I have a fat bike and the thing I like about it is the directness it has, with not having any suspension.

Recently bought a hard tail and it has the directness coupled with speed.

This has ended up with the fatbike being saved for that once a year trip to the beach. I rode it on my normal loop  recently and was surprised at how many pedal pauses I had to do to get my breathe back. With the HT you just keep pedalling.

So….does anyone know if 650 plus will fit in a  29 Scandal V2 frame ? Also  I’ve just discovered 26 plus.

The wheels are cheap on ebay and I could put them on my shopping  26 bike for a trip to the beach. Has anyone fitted them to a 26er or do they go on a 650b?

Losing a bike would be beneficial to my shed.

Lot sof fat bikes will accomodate 29 or 27 plus, might be the way to go

They’re sort of fat bikes for folks that don’t want to look ‘full attention seeker’…. 😊

People don’t ask about the tyres anymore they want to know if it’s a ….ING e bike. Grrr.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/650b-and-other-plus-sizes-if-you-like-rim-tyre-frame-fork-combinations/

Someone may well have tried the combo you’re asking after.

I hardly ride my fat bike after getting a plus bike. Almost all the grip, but less of the drag.

Unsurprisingly I am (a now ex) fat bike rider and I loved it for the grip (and more grip) and the ability to ride all trails all year but …. having test ridden a Santa Cruz Chameleon I am a convert and now minus fat bike and happily riding 2.8 to 3″ on the SC.

It has lots more grip than my old 29er, not as much as the fat bike (obviously) but feels like a really good balance to me for my sort of riding, so I’d say do it if it fits in the frame if not you might want to (Wallet be warned) test ride one.

James

I’ve been surprised by mine. Even raced it at the big dog this year despite having a 29 in the car boot. I just like riding it, the grip -but not at too much of a rolling compromise. And when we had snow earlier this year I felt like I was most of the way towards being on a fat bike!

I’ve also done a few 60 milers on it.

in real slop its skittish though. That’s the only downside but even then I dare say that something more suitable than a trailblazer on the rear would have held it in better stead.

I’m not going to claim to be an expert but I’ve just spent the last 4 days riding a fully laden old schoolSolarisMAX B+ across the highlands and back (including the Affric Kintail Way). At no point did I think I wish I was on another bike.

maybe when I was pushing it up the 5km stupid steep track over from Kintail I might have wished for something lighter, but not when riding it.

I’ve had one for about a year. Pine mountain and now a Bombtrack Beyond Plus. The Bombtrack is lighter and faster. It’s not much slower than my posh full sus on the downs and as it’s SS it is what it is uphill. I’ve not really had the issue of it being poor in wet conditions, round here nothing really grips so I don’t feel I am at a disadvantage.

It also makes an amazing noise when you are pushing hard and the tyres scrabble for grip.

I love it, and although it’s not full fat, it still gets admiring glances from little kids

What tyres do you have on the fatbike and what pressures are you running? A pair of jumbo Jims pumped up a bit will probably be just as efficient as a plus bike.

I must admit, I found plus to be a bit of a pointless compromise. Not as much grip, comfort or mad bulldozer through anything as a fatbike but still slower than a skinny one and still skittish in mud. I seem to be in a minority of one though.

I seem to be in a minority of one though.

Nope, I converted my spectral 29 to B+ a couple of years ago, it was awesome in dryish conditions, so much grip and ridiculously fast through rooty corners.

These conditions are few and far between in WoS though, and the rest of the time it struggled. It wasn’t really shite per se, but not worth pursuing really. Probably better suited to a hardtail as well.

I’ve done maybe 3,500km on my Krampus (might be more, but that’s what Strava says 😉), and its the most ridden of my 4 mtbs. I can honestly say I’ve never regretted sizing up to plus wheels.

For where I am in the SW, plus tyres are perfect. Sandy, gravelly, rooty, flinty, but never too sloppy.

Oodles of grip, especially since fitting a monster 3″ DHF on the front.

Reallyfast rolling too. In a totally unscientific experiment with my mate Joe on his standard 29er, we pushed off simultaneously on a fireroad downhill, no pedalling, and by the bottom I was a good length or two ahead. So must be betterer!

Not sure of this is directly related, but it might help with others thinking about plus bikes.

I’ve had many different 26″ rigid, HT and FS bikes over about 30 years riding so far, and finally ended up with N+1 being a fat bike a year or so ago.

Deliberately took it back to 3 x 10 with a stupid low gear and loved the way it climbed near vertical slopes and gripped everything. But it was a bit of a drag overall, so moved it on and built up a Dartmoor Primal plus with 2.8″ tyres and 150mm forks.

Seemed to give 90% of the traction the fat bike gave yet pretty damn close to the feel of a regular HT.

Then thought about how good the wheels would be in a FS, so bought a NS Snabb+ frame that allowed me to do just that. Combined with 140mm forks and 130mm rear travel, the NS is an awesome bike. Grip, suspension and not too heavy means it goes anywhere and always enduces smiles.

Trouble is, it was almost too good. Trails became a little too easy so I went a bit faster. Initially it felt great but speed doesn’t always equal a sense of achievement – that I like when cycling.

If all you want is a super fast plough through anything bike, then a FS plus bike is a great solution.

Me, I went to 29″ on the NS and put the plus wheels back onto the HT build.

Gives me virtually the same speeds on the FS but requires a bit of skill and dexterity and the HT rides great with traction given by the wider tyres.

Am also about to build my old 26″ FS bike back up from the spares bin, just to see if where I have ended up is progress or good marketing !

I’m a bit early to have an informed opinion this, but i’ve just gone from  short travel 100mm 26er FS (santa cruz superlight) to a short travel FS plus bike with 130 front, and 120 back on 2,8s  (marin vb-17).I’ve had one ride so far.

“If all you want is a super fast plough through anything bike, then a FS plus bike is a great solution.”

i was worried about this, and i definitely dont get chucked around like i did on some rocky bits on my old FS.. its a bit like going from HT to FS again in someways in that some line choices are less important. however they are on a fast tecnhnical trail i ran wide on the run out. that was first descent of the day, in the wet, unknown grip and not used to the SRAM way of shifting..its a slightly different style of riding. (i do sometimes ride a 26er HT as thats my backup bike, but right now it has a baby seat on the back)

other impressions

– its not boingy like a fat bike  (15 psi back, 14 front)

– it grips and grips.. although heavier than my old bike i can make technical climbs more easier. i have a new slightly smaller chainring coming and if i have it rght it will be even more amazing after fitting that. if i thought it was great in the wet, first ride the little chanring tweak should open it up a bit more.

– going from 26 2.35 to 27.5+ does mean steering is a bit different,and as i’ve done one ride in the wet vs several years with the old bike i’;ll get used to it.  standing starts arent hot either.

– gone from 3×9 to 1×11 with SRAM (no trigger shift) so i’ve got a variety of things to learn before i;m settled on it. mentioned chainring above.

btw my new ride will also take 29 wheels. ill be putting a 2.3 ish setup together for more XC type rides (basically turn the bike from a b-17 into a rift zone with a dropper)

 its not boingy like a fat bike  (15 psi back, 14 front)

Pressure too high then. Were those psi figures in the fat bike tyres?

From the other side. I had a Trek Stache and thought it was okay. Tyres cost a bloody fortune and I destroyed two rear ones very quickly. Even running tubeless I had four unsealable punctures in the space of six rides. It was also very interesting in anything resembling wet conditions.

The front tyre, 3.25 Vee Bulldozer, was brilliant, ploughed through everything and never had an issue. I’m now on a standard Cotic Flare and it’s a hell of a lot nicer to ride. Faster on everything bar flat bits too. YMMV and I may have been unlucky with tyres.

Re: the boing comment. What I mean is – it’s a good  thing that it’s not lke that

Hi Canopy,

If it helps when I had my fatbike I ran 6 or 7 psi so that might explain the boingyness 😉

James

Personally I felt like Plus is just a slightly bigger tyre, it’s as unlike a fatbike as any other normal tyred bike. Its its own thing and I wouldn’t consider one a replacement for another.

(I tried B+, thought it was just like 29er but worse, sold it)

I tried B+, thought it was just like 29er but worse, sold it

Heretic! Burn the witch!

ETA: 🤪

Having tried both, 29+ is far superior to B+. So much so, B+ wouldn’t even be an option for me. Either normal 29er or 29+.

I have a Whyte 905 and it’s my most fun bike by some distance. Bought in the spring so not had many outings in terrible slop. Loved the (older model) Solarismax I tried at a demo. They just steam along but found both B+ that I tried to be fun, momentum mainting and just a great experience. Annoying little flat sections became smoother without the tiny hits you don’t realise sap your energy and speed affecting you (as much). I love it.

Not or sure if I’d go full + on a FS but not tried it to rule out.

Does take a while to recalibrate when you go back to other bikes at 2.3!

I’ve just got a Scott Genius B+. It’s by far the quickest and smoothest bike I’ve ever ridden downhill and on ‘more techy’ general trails. It’s obviously not as quick as my 29er HT on smoother XC type trails. But by god it’s good fun, and you really can just point it in a straight line and ride hard, I don’t see that as a bad thing though, it’s blisteringly fast and that brings fun 😀. An all day bike for sure if that’s you’re thing.

Having tried both, B+ is far superior to 29+. So much so, 29+ wouldn’t even be an option for me. Either normal 29er or B+.

Well, for me anyway 😀

I’ve had 27.5+ and 29+ bikes in the last three years. Conclusions I’ve come to are

– 29+ is less fun than 27.5+. I had both on my Stache and I had a fatbike as well at the time. Just felt 29+ wasn’t quite fatbike but felt pretty unwieldy whereas 27.5+ was just like a HT with loads more cush and grip.

– Mud is a problem. I have yet to find a tyre that works in any way other than ‘oh a tree, I shall hit that’

– 27.5+ FS (Mojo3) was brilliant. I loved that bike. It was like a big BMX. How much was the bike and how much the tyres I dunno but I rode it 27.5 as well and it wasn’t as much fun.

– 27.5+ on the hardtail. I’m sold. I’ve had both versions of the SolarisMax and ran plus on them both. It makes so much sense on a hardtail. Loads of grip, not fighting clever rear suspension.

– I sold my Mojo3 because my 29er RipMo is just faster. And it’s usable in winter. I’ll swap the Cotic to 29 when the weather goes poo, but right now I have the best of both worlds.

TLDR; plus on HT are brilliant. On a FS, maybe a bit compromised.

Actually I’d agree with all of that /\/\

B+ is on the rigid bike

B+ full suspension is now a 29er, although at some point it’ll run 27.5 x 2.4

I’ve got the Pinnacle Ramin and love it. It’s the perfect bike for where and how I ride. It’s still a rigid bike but it’s as if the Marquis of Queensbury has stepped in to insist that the person beating the crap out of you at least puts some gloves on.

What with all the great weather of late I’d forgotten about mud!

you definitely need skinnier tyres to cope with this… great point Alex 🤣

I’m still a little perplexed by the whole ‘plus bikes are crap in the mud’ thing. I’ve used my plus bike through two winters now and there is a lot of mud where I ride – slippery top layer, claggy stuff, deep wet stuff, basically most types.

I definitely agree that it’s different riding it on a plus bike – it does tend to sit on top of the mud a bit more but with that comes less movement when the sliding does happen – basically it moves but it’s very predictable rather than breaking away. I’ve certainly found that I’m one of the quicker riders in the mud still. I suppose it could be how I ride somehow but the end result seems to be that it works well.

I’ve got a Ramin 3+ which I’ve squeezed 3″ Spesh Purgs in both ends. It’s brilliant! I normally ride 29ers, which are undoubtedly faster, but as a rigid all weather blaster it is great. The tyres don’t have a problem with mud either.

I’m on a purgatory on the front (NN at the back) too fwiw  – maybe that’s the solution to plus in mud..

I’m also perplexed by the mud comments. Yeah its different but I don’t find it any harder to control than any bike in mud.

I’m also perplexed by the mud comments. Yeah its different but I don’t find it any harder to control than any bike in mud.

Depends on the mud.

Fat bikes alternate between “this is f******* brilliant” as you leave everyone else behind with your limitless grip.

To “this is f****** insane” as you surf down a muddy chute unable to affect any input via the handlebars or slow down with the brakes, just sort of ski down and hope the run out is nice.

At least skinny tyres sink and dig in eventually even if it is hard work churning through the mud rather than over it.

Ive had the nipping along a nice bit of singletrack, hit a muddy stretch then the front wheel just wipeout sideways…

might be the tyre (3” WTB Trail Boss)…?

also, getting stuck in ruts, 3” (same) tyres don’t really want to leave ‘em…

I’m yet to see even a single plus bike up the golfy in winter, could just be a coincidence or it could be that everyone that tried it is in a shallow grave halfway down waterworld.

But the arrival of big minions and magic marys must have helped that? The real issue with mud earlier on was that almost all the tyres were delicate and ungrippy, to try and compensate for the downsides of plus- it wasn’t the plusness that made a nobby nic 3.0 shite in mud, it was the nobby nicness. But you can get actual mountain bike tyres now.