And it was ace fun! Just built up an old rocky mountain etsx for my better half as a change from her single speed fatbike as she wants to come out on bigger mountain days and ss fat can be a world of Luddite pain.

Spares box build (I’d forgotten how nice older xtr gears are) and cheap as chips, but I’ve really enjoyed it.

I may have to revise my rigid single speed or death attitude and look at something with boings bits and gears in the future, when my prematurely arthritic joints can longer take it.

Just a nice reminder that no matter what wheel size or current fashion trends, [messing] about on 2 wheels is bloody brilliant

Well said.
I’ve only ever had a 26er but I don’t feel like I’m missing much.

choppersquad – Member
Well said.
I’ve only ever had a 26er but I don’t feel like I’m missing much.

me neither.

Old?
It’s about the same age as most of my bikes… 😉

Nimble squish, way to go.

That’s a relief, I can bring the 26er, that’s been hiding the office for the last two years, out of hiding. There’s too much ridicule being a roadie and everyone wants to kill you.

My only bike is a fs 26″

I haven’t ridden anything with gears, suspension or wheels smaller than 29 or26x4.8 since about 2010

I too have given in to older age and the fact I’m not as brave or skilled as I used to like to think I was. 26″ (forever, maaaaaaan) wheels in a bouncy 650B frame and I haven’t died yet! I’ve still got a SS 26″ HT for those days when I fancy a bit of self-inflicted misery though 😆

Self inflicted single speedy flagellation will always be the bestest, until I get too knackered, then I’ll ride a ebike just to upset folks

I don’t think it makes a massive amount of difference, my semi wide 26er rims with 2.4 tyres are only a tiny tiny bit smaller overall diameter than my mate’s 27.5 on 2.1.

I suppose if you are a pro or tall, it might make sense to go for a larger size for mile munching, but for general mincing and fun, wheel size is pretty irrelevant if its a reasonable bike otherwise. Although it does make be grin when I see vertically challenged people on small framed 29ers..makes them look like circus bikes.

I’m still puzzled by the whole wheel size debate.

Different sized people and frames and riding all go together in one big mix, whatever suits you best is the best size wheel to use IMO.

Both my hardtails are 650b but i still enjoy taking out the 26″er Anthem just as much fun.

2 of us took our 575s to Swinley last weekend. Must’ve been 6 months since I rode mine. It was fab, still had that feeling of ‘what a lovely bike’ … and a kid on a 29er admired it 🙂

I have a 29er full suss, and a 26er hardtail.
They are both brilliant.

I ride one every week, next bike won’t be 26 though. As much as I love this one new stuff and geo isn’t 26 so I’m off the waggon.

My name is John and I ride a 26″ full suss Trek Remedy.

I Feel better already!!

Out locally last Saturday and a young lad about 11 stopped to talk he said “that is a really nice bike”
How I laughed when he left without realizing it was a 26er.

My mountain bike is a 26″ full suss with 2×10 gears. It’s 3 years old and loads of fun. I like 26″ wheels and will be sad to move to 27.5″ when I need to change it in a couple of years.

I still say that my 2012 scalpel 1 is the best frame I have ever ridden.
Wheel size means nothing ( while decent 26 tyres are available )

and will be sad to move to 27.5″ when I need to change it in a couple of years.

26″ will be back in fashion by then so why worry?

had my trance only bike for about 8 yrs I think its 26″ but it is getting heavier as the years roll by.. looking at a new hardtail soon prob not 26 as I hear new sizes are available.

My 26″ wheeled commencal meta am from 2012 is my best bike. I’m not planning on changing any time soon.

My 26″ wheeled Ragley Blue Pig might get singlespeeded (just because) when I buy a Solaris next year.

I’ve never ridden a 650b’er. Can’t say I’m bothered either. I’m sure I’ll get one, one day though…

and will be sad to move to 27.5″ when I need to change it in a couple of years.

Cheer up it’s only a bike

26″ will be back in fashion by then so why worry?

Lol it wont

My mountain bike is a 26″ full suss with 2×10 gears. It’s 3 years old and loads of fun

Away with you and your modern fashionable kit! 😉

(Yeti is 3×9)!

27.5/29 er ? Biggest load of bollacks ,it’s a marketing thing.
This is the arguement you get every time.
29ers/27.5 will roll over stuff a 26 might wheel jam in ?
Well what about bigger stuff a 29 er would jam in , a 26 er would ride through it ,too small to jam .
Common sense ain’t it ?

lunesdale – Member
27.5/29 er ? Biggest load of bollacks ,it’s a marketing thing.

marketing – the new world for magic or whitchcraft when dismissing something 😉

I’m just a bit worried that when my fork gives out on my mk1 Soul I might not be able to get another decent 1 1/8 straight steerer replacement.

I’ve been riding 29er since the days of it existing in niche builders thoughts only, well before the “marketing” it does offer something different, not better, but different.

Rather than get bogged down in wheel size though, the thread was meant as more of a “**** me, I’ve not ridden bike different to my usual style for ages and bloody hell its fab” kind of reminder to just enjoy bikes rather than worry about the latest thing, which is also cool and dudey

My OH has a £20 SS* town bike thing with a storage box nailed to the rear rack that he uses to do the shopping on. He probably has as much of a laugh on that, trying to get the thing slowed down enough on the wet leaves down the hill before he has to get it through the anti-motorbike barrier as he does on his MTB. Different set of laughs, innit?

* it would have been 7 speed but the hub gear shifter broke so he wedged a bolt in to lock it in whatever gear was best all round.

Taz.
You’ll be on the uplift bus next…

Stu, well up for that, apart from the bus bit, I’ll ride up as well thanks as I like up as much,if not more than the downs

And “the uplift bus” does sound like a fab euphemism 🙂

You will have to send back your BPR patch in disgrace though.

Still riding a 2006 anthem which is great fun. The 29er SS bike not been used at all this year. Must get it out for a spin soon as its always good fun to mix it up.

Lapdog, nah I’ll just wear false boobs and invoke the foxy mama clause.

I only bought a brand new 26 FS bike last year

26″ full suss here, not going to change it anytime soon. I’m all stocked up on fork spares, nothing else will ever run out.

I’m just a bit worried that when my fork gives out on my mk1 Soul I might not be able to get another decent 1 1/8 straight steerer replacement.

This, I fear, will also be the thing that will lead to the end of my Ibis – even last year it was a struggle so I don’t have any hope for 18 months time.

Built up my old 2004 Enduro & threw a leg over it last year.I was pleasantly surprised how lovely it felt to ride…. & then I had to ride it up a hill, what a piece of bouncy flouncy piece of sh!t it was, haven’t rode it since !!!……

But….

I also put my old team edition NRS(I never sell bikes)back together & Christ, this bike is lovely for ripping around the trails, it also climbs like a goat….. Now, if only they’d done a 29er version, it’d have been just purrfect 😕

Gone full circle here. Bought a 29er 5 or 6 years ago and loved it. This year I put 50mm rims on the fully rigid (26 inch) winter snot bike and the 29er has hardly been touched since.

I’m now convinced that wider rims and their ability to keep tyres stable at lower pressures make far more difference to ride quality than different diameters.

For me ‘plus’ sizes seem to offer the best compromise between the rattliness of traditional skinny rims and the bulk of fatbikes.