Just saw this and thought it was interesting. Wonder how it rides.
180mm rear 650b,
160mm front 29er.
https://nsbikes.com/nerd-hd,385,pl.html
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM YOU WILL FIND THE NERD HD - A LONG TRAVEL MACHINE FOR ENDURO AND BIKE PARKS WITH A UNIQUE 29” FRONT AND 27.5” REAR WHEEL SETUP. AND THEN THERE IS THE NERD JR - THE ULTIMATE KIDS FULL SUSPENSION BIKE SUPPLIED WITH 24” WHEELS, BUT WITH AN OPTION TO UPGRADE TO 26”.
Nothing unique about the different wheel sizes really.
Liteville have been doing it for years and I ran my 601 with 27.5/26" for ages and it worked really well.
I think they've changed the rules so teams can use different wheel sizes in races now.
Reasonable price.
Probably heavy, but then it is 180mm travel!
Given that Martin Maes just won EWS Round 1 on a 279er, there might be some interest.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of downhillers using this config too given the recent rule changes.
Having not ridden one, I just think it's a bit odd that people criticised 29ers for making steering a bit more cumbersome, but it's the rear wheel they downsize, especially on Martin's bike as it was a 29er, so couldn't have shortened the chainstay (unless it's adjustable - I haven't looked).
I know wheel size difference isn't new, but it's still fairly uncommon on stock bikes. More so with more travel rear then front.
Didn't see that about Maes bike. Interesting.
Yep, the longer travel rear (v front) is the particularly unusual thing about the bike. It is much lighter than expected given the travel & build spec.
kamakazie - do you know the weight?
Nothing unique about the different wheel sizes really.
Perhaps they mean the reverse mis-matched travel and that it seems to be a freeride bike?
I bodged a 27/29in bike a few years ago and thought there was a lot of potential in the concept...
http://unduro.co.uk/mtb/behold-the-frankenthumper-aka-project-279/
AlexSimon:
Says 14.9kg at the bottom of the linked spec.
Well this is a well-timed discussion. A friend of mine has just given me his old 26" Hardtail and asked if I could "do something funky" with it. My initial thought was a longer travel fork and a headset adjuster to slacken it out further, but then my thoughts turned to wheel size instead and I whipped the rigid fork and wheel off my 27.5+ and stuck that on. Unfortunately I can't take it for a test ride, as the steerer is too short for the tall head tube of the older hardtail frame, but it looks pretty cool.
Has anyone tried anything similar? It's just gonna be for larking around in the woods, not racing or anything serious.
All thoughts or suggestions would be more than welcome...