Giant pull the pin on 26"…

Because we want to pretend the 650 b tyre is bigger than it really is so ISO is out and 27.5 is a lie so 650 b leaves us with wiggle room for any kind of marketing spiel

I thought MASSIVE 26 er wheels were about 650 b size anyway???

I thought MASSIVE 26 er wheels were about 650 b size anyway???

Tyres? Yes. But only if you’re comparing low volume 650b tyres to high volume 26er tyres.

The rims are larger in diameter, so like for like tyres are always going to be bigger.

So all the same effect by using rubber queens on 26″ rims.
Oh wait, I already do that, on an anthem. So that makes me cutting edge and actually ahead if giant, on one of their old bikes doesn’t it?

qwerty – Member

Anyone know what Gary Fishers (the person not the brand name) view is on all this wheel malarkey? it’s all his fault.

650b is mostly kirk pacenti’s fault. Lets throw him in a volcano.

26-inch for sure, but 29-inch will be dependent on market feedback. That said, if the market progresses the way we believe it will, 29-inch will be phased out in approximately two years….again, totally dependent on market feedback.

I assume “market feedback” is a euphemism for “once we see a slowdown in sales as everyone has bought we’ll launch another wheelsize and get our chums in the media to shill it relentlessly”.

“We have not killed 29 in 2014, but it is minimized,” explains Juskaitis. “We are not going to turn off the tap entirely this year, but we do have plans to phase it out over time.”

That’s a pretty bold statement given that the tallboy was SCs biggest seller last year and Salsa seem to be on a roll with theirs. The Giant 29er fs bikes do look ugly though – perhaps they never felt comfortable fitting the Maestro stuff in.

Someone wake me up when the latest fad has ended, I’m waiting for flexi-stems to come back.

JCL – Member
Stick with your kids wheels and come back when you’re half as fast as this.

So he was faster than a 26″ down there? How many 29ers in the World Cup?

I’m shocked and appalled. What will Haymarket/etc publications* think?

*Change means new kit/sales up on mags to see whats new/what we should be buying…

im actually getting a bit peeved with Giant on this, i sold my 26 fs because i was told that the 29er bettered it in every way, now im being told that smaller wheels might be better after all. I think next time im going back to Specialized, at least they seem to know what they are doing and sticking to it (29er)

@ ratherbeintobago. I agree about best/worst comment.

I was just surprised that it took till now for someone to try and kill 2 birds (wheel sizes) with one stone. Up till this point it only ever seemed to be 26ers on the endangered list.

I’ve not tried a 650b to comment but I was happy enough with the choice of 26er or 29er.

I can’t believe all this guff from a big company like Giant. For years the whole bike industry has been happy to push 26″ wheels and it took an age for them to realise that 29″ might actually be better under certain circumstances.

And then as if by magic they are taken by surprise by an in between sizing 650b which seemingly has the best of both worlds. So you’re telling me that they haven’t got an R&D department which is investigating and developing this stuff over several years and deciding which is the best wheel size to go with?

If that is actually true then why would anyone want to buy a bike from such an inept company who it seems are totally incapable of any sort of innovation and are just following fashion tends?

So it’s pretty certain no 26ers unless dh ………….Rip

inept company who it seems are totally incapable of any sort of innovation and are just following fashion tends?

Remember that Giant are the biggest bike manufacturer in the world, by a long long way. They know exactly what they are doing…

What Giant do ….the rest will follow …..if they have any sense ……market leaders

I think next time im going back to Specialized, at least they seem to know what they are doing and sticking to it (29er)

erm.. I hear they’re not as committed-29″ / anti-650B these days as they were.

We were all happy on one wheel size for many years. We then realise a bigger wheel has some advantages, but some drawbacks too. So many are thinking a compromise size could be a good one-for-all again.

Seems reasonable to me, as long as it settles down and people are happy with their bikes. I think riders may like some choice for longer than the brands would, brands prefer less SKUs so one size will prevail eventually. I have a feeling 29″ will stay but could become more niche rather than the dominant wheel size.

I’ve only had my Trance 29er since February and they’ve already decided they’ll bin it in the next few years ffs! Maybe it’ll be a valuable rare bike in years to come?

Remember that Giant are the biggest bike manufacturer in the world, by a long long way. They know exactly what they are doing…

I agree, I was actually implying that their statement and marketing actions are being driven by something other than any wheel-based performance criteria.

😀

Sorry, I misread.

I think they realise the savings of one wheel size for their operation and reckon now is the time to do it. As said by others, its only a matter of time till the other big guys follow, that’s the way it works. There will always be a few smaller manufacturers to cater out with the common mass.

“So it’s pretty certain no 26ers unless dh”

Which says 29’er’s aren’t the tool for the technical riding only lycra XC and uber-talented pro’s paid to big up products.

Get 100,000 petitioners and get this raised as an issue in the Houses if Parliament…as its sooo important 😀

uber-talented pro’s paid to big up products.

Yes well they are just a marketing tool aren’t they ………where would they be without a product

Tom B – Member

I’ve only had my Trance 29er since February and they’ve already decided they’ll bin it in the next few years ffs! Maybe it’ll be a valuable rare bike in years to come?

i’ll give you £25

On a 80mm DJ hardtail they’d kick a good amateur rider on a 9k Nomad bike all day long?

They’re not …..Paid Pro’s ..for nothing 😉

I think I’ll nail together some 28″ wheels. That’s where it’ll all go the year after next.

Oh. Sell them to me. Thats niche. The latest thing isnt it?

Mountain biking = serial upgraders

Yes, of course I shall. They wont be cheap but itll be worth it. Compatible with 650b tyres with a bit of stretching and 29″ tyres using Velcro reducers and a knife.

They’ve gotta be better than 27.5″ and being smaller than 29″ much better than those too. And a full two inches better than 26. Winner!

I might apply to giant for a product development role.

Rocketdog check out this nice dent from Coedy…25 quid is probably too much!

Also with superglue and some sheet steel, compatible with all frame/fork sizes.

I really don’t give a shit what bikes Giant make.

Wouldn’t clown wheels be square?

Why do people get peeved that their bike is discontinued? It won’t make any difference to it, and parts won’t dry up overnight, so just keep riding it and enjoying it?

Orange 5 swing arm please – oh its discontinued

core – Member

Why do people get peeved that their bike is discontinued? It won’t make any difference to it,

Resale value is definitely a factor… A used Five lost about half its value the day they announced it was “obsolete”, partly because new stock went straight in the sales and partly because fickle mountain bikers don’t want the old model, even if yesterday it was the new model. If you bought a Five the day before they announced the 650b Five, you took a knee square in the assets.

Why does that matter? Well, for most people with a decent bike, the value of that forms a part of the budget for their new bike. If my last bike had taken a big hit on value, I’d not have been able to buy my current bike.

The other thing is just parts transferability- the wheels and forks in my hardtail have been in at least 4 different frames, but if I buy a new frame tomorrow I’ll need to replace both (and again, the old parts are already worth less). So again it hits you in the wallet. And ironically, will probably mean I buy less bikes/bike parts for the forseeable future.

If my new carbon frame fails in the next 5 years what will the warranty replacement be? I doubt however generous the company are that they will offer to give me wheels and forks to go with a 650b frame so I need to spend more to replace it. I don’t sell on my frames they normally end up in a skip so I’m not worried about resale but if you fund a new bike every 1-2 years by selling your current one the you might struggle to sell on what you just got. Conversely if Giant are stopping making certain frames the used price might be at a premium.

fails in the next 5 years what will the warranty replacement be? I doubt however generous the company are that they will offer to give me wheels and forks to go with a 650b frame

Jamis did when a mates Dakar cracked.

fails in the next 5 years what will the warranty replacement be? I doubt however generous the company are that they will offer to give me wheels and forks to go with a 650b frame

giant did when my mates 26 anthem snapped and they did a 29 warranty…prolly shifting old stock though.

oh and I would buy a 29r to complement my soul, as i think it would fit a different role in my riding. A 27.5, nah, can’t be bothered (As long as I can get tires and rims-which will be the foreseeable, at least).

did they buy complete bikes or frame only?

Giant are basically saying “Our suspension system sucks with 29″ wheels (18.2″ chainstays on an XC race bike? Ha ha ha…) but instead of admitting that our bikes are flawed in this respect, we’ll blame the wheel size”.