Dual wheel sizes on the same bike? As in a 29″ front 27.5″ rear? IIRC Cannondale tried a 26/24 in the mid eighties but it didn’t take off.

Maybe it would really make the trail come alive… It might even be possible to run such a set up now… Anyone tried it?

It’s been done, Trek 69er, didn’t last long.

There was a DH bike in the early 2000’s with a 26″front and 24″ rear wheel!

you mean like what Liteville are offering…

I am still riding my Carver 96er. Big front, 26″ rear

Specialized big hit did it for years

I suppose now we all run tubeless tyres the concept is about 23% less annoying and faffy than it used to be.

🙂

I don’t get why it’s not the other way around. Bigger wheels roll better, but turn slower, right?

So doesn’t it make more sense to have the bigger wheel on the back (doesn’t steer, doesn’t have suspension on a HT)?

think the idea (as per marketing for my 69er) is that you get the acceleration of the 26″ wheel thus negating the slow to acclerate perception of 29ers but with the better rollover of the bigger wheel once you are up to speed you aren’t slowed down as much by rocks/roots/braking bumps.

no comment from me as to whether its correct, i bought my bike (2008, rootbeer 69er with DUC forks) purely because it was the best looking bike i had ever seen in a mag (my opinion). does ride well though and i still love it…

Just run different tyre sizes if you want this effect

I don’t get why it’s not the other way around. Bigger wheels roll better, but turn slower, right?

So doesn’t it make more sense to have the bigger wheel on the back (doesn’t steer, doesn’t have suspension on a HT)?

No. It’s harder to push a wheel over something than pull it over something (anyone who’s used a wheelbarrow knows that). The front wheel is being pushed, so has a greater need to ‘roll better’, the rear is being pulled (if you’re free wheeling) or actively trying to climb up obstacles (if you’re pedalling).

Ever seen a motocross or enduro bike with a bigger radius rear wheel than front? And while the world of offroad motorbikes isn’t immune to some marketing guff, it isn’t to the same level that golf clubs HiFi and mountain bikes enjoy. 🙂

I came pretty close to 69ering my big bike, I think all the arguments for it made sense, except for the part where I’d never take it out of the garage again because it looked so durn foolish.

When you accelerate a bike, you have to accelerate both wheels. It makes no difference at all which wheel is lighter/heavier. Both wheels have to get to speed.

Bigger front wheels mean higher bars for given fork travel, though, bigger wheels make suspension “feel” more, and roll over things better.

Bigger rear wheels make a huge difference in stopping that “hooked up” trail feeling going over things.

Offroad motorcycles have wheels fairly similar sizes, but the rear has a deeper tyre on a smaller rim. They have a lot more horsepower, weight and traction issues than a bicycle powered by legs.

So doesn’t it make more sense to have the bigger wheel on the back (doesn’t steer, doesn’t have suspension on a HT)?

So what you’re saying is that the perfact bike design would be:

😉

photo (2) by Loco Tuning, on Flickr

29 front, 650 rear, 21″, 26″ wheel frame, custom shocks, few months before Liteville 😉

tony07 – Member
Specialized big hit did it for years

to overcome the fact that Specialized couldn’t keep the wheelbase of their DH bikes in check at the time (FSR DH was llooonnngggg), not for the ‘advantages’ of a 24″ wheel

legend – Member

to overcome the fact that Specialized couldn’t keep the wheelbase of their DH bikes in check at the time (FSR DH was llooonnngggg)

Though ironically I think shorter than most modern dh bikes.,

Going by the Liteville scale, I should have 26″ both ends – means my SB66c is perfect then 😀

I had a 24/26 Cannondale 😯

legend – Member

FSR DH was llooonnngggg

and completely awesome.

Have been running my meta 29er, with a 650b rear wheel because the tyre Clearance was shit with a tyre any bigger than a 2.1, only use it like that when doing big days in the Mountains, have to say it works really well and makes it Slightly Slacker.

Looking at that Chopper after all these years, no wonder they were so unstable!