Anyone choose 27.5?

Yep

Love my am 160 in 27.5 and my mmmbop in 27.5

6'2"

Bernard Kerr actually spoke some sense in his recent pinkbike podcast where he said something along the lines of (paraphrasing): "When I'm racing I want to go as fast as possible, when I'm riding I want to be having as much fun as possible."

If to you a 27.5" wheeled bike makes riding more fun then go for it, I have a 29er/mullet now after riding short travel 27.5 for years beforehand (5010) and the current bike is still fun but there are trails where I know I'd be having more fun on the 5010.

the only justification i've seen for 29ers are to go faster

i don't need to go faster.. I'm not racing anyone

I'm coming from a short wheelbase long travel 26er (for for the trail riding usage) and in certain situations the 29er feels less.. pinned, somehow.

Top one does look 'good' somehow.

6'0.5", love my Santa cruz 5010 for trails, general enjoyment.

the only justification i’ve seen for 29ers are to go faster

I got one to go faster, because I want to go further in the same amount of time. There are loads of trails that are a ride away, and on my old 26er it took forever to get out there leaving little time to ride the actual trails. However on an XC bike it wasn't too bad. Hence the Reactor rather than the Mega, and the 29 option. I've no idea how much difference either choice would have made.

Yes, more fun.

Bigger wheels normally = more grip and faster. But... so what? Are we all racing all of a sudden? Fun for me is feeling like I'm pushing the bike, and smaller wheels have lower limits.

I have all 3: 26" 140mm hardtail, 170mm 27.5, 100mm 29er. The 26" is definitely the most fun! 29er is great but I'd only want it on an xc bike or if I'm racing.

Same principle as "driving a slow car fast is more fun than driving a fast car slow"

Recently bought a Ragley mmmbop. Love it, no regrets not getting the Big Al. Was bought for fun and that's exactly what it is.

The 'go faster' thing isn't the only reason, I swap from mullet to full 29er every couple of weeks and on some peaks routes where you're riding on the armoured paths like the one that connects the top of jacob's ladder over to cavedale you can definitely save a lot of energy with 29er, all those little square edges and holes definitely get muted with the bigger wheels, that adds up over a ride and I definitely feel it in the legs (and arse) more after 5 hours on the little wheel.

For me I loved the 29ers that I've had ,np mega,orange stage 6 ,they were faster on open sections of trail if that matters to you ,it does to me to a point

I loved just been able to plough through stuff easier and hold a line

but the absolute drawback for me was the extra weight in the areas my legs felt it.

The extra size of the wheels tyres and forks can easily add up to 800 grams and that near 2 pound difference in the rolling department meant whilst i was faster on certain sections I wasn't as dynamic as I'd liked and it took a bit of fun out My riding .

I've since got a giant trance x  full 650b and it's like putting on a comfy pair of slippers ,just feels right to me .

I don't obsess about weight but I did recently get a mondraker foxy carbon rr that still weight 36lbs and whilst that's quite the norm I'm the sort of person who gets blown around in the wind and whilst the raker was fast it wasn't fun .

I'm also struggling with a e bike I've recently purchased a mondraker crafty r ,it's fun on the ups but instead of feeling planted on the dh it just feels like if holding on to a steam roller bounding my way down the hill with absolutely no finesse .

This is only my take on it and is not my opinion of  everyone else's bike build style it's just what I prefer and what works for me .

I have the latest version of the transition patrol, it came mullet, i now run it 27.5 all round. For most of the riding I do it's made it more fun, I wouldn't say it's made my bike any slower either. Mullet is probably better on rough stuff perhaps

I tried my Rail as full 29, mullet and full 27.5. The 27.5 felt the best on tight, twisty trails but the low BB was a problem. The 29er front rolled over obstacles far better than the 27.5.  As a short arse the 29er rear was an issue with flossing on the steep stuff so I settled on mullet.

My hardtail is 27.5, had an option of both sizes at the time but all my bikes were 27.5 so stuck with that.
My trail bike is 29, the only option and I wanted to try it for long day efforts.
My Enduro bike is 27.5, was the only option at the time.

I want all my bikes to be 29 now as I'm addicted to the stability. Strange considering I'm a short arse at 5"7' with slightly stumpy legs!

I went from a 26" Orange Five to a 26" commencal Meta AM, to a Cotic Solaris then a 29" NP Reactor. I love 29ers and I'm only 5'9" ish ...

TBF though, I haven't actually ridden a 27.5.....

Absolutely. mainly as i`m a luddite cheapskate though haha!

I`d not run a 29er rear just yet though as i buzz my arse enough on teh 27.

i agree 29ers do feel huge. My wifes one feels mahoosive. they do also roll nice. for XC 29s a no-brainer. for anything 'fun' i wouldnt. I'd probably get used to it though but i'd be dreaming of something more entertaining.

I still think my local spot was way more entertaining on a 100mm jump bike than any of my new bikes. yes we were slower and crashed alot but we also went sideways more and every root and jump was a challenge.

I'm happy with my 27.5" Occam. I'm glad I managed to buy it when I did and I'm definitely not in a rush for a 29er FS. OTOH I also have a Ti hardtail currently set up with 29er wheels which is the more XC/bikepacking setup.

Horses for courses.

PS I'm 170cm / 5'7" ish. I might have a different experience if I was taller.

It's not as simple as smaller wheels = more fun. My hardtail is a 29er with around 510mm reach, my full sus is 650b with 530mm reach. The hardtail is much more playful. It's a blend of the geometry as a whole plus wheel size.

I am 172cm or so. I have always thought 29" wheels would be too big for me. I have a 27.5" wheeled Mythique and a 2022 Levo, but running 27.5" front and rear. I have never ridden the Levo with the 29" front wheel, assuming I'd prefer the 27.5" wheel shod with a 2.8" tyre.

hard tail is 29" and feels quite big/tall.

rigid is also 29", relatively similar geo, and feels just right.

Gravel I elected to go for 650b and feels great.

The SS is still at 26" and feels vv twitchy now.

Recently bought a brand new bike/frame and had this condundrum, 27.5 or 29. Obviously the cycling industry tells us 27.5 is dead and only for small people and children. I really thought about this long and hard and I was coming from a full 27.5 Whyte T-130 which I loved and was so capable.

I also ride mostly in the lake District and more of an "all mountain" rider, so maybe the 29er would be a better option.

I demo'd some bikes, borrowed some bikes, all 29 or mullet. Then had a go on full 27.5 transition scout. And I fell in love with it. I'm a large guy at 6,2 and 100kg but still prefer the full 27.5. I don't know if I'm faster on the full 29er or the Mullet, but I also don't care too much about times.

I have a full 29er Hardtail which I use to commute and do some trails with, so felt it would be a good balance.

I went from a 29er Fuel Ex to a Trek Remedy 27.5. Love it. Honestly don’t find it slower….but maybe at my pootling speed it’s less noticeable.

My hardtail is also 27.5. Just my personal preference….but I am tempted by a longer travel 29er, I just don’t get to ride enough to justify the spend!

I’ve got a 29er HT and I think next time I get a bike it would either be a mullet or full 275. While I like the 29er as it rolls over everything better, I think a lot of my riding would be more fun on the smaller wheels. My wife isn’t convinced about 29ers either, she definitely prefers the smaller wheels (she’s 5’7 so not a total short arse).

I don’t think the smaller wheels would make me any slower as I’d just have an extra 10-20mm of travel but having ridden both I think I’d have more fun.

the only justification i’ve seen for 29ers are to go faster

Bollocks. I've got no interest in going fast. 29ers are good because they make techie 'natural' all mountain terrain more rideable.

My Enduro is 27.5, never regretted it

I have all the sizes (26, 27.5+, 29, 29+) and they're all fun 🤷‍♂️

My Mojo3 was 27x2.8 and it was fantastic. Not really got on with any 27.5s since.  Bought a Mojo4 and really could not get on with it at all. It's all subjective if you're not racing, but 29ers just feel 'better' for me.

Still I rode a mullet e-bike in Spain in March and just thought 'well this is a nice thing to ride', so I'm not a reliable witness. A lot of stuff we ride in the FoD tho is tight between the trees but also tends to the steep and nasty. Overall I'd rather be on a 29er.

I shan't ever ride a 27.5 bike.

It remains the most cynical, profit led, corrupt, marketing driven money grab by any industry I've ever seen.

Bullshit sold to idiots by shysters.

Despite being average height, high front ends just don't agree with me or rather my seating position on the bike and 29er stack height is getting way high on modern fs 29ers so very happy with my 27.5 160mm travel bike although my xc bikes are 29er

It remains the most cynical, profit led, corrupt, marketing driven money grab by any industry I’ve ever seen.

😂

Does sketchier at a lower speed mean equal fun and less damage when you fall off?

If so 29er gave two uses - boring racing types and the inherently slower riders in a group to equalise the pace and therefore the group fun.

Ban 29ers from good riders unless their doing something anal like racing.

Discuss.

RustySpanner, I get that in principle but for those of us that were happy to carry on riding smaller wheels, it happened, we had no choice so we got over it if we wanted another bike. It feels like a long time ago. I stuck with q 26" Rocket until I felt like I needed a longer dropper post, then I had no choices left.

I love that video of the laughing man with no teeth discussing wheel size, especially as I own a fat bike too 🙂

27.5 Crush and a brand new Airdrop Edit here. 27.5" till I die, get a mullet or till they decide I need a 28"...

Mugboo what's the Edit like? Airdrop are pretty much the reason I'm still undecided about 27.5!

Recently bought a brand new bike/frame and had this condundrum, 27.5 or 29. Obviously the cycling industry tells us 27.5 is dead and only for small people and children.

Not at all... I was recently told by a bike manufacturer we will have no choice as soon as they can force 29 only and the benefits of 29ers are for short people as well

.. anyway so I bought a 27.5

I did and kind of regretted it. Was 7 years ago though and my choice was between a V2 5010 and the original Hightower. 5010 was very poppy and manoeuvrable but also got hung up on sharp edges, big roots and big lumps. Great for playing in the woods but not so great on natural trails. Still happily rode it for 6 years though.

On a V2 Sentinel now, which despite having 20mm more travel and being a lot longer and slacker, is just as much fun to fling about while rolling over stuff much better and carrying more speed. Not quite as easy to pop off stuff, but that’s as much to do with geometry and 2 extra kilos than wheel size. I’m 5’9 with short legs and have only had a couple of tyre buzzed and that was more due to getting caught too far off the back of the bike in a bad body position.

Lots of comments above about having 29er for going fast, for me it’s the opposite. I find they make rocky, awkward trails easier to ride at lower speeds. Better riders than me on 27.5 will go fast anyway and skip over stuff. At my comfortable speed, the smaller wheels bucked, jerked and got hung up in holes. 29ers roll over this stuff better at the same speed. I ride much more smoothly and carry more speed out of sections on bigger wheels. Skill compensator, probably but so is suspension and modern geometry. I rode Top Chief last month for the first time and there’s no way I’d have ridden as much as did on smaller wheels. For rocky Scottish trails, 29er is a no brainier. If you like to hang out in the woods pretending you’re Josh Bryceland then you may have different opinions.

@molgrips it’s still early days  for you. So much will have changed geometry wise since your last bike that’s it’ll take months to adjust your riding style. I got my bike in February last year, rode for 4 months and was still getting used to it. Had some skills coaching to help get my body positioning adjusted to a longer,slacker 29er which helped a lot. Had a day with same coach that trip to Top Chief and she couldn’t believe the difference in my riding this year now I’m used to it.

I've never even thrown a leg over a 29'er. Although, I am considering mulleting my 27.5 eeb.

I do have two 26" HT's though

Reading with interest as considering a new bike next year and mulling over 27.5 or 29. Currently on a 2018 Whyte T-130 and very much value the poppiness of it and at 170cm I fear I'll lose that if I go to 29.

I ride mostly on the Quantocks and Exmoor so it's not mega technical, but enough for the Whyte to feel on the edge a lot which adds to the fun. I do break it a fair bit though which makes me think 27.5 and take the travel up to 140-150.

Then the voices in my head say '...but everyone else is on 29 now...'

ride mostly on the Quantocks and Exmoor so it’s not mega technical

lots of amazing singletrack but also some steep tech there!

I’m 6 foot 2 and a bit. Always liked a 29r since riding one of the first on-one inbreds. Geometry now has them brilliantly set up for a range of riding types and styles. Changed my hardtail this year for a Canyon Stoic which has a (very) short rear which makes it very fun for wheelies manuals etc.

If the right bike was 650b I’d still consider it but don’t really see the need. I still have a stooge with plus tyres on which is a lot of fun.

Agree that the airdrop edit looks very good.

I just like most bikes. OP I think you just need a period to get used to it. When I first started riding them they seemed ridiculous, especially compared to a 26”. Now if I go back to a smaller wheeled bike they now feel like I’ve stolen one of my kids bikes.

I chose 27.5 until 29ers got good. I demo'd loads of 29ers in about 2017/18 and they all felt like big gangly XC bikes. Fast in a straight line but short and twitchy and reluctant to change direction.

I was forced to find a replacement bike due to a burglary in the middle of lockdown when there was almost nothing available. I went with a Norco Sight in full 29 and it's mint. Great handling, really lively, loads of pop for jumps and stuff.

So yes I was a reluctant 29er rider but now I've got 2 and they're both mint. Fun is about so much more than just wheel size.

I shan’t ever ride a 27.5 bike.

It remains the most cynical, profit led, corrupt, marketing driven money grab by any industry I’ve ever seen.

Bullshit sold to idiots by shysters.

I wonder if the industry has been affected by your boycott.

It remains the most cynical, profit led, corrupt, marketing driven money grab by any industry I’ve ever seen.

Oh behave, in a world where the motor industry exists, bike manufacturers choosing an additional couple of new arbitrary wheel sizes over an existing arbitrary wheel size doesn't even make the needle move.

I shan’t ever ride a 27.5 bike.

It remains the most cynical, profit led, corrupt, marketing driven money grab by any industry I’ve ever seen.

Bullshit sold to idiots by shysters

Yeah, it makes the finance industry look like altruist saints :-).
Are you all right though?

Back on topic, I built a Meta HT last winter which takes both wheel sizes but I kind of did a half way house with 27.5 tyres in 2.8F/2.6R (Rekons). Really please with the result. Rided like a dream for a HT, compliant, responsive, not too heavy. Makes 26' utterly obsolete I'm afraid IME.

Yep, just finished building a 27.5 hard tail. Got a 29" full suss so wanted something a little more playful and from initial rides it was a good decision.

Just bought an older 29" full suss XC frame to build up and replace my gravel bike so reckon I'll have my bases covered with nothing treading on another bike's toes.

Obviously the cycling industry tells us 27.5 is dead and only for small people and children.

Growing market segment especially if you include women - there's more women and children on mtbs then ever before. The smart money would be on having a 27.5 offering for this segment.

I'm 6'3" and ever since having a go on a 29er they just felt and looked right. A bike that finally fitted and didn't feel like a gate to ride.
This proved very expensive as I pretty much immediately sold all my 26ers and went out and bought equivalent 29ers.

Not once have I looked back, or at smaller wheels.

I would quite like a go on a 27.5 as I've never actually ridden one.

Though I have just built a 26" jump bike.

shan’t ever ride a 27.5 bike.

It remains the most cynical, profit led, corrupt, marketing driven money grab by any industry I’ve ever seen.

Bullshit sold to idiots by shysters.

Please Rusty, don’t hold back on our account - say what you really feel.

I’ve had and still have two 650b bikes - an original Transition Patrol and a Stanton Switchback Ti Mk2. They are some of the best handling bikes I have had and huge fun.

If I could still ride them well, I would. The only reason I don’t is that the two e-bikes (Health reasons) I have had were 29’ers.

Yep, I chose my first 27.5, after being a 26 fan for too long.
That was a Pace, superb bike.
So I bought another one when the next gen came out. It's the RC627, and is very LLS according to the geometry of similar HT's. But, as it's the perfect size for me, Large, with me 178cm, 76kg, it feels just right. I have tyres and wheels that are actually bigger than the maximum reccomended, but clearance is fine, 40mm rims and 2.65's. Climbs brilliantly, and descends as fast I dare!