I wonder if in the future they’ll start ****** about with road bikes.

Was he on a bonus for every time he said new.

I wonder if in the future they’ll start ****** about with road bikes.

I think it depends how disc brakes go. If they realise they can sell loads of road bikes that aren’t UCI compliant then I think the metaphorical gloves will come off and they’ll start doing 30 inch wheels that roll over potholes better or stems that exit middle of the head tube for that “so slammed your brakes interfere with your bars” feel.

I wanted the Trance next year but not sure if I can get myself to buy one now.. I’m embarrassed to be owning a 650b at the moment.

So which bike manufactures still say 26 wheels are fine? I find it a bit strange that Orange moved the Five to 27.5 as I might have thought that Orange would have a loyal following and did not need to be up with the latest fashion. I am quite happy to believe that different wheel sizes have their strengths and weaknesses and have a 29er that is dead fast and fun but I also like my 26er as it is ace to chuck around, easier to manual, jump and pump so why I would want something in the middle I am not really sure.

If you do not like jumping and messing about so much then get a 29er. Funny nobody says a 27.5 wheel is the worst of both worlds.

Argh. Lovely CX bike, but I want to shove it up his arse.

He even says ‘Thanks Ben’ annoyingly.

I am surprised Ben didn’t shove that proprietary shaped seatpost up his bottom.

Anyways…

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYso1nU7lfE[/video]

What, you don’t have a fast seat post.
Although I have swoped mine over to mud post for the winter obviously.
It’s a bit more draggy but it’s worth it for the traction.

Where does this leave Niner are they going to have to rebrand?

Seven Point Fiver or Seven Hundreder doesn’t sound half as snappy 🙂

Giant guy “the future of off road technology” FFS 🙄

What, you don’t have a fast seat post.
Although I have swoped mine over to mud post for the winter obviously.
It’s a bit more draggy but it’s worth it for the traction.

Amateur.

Surely you’re going to swap it out. Possibly for something with a different colourway… 😉

I just watched the Giant guy again and he says:

“The best thing to do is a consumer is to test ride the three wheel sizes themselves and determine which one is the right one for them”

Right. So I do that and decide that 26″ is the best for me but the industry is going to decide that increasingly I won’t be able to exercise that choice.

I don’t doubt that 650b might well end up as the predominant choice in years to come and if that’s all there is about I will probably buy one if I do decide to buy a new bike.

What pisses me off is their assertion that they have run all the numbers and 650b is actually superior. His statement about the push for 29ers just doesn’t fill me with any confidence that they do any real R&D and come up with the “ideal” size. If that were the case then maybe, just maybe 27.5″ might be that number rather than 650b which isn’t half way between 26″ and 29″.

I find it a bit strange that Orange moved the Five to 27.5 as I might have thought that Orange would have a loyal following and did not need to be up with the latest fashion.

No but if people want to buy a new set of wheels, they’re not going to be able to buy a top end set of 26″ (not brand new anyway) so the manufacturer has to real option but to go with what the market dictates. That way when the customer comes to upgrade their forks, wheels etc, they fit the frame.

I am surprised Ben didn’t shove that proprietary shaped seatpost up his bottom

I can’t stand proprietary kit. Did Mountain Mayhem a few years ago, 3 of us in the team were on Specialized, one guy on a Cannondale. Seeing as Mr Cannondale was “laid back” about his bike maintenance, his bike naturally failed every bloody lap. Nothing else fitted – we had spare parts and spare wheels which all fitted our Specializeds. He had a bloody Lefty, 3-bolt rotors, that god-awful CODA kit. None of our spares worked on his bike.

for a given design, 650b is guaranteed to use more material, be heavier and flexier than 26… dudes be tripping, they’re selling us guff and smiling about it.

29 has its place and it makes far more sense to continue with 26 and 29 in parallel than squeeze in another size just for the sake of sales driven obseletion of existing standards.

We the people can change this madness and prevent the environmental fallout of all this excess material; don’t buy em… once sales figures show demand is distinctly dropping off and folk aren’t suckers for greedy bullshitters, their smug manipulations will fall flat.

We the people can change this madness and prevent the environmental fallout of all this excess material; don’t buy em… once sales figures show demand is distinctly dropping off and folk aren’t suckers for greedy bullshitters, their smug manipulations will fall flat.

Sales are falling and have been for a while…. Hasn’t stopped them so far!

From my point of view, I STILL haven’t heard a convincing argument as to why 29″ or 27,5″ is better than 26″.

Yes, I understand the theory – bigger wheels roll faster; they take more effort to accelerate but maintain momentum for longer; they’re slower to steer because of the greater gyroscopic forces generated. But that’s two positives and two negatives as far as I can see – which in theory cancel each other out.

Mountain bikes in the UK have had 26″ wheels for nearly 25 years. They’ve worked fine in that period. Why change what isn’t broken, unless it’s because you’re running out of original ideas and (no pun intended) you have to reinvent the wheel to give your flagging sales a boost?

I’m neither for nor against 29″ or 27,5″ over 26″; but until someone comes up with a cogent argument as to why I should change and not some marketing bullshit that has no scientific basis whatsoever, I’m sticking with 26″.

Sales are falling and have been for a while

They obviously think this is the answer!

My guess is that “twentysevenfive” is so similar to and indistinguishable from 26 that when people test ride one it feels familiar and good. So “650bee” is the one they go for.
So it’s the future!

So it’s the future!

Not for me its not!

My MTB is so obsolete it’s actually quite funny now.

26″ wheels (held on by things called “quick release”)
ISIS BB/cranks
Dual Control (flappy paddle) shifters
9 speed
triple chainset
25.4mm bars

I can’t walk into a shop and buy anything for it cos either nothing fits or if it does fit, it’s not compatible with anything else!

The seatpost is also a bit of a weird size – 26.8mm IIRC.

double locks 26″ full sus and single speed,
pats them and smiles, you’ll be worth a fortune in a few years my pretties

I’m so confused!
Is it “Twentysevenfive”? “twentysevenpointfive”? “twentyseveandahalf”? or “sixfiftybee”?
I always thought “twentyniner” now I’m hearing “twoniner”!

Seeing as it’s exactly 25mm (i.e. ~1 inch) bigger than 26 it must be simply 27.

double locks 26″ full sus and single speed,
pats them and smiles, you’ll be worth a fortune in a few years my pretties

Yep scrap metal is worth a fortune, that’s why there’s so many bike thefts

I’m so confused!
Is it “Twentysevenfive”? “twentysevenpointfive”? “twentyseveandahalf”? or “sixfiftybee”?
I always thought “twentyniner” now I’m hearing “twoniner”!

He also calls it ‘twosevenfive’ at one point in the other video.

Will a new Giant seatpost really bring my arse to life? That would be worth some cash.

Sales are falling and have been for a while…. Hasn’t stopped them so far!

I reckon this has hit the nail on the head. Don’t forget that ten years ago, full suss bikes were only just getting platform damping and disc brakes, features that were revolutionary. Since then bikes have had minor geometry changes, are a wee bit stiffer and possibly a few grammes lighter, but there’s nothing game changing.

Seeing a new Fox fork every year which promises marginally better performance for a pro rider but at a £50 premium over the previous year’s model is getting extremely wearing. As we’ve said before, the myriad models and axle standards are doing naff all to lower production costs!

I have three bikes, two full sussers and a hardtail. None of them are ten speed, none of them have Fox forks, none of them are 29″ (or 27.5″) and none of them are made of carbon. But I love riding them. As it happens the only new bike I’m considering buying is in fact a 26″er.

I sincerely hope that the big brands’ marketing people read these forums.

I sincerely hope that the big brands’ marketing people read these forums.

I don’t, have you seen the bikes that come up in “Show me your….” threads.

I’m all for options on different wheelsizes but there are too many biased views on both pro and con sides of the argument for it to be based on the opinions of forum users.

Also 26″ hardtails aren’t except from Marketing BS its just the Marketing BS YOU want.

Bikes have progressed loads since 29er came along, not trying one of the larger sizes based only on you not thinking the wheelsize for you is only going to limit yourself. There plenty of 29er/650b hardtails that are more fun to ride than some 26er hardtails. Choose a bike on ride not wheelsize.

The fact is, if you’re shit and slow, you’ll remain shit and slow regardless of the size of you’re wheels. The End.

I was on the outdoor pumptrack at the Manchester Velodrome. Theres three step downs- the third being unrollable IMO- you have to wheelie off (or whatever you call it). Anyway I watched a 29’er approach it waaaaay too slow and I cringed. He rolled it.

For me, at that moment I thought thats a talent compensator too far.

Going back to the original mountain bikes- it made it HARD. We’ve had it easier and easier. I think part of the fun is it being ‘just’ on control/abit hard etc etc, when you can roll stuff easier etc I don’t know.

All we have to do is not buy one…….

Bikes have progressed loads since 29er came along

Is this those oblong wheels Jamie mentioned?

I was on the outdoor pumptrack at the Manchester Velodrome. Theres three step downs- the third being unrollable IMO- you have to wheelie off (or whatever you call it). Anyway I watched a 29’er approach it waaaaay too slow and I cringed. He rolled it.

For me, at that moment I thought thats a talent compensator too far.

didn’t think they might be a better rider than you?

didn’t think they might be a better rider than you?

Better than Hora? Wash your filthy mouth out.

None of this matters.

didn’t think they might be a better rider than you?

Real men come last you know.

..Maybe but I wouldn’t have attempted to roll it.

Toe curling 650b marketing guff.

Agreed. All their inane wittering just translated in my head to “we’ve found a way to make all previous bikes obsolete and hopefully sell a shitload more”

I was camped by the BMX track near Vallnord when the WC was there, loads of the XC riders would drop by for some laps. It was pretty shocking how ungainly the bikes were, even in the hands of “pro/good” riders. I think I only saw one guy that managed to look good with his big wheels.

It was pretty amusing to see them getting schooled by little kids on their cheap bmxs.

All we have to do is not buy one…….

Good call, im in.

What I WOULD like to see Giant do is design and build beautiful bikes, bikes that I would like to buy. My XT890F(?) was my last Giant back in 2001. They make some bloody **** ugly bikes don’t they? I know their old 26’ers are supposed to ride good etc but boy they look cheap/nasty.

All their inane wittering just translated in my head to “we’ve found a way to make all previous bikes obsolete and hopefully sell a shitload more”

That’s what it means in their heads!
In mine it translates to “blah blah new bullshit new blah blah new blah new bullshit…”etc 🙂

They make some bloody **** ugly bikes don’t they?

Ooh, he’s got a point, you know

I was on the outdoor pumptrack at the Manchester Velodrome. Theres three step downs- the third being unrollable IMO- you have to wheelie off (or whatever you call it). Anyway I watched a 29’er approach it waaaaay too slow and I cringed. He rolled it.

For me, at that moment I thought thats a talent compensator too far.

FFS Hora, there were kids on CX bikes rolling that lot when the Rapha SuperCross was on at Philips Park last weekend. Even a few of the adults had a roll round it, there was one guy on a Kinesis CX bike getting some pretty good air. The track is doable on everything from BMX to hybrids!