26 rear / 27.5 front - rad or bogus?

Plankosaurus

Spongeplank Dalepantski
So the big front little rear thing has come back around after 10 years or so, and it's got me a thinking.

My tracer2 is 26 rear, I don't like my chances of digging up a set of 275 dropouts for it so I'm just going to have to accept it as it is.

But I'm running a 275 fork on it, and I need to build a wheelset for my upcoming steel hardtail project, so pondering has happened.

While obviously not as trendy as the 275r/29f setup all the cool kids are raving about, this would achieve a similar thing right? Anyone reckon this would be worth the effort? Or do I just stick to the 26" wheels like all the other elderly folk and pretend other wheelsizes are nothing but a fad?

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DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
Are you that fast? I don't think I am therefore I stay with 2 the same size..
 

moorey

call me Mia
I’m going to try it on the tranny when I rebuild it. Just coz. If I don’t feel the advantage, I’ll go back to either full 26 or 27.5.
I like that it will slacken slightly, and with offset bushes, won’t lift BB
 

wkkie

It's Not Easy Being Green
Go for it. You're not going to kill anything...

Well actually, my mate that tried it nearly killed himself...

We did it to his Craftworks FRX and first run on it was at Falls. Heading to the start of Flowtown and came off the road inbetween the building. He got to the incline and there's a metal staircase there. Front wheel went up the slope and he wasn't used to the extra slackness and it tipped him off the back and he slammed his head on a metal upright of the stairwell. Helmet did it's job and he rode on for the weekend.

Anyway, cool story, but bottom line is, go for it. He was really happy with it after that said it made the ride much nicer. Not sure if it was the concussion or not, but either way he was happy!
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
ive had a bit of a try, both with 27.5/26 & 29/27.5 rear..I don't ride real big stuff but I don't fancy it, I like to sit forward & right with a steep seat angle & this makes it worse,

did make technical steep climbing with big roots/rocks slightly easier on both bikes with the bigger tyre up front -there aren't many peeps I meet who really appreciate a hard >10% gradient with some features thrown in, something that makes you get off the saddle of your SS,
[I did pass moorey rudely a couple of months ago in creswick whilst riding sweep for a xc race..abandoned my duties as said guy was giving me lip about SS'ers not keeping up..public apology]

didn't notice speed diff on the way down -but im not that quick anyways
 

Plankosaurus

Spongeplank Dalepantski
So I reckon I might give this a shot. Provided I'm not likely to explode the minute I step on the bike, what's the harm right?


Next question should probably go in the wanted section, but that's all the way over there...

Anyone got a Stan's flow rim in 27.5 for me? I'm after an older one to match the 26 I have here already, would be 25mm id and 29mm od

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moorey

call me Mia
Any exploding that may occur won’t be the bikes fault. I think you have demonstrated that clearly.
 

PJO

in me vL comy
While we are talking about different wheel sizes, can someone explain why this is called a mullet?

Mullet hairstyles are short at the front, long at the back. This would mean smaller wheel in front, larger wheel out back, doesn't make any sense!

Mullets are also business in front party out back. So the only way this is going to work is if the bigger wheel is the business end and the smaller wheel is the party end, is that right??

I'm not sure I fully get it. Not sure I fully want to...

 
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