Pace RC529, 27.5+ both ends – will I die?

Contemplating turning mine into a plus-sized bikepacking mule for the Baja Divide. Know mullet is fine, according to Pace. The 29” Pike on it can take a 27.5 x 3”, but on the shop floor, the front axle is nearly 2” lower. Wondering what that will do to the handling.  Anyone tried it?

Having run 27.5+, 29 2.6, and mullet on the same ht I’d never go back to 27.5 + all around. I wasn’t shy on low pressures either. Mullet ftw.

What Del said.

I really enjoyed B+ on both bikes I tried it on, but, it was fun, it wasn’t very good.

Also, it always felt like some pretty big compromises for weight/drag/durability- I started out with fast light tyres (A nic and a ralph or a ron I think) but tbf fast and light for B+ is not actually very fast and light, it ended up with low grip and poor durability, but still only midweight and fairly slow, it sacrificed a bunch but without actually gaining enough back. THe need for low pressures really made durability a worse problem too.

So I tried again with heavier grippier tyres and that worked- it had grip and trustworthy durability, and it was properly draggy and heavy but at least with a purpose, it could actually do something I wanted. Like, the difference between low grip and decent grip, and the difference between poor and reasonable durability, is massive, but the difference between a bit heavy and a bit heavier, or draggy and draggier, wasn’t as big. I never found a happy medium, the only way I could make it good was by accepting weight and drag.

I’ve no experience of that sort of long distance thing and I have no idea what the terrain is like but I’m assuming durability/trustworthiness is really important and that low rolling resistance almost as important? Also, availability? B+ is pretty much dead as a format, you can’t rely on finding it in a shop.

As far as the geo goes, can you lengthen the fork? Just thinking about that one thing in isolation here, not as a way to make the big picture work.

Actually, re-reading the op in very surprised by the difference at the axle. I think I measured ~ 20mm difference in diameter between 27.5+ and 29 2.3, which would add up to 10mm at the axle?

I just found the front would hang up in stuff on a + front that it wouldn’t in 29 flavour. For a long distance effort I’d be inclined to go 29 2.6 front and rear, or even 29 + if the f+f will take it. Or actually any 29er tyre you’re happy with.

Not sure why you’d do it. 29 back and front is great. Mullet for a wider rear works really well (it’s how mine is set up at the moment) for steeper tighter.
Smaller back and front seems a backwards step on a bike designed at 29.

Set up is on my rc529

I imagine there’s quite a lot of sand involved with the Baja divide, that’s why he’s doing it.

A 27.5+ wheel is smaller than a 29 but not by much, I’d probably get shorter cranks to compensate.

*Edit* OP, you are talking California yeah? Not the Badger divide in Scotland?

ETRTO Says that 650B is 584mm and 29″ is 622mm.  Thats 38mm differince in diameter which is 19mm at the axle.  I can’t see how the OP got 50mm difference in front end height.

@goodgrief It’s the Baja Divide, not the Badger, yes. Hence lots and lots of sand. (Squirming around on the odd bit of sand on the Great Divide a few years ago nearly did my crust in.)

BTW, I’m a she, not a he ;0)

@andyg1966 It was as scientific a measurement as a quick eyeballing of two different wheels side by side. Enough for me to second guess my original idea. That’s all.

Is a wider front tyre the cheaper option? Yes you’ll need to mullet for a wider rear. I’ve a 2.6 on the back of mine. The bigger tyre makes it quite hard to spot it’s a smaller wheel.

It’ll be absolutely fine. The biggest risk is crank clearance, as the BB will drop 10mm or so. Shorter cranks might help, but if it’s not too techy it probably isn’t an issue at all. 650+ has different compromises to 29er or mullet, seems like better compromises for the ride you want to do

Depending on how sandy it is, you might be able to drop a full fat fork, wheel and tyre on the front?