[Closed] The biking industry has angered the loyal and serious mtb enthusiasts

I reckon the whole wheel size thing has actually been created by STW as a way of increasing traffic to this site given that we seem to be having two or three of these threads every day now.

4/10. No swearing or random capitalisation a bonus point for "platue" though

I will be sticking with company's that stick with the 26" wheel as big clumsy wheels have no place in my world of mountain biking.

I am sticking exclusively with companies that use BSA68/73 BB shells too. I don't want any of those creaky pressfit nonsense on my bikes. I need to trim down my shortlist somehow, and that saves me the effort of buying a new tool to fit BB, and another new tool to remove them.

Shut. Up.

Yawn

If big wheels are an issue then don't buy a big wheeled bike. Simple as.

'This looks like a fresh, interesting discussion'

said no-one on seeing this thread.

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I do enjoy a good PussyWillow rant but that was poor by your normal standards, needs more ego-inflation and derisory remarks about others to be true to your normal form, try throwing in some remarks about 29er riding XC riders being roadies in denial, that might spice it up a bit!

You could always start your own thread identical to all the others...oh, wait...

pussywillow - Member
I for one am annoyed at the way it's all going...

You've got the wrong target.

I blame the RSF. For years people were mountainbiking with proper size wheels, but because the RSF discouraged technical talk, no one was aware of this. Then ignorant youngsters cottoned on to the trend of the latest American fashion and started riding with bikes with kiddy bike wheels.

If the RSF had spoken up then this whole debacle could have been avoided, and we could all still be riding on proper 27" rims with manly wide tyres.

Oh, and fixed wheel naturally...

🙂

Can we all just agree that the mountain bike reached the optimum with square taper BBs, 1.25" headsets, 8-speed cassettes (though I'm sure some will point out that was at least one too many), 26" wheels and hydraulic discs? Everything since then has been marketing led rather than to actually make our riding better. Suspension also peaked in about 2005, with no real significant improvements since - about the only new technology since then which has made any difference to the way people ride is dropper posts (I'll give you that one even though I don't use one myself).

I mean most people on here presumably just ride to have fun. Can you honestly say that any of the developments since the list I gave above result in you having more fun riding a bike?

Can we all just agree

Can we all just agree

(in french accent) not possible

I disagree 🙂 It's possible, but much more fun not to!

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pussywillow

Seeing the threads author on the front page, it's a dissapointment when the thread turns out to be a minor derailment rather than full on train wreck 🙁

Must try harder

Can we all just agree

The End is nigh - may as well give up biking and take to the knitting needles now.

Those 29inch wheels are useless and won't take the abuse.

Oh - hang on a minute.....

This thread is a very poor troll.

Loving my 29er by the way. Wheels still straight and I haven't died yet.

pussywillow - Member
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable
Boring boring boring, predictable predictable boring predictable troll troll troll troll boring boring predictable

School holidays seem to come round sooner every year.

Wtf is a platue? If you're meaning a large flat exapnse (or in this example a time of little or no change) shouldn't you spell it plateau? Rant all you like but get your spelling correct please! Rich, have a word with yourself.

Middle aged mountainbiker struggling with the fragility of 29" wheels at Swinely

http://stockfile.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Swinley-Forest-MTB/G00000.72SgPQfVI/I00008KqF48wtwyk

[quote=nickhart ]Wtf is a platue? If you're meaning a large flat [b]exapnse[/b] (or in this example a time of little or no change) shouldn't you spell it plateau? Rant all you like but get your spelling correct please! Rich, have a word with yourself.
LOLs

nickhart in epic fail thread of the day....

While I'm personally a bit annoyed by the "Industry push" towards 650b (I really don't remember ever hearing anything that you could call consumer demand) and really just see it as a marketing tool to try and bump flagging sales, and repeat the "29er trick" I'm not sure it's worth getting too worked up over...

Most of us will more than likely going to be riding our 26" wheels into the ground and we'll be able to replace them for at least the next decade and a half I reckon...

I don't think the higher end MTB market will support three wheel standards for long, so the major manufacturers will be rationalizing down to two once they see what consumers reaction looks like in terms of actual sales in the shops.

I can see the UK with our "oddball" love for harder riding Slack angled steel hardtails being a bit of a holdout area for 26" wheels anyway.

And while newer Trail / Enduro and XC bikes might be the places where these products find a market and have some technical merit, I'm still not sure that the DH / FR / Dirt jumping / Street end of the MTBing scale will be such quick and easy adopters.

There are a lot of Niches that fall the "MTB" banner, for which a marginally bigger wheel brings no obvious benefits; The only 650b wheeled bike being raced at Fort William this Weekend managed 22nd, not a bad result, but not exactly proof of technical superiority either.

But don't lose any sleep, it's only a wheel...

Just stick some rubber queens on and convert your existing 26"

obvious troll

Can we all just agree that the mountain bike reached the optimum with square taper BBs, 1.25" headsets, 8-speed cassettes (though I'm sure some will point out that was at least one too many), 26" wheels and hydraulic discs? Everything since then has been marketing led rather than to actually make our riding better. Suspension also peaked in about 2005, with no real significant improvements since - about the only new technology since then which has made any difference to the way people ride is dropper posts (I'll give you that one even though I don't use one myself).

I mean most people on here presumably just ride to have fun. Can you honestly say that any of the developments since the list I gave above result in you having more fun riding a bike?

yep, pretty much, maybe just with addition of decent (slacker) head angles.

[img] [/img]
Well actually I can so here are some more interesting things
[img] https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/5305829120/hB1BADC3E/ [/img]
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Pretty sure I read somewhere that it is a good idea to use 26" rims if you're going touring abroad as it is the most commonly used size worldwide and some places don't really bother with 700c etc.

So if large suppliers suddenly cut off our deliveries of 26", we can justifiably riot. Or just carry on buying from CRC.

I do enjoy a good PussyWillow rant but that was poor by your normal standards,

+1

even I can't be arsed to argue with you this time. I need something to bite on, get my teeth stuck into.

Come on extra can of monster and your there.

Pretty sure I read somewhere that it is a good idea to use 26" rims if you're going touring abroad as it is the most commonly used size worldwide and some places don't really bother with 700c etc.

Sounds great, but wherever you are in the world, everywhere else is abroad.

mountain biking over the last few years has hit a platue and finally got it right!

Haven't you just described the conception of 29ers? 'Plateau' by the way.

MSP - Member

Pretty sure I read somewhere that it is a good idea to use 26" rims if you're going touring abroad as it is the most commonly used size worldwide and some places don't really bother with 700c etc.

Sounds great, but wherever you are in the world, everywhere else is abroad.

Yes.... 😕

'This looks like a fresh, interesting discussion'

said no-one on seeing this thread.

Genuine LOL at work, causing a few heads to turn.

[i]I don't think the higher end MTB market will support three wheel standards for long[/i]

Oh really? Every manufacturer is going the same way 29ers for Hardtail and XC 605b for intermediate full suss so that everything from 120-160mm travel, and 26" for full on gravity bikes.

26" wheels aren't going to disappear, they'll just get their own niche. And meanwhile back in the UK well still be riding LTHT's and the rest if the world ( bar the Canadians who also "get it") will look on like an indulgent parent and when they think we're not looking, will do that twirling the finger around the side of your head sign....

605b

Have we just gone back in time .........??

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I am so unconcerned and lack any form of outrage on the whole bike industry wheelsize non-issue. I much prefer using my energy for riding my bike

"I don't think the higher end MTB market will support three wheel standards for long

Oh really? Every manufacturer is going the same way 29ers for Hardtail and XC 605b for intermediate full suss so that everything from 120-160mm travel, and 26" for full on gravity bikes.

26" wheels aren't going to disappear, they'll just get their own niche. And meanwhile back in the UK well still be riding LTHT's and the rest if the world ( bar the Canadians who also "get it") will look on like an indulgent parent and when they think we're not looking, will do that twirling the finger around the side of your head sign...."

Thanks for the "Canadians" comment !!! My wife and I still ride 26" bikes, all five of them !!!

Can we all just agree that the mountain bike reached the optimum with square taper BBs, 1.25" headsets, 8-speed cassettes (though I'm sure some will point out that was at least one too many), 26" wheels and hydraulic discs? Everything since then has been marketing led rather than to actually make our riding better. Suspension also peaked in about 2005, with no real significant improvements since - about the only new technology since then which has made any difference to the way people ride is dropper posts (I'll give you that one even though I don't use one myself).

All very true and that's why we are where we are at today! Bike sales were grinding to a halt so a new wheel size meant new bike sales, simple. Only 29ers are boring and who would want a 29er dh bike? Cue no growth of sales for companies like norco who sell in the AM market. The halfway house size offers some fun while still delivering fresh bike sales!

So long as people buy them they will keep selling them, so simple, just buy an old prophet from early 2000's which is near identical to a 2013 orange 5 and have done!

You choose, speed boat or canal boat! I know what I'd go for!

surely they knew years ago that bigger wheels would roll better

The 26" "standard" is historical. Mountain bikes have come a long way from their origins descending SoCal fire roads.

Penny Farthing

Really? 🙄

......but no, no no, the industry is getting too god damn greedy

Persuading people to spend their disposable income is called the "business". Where does your income come from, the tooth fairy?

big clumsy wheels have no place in my world of mountain biking

You've not actually ridden a modern mountain bike have you? Put a sock in it.