I’ve got all 3 sizes and ride all of them. The 26″ is the least used! 650 is great for racing as it has most of the rolling benefits of a 29er but the wheels and tyres are a lot (400g) lighter. The 29ers are brilliant as trail bikes as the big wheels help keep momentum. I’ve never liked full suspension bikes (cheating and also the squat/squish), so a 29er is perfect for trail centres etc for me.

Now there is a choice of tyres as well, 650b looks like a top choice.

GB

It’s as likely as them making a bike in any other year that suits “almost to a tee” what me and my friends are doing. As has been pointed out already, there was no science behind the selection of 26″ as a wheel size, it’s just that folk previously had to accept its limitations and drawbacks as they had little choice.

meanwhile at the bike dept of Mega Corp…

Marketing guru 1: What are Mountian bikers doing these days?
Marketing guru 2: Oh, strava, endomo, sharing long distance, enduro kind of stuff, all about the fitness, roadies doing mountain biking , mountain bikers buying roadie bikes
Guru 1: Are our bikes good for that sort of thing?
Guru2 not really, but there’s these guys out west building “29ers”
Guru1 sounds cool, can we get on that?
Guru2: Already on it, got SRAM, and fox signed up
Guru1: Excellent, right that’s bikes, what’s new in surfing?

One thing for sure there ae lots of bargain 26″ bikes out there for xmas 🙂

thisisnotaspoon – Member

Counter that with:
There’s no comparison at all between a 26er with fat tyres and 650b, they’re too different, so that doesn’t make a lot of sense does it?

But that’s obviously not the case, so.

meanwhile at the bike dept of Mega Corp…

Marketing guru 1: What are Mountian bikers doing these days?
Marketing guru 2: Oh, strava, endomo, sharing long distance, enduro kind of stuff, all about the fitness, roadies doing mountain biking , mountain bikers buying roadie bikes
Guru 1: Are our bikes good for that sort of thing?
Guru2 not really, but there’s these guys out west building “29ers”
Guru1 sounds cool, can we get on that?
Guru2: Already on it, got SRAM, and fox signed up
Guru1: Excellent, right that’s bikes, what’s new in surfing?

They don’t do they??

The bastards!!

Seriously what’s the problem? and what bike do you ride? 140mm trail bike with a dropper post??

Back in 2006 at the bike dept of Mega Corp…

Marketing guru 1: What are Mountian bikers doing these days?
Marketing guru 2: trail centres kind of stuff, all about the gnarr, brown pow, MX Boys doing mountain biking ,
Guru 1: Are our bikes good for that sort of thing?
Guru2 not really, but there’s these guys out west building “all mountain bikes”
Guru1 sounds cool, can we get on that?
Guru2: Already on it, got SRAM, and fox signed up
Guru1: Excellent, right that’s bikes, what’s new in surfing?

36 is where its at.

the “only using 26″ rims because they were available” story doesn’t wash with me, if gary fisher knew back in the 70’s that 29ers were some kind of all conquering god wheel why did it take 30 years for him to start making suitable frames?

I can see the 650b taking off think its envy who have dropped 26″ out there 2013 range. There are also a few companies making DH bikes with 650b on and an pro rider who rides the us tour is riding them next year. I also hear that peaty is testing an v10 with 650b, if someone as big as peaty decides its better it will take off big time. I see 26″ in the future just being for jump bikes and some DH bikes. My new Norco Range with 650b lands at the end of jan so I will be in a better position to comment then when I have ridden it. Good thing is if I don’t like it I can still stick my 26″ back on it.

on the 26″ thing, why did bontrager re-roll ma40’s rather than try and get someone to make tyres instead?

shep, OH, I know, I’m not claiming to be immune to it, I’m a consumer like everyone else, but I’m not afraid of admitting it. 5 years ago this was SS vs gears, 5 years before that vee vs hydro, 5 years before that riser bars….

Just makes me laugh that folk are still confusing “development” and “marketing”

No dropper BTW, rule 1: no ugly things… 😆

Can you just not stick 650b wheels on a 26 inch frame – as has been said, 2.4 tyres on a 26 inch will bring it up to nr 650b measurements.

And on most frames there is clearance.

Just being obtuse – isn’t the ideal then a 29 frontie and a 26 backie?

not quite, hydraulic brakes are massively superior its a quantify-able improvement.

SS are simply for weirdos or people from Norfolk. gears are simply common sense.

29ers belong on canal paths and beneath failed roadies that jump of and run down muddy hills.

650b. . .never tried them but i really can’t see the very very small increase in diameter making that much difference.

@mrmoofo trek did the 69er thing ages ago without all the marketing hullabaloo and they bombed big time, move on a few years add a few million in advertising and suddenly their the second coming . . .

29ers belong on canal paths and beneath failed roadies that jump of and run down muddy hills.

Say it like you mean it B45her 😉

trek did the 69er thing ages ago without all the marketing hullabaloo

and cannondale did a similar thing, 26 front 24 back a few years before that….