Which modern wheel size will win out?

[ishaw]

It's like Betamax vs VHS, or at least it seems so to me. I helped a friend buy a bike the other day and a pretty tasty cube something or other arrived at work and I helped him build it up. It was a 650b and in the past I have seen 29ers and thought they looked a bit silly, but this seemed pretty well balanced and not too far off a 26 inch wheel/framed bike.

Now I don't ride much and have just built a lovely pipedream with 26 inch wheels, but wondering if I should add a modern wheel sized bike to the quiver?

If so, which would be the better to go for?

Also, I have a ton of bits in the garage, so would probably be looking for just frame, fork and wheels (unless I decide to get some rims and lace some up myself). If I went down the route of frame and fork, would this work out as an expensive experiment and would I be better buying a full bike? Any places I should look at for purchase, or would second hand be better (aside from being cheaper)?

Any advice welcomed, even if it is don't bother, ride what you have, as sometimes that is good advice.

 

[sancho]

This will probably sound like blasphemy around here, but if I could have only one modern mtb in my quiver right now it would be a fat bike, the Swiss army knife of mtb's:

- they're great year 'round, but especially advantageous in snow, mud, sand, etc.,

- You have lots of wheels size options because you can also run a 26" fat wheel with a 29" XC wheel, two 29" XC wheels (and even 29+ wheels).

- 4.7" tires gives you LOTS of cushion (which is a big plus for somebody like me, who doesn't want to mess with suspension).

They're definitely not cheap, but with more products coming onto the market, the prices should start becoming more reasonable.

This pic was last week, with about 5" of wet snow on rocky/rooty technical single track. It wouldn't have been doable on narrower wheels.

 

[MonkeyPuzzle]

Honest/boring answer: it depends what you want to do with it.

- 29ers: good for XC and people who want to roll through/over obstacles fast.
- 650b: improved traction on 26", but with better responsiveness than a 29er. Probably best/quickest for downhill and freeride.
- 26ers: probably slower across a distance than either of the above, but still the most fun and will make you a better rider when you do swing your leg over something with bigger wheels.

I have one modern mountain bike and it's a 26er, as I'm not competing or trying to set any records, but just up for having as much fun as I can.

 

[MonkeyPuzzle]

Oh, Tom Ritchey apparently said that 650b was his preferred choice of wheel back in the day, but the far east manufacturers were already kicking out loads of 26" wheels and bikes, so it made sense to go with that. However, he may or may not have said this due to having just released the P27.5 - depends how cynical you are.

 

[coomber]

Build a 29er as they are cheaper at the moment than 650b - 29ers been around a while and bits like frames and forks are filtering through cheap enough now. Not quite the same with 650b, until a few years when more will be available. Still need to bear in mind that if you are looking for a decent second hand 650b frame and forks that they have only been mainstream for a lot of big manufacturers for 2014 in full, and so not many upgrades etc would have been bought in context to see many on ebay. You just have to see the forums and eBay to see that there are fewer bits at present (will soon change though).

A lot of criticisms of 29ers such as slow turning speed etc seem to have changed as the newer 29ers benefit from years of bad designs and are now as chuckable as anything else to a degree - look at the Kona honzo etc for evidence of that.

Honestly, I think both are great. Tried a Whyte 905 and thought it was a fantastic bike and I am loving my 29er parkwood. Sling a leg over one if I were you but I would definately look at buying complete if going 650b. I built my 29er parkwood cheap enough but I picked up some bargains along the way.

 

[ishaw]

Cheers. It'll be a slow burning project if at all as I've a stable of 26ers that don't get much use. As for use (or lack of), difficult to say. I should really get out on my 26ers, but there will be no downhilling or free riding going on so safe to say light xc mostly.

 

[wadsy]

Re:

A FAT bike woud be cool, great fun, I tried one and loved it, real smile on your face machine.

Having said that, chatting in my Lbs the other day; they are just selling the 27.5" mainly, oh, and road bikes.

Cheers

 

[KermitGKona88]

Re:

Unless going for a Fat bike, I would stick with the Pipedream and not get involved in all this big wheeled silliness at all (Bah Humbug) :xmas-wink:

 

[ti_pin_man]

get a life, they are all just bikes, move along, nothing to see here.

I rode a few 26 and 29 models last year in a test ride frenzy and even swapped mid ride with a mate and the most startling thing was they were just bikes, they feel slightly different when you first get on board and ride but you just adjust your weight and position as you ride and it evened out.

 

[ultrazenith]

This will probably sound like blasphemy around here, but if I could have only one modern mtb in my quiver right now it would be a fat bike, the Swiss army knife of mtb's:

- they're great year 'round, but especially advantageous in snow, mud, sand, etc.,

- You have lots of wheels size options because you can also run a 26" fat wheel with a 29" XC wheel, two 29" XC wheels (and even 29+ wheels).

- 4.7" tires gives you LOTS of cushion (which is a big plus for somebody like me, who doesn't want to mess with suspension).

They're definitely not cheap, but with more products coming onto the market, the prices should start becoming more reasonable.

This pic was last week, with about 5" of wet snow on rocky/rooty technical single track. It wouldn't have been doable on narrower wheels.

Up until I read this I had thought fat bikes were just a gimmick. Those giant rims and tires look like they'd give major weight and acceleration penalties when compared to regular MTBs. But what you seem to be suggesting is with a fat bike, you can easily switch between fat and XC wheels is this correct?