[Closed] 650B - dead already

I'll just get a bag of kittens.

😉

N.b. not trying to start a punch up here - just don't get this new standard for the life of me!

Tell me why I'm wrong.

DC

you can't use the search function? There is every conceivable discussion point used 3 times and from 4 different sides. Not sure there is anything else to add really.

Perhaps not born yet would be more accurate.
Let's see where we are in 2 years.

Maybe none of your crew have gone to buy a new bike yet.. see how many new 26" bikes you can find..

well - now the standard has been thrown at us it seems odd that there are no bikes out there - in my experience anyway.

Have the public voted with their wallets.

I've seen more fat bikes than 650b - now they are interesting.

Given manufacturers are stopping producing 26ers, it'll be hard in a few years for people to be buying them.

Take Santa Cruz. Only the Jackal and V10 remain in the 26er line up. So what do you do if you want a new 26" Nomad? Nothing. 650b or nothing.

If it's dead, so will the industry be as they go bust with huge stocks of 650b bikes unsold and being committed to the format.

SCIENCE

Marvelous conclusion. You've convinced me to ditch any plans I had on 650b and go for one of the many many mainstream current model 26" bikes out there instead.

Oh.

Seriously? Another pointless 650b topic? Do we really need to run through this again? Can't you just read the endless threads on every mountain bike forum that have already been thrashed out.

Given manufacturers are stopping producing 26ers, it'll be hard in a few years for people to be buying them.

This. Its not a case of will or won't 650b become the norm, if you can't buy 26" then there's no question to answer

I'm not sure if I blame Hitler, Thatcher or Blair the most for this one.

this is not a thread about the merits of 650b - it's where are they?

this is not a thread about the merits of 650b - it's where are they?

If you can't buy a 26 inch bike (apart from the trillion billion second hand ones out there) why not 29".

ok I'm gonna stop this right now!

I'll just get a bag of kittens.

*Chuckles*

Does this mean there'll be loads of 26" tyre bargains soon? I best start stockpiling

yes - 26 will be the best second hand market ever! The only competition you will have is 99% of the people in the world who own mountain bikes.

Now you say it like that...I best be buying a 650b

I'll just get a bag of kittens.
*Chuckles*

Don't give them names; it'll just make it harder...

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Does this mean there'll be loads of 26" tyre bargains soon? I best start stockpiling

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They are putting up a fight now...

Also my mate with a bike shop hasn't sold any 26" bikes this year all 650 and 29.

How many of those bikes were brand new in the last 12-18 months? i.e. not new to the owner but new out of the shop? It's only been in the last 12 or so months the there has been too many mainstream bike brands with a 650b in their range so the potential purchaser has a, felt confidence that it is a component choice they wanted to buy into and b, had a 650b in their LBS to drool over.

Any bike out there in the real world older that 12 months old is irrelevant as to how much the new size is accepted. I suspect there are a lot of 'normal' people like me that are not planning on binning their perfectly serviceable 26" just because it has the 'wrong' sized wheel, but plan to move to 650b when their current bikes needs replacing for normal wear and tear reasons. It doesn't mean we haven't accepted it, we are just not mugs!

"Where are they?"
Surrey. 😀

Surely with the release of the new yeti 26er we've managed to go full Circle in record time. Now all we need to do is get rid of those pesky 29ers and we can get back to riding sensible bikes.

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I'm awaiting the arrival of a new bike which has 650b wheels. Perhaps I should request a refund? I've no idea if they're better than 26 or not, I just wanted a new bike and that's what bikes are now. Have I fallen for the hype without even reading it? Yours confusedly...

I'm just planning to write 650b on the side walls of my tyres in tipex

darkcyan - Member

yes - 26 will be the best second hand market ever! The only competition you will have is 99% of the people in the world who own mountain bikes.

Only for components which don't wear out periodically; i.e. tyres, rims, forks and even frames have a limited lifespan and will only increase in price as they become more scarce, particularly the top-end stuff which you won't be able to get new. As 26er components run out or break the switch to 650B for most will be unavoidable.

New entrants to our sport are also buying whatever MBR / WMB / MBUK / Evans etc are currently pushing or what is available in the LBS; this is 650B for the most part. These people are also not generally the users of this forum or representative of the Stanmer Tea Rooms Sunday Crew.

I ride in a club with 70+ regular riders, of which i'd say 20 have bought new bikes in the last 18 months

The group covers a broad spectrum of people, including weekend XC riders, some XC whippets and some enduro type people - but does not cover any full on DH riders

Of these, only 3 have bought 650B bikes

3 of us have bought Fatbikes whilst the rest have bought 26 or 29ers

People certainly ain't jumping on it as quick at the 29er bandwagon

I'd say that's a fairly representative cross section of the population

Hence, i'd say that they'll be some real 650b bargains by this time next year when the manufacturers realise that the buying public can see that they're not stupid enough to buy into something with such marginal benefits over the 26" wheel

I've worked in the LBS for a few Saturdays recently to cover a staff shortage. Not worked in the shop for about 5 years, thing I've noticed... no one is interested in mountain bikes! Irrespective of wheelsize, there's been a big shift in the interest of your average rider toward road bikes, at all price points. Very odd. Even the real 'aspirational' stuff - people just looking at nice bikes, no one who came in yesterday was looking at the carbon Enduros, or Epics, or Superflys, they were looking at the Pinarellos, Looks and Fondriests.

The OP's assessment seems completely irrelevant in the context of what MTBs are being sold though!

I've worked in the LBS for a few Saturdays recently to cover a staff shortage. Not worked in the shop for about 5 years, thing I've noticed... no one is interested in mountain bikes! Irrespective of wheelsize, there's been a big shift in the interest of your average rider toward road bikes, at all price points. Very odd. Even the real 'aspirational' stuff - people just looking at nice bikes, no one who came in yesterday was looking at the carbon Enduros, or Epics, or Superflys, they were looking at the Pinarellos, Looks and Fondriests.

Very odd statement. I'd say mountain biking is bigger than ever and folks are splashing lots of money on high end mtb's

Have to disagree with the roadie comment. I can't think of anything worse than being a roadrat/Tarmac terrorist. I hate everything about it.

Pedalling on the road amongst loads of cars covering mile after mile of boring Tarmac or getting out in to the country side/trails and doing some amazing off roading. It's a no brainier.

It may be a no brainer to you, tinytimbo, but he's correct - in the current cycling boom, roadie riding is seen as cool as aspirational, whereas MTB riding is seen as.......odd. No doubt this is fuelled by the Tour and its various spin offs, and ex-MTB riders who are now roadie whippets that I talk to say it is the speed of a good road race bike which seduces them. Humph!

Personally I agree with you - tarmac is inherently limiting and boring, and the trouble with roadie riding is that you can never get 'out there' (gestures to distant track on hillside), and you've always got a car up yer bum. Plus I love to see wild places and wild life. But we're in a minority I'm afraid old chum.............

The whole MTB wheelsize debate in this context just adds to the bemusement that most roadies feel when they look at mountain biking.
Face it - we are perceived as 'odd'!

I agree completely with Njee

My lbs which used to sell the odd road bike now has only about four mtbs. One very cheap, a Saracen Ariel they've been trying to sell for two years (yes really) and two others. The rest is cheap hybrid stuff or road bikes.

15 years ago they'd have 50 ish mtbs easily and they were flying out the door. They said that they never get any enquiries about them these days.

Back to the op point, as mentioned above 650b not different enough to bin what works, but due to lack of choice most people will move across as and when they replace either frame or complete bike.

Very odd statement. I'd say mountain biking is bigger than ever and folks are splashing lots of money on high end mtb's

Have to disagree with the roadie comment. I can't think of anything worse than being a roadrat/Tarmac terrorist. I hate everything about it.

By disagree, I assume you mean "not actually read"? 🙄 I didn't say that's the sort of riding you should be doing, or that it's the best, just what the market is shifting towards, very markedly from 5 years ago. I had one customer who wanted to look at mountain bikes yesterday - a £900 one and a £600 hybrid to replace stolen equivalents. Every other customer seriously talking bikes, or just wanting to make small talk (probably 15 people) wanted to look at road bikes. Not an opinion, that's fact, based on my experience.

One person idly looked at the new 650b Enduro - in pride of place - I pointed out what it was, he gave an uninterested 'mmm', and walked on!

We may not be representative of every shop, the shop is now loosely affiliated with a local road club, which yielded a couple of customers yesterday, but still.

While there are loads of roadies about there are still loads of mountain bikers.

Where I live and ride mountain biking is huge.

I still don't get the lure of the Lycra and road though. I can go as fast and keep up with roadies on my lightweight xc bike with slicks on (work bike) so speed can't be the only addiction.

I went to Leisure Lakes at the weekend and it just have been about a 70/30 split in favour of mountain bikes and quite a lot of 650b.

I'm gutted they're ceasing to make 26" bikes, a 27.5" may be better and faster but I like what I've been used to ridding for years. I wish they're was options for the consumer, looks like I'll be in the 2nd hand market till all the 26er's are dead and buried!

On a side note (as a reasonably decent/quick rider when descending) I can't go as fast as my 26" bike can take me as it is, I'll start to look for a quicker bike when I've pushed every ounce of speed out of my current ride...this is likely to be never!

njee20 - Member
I've worked in the LBS for a few Saturdays recently to cover a staff shortage. Not worked in the shop for about 5 years, thing I've noticed... no one is interested in mountain bikes! Irrespective of wheelsize, there's been a big shift in the interest of your average rider toward road bikes, at all price points.

^ This.

I'm no roadie, but what I have noticed is the majority of LBS are doing big trade in road bikes, less in MTB.

Even noticing the popular shops for MTBs near the rich folk trails in Surrey are putting road bikes front and centre. That's where the business is.

And the chain shops, go into Evans etc and try to talk MTB with the staff. They think you're some scruffy lout and look like they're about to call the manager to chuck you out. I dared once to ask about full face helmets and they thought I was mad. Though they did offer to get one in for me to try, so long as I paid full price up front and had to wait a couple of weeks. They said they didn't stock them and had limited warehouse availability and choice because there was no demand.

As for folks on 650b, I know and ride with a few now. I don't know many, if any, who have bought a *new* 26er in the last 6 month. I do however know a lot that I ride with who are buying 29ers. However they're a different group of riders, mostly xc types into their races. My other groups I ride with are more into their general trail stuff and are on 26 and 650b. Few of those ride 29ers and those that do are tall or buy them for more xc duties.

While there are loads of roadies about there are still loads of mountain bikers.

Where I live and ride mountain biking is huge.

I still don't get the lure of the Lycra and road though. I can go as fast and keep up with roadies on my lightweight xc bike with slicks on (work bike) so speed can't be the only addiction.

I went to Leisure Lakes at the weekend and it just have been about a 70/30 split in favour of mountain bikes and quite a lot of 650b.

Stop taking things personally.

I didn't say there weren't any mountain bikers any more, I just said that people coming into the bike shop I was working in (which still has more floor space given over to MTBs) were, in the main, interested in road bikes, not mountain bikes.

There's no associated shit about lycra in there, nor the fact that you need a road bike to keep up with others, just the facts as I saw them.

"I still don't get the lure of the Lycra and road though. I can go as fast and keep up with roadies on my lightweight xc bike with slicks on (work bike) so speed can't be the only addiction."

Just like i can keep up with mtbers down my local trails on my road bike have you ever stopped to consider that the roadies you meet on your mtb are slower roadies or are your blinkers firmly planted ?

I think the next big idea is 650b road bikes - makes as much sense a 650b mountain bikes - so that's a green light for the marketeers then - makes the tarmac come alive 😉

Anyway still haven't seen a 650b yet!