Just run it on 26″ 2.4 conti rubber queens ;o)

as above put big tyres on them for the ‘650B without having to change rims’ experience.

A low volume 650b tyre is the same size as a high volume 26″ tyre.

Make sure you have something big like the Rubber Queen or Ardents as mentioned and it probably won’t be that different from someone running more conservative 650b tyres.

I was about to ask the same question and foumd this. OP did you try it..or has anyone?

Just put enormous 650B logos on the wheels and tyres, like the manufacturers do- only way most folks can tell the difference anyway.

You’d buy a frame to bring the trail to life then kill the trail with old fashioned wheels? Madness..

Thinking of this myself…good way to allow me to ‘future proof’ my bike. Aside the drop in the BB height can’t really see too many problems.

I was wondering also, even if I got some new 650b wheels and forks for the new 650b frame, whether to keep my my 26″ AM/DH forks and wheels and fit them to the 650b frame for trips abroad where you know wheels will get dinged and forks scuffed up.

i was thinking about this earlier, because i really fancy this:-

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/commencal-el-camino-650b-disc-frame-only-2014/rp-prod109238

i have a exotic 29er fork already but 26″ wheels.

what do you reckon?

The BB drop is the critical thing. The Banshee Spitfire is very low slung, 4mm BB drop unsagged, adjustable +/-6mm via the dropouts, so with the droputs in the neutral position and 26″ wheels it’s 336mm (13.25″) BB height and with 650B wheels it’s 346mm (13.65″) BB height.

I wouldn’t go putting 650B wheels on a 26″ bike unless it’s very low as a 26″ because half the benefit of the bigger wheel is increased BB drop without a BB height so low you’re always pedal striking. If you just take a balanced and normal BB height 26″ bike and give it 650B wheels it’s like putting a footballer in platform soles and thinking it’ll make him better at everything, not just reaching headers.

With a full-sus you could just run more sag with the 650B wheels to get the BB down to a good height but how well that work depends on the suspension characteristics – quite a lot of modern bikes are designed to work around a certain sag for good pedalling and pumping without needing tons of low speed compression damping on the shock.

A Bronson with 26″ wheels!
Doesn’t look like a death machine to me!

I’ve realised that my next frame will have to be a 650b frame and I don’t really want to shell out for new wheels and forks and pondered the OP’s question, which led to this bit of research on B/B heights.

Nomad with 26″ wheels and 160mm Pikes = 355mm B/B (my current bike)
Bronson with 650b wheels and 150mm 650b Pike (same length as 26″ 160 Pike) = 346mm B/B
Bronson with 26″ wheels, 160mm 26″ Pike = 336mm B/B, which puts the B/B height at the same height as a Santa Cruz 5010 and 6mm higher than a Nukeproof TR275!
The angles would remain the same, but with a nice low B/B height.
I reckon it’d be a right laugh to ride!

Bet you don’t notice.

WHHHAAATTT??? you mean there’s no difference? Crazy talk

People seem to think the difference is about this much:

When in reality it’s actually about this much:

It’ll be fine. as many people have already said the like for like difference is pretty much bang on 12mm radially 559 Vs 584mm for the Rims…

but going for a bigger 26″ tyre will reduce the difference: A 650b wheel using a 2.2″ tyre comes out about 695mm OD (~27.4″) a 26″ using a 2.5″ tyre would out 686mm OD (~27″)