27.5 is dead

safreek

*******
Just dawned on me what powers this constant change of standards, just been listening to the kinks (not Lola related) dedicated follower of fashion, says it all. Flower to be looked at :D
 

Scotty T

Walks the walk
26 looks like a kids bike among a bunch of bigger wheeled bikes, saw it today on the trail and they really did look small under an average sized bloke. Only the one in a bunch of ten coming up the firetrail, stood out like the proverbial.
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
27.5 isn't dead, but I dont think I'll ever buy another one.... (thats code for someone to put a bargain of a 27.5 that I can't resist)
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Height has a lot to do with this. Tall people look weird and ungainly on 26" wheels and XXXXL frames look odd with little wheels. Overly not tall people struggle on 29ers. Normal sized people can have all three...
 

Cropduster

Likes Dirt
Height has a lot to do with this. Tall people look weird and ungainly on 26" wheels and XXXXL frames look odd with little wheels. Overly not tall people struggle on 29ers. Normal sized people can have all three...
I'm 5'3" i ride a 29er with no problem whatsoever. Sold my 650B hardtail too
 

rextheute

Likes Bikes and Dirt
My only concern with the bidder wheeled bikes is , well I’m short - ish and fairly robustly built - so I always think the bigger wheels look spindly .
I know they are strong enough but do they flex ?
My 27.5 have been great still round and stuff .
 

Cropduster

Likes Dirt
My only concern with the bidder wheeled bikes is , well I’m short - ish and fairly robustly built - so I always think the bigger wheels look spindly .
I know they are strong enough but do they flex ?
My 27.5 have been great still round and stuff .

Mine haven't but then i'm not exactly fast, i certainly don't load it up like some guys do! Mine are Easton XCT 70 i think and are light on spokes too, but it's mainly an XC bike, not a downhill bomber
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
The XTC original rear wheel flexed, but running 28 spokes instead of 32 would not help. TheDT Swiss that replaced them were fine and the Cannondale wheels feel quite strong. The 650b on the Bronson are as stiff as anything I have ridden on.
 

Hal-9000

Likes Dirt
27.5 is dead.... If your dumb enough to just follow the marketing twats. Rode today with mates on brand new reign 29ers... I'm on a 2019 27.5. All bikes with 160mm front/ 150 or 146mm rear.
They were not faster than me nor do I think they had any more fun. One thing I did notice was how much momentum the 29ers lost around the tight uphill switchbacks despite them being smooth and quite groomed, they just couldn't maintain speed and I was braking up hill to avoid hitting them.
I also ran my bike in the steeper of the two settings and despite being told that slacker is better, I kinda preferred the steeper setting at the bike park we rode at. Go figure!

Don't be a blind sheep hearded by a twat in a suit.
 

nzhumpy

Googlemeister who likes bikes and scandal
2. Rode today with mates on brand new reign 29ers... I'm on a 2019 27.5. All bikes with 160mm front/ 150 or 146mm rear.
They were not faster than me nor do I think they had any more fun.

Don't be a blind sheep hearded by a twat in a suit.
Bugger me...have we not figured out wheel size has nothing to do with the amount of enjoyment we get out of our game of bike...end of the day it doesn't really matter , some people can ride others struggle a bit. Just because you were tailgating mates and you were up their clacker had probably zero to do with different wheel sizes.

You say you're mates were on brand new rigs, give them a few weeks to ac-customise as you need to figure out how to give them a bit of body english but after that when they'll be at the the bottom of the hill before you chances are you'll all had the same amount of fun.
 
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