Just read a forum where a 26er Rocky Mountain Element70MSL was fitted with 650b wheels … no clearance problems with normal 2.2 tyres.

No details of how it rode though …

If you are going to use 29er or 650b wheels .. doesn’t the frame have to be specifically designed for that size of wheel in order to get the geometry right?

Good questions!

In addition, what happens if you run 26″ wheels in a 29er?

I wouldnt have thought there was much difference in size between 26″ and 650B.

Markie – Member

Good questions!

In addition what happens if you run 26″ wheels in a 29er?
You catch your pedals a lot more?

large volume 26″ = smaller volume 650B really.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Not another wheel size thread. please make it go away.

HELP

please make it go away.

two things

1) adding posts will just keep it in your line of sight

2) you don;t have to open them

hope that helps 🙂

Been thinking about this myself. I’ve got 2.4′ contis in the PA, with loads of room for more diameter. 2.2′ on 650b would be no probs at all, maybe 2.4’s The fork’s a different matter, though.

But my other frame, which is to be rigid singlesped shortly, might not have space in the back, but will definitely have room up front. I’ve been wondering how it would affect the handling, and how I might choose the fork length to suit the bigger wheel. Any ideas?

What I really need is to borrow a pair of 650b wheels…

I think Intense have tweaked their Carbon Tracer so they can offer with 650B wheels with very little change. If I remember they have changed the drop outs, so existing 26″ users have the option to change to the larger size if they see the merit.
It’s not called the Carbon Tracer is it, I think they called it the Carborunio or something.

26″ to 650B = 559 to 584 ERTRO (actual wheel diameter will depend on tyre size)

Your raising the bottom bracket slightly and increasing the trail although if you’re reducing tyre ‘width’ from 2.4 to 2.2 (58 to 52/50) then that’ll offset the impact on the trail. So it probably will make bugger all difference.

Head/seat angle will stay the same won’t they?

I have installed 650b wheels into my Mojo HD140. Tyres arrive tomorrow.

By jove i think it will work. I just want to be more like cynic-al.

Using thinner tyres on bigger wheels is a bit pointless, really.

If similar tyres on 650b rims fit your frame and forks, then it’s probably a win for the most part, but you could end up heavier and higher for minimal gains.

read a bit further on about the Rocky and some people have ridden one with 650b wheels … apparently makes a ‘great bike even better’ but you have to reduce the travel otherwise the rear could rub on the seat tube at full compression.

At the risk of prolonging ‘watsontony’s’ pain … 😀

it could make a lot of difference and negate the need for a completely new bike if you just want to experiment with bigger wheels!

I built up my HX1 the other weekend and with some (admitedly small) conti 2.1’s on fairly wide rims the tyre barely get’s to the center of the big cast/forged/whatever chainstay yoke, might give big wheels a go at some point, after all the EBB will drop the BB 0.5″ which is what the 650B raises the BB by.

I’d rather use 26×2.5 than 27×2.0 though.

gonna raise the bb by about an inch (2cm according to dirt i was reading today) and extend wheelbase about 2 inches if my maths is correct
ha will change too, slacker?

sliding dropouts aid clearance and adjustable fork height will help with bb and ha

Ive got a lovely kona lava dome with sliding dropouts im getting sorted at the moment

when I leave joblesstrackworld I plan to buy some nice 650b wheels from superstar with the option of reducing travel on my floats

please make it go away.

two things

1) adding posts will just keep it in your line of sight

2) you don;t have to open them

hope that helps

Posted 10 minutes ago # Report-Post

i know this but as i said i need help…. i cant help myself

arghhh ive done it again

So if it’s virtually the same, what’s the point in changing?

So i can have an informed opinion instead of a theoretical one.

@thebikechain

How much difference is there between a HD and 2008 Mojo rear end?

hmm i am not sure it would work BUT when the tyres arrive i will offer the HD wheel to the normal frame and see how it looks. Will let you know.

5 reasons not to convert 26″ to 27.5″ by BikeRadar
Of course you shouldn’t covert 🙄 , that would negate the benefit of spending more money on a new bike and propping up the industry, all this talk of the 26″ dying out is just bike industry utter twaddle and trying to justify pushing another standard upon us, if you get on fine wi 26″ then carry on wi 26″, if you want to try something else then try it but don’t expect miracles.

There was a good discussion of the 650B industry push on edition #92 of “The Spokesmen” podcast (check itunes or their website).

It’s industry led to generate profit, not necessarily any better or any worse than what we have at the moment.

Thing is, a big 26 inch tyre is much the same as a smaller 650b tyre. That means everyone with 26 inch wheels and decent tyre clearance can experiment cheaply and see exactly how much difference you get with that sort of change in radius- and discover that in fact it is ****-all. Going up to a bigger 650B tyre gives the same change in radius again, which is twice ****-all.

650b is the pointless halfway-house compromise-out-the-benefits standard, the QR15 of wheels, and is therefore obviously the future.

Thanks thebikechain

Normally i run a 2.35 and the 650b models will be a 2.25 so i am trying to keep it as close as i can to the same tyre size to see what the difference is.

It is ready now to ride home.

Tyres (Ardent 2.25) fitted in with minimal clearance.

Will report on how it feels and stuff later on tonight.

Excuse the wall, the plaster seems to like falling off.

That looks really good.

I’d be interested to hear how it rides and if you had any problems with tyre rub.

The Rocky review was talking about shimming the shcok to reduce travel or buying the shock linkage from the RSL which has less than 120 but I didn’t really want to go through stuff like that.

I squeezed a set of 650s into a Whyte 905, an On-One Inbred and a Specialized Epic. Very little room on the Epic and 905, no problems with the Inbred. I really liked it and it allowed to check if I really wanted to go for the wheel size.

Set of 650b on my 2011 Spesh Stumpy Evo. Love it for long days in the Peak. Def seems to improve the climbing on loose tracks, just seems to roll better.

ha will change too, slacker?

How?

If you put switch from a 26″ 2.4 on the front and rear to say a 650b 2.2 on the rear and a 650b 2.4 on the front then yes it would be slacker by a tiny amount, but if you are increasing both wheels by the same size you’re raising the rear the same distance as the front so not altering the head angle surely? Or am I being thick somehow?

http://www.calfeedesign.com/tech-papers/geometry-of-bike-handling/
trail changes, HA and offset stays the same. I think.

trail changes, HA and offset stays the same. I think.

Yes that’s what I said up there…just doubting myself/thought I’d missed something obvious. 🙄

Wheelbase will stay the same too, your contact patch with the ground will increase though.

I run a set of 650B wheels with 2.35 rubber.

I have ran them on my Sov for longer xc type rides and they made it easier to ride over long distances.

On my Zesty which I have always ran with a 160mm fork, spaced the fork down so BB height was not too high and I really like it, going to get a lightweight set to go on it full time to make it my fast good condition trail bike.

Overall I like them but it depends on what i’m doing and where i’m doing it.

I am happy to let people try them out not cos I want to push my opinions on anyone but just cos i’m dead nice ;-D

Mbnut, that is dead nice of you!

I’d be dead interested, too. Should be getting my frame back in early March, but not in a massive hurry, away parts of April too.

Whereabouts are you?

You bringing it to the sunshine later in the year Mark?

Decision pending… got heaps on this year and need to make sure we crack on with the house etc.

I have clearance though!

Pleeeeease?!

Monies innit.

I am in Kent and ride the Surrey Hills quite regular so shout when you are ready.

doesn’t the frame have to be specifically designed for that size of wheel in order to get the geometry right?

Exactly. It’s pointless and stupid and tells you nothing of how a well designed 650b rides.

As mentioned, trail is going to be changed as well as bb height. Part of the big the advantages of any bigger wheels is the allowance of a lower bb w/o pedal strikes.

Part of the big the advantages of any bigger wheels is the allowance of a lower bb w/o pedal strikes.

Unless bigger wheels must use shorter cranks, the likelihood of a pedal strike won’t change one bit. A 14″ bb height is a 14″ bb height regardless of running clown wheels or not