I've been out of the MTB game for a few years, with a persistent knee injury. Hopefully things are fixed so i'm looking at getting a new bike for xc riding.
I used to ride purely XC race bikes, 26in, with 100mm travel. Now i'm looking at things a little more slack with 120mm travel. Question is, is a 650B hardtail with 120mm travel too much bike for fairly benign south west UK XC terrain.... and is it going to feel like a tractor? Tyres are wider, bars wider, longer travel... suddenly i'm not sure what I should be looking for.
Maybe someone else has gone through the change 😯
ooh, and yes, i'm trying to sort some test rides. I just wanted to see what people thought in the meantime.
Test ride a 29er too. You may be surprised. And it gives you the option to 27.5+ at a later date if you choose a frame to suit.
I'd second that for the 29er wheels especially round our south west trails.
Okay, I'll look at the big wheeled bikes too, but they tend to have shorter travel, to keep the front end down?
It'll feel bloody weird at first, for sure. Better get a long test ride.
29'ers are ace for what you describe, give one of them a go.
Just went through this decision with a similar background to you, and after all the research and help I ended up going for a Cotic Solaris. 29, with some 27.5+ support too. Geometry relaxed but not too mad, and a good all-rounder.
Loads of options though, that's what made it so hard for me. In the end it was Cotics great customer service and helpfulness.
+1 for 29ers being ace.
A 120mm 275 or 29 would be perfect. Lots and lots of good choices for new bikes. Having said that there are very many of us (the majority) riding our 26 bikes, if you are buying second hand to get back into it you'll find some great bargains out there. Also another thumbs up for Cotic 🙂
well, i rode the 120mm 650B bike today. Not sure if it was the tyres or the wheelset on the bike.. a £1200 Jamis, but it felt like a fat, tired old dog. When I got a-stomping on the pedals, nothing seemed to happen.
Wondering how much of that is the wheelsize playing a part. Maybe you're right jambalaya... i might go down the bargain 26er route. I'll try a 29er or two, but having tried the 27.5 I suspect I might not like it.
I should add that this particular 27.5" alloy hardtail, with 120mm fox 32 forks weighed a, less than svelte, 28.5 lbs. 😯
That's pretty good for a £1200 120mm bike imo.
Bigger wheels do take longer to spin up, but they take longer to spin down. I took my 26er FS xc race bike out the other day for the first time in years. It's incredibly quick and nimble, but I failed three times on a rocky climb because every time I hit a rock it bloody stopped. Other times were quicker than my 29er, the steep rocky ones were slower.
Don't expect it to feel the same. My 29er is rigid, so I can heave on the bars and spin those big wheels up. Wouldn't want to do that on fs though. Also bear in mind it might be intended for tubeless but have been supplied with tubes in the shop - that'll make quite a difference.
if you are buying second hand to get back into it you'll find some great bargains out there.
just remember it may cost you a chunk in replacing tired parts.. in six months i've almost spent as much on fixing tired parts, and replacing as I did on the bike itself... Far from regret it but just thought i'd point it out ( things like tired chains/cassettes/bb's/mechs/mech hangers/pads/tyres/grips/seats/cables etc) it all adds up over time.
I'd find it hard to look beyond this if it were me:
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/whyte-629-17
