26" wheels in a 27.5" frame for kids?

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This topic has 16 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by cookeaa.

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26″ wheels in a 27.5″ frame for kids?
cookeaa
Full Member

Just eyeing up some frame options for the eldest’s potential next bike, happened on a reasonable VFM small sized 27.5er frame.

She’s only just scraping 5ft tall, I can’t see her rocketing up and I had planned to get an older 26er frame and raid the spare bin again (there’s a nice pair of light 26″ wheels waiting) but now I’m wondering if I can get away with bunging the 26″ wheels I had planned to use onto this 27.5 frame now, and adding bigger wheels in 12-18 months or so as and when she next grows. It might save me buying another bike later and we can spend a wee bit more time/money on fancy parts if this one’s a longer term keeper…

Or am I just being a bit too tight?

Posted 3 years ago

Bez
Full Member

I’ve put 26” wheels in a 27.5” frame and fork (in fact initially with a 26” fork), seems to work just fine—although it wasn’t really with the intention of later fitting larger wheels, it was because the frame was more readily available and it gives a slightly lower BB. The boy will outgrow the frame before bigger wheels become sensible anyway (but then I’m 6’4” and still on 26” wheels so can’t really see why 27.5s would make sense for someone who’s a bit over 5’).

Posted 3 years ago

rossburton
Free Member

Absolutely can, I did that with my son as I also had some nice light wheels going spare (Crest rims). Remember to use a 27.5″ fork so the axles are where they should be (or think about fork length/wheel size and what happens to the angles if using a 26″ fork).

Posted 3 years ago

FGF 701 The Hydrate Or Die Edition

chestercopperpot
Free Member

I’ve done 26 with 27.5 fork and 26 with 26 fork in the same frame without any problems.

Do it.

Edit: 27.5 frame BTW

Posted 3 years ago

BearBack
Free Member

Absolutely, and of course you plan to add appropriate length cranks anyway right 😉 so that’ll mitigate the little wheel BB drop and reduce pedal strikes

Posted 3 years ago

5plusn8
Free Member

if 24 in 26 works, (it does), why wouldn’t 26 in 27.5?

Posted 3 years ago

sl2000
Full Member

I’m needing to do the same soon, but not doing well finding a frame. If there’s more than one of the frame you found, please could you let me know what it is?

Posted 3 years ago

Mugboo
Full Member

I’ve recently mulleted the wifes 2014 Giant Trance for my lad for next year once he grows a bit more, It looks really normal because the angles weren’t crazy in the first place.
He won’t be tall enough for a while to ride it off road properly fpr 6-12 months so it should give me time to source the cranks. If I can’t he can use the 150’s I had made for his Blast build.

As he grows again I will put the 27.5 rear back in. Its just a shame that its Overdrive 2 so messing with stems isn’t too easy but the bikes is a small and its short by today’s standards, with a much lower seat tube than the size small Hemlock I had stashed for him.

Posted 3 years ago

5plusn8
Free Member

Its just a shame that its Overdrive 2 so messing with stems isn’t too easy

How does overdrive effect stem use? Its just a tapered fork with 1″ 1/8 at the top? You can use any 1″ 1/8 stem you want?

Posted 3 years ago

intheborders
Free Member

I put 24″ in a 26″ HT for my youngest, worked fine.

Posted 3 years ago

poah
Free Member

When I built up a mk1 transition scout for lewis I put 26 wheels on it. Just lowers it by a few mm.

Posted 3 years ago

BillOddie
Full Member

Yep – we’ve done that here too.

Just make sure you run slightly short cranks. But you should be doing that anyway. I’d be looking at 160mm cranks for a 5fter.

Posted 3 years ago

tagnut69
Free Member

WE bought our eldest a trek marlin for his b day last september, he is 145cm/4’7″. We got him the size XS and it fits perfectly with plenty of growing room, wheel size is 27.5″

Posted 3 years ago

davewalsh
Free Member

That’s exactly what I did with my Daughter. Small Ritchey timberwolf frame, 165 cranks, 35mm stem, slammed seatpost and 26″ wheels. She’s now on 60mm stem, 27.5 wheels and a 120 dropper.

@sl2000 frame will be going up for sale early May, drop me a PM if interested.

Posted 3 years ago

Gribs
Full Member

How does overdrive effect stem use? Its just a tapered fork with 1″ 1/8 at the top? You can use any 1″ 1/8 stem you want?

Giant decided to invent another standard and use 1″ 1/4 at the top of the taper so you can’t use a normal stem.

Posted 3 years ago

5plusn8
Free Member

Giant decided to invent another standard and use 1″ 1/4 at the top of the taper so you can’t use a normal stem.

They use larger dia bearings but the fork is the same, they use fox and rockshox forks, with standard tapers.
I just helped my mate change stems on his 2016 overdrive2 reign, it came with rockshox pike fork. I gave him my 1 1/8 stem. It fitted perfectly.
Granted headset replacement is probably a PITA to find one, but I promise you the fork is the same.

Ok You are correct, apparently ended when 2015 models came out.

Posted 3 years ago

cookeaa
Full Member

Prevaricated and missed the frame, back to searching again, but I shall broaden the search to include tweener wheel sizes frames, cheers all…

Posted 3 years ago