And its more fun as it can tackle even trickier terrain, leaving an even bigger grin on ones face!!

Upgrade you say??

The inside line is that 650niners are where it’s at – the 29-inch front wheel eases over everything – I’ve actually rolled over a three-foot wall using my early prototype – while the 650b rear combines the flicky rear-end steering response of a 26″er with the implacable stability and fast-rolling speed of a 27″er. It’s a win/win all round. The rear end is faster than the front by some margin, but having said that, it can only help with braking on the front end where it really matters.

Industry insiders promise that the format will give all the benefits of 29″, 650b, 26″, 24″ and 33″ wheels with none of the downsides. The bike is lighter than a 29er, but more colourful than 650b.

One source inside a major US bike brand claimed that specially designed 650niner wheel-sets with format-compatible hoops will rapidly become the new standard with consumers confused by the choice between the two being able to embrace both.

I did think about 69ering my big bike- after all, it’s got 160mm front travel and 120mm rear as it stands which people tell me makes it a 140mm bike, so fitting a 29er front wheel would make it a 650b, right? And that way it’d have all of the advantages of 29 and 26, and none of the disadvantages, and would no longer be obsolete and unridable.

did think about 69ering my big bike- after all, it’s got 160mm front travel and 120mm rear as it stands which people tell me makes it a 140mm bike, so fitting a 29er front wheel would make it a 650b, right? And that way it’d have all of the advantages of 29 and 26, and none of the disadvantages, and would no longer be obsolete and unridable.

No, because the new wheel standard requires not just a 29″ and a 650b wheel, but wheels which are mutually compatible to meet the strict requirements of the format. Without a 650niner standard wheel-set, you risk unbalancing your bike and ultimately death. HTH.

I see you’ve thought it all through better than I have, I shall henceforth give up bicycling. Damn you 650niner!

No wait! I could fit a 650 rear wheel, it’d go in the bike as long as I fitted a rubber band instead of a tyre. But that’s still got to be better than that ridiculous 26 inch, right?

get out there and ride one !!!

No wait! I could fit a 650 rear wheel, it’d go in the bike as long as I fitted a rubber band instead of a tyre. But that’s still got to be better than that ridiculous 26 inch, right?

With a little gentle persuasion, you may even be able to force an obsolete 26″ tyre onto the rear 650b-650niner format rim. One of the advantages of the 650niner-650b compatible rim is that in reality it’s not quite the same size as a conventional 650b rim, instead it falls somewhere between 26″ and 27″ which combines the strengths of both formats, but with none of the weaknesses.

In fact using a conventional 650b standard tyre maybe be dangerous and even fatal due to the loose tolerances involved. Ideally you would purchase one of the many new 650niner rear standard tyres shortly to become available. Bear in mind though that the front standard tyre will be too large and using it could well cause serious death.

You would be best of selling the Five and buying a better bike.

You would be best of selling the Five and buying a better bike.

I can’t believe it took almost two full pages for the haters to put in an appearance. Standards are slipping.

I am surprised to.

Funny part is I reckon most that post on here will be on 650 (if on trail bikes) when they next change bikes!!

What I should of said is, it doesent matter what size wheel it has, you can’t polish a turd.

So post your wonder bike so we know what the best ride!!!

Anything with a suspension design that works better than a single pivot. I am riding an inbred which is about 8 years old now. Its not “the best ride” and I dont have any photos of it in my back garden or leaning against something on top of a mountain, I stopped doing that about twenty years ago.

Not the old “it’s a single pivot therefore it’s crap” argument surely. I don’t know why but I was hoping for something better than that.

Love the old “single pivot is crap” argument. Does anyone actually still believe this?

Just me then.

catvet – Member

Funny part is I reckon most that post on here will be on 650 (if on trail bikes) when they next change bikes!!

I’m pissed off about the whole 650b farce but still, I’m not likely to buy another 26 inch frame. Anything else would be cutting off your nose to spite your face. No doubt there’ll be some folks that end up the equivalent of vinyl afficionados.

I’m pissed off about the whole 650b farce but still, I’m not likely to buy another 26 inch frame. Anything else would be cutting off your nose to spite your face. No doubt there’ll be some folks that end up the equivalent of vinyl afficionados.

Does that not depend on if you want something that has lighter and stronger wheels, is more manoeuvrable and has a stiffer frame (Like a 26) at the expense of better rolling over 27.5/29 sized holes and bumps?

I have a 29er and a 26er and I like both for different reasons. The 29er is dead fast and rails around corners. The 26er is much easier to chuck around and puts a big smile on my face. In my opinion most people would be better off on a 29er if they are not getting their wheels off the ground instead of 650b. Buying a 650b seems a bit of a cop out. Kind of like saying I am too rad for a 29er but secretly for the riding that they do a 29er would have been the best choice.

ah an 8yo Inbred.
Thanks for posting