Maiden ride complete (60k XC) and first impressions are good. Definitely smoother over the course gravel and hardpack and as a result faster. I was aware of the size for the first few minutes but it was never an issue and the bike felt lively and responsive The 2 x 10 drive chain worked well and was extremely quiet as was the bike in general meaning that the modifications to the internal cable/hose routing worked.
As for the comments about the bar ends and full suspension, I fail to see what the suspension has to do with fitting bar ends. I could understand if the comments refered to the intended use of the bike but not to the fact that it had full suspension. The bar ends are in fact a new addition to my bikes to try and give me alternate hand positions on longer rides (80 – 100k three times a week) and I would not contemplate keeping them on when visiting the forest or other more technical trails. However, the first ride with the bar ends showed promise and after some minor tweaks to the angle, should prove a worthwhile addition.
In brief, some of the hype about bigger wheels has some elements of truth to it and I fully recommend having a dabble with the different wheel sizes.