- This topic has 35 replies, 30 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by dantsw13.
-
Why Santa Cruz went 27.5………….
-
charliemortFull Member
http://www.bikemag.com/gear/exclusive-video-bronson-santa-cruzs-new-650b-trail-bike/
basically, because no one would buy a 26’er even though Santa Cruz can hardly tell any difference………. so it’t the market driving SC rather than vice versa (apparently)
(Solo still looks nice though)
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberSo it’s no worse than the old one? But it is more yellow?
BearBackFree MemberIts a good angle from SantaCruz… while other manufacturers get widespread grief for ‘forcing’ 27.5 on consumers and bike shops, SantaCruz choose the ‘we did it for our customers’ line.
Looking forwards to what Specialized’s press release will read once they resign themselves to selling an inbetweener 🙂
Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...theroadwarriorFree MemberShirley people are going to get bored of changing their wheel sizes soon and just go back to riding bikes??
JunkyardFree Memberstopped when he mentioned trolls- the start basically- it was clearly some marketing BS where he claimed he was not in it ffor the money etc
Ps that would be anyone who asks WTF with the industry doing this shit
I dont know anyone who rides who is begging for a 650 b or a 29 er tbh
roverpigFull Member“if you can’t tell the difference, why do you care?”
Err, because I’ve got a shed full* of spare 26″ wheels, forks etc that are now going to be no use for any new bike I might buy**.
*Well actually I don’t, but I bet plenty of folk do
**If you believe the “no more decent 26″ bikes are going to be made” mantra.
MoseyMTBFree MemberWell I will happily buy loads of great kit off the people who decide a different wheel size for them.
Win win for me.
fr0sty125Free Memberhttp://dirt.mpora.com/featured/dirttv-enduro-world-series-rd1-punta-ala-bike-tech-video.html
I remember watching this a couple of weeks back and when he said that 650b was worth 1 second per 3 minutes I was like well I guess it doesn’t matter to a regular rider if you go 26 or 650b as there are many other ways to gain that half of percent of performance.
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberErr, because I’ve got a shed full* of spare 26″ wheels, forks etc that are now going to be no use for any new bike I might buy**.
*Well actually I don’t, but I bet plenty of folk do
Maybe true, but people spending £1.8k probably aren’t adverse to spending £500 on some forks, and rims and tyres are pretty cheep.
And more importantly it’s yellow, I have no matching yellow kit! I’m going to need shorts, jerseys, backpacks, helmets, gloves, shoes! This is an outrage, I demand a return to late 90’s black anodised everything! I’m sure all this color is just marketing!
davidtaylforthFree MemberSanta Cruz should have shut up shop along time ago. They havent made a decent bike since the original Chameleon/Blur/Bullit/Super 8
NorthwindFull MemberI’m not a 650b convert at best but the product launch for the Solo nailed home to me just how uninteresting it all is… I saw the exciting new bike, i couldn’t tell what was supposed to be exciting about the exciting new bike, finally a nice person explained that it was a Blur with a bit of extra marketing woo. They really could have just put “650b” stickers on the old bike and nobody would know.
discoduckFree MemberI’ve come to realise that I’ve been into Bikes / Biking for quite some time !
I’ve already witnessed Flouro bikes once, now they are coming back round again, likewise and i’ve said it before on here but there are those that will remember the Raleigh Bomber, which was basically a Clunker and the pre requisite to MTB’ing !
That had wheels that were probably some where between a 26’er and a 29’er,I feel old, and confused ! i’ve been riding santa Cruz bikes for nearly 15 years, i’m not sure i like the awkward looking none drive side brace and if i dont gain any more speed by riding 26″ wheels then i’ll be happy in the knowledge that theres no where in the Country i’ve not been on my 26″ wheeled steed !
JunkyardFree MemberI have an Orange 5 it has basically not changed since i bought it so what incentive is there to upgrade..none till they changed the tyre size
Its not like a non MTB nut is going to spend that price on a frame is it and the the new forks and wheel and tyres and neither will most unless they get convinced it will be better……now we know it is 1 second every three minutes.On the plus side
Loads of cheap 26 er stuff as they upgrade and then in 3 years either some cheap 650 b or 29 er stuff second hand or we are back to 26 ” and we can just look on smuggly.It may be better it may not but for sure the industry needs something new and the later is the more important factor…its not like fat bikes will catch on is it 😉
b45herFree Memberwell at least they’re honest, no one would be able to tell the difference between 26 and 650b if the bikes and tyres didn’t have 650b emblazoned all over them.
ninfanFree MemberJust looked in my shed
4 pairs of 26″ wheels, 3 sets of 26″ forks, 3 26″ frames, about 30 inner tubes in a box, around a dozen 26″ tyres in varying stages of wear
650b can wait 😆
mattzzzzzzFree MemberProbably more our cousins across the pond are pushing this more than we are, so wait a year or two and we will all be buying them
BearBackFree MemberI dont know anyone who rides who is begging for a 650 b or a 29 er tbh
Probably more our cousins across the pond are pushing this more than we are
Yep, particularly SoCal riders.. where, coincidentally, SantaCruz are based.
wobbliscottFree MemberProducts change and develop for many reasons, its not always because there is a clear desire from the consumers or even a clear benefit in the performance of the product. For those of us who have made the switch the benefits are clear, and on balance worth it, but I certainly wouldn’t say it’s a step change improvement, certainly not enough to sell your perfectly good 26er for. It seems to me that we’re heading for a two wheel size future. And it probably won’t include 26″.
Wheel size alone does not define a good bike. There are some shit hot 29ers out there ad well as some crap ones. As is the case with 26ers and 650b’ers
butterbeanFree MemberIf you go into a shop that is at the Santa Cruz end of the market & have a chat with them you will have an eye opener.
Enquiries for 26″ wheeled bikes have literally fallen off a cliff over the last few months. The demographic of these shops is very different to the people on here.
Again, the article that Chipps posted on here is on the money. People (of any note) arn’t designing, or developing any 26″ bikes any more. Bikes that had been signed off for 2014 production that were 26″ have been pulled & redesigned for 27.5″.
It’s already happened. Quite frankly, it’s amazing, considering how f*cking useless the bike industry is at doing anything with any haste.
And yes, the difference is mininal. I have a 26″ Specialized Butcher Control 2.3 on front of me inflated to 30psi. It’s diameter at the highest point is 27.1″. I also have a 27.5″ Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.35″ on the same rim (obviously a 27.5″ version) also inflated to 30psi. The diameter of that is 27.6″ at the highest point.
rOcKeTdOgFull MemberrOcKeTdOg said: On June 9, 2013
RIP 26? you will be remembered fondly, we had some fun times together, go now and play forever on the dusty singletrack in the sky *wipes away tear*JCLFree MemberI also heard a 3 model, 4 size, 26″ carbon main triangle moulds worth major $ were trashed at the last minute.
scaredypantsFull MemberThey’re going to regret this in the end I think – assuming they push for BOTH 650 and 29, they’ll end up with frames that can easily take both wheels and adjustable travel shocks so your 29er short-travel bike can also be a 650 longer travel
only one frame, 1 fancy fork & shock and 2 sets of wheels – ace
HounsFull MemberI like choice. I don’t like being bullied in to buying a bike with a wheel size I don’t want.
My tired old SC Blur LT frame will be upgraded later this year, I don’t want to be forced to buy 27.5″. We all know that in a few years when the market slows down again that a brand new super awesumz wheel size will come out. This will be pushed by the press, manufacturers will only produce this size, we will have no choice but to eventually upgrade to this size and spunk loads of cash on doing so.
Only good side about this is that I’ll probably be dead when the industry decides that 72.3899921″ wheels are where it’s at
ninfanFree MemberWe all know that in a few years when the market slows down again that a brand new super awesumz wheel size will come out. This will be pushed by the press, manufacturers will only produce this size, we will have no choice but to eventually upgrade to this size and spunk loads of cash on doing so.
Yup, but we’ll be back to 26″ again – you can see it now, “stiffer, stronger, lighter, more responsive, faster accelerating – its a revelation”
messiahFree MemberI’m thinking of buying a 27.5 frame to run 26 wheels in… the 2.4 and 2.2 Conti RQ tyres I like are so faffing huge they may as well be 27.5’s. By running a 27.5 frame I’ll get the bottom bracket back down to a more sensible height than when running these tyres with normal 26″ frames which were/are designed for smaller tyres.
Probably won’t be a Santa Cruz; although at last they have decided to build frames with decent lenght top tubes so thay may fit me now 🙄
Kryton57Full MemberI’m (back) at the point where I’m looking at all the nice bikes on display. Wheel size is not in the equation.
mikewsmithFree MemberMy tired old SC Blur LT frame will be upgraded later this year, I don’t want to be forced to buy 27.5″.
Just get the new 26″ wheeled Blur LT with some new tweaks for this year.
They are still selling and releasing 26″ bikes in the areas I like (TR/LT/Nomad/Heckler) the 650 seems to compliment that and means that if it dies as a fad then they can go back fairly easily.
catvetFree MemberThere will be no 26 ers soon just as Orange have ditched the Five 26 er, all companies will go the same way, save up and buy into one of the 2 new wheel sizes 27.5 or 29, game over.
PacemanFree MemberI’m pretty sure Orange are selling the Five in all three wheel sizes for 2014.
However in the long run I reckon we’re going to end up with adjustable geometry frames / forks coming out that will work with both 650b/27” and 29er; i.e. you change your wheelsize for intended purpose, sticking the 29er wheels on for marathon/race with smaller lighter tyres, and the 650b wheels on for all-mountain/enduro use with bigger tyres on and more mud clearance etc. The technology exists already for this and it seems to me we’re going to have to accept it like it or not.
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberThere will be no 26 ers soon just as Orange have ditched the Five 26 er, all companies will go the same way, save up and buy into one of the 2 new wheel sizes 27.5 or 29, game over.
Why though, my Pitch is now nearly 3 years old, it’s not worse than when I bought it. It’s actualy better with a few upgrades. I’ll keep riding that and it’ll remain just as good for the next 5 year when I expect it’ll eventualy die either of catastrophic failure, or just not being worth paying for shock serviceing and bearings that’ll probably be cost more than the frames worth by that point.
I may get a 650b bike in the meantime, but dear god I won’t make such a fus about it as some people on here make about not getting one!
I reckon we’re going to end up with adjustable geometry frames / forks coming out that will work with both 650b/27” and 29er
Can’t see it hapening, the forks would be the wrong offset for starters. Why would I want a frame, that’s too light to really want to test it downhill, but too heavy for XC, and takes an hour and a bit to swap over parts, change shocks, adjust geometry each time I want to ride it?
PJM1974Free MemberI do wish that bike companies would stop – literally as well as figuratively – reinventing the wheel.
Having said that, 27.5″ appeals far more than 29″.
dantsw13Full MemberSod performance – my 26″ Heckler fits in the back of my XC90 with the wheels on – but only just. A 29’er or 650b probably wouldn’t.
The topic ‘Why Santa Cruz went 27.5………….’ is closed to new replies.