sell more bullshit bikes *coughh* 650b+ *cough* and decrease costs to themselves through standardization, the extra costs will be incurred by the aftermarket companies like Hope.

“What counts as short now anyway?

425 to 435mm seems a good compromise to me.”

Depends on who you ask, and what wheel size and chain stay length they prefer.

The Bronson dropped from 439mm to 432mm, so it’s gone from long (for a 650) to mid for a 650. the VPP rear makes shorter tricky, but as above that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

There are plenty of bikes where people complain of inadequate tyre clearance. Boost can help with that.

Odd that people get so heated about this one. It reduces design constraints, making more options possible. Seems good to me. Only an issue if you’re buying a new bike/frame – chances are that you might need a different wheel anyway if changing wheel diameter or width, so what’s the big deal?

Seat post diameters aren’t all the same either, and for many people changing their seat post is more expensive than changing their hub. 😉

639mm is long?

Hahah.

Weirdos.

scotroutes – Member
Well, we complain when there are lots of standards and here’s an example of a way to reduce that number

[u]
You are shitting us right?
[/u]
“standards + 1″, folk that don’t want to consumerise their hobby are ****ed in time (see 26” wheels and a choice of decent non tapered forks).

It’s fine for those with disposable income to uselessly spunk on bikes (like you?) and can convince themselves of this fallacy of course.

Rocky Mountain, which showed off their Sherpa adventure mountain bike built on oversized 27.5 x 2.7 tires, seemed the prime candidate for adding the concept to the middle wheel size. So, we pinged their marketing guy and all-around shredder Andreas Hestler: “On the Sherpa we don’t have any comments, it’s a question up in the air for us, so we don’t have much to add…Currently, we have no plans to change it.”

Regarding the pros and cons of the system, Hestler said “We’re watching and waiting. Certainly it’s worthy to think of making 29? wheels stiffer but adding weight isn’t a good way to make 29ers better. What about just bigger hub flanges? Flaring the axle will increase heel rub, and I’m a prime (example of one) whose heels scar the chainstays. What if my heel is actually not making it around?”

His final comment should please a lot of folks: “Another change, really, is that what the bike

Yay.

NEW 148 BOOST….ITZ GOT MOAR HEEL RUB!

2016 Axle Standards, Part 1: Rear 148mm Thru Axle Coming Fast & It’s About More Than Just Better Wheels

Brought to you by the the lovely jokers who helped to bring us Boost and Plus sized bikes.