Yes it has been done before 🙄 but but…

Most defiantly the future one would say,26 is dead on its bum.

and 650b will take over from now on,which makes sense and should have been done years ago.

I’ll see your pooch and raise you a cat

Ok… I see your cat counter with a Baboon

But… Krampus 29+. 3.8 on 26. 2.4 on 29. All make 650b look like a tiny gesture barely worth the effort.

And a bum…

I do wish the industry could settle on size and be done with it. I don’t care which.

The bike industry has always been drawn to pointless middle-of-the-road compromises that please nobody and achieve nothing apart from requiring new parts… 650B is the new QR15. Let this new disaster come, it makes but one more.

The contents of my shed and the thousands of pounds I have invested on 26″ wheels, frames and forks over the last lord knows how many years begs to differ.

650b marketing

As said in a Bike Mag piece last year – the companies hyping 650b are those that missed the 29er boat. A big 26″ tyre comes pretty darn close to 650b. 26″ isn’t going away. Installed base, innit?

And a big 650b tyre comes pretty darn close to 29″ innit?

One big advantage of 650B is that it allows people who jumped on the 29er wagon and now regret it a chance to go back to smaller wheels without admitting they were wrong. It’s still bigger (just not enough to actually make any difference).

Although, I suspect that Northwind has got it pretty close to the mark too.

Yes it has been done before

Thread closed.

If you want big wheels, buy a 29er.

word on the inside is all the companies are going this way and that is that 😕

To quote the OP …..

Yes it has been done before 🙄

So why do it again 😐

If you want a reaction why not start another 911 thread 😉

And a big 650b tyre comes pretty darn close to 29″ innit?

No it is much closer to a 26er, barely worth the bother…. See picture above between arses.

And you are all wrong 29+ is the future. Lets not forget the latest “standard”

word on the inside is all the companies are going this way and that is that

Does this include “Niner”?

There is no profit in riding old bikes… you need to buy new bikes… our new bikes… so we show you a new wheel size which we say is better than the old wheel size… and were going to stop with the old wheels size so you have to buy a new bike.

“Most defiantly” you say. Hmmm…

70mm stems are dead on their bums, 75mm is just too long, we need 72.5!

that’s rubbish, real proper bikes have stems of 110 or more;-)

If you want a reaction why not start another 911 thread

911 is dead

n Korea now 😉

may have meant 29er been done before too much 🙂

that’s rubbish, real proper bikes have stems of 110 or more;-)

+1

but with 29″ wheels.

70mm stems! My god, I thought we’d moved away from huge long stems. 🙂

I will not pass judgement till I’ve spent time on 650b. But that picture above comparing the wheels does bias me alot. And the fact that I’ve lots of 26″ wheels.

Last time I checked I’d never had a problem with 26″ wheels. I’d not died and I ride at the limit of what I feel capable of (quite often a bit beyond that too).

Why would I go 650B?

bikeind – Member
word on the inside is all the companies are going this way and that is that

Not if we don’t buy them it’s not. They can only sell what we buy at the end of the day.

If they discount it enough we will buy into it (never mind the consequences) 🙄

What is the problem with 26 inch wheels again?

Not new enough.

Ahh I see. Apparently I was told by someone that had them that 29 inch wheels really smooth out the trail and take all the bumps away, he seemed really keen. I couldn’t help thinking that very smooth trails sound a bit like roads?

911’s a joke in your town.

nealglover – Member

If you want a reaction why not start another 911 thread

The conspiracy industry has declared 911 is outdated, it’s all 912.5 now.

Ahh I see. Apparently I was told by someone that had them that 29 inch wheels really smooth out the trail and take all the bumps away, he seemed really keen. I couldn’t help thinking that very smooth trails sound a bit like roads?

Ha, well, it’s the irony of those of us who ride mountain bikes for a passtime rather than laptimes (most of us I suspect). We want to ride interesting terrain, and buy a bike that suits that terrain. Then for some it’s too easy so they make the bike ‘worse’ to make it more fun, like running hardtails or rigids when suspension is available, or singlespeeds when gears are available.

Some enjoy climbing, while others just see it as the way to reach the next descent, some like speed, some like nadgery techy bits, some like jumps, some don’t – the idea that there is one perfect wheel size for this passtime is laughable. Just make sure you have wheels, and you’ll have fun.

Excellent summation klumpy.

If I made my local(ish) trails easier I’d go faster, have less fun and probably break some bones. 18″ unicycle for me next

Whereas for me (at the moment) it’s all about being able to access as much of the mountain as possible. There are still lots of (natural) trails nearby that I can’t ride down (but more skilled riders than me can). With time I’m sure I’ll learn to ride them, but if a new bike (or a new wheel size) lets me get down them safely now that’s quite tempting too. After all, there is always something even bigger to tackle round the corner.

I was told by my LBS last week (with a straight face) that 650b:
a) had all the advantages of 29″
b) were virtually the same size (and therefore weight) as 26″

They sound magic to me.

I overheard a chap at the hub at glentress, who had put really skinny tyres on 650B, which he reckoned took away all the disadvantages of the bigger size. Congratulations sir, you’ve just invented the 26 inch wheel!

Whereas for me (at the moment) it’s all about being able to access as much of the mountain as possible. There are still lots of (natural) trails nearby that I can’t ride down (but more skilled riders than me can). With time I’m sure I’ll learn to ride them, but if a new bike (or a new wheel size) lets me get down them safely now that’s quite tempting too. After all, there is always something even bigger to tackle round the corner.

Wheelwise, I recommend a 24″ rear and 29″ front. That’ll slacken the bike up and allow the front to roll better – plus the bigger front than back is what every offroad motorbike has done for years.

Well 29ers have been around for… What over five or six years now so obviously it’s time to add something else to annoy us or think about. The mountain bike wouldn’t be where it is today without innovation (road bikes change very little) but some of things done over the years have thankfully been scrapped. We will no doubt be laughing at these tiresome arguments ten years from now when instead we’ll be discussing new bottom bracket/hub width or whatever other standards we must endure for ‘progress’ .