26" wheels on a bike built for 27.5"

Topperharley

Topperharley

Likes Dirt
What happens? Slackened head angle and lowered bb height? More clearance?

Bike in question - Norco Sight Killer B

http://www.norco.com/bikes/mountain/trail/sight-killer-b/

Cool looking bike with wheels in a size i would rather not invest in. So, if i were to buy said bike and stick on some 26", would it work?

NB - This is not a question of what is better, I don't care, and there is plenty of argument on either side, people can make up their own minds about what they want to buy, I have decided 26" is the way for me, hence the question. Yes, there are many other comparable 26" bikes out there etc etc, but I reckon it's an interesting thought.
 
mik_git

mik_git

Likes Bikes and Dirt
There'd be a tear in the space-time continuum and we'd all be suck into nothing space...
 
B-Proof

B-Proof

Likes Dirt
I believe the HA would stay the same, and you would lower the BB height..

And your wheels would be slightly smaller....
 
Ivan

Ivan

Eats Squid
The tyre may foul on the chainstays, depending on the tubing arrangement.

If your going to buy the bike, why not use the wheels it comes with? :suspicious:
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
While every frame is different, I'm running 26" wheels on A frame sold as a 650b frame without issue. Running 2.4's instead of the 2.1's it was specd with, and bb is about right. I think it would have been too high running 27.5 wheels, but it's a 2010 frame, and I don't think they had their geometry shit together at that stage.
 
The Duckmeister

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
B-Proof said:
I believe the HA would stay the same, and you would lower the BB height..

And your wheels would be slightly smaller....
Click to expand...
Completely correct. Lowering both ends of the bike by the same amount would not affect the head angle. You'd only slacken the head angle if you only put a smaller wheel in the back of the bike, causing it to "squat" on that wheel.
 
4dabush

4dabush

Likes Dirt
Other than a lower BB and potentially bashing pedals more often, depending on the size of the tyre you run on the 26, you'll recover some of the difference...ie a 26 xx 2.35 Hans Dampf is probably one of the taller AM tyres, and its overall height is probably not much different to the smaller 650B tyres (the smallest 650B are about 688mm, a 650B Hans Dampf is one of the tallest at around 712mm compared to a say 26 x 2.35 Nevegal at 682mm).
I've gone the other way and 650B'd my 2008 Norco Six. What you would do is end up with 2 bikes in one in some respect...26 inch wheels for rough play and 650B for XC days, longer rides or races. From my view and experience, my bike is no different in many respects, corners/jumping etc, but much faster as an XC bike and rolls over roots and rocks easier. The biggest change is it is a much better climber. Also, tyres are a limiting factor for me at the moment (clearance and availability) and I'm finding the 2.10's are just a tad small, especially for a guy who rides DH once a week too. The Killer B has no such limitations!

So, good luck with your decision.. I'm a bit Norco biased, I reckon the killer B's would be awesome - better spec'dd and lighter than my oldie. Post back if you go that way and tell us the difference you find between the in-betweener wheels and the 26'ers.
 
MARKL

MARKL

Eats Squid
agentninety3 said:
Tick! Looking about a 2cm drop on BB.
Click to expand...
Difference in bead seat diameter is 25mm between a 26/650B wheels - all things being equal (tyre width and profile) BB will drop 12-13mm. I reckon that is sweet fa and the bike would be fine with 26" rims
 
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