So when the wheelsize dust settles….

…and 650b has been quietly shelved, how are we to treat those poor, deluded early adopters?

With scorn, contempt and random acts of violence, which even a saint would agree was just;
Or with the compassion and kindness shown to a willful puppy?

Personally, I think we should string the bastards up.
SPLITTERS!

What do you think?

Can we rehabilitate them back into normal society?

You mean when 29″ is the norm?

presumably whatever you decide on they can impose on you if it turns out that 26 is as dead as a dodo

You mean when 29″ is the norm?

Nowt wrong wih hybrids for the freakishly tall (5 foot 6 and above) and the infirm.

presumably whatever you decide on they can impose on you if it turns out that 26 is as dead as a dodo

Nah, they’re too weak-willed for violent action, yer actual early adopter.

All told, karma will take it’s course as their puny rims fail to take an old skool hardcore pounding and fold in a world of blood and pain.

Then us with the sturdy antiques can cast a knowing eye and suck through our teeth at their distorted grimaces.

29″ is the norm for the normal sized

rOcKeTdOg – Member

29″ is the norm for the normal sized

Yes dear.
700c is lovely if you’re suffering from gigantism, balance issues and find it hard to ride a normal MTB.
I have no issues with your inadequacy. 😀

Those who have meddled with 650b however will have to justify their actions.

There will be a reckoning.

You’ve got me thinking

What will the early adopters be riding when we are all in 650b. Will they have gone back to 26 or will they have found a new wheel size?

Yes dear.
700c is lovely if you’re suffering from gigantism

Who wants to tell him?

hmmm looking at a new bike for gravity enduro series and the megavalanche

possibly to replace my dh bike too

dont think 29ers are up to that, fine for tow paths, bridleways and trail centres

at the moment (relatively) affordable bikes with the kind of geometry and set up im after 650b is more or less the only option!

its a pita as I need new wheels for my current 26er but dont want to get new ones if im getting 650b bike soon

and also means ill have to get new forks but my rc3tis arent available in 650b (and cant afford new ones anyway)

my head hurts

Go ahead.

Don’t say you weren’t warned. 😀

Take that man’s name, someone…..

important question do we get them with bombers or wee????

Hmmmm, seems in the last week quite a few manufacturers have annonunced 27.5″ bikes with no option for 26″ wheels.

All depends on how people spend their cash now

What will the early adopters be riding when we are all in 650b. Will they have gone back to 26 or will they have found a new wheel size?

S’obvious innit? 26 dies, 27.5 and 29 are the only choices in the brave new world until…. someone says “how about making the Goldilocks size that isn’t just too big or just too small? Here’s the brand new 28.25″ standard (*) – the best of both worlds. Guaranteed to be 0.2 seconds quicker when ridden by a pro rider down a world cup course, so you’ll all feel the difference on your local trails”

(*) or in metrics, as it’s half way between 650 and 700 it’ll be called 678 because that’s waaay more catchy than 675.

EDIT – then Brant can make a 45678 – BRILLIANT! 🙂

Hedging my bets with current build of 29er front 650 rear in an old 26″ frame 😛
The 26″ steel ht is staying though 😉

dont think 29ers are up to that, fine for tow paths, bridleways and trail centres

😆

Good joke.

I think they should all have to perform menial tasks for eternity at the feet of their masters – the manufacturers, the distributors, the magazines and the internets.
They will, after all, do anything they tell them to.

kimbers – Member

at the moment (relatively) affordable bikes with the kind of geometry and set up im after 650b is more or less the only option!

Which is a shame, cos the best tyres for that sort of shenanigans still aren’t available in 650b. No Barons, no Butchers, no dualplies… Hey, it’s almost like the industry has pushed into 650b ridiculously fast, at the expense of the customer, isn’t it?

I get my 650b tyres (2.35 Schwalbe exo snakeskin jobbies) from bike24. I got my fork from there two. I had to wait 5 days for delivery though.

It’s just the UK distributors that are being slow on the up-take I think. And charging a massive mark-up, as usual.

All sounds very wheelist and you need to get wheel cos 650b is gonna rule supreme.

650b is only there to keep the short @rses happy 🙂

charging a massive mark-up, as usual.

are you claiming the cycling industry is cynically exploiting its customer by forcing new standards on us as greater costs

May I just ask why you bothered to get sucked into it?

You are going to need some very conscientious and committed Size Spotters (let’s just call them the SS) if you are going to find them all and flush them out of society. To the untrained eye they look just like us you know!

Yeah, Schwalbe were right on the 650B bandwagon but they lack a good dirty-conditions enduro-type tyre. Hans Dampf is a decent effort I suppose but not a patch on the 26er options. I’ve run a cut spike for some winter events, no option for that with 650b either.

Things will catch up obviously but right now the new bike industry’s outrun the aftermarket.

Northwind – Member
Yeah, Schwalbe were right on the 650B bandwagon but they lack a good dirty-conditions enduro-type tyre. Hans Dampf is a decent effort I suppose but not a patch on the 26er options. I’ve run a cut spike for som

Magic Mary should be that, when it arrives, comes in Super Gravity flavour too, and can be had in Vertstar sticky rubber..

Rusty Spanner – Member
rOcKeTdOg – Member
29″ is the norm for the normal sized

Yes dear.
700c is lovely if you’re suffering from gigantism, balance issues and find it hard to ride a normal MTB.
I have no issues with your inadequacy.

Those who have meddled with 650b however will have to justify their actions.

There will be a reckoning.

Whatever Napoleon 🙂

I’m all for choice, not convinced about 29 (yes I have tried it, far too grown up for me) and I do believe 650b is a cynical marketing ploy.

I’m going to buy up old stock 26″ rims, tyres and spokes & 9 speed drive trains while I’m at it 😀

So will those of us who continue to deny the existence of anything other than 26″ wheels on an MTB have to migrate to the retrobike forums?

May I just ask why you bothered to get sucked into it?

I loved the bike; wanted it badly as soon as I demoed it. It was obvious from the off that it was something special. It happened to be designed for 650b wheels. So sue me!

Box at B.A.B, who bought one for himself, has sold a rash of Intense Carbine and Tracer 275s like mine to local riders, for obvious reasons that they are amazing. But apart from these, I’ve seen no other 650b bikes on the trails or trail centres yet.

About UK distributors:

using Hans Dampf 26″ snakeskin pacestar tyre as an example:

~£45, discounted price for a reputable on-line UK tyre seller
~£30, discounted price from Bike24

This type of 50% additional mark-up is not uncommon. It’s not the seller/LBS IMO, but the importer/distributor who is hiking prices.

wonder if the big 27.5 push will back fire? Will many people put off buying a bike this year just to see how things pan out first? Or will the early adopters* exceed them?

and is the lack of 26ers in many manufacturers 2014 lineup trying to convince everyone 26 is dead so they won’t “wait and see”?

*whether they be “must have new bike”ers, niche-ists, gullible marketing saps, next big thing-ers or just someone who fancies a change.

Oh dear, where do some people get their ideas from. Since when would 29″ not be up for the job? Plenty of people take part in enduro and Megavalance events on short travel bikes and hard tails and wheel sizes of all flavours, so how would a 29er be completely wrong for this. I’m a clumsy oaf at best, but am reasonably deft in getting down some pretty knarly trails – definately not trail centre stuff – and my 140mm AM 29er is by far more bike than I am a rider. Put a decent rider on my bike and it could go anywhere any 26er could go. Not saying they’re the best bikes for any given applicaiton – but what bike is – these arguments were going on long before different wheel sizes came around. 29er seems to make sence for XC, but it definately works for me – absolutely better for climbing with no downsides for gong down, certainly for me and the vast majority of people i’m sure. I struggle with 650B – just not a big enough size difference to deliver any significant difference either way – but i’ve not ridden one so will reserve judgement.

Utter nonsense, and it’ll never catch on.
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Love how certain 29er owners seem to think everyone else should ride them so they can feel validated in their decision to purchase one.

Jesus, it’s reached Hebden.

We’re doomed!

DOOMED!