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Has anyone actually gone from being a 29" diehard to 27.5/650b?

6K views 50 replies 31 participants last post by  JMac47 
#1 ·
The reason I ask is after riding my 29er solely for so long, I can't see myself ever going back to the small wheels BUT I am interested in giving the Intense Tracer 275 a go and will be test riding the snot out of one in the next few weeks.

Just interested to see what the 29ers think, personally I'm going to reserve judgement but I'm not expecting to jump the 29er ship anytime soon, although I am quite open to stand corrected.

:)
 
#5 ·
29ers have been around long enough. I've been on mine for about 8 years. Probably 10 plus on 26" bike before that. Since going 29 I've not owned a 26 so, I'd say that counts as die hard.

With that said I always felt drivetrains were not 29er friendly. Rear triangles and rear wheels on 29ers have always felt a bit flimsy to me, and just a bit too heavy and long to flip the back end around how I'd like. So, while I was a die hard, I also recognized their limitations. Still, the 29" wheel rolls so much better than a 26 with overall less strain on the rider I couldn't go back. (By roll I mean both "roll over", as in roll over chunk, and lower rolling resistance.)

The 275, on paper, seems like a good compromise with the issues I mentioned about - stiffer, lighter, more drive train friendly than a big hoop, but still retain some of the "roll over" and lower RR, and stability of a 29er.

My Stumpy 29er, my trail/AM bike, seemed like a good bike to experiment with. I was having issues with trying to run a fatter tire out back. It has short stays and with the inherently flimsier big hoop out back I was getting rub. Also, when pushed hard, I felt too much rear wheel flex. A big limiter on AM 29er setups is wheel weight. For AM you need a burly tire and rim, regardless of hoop size. Running big rubber on a thick rim gets heavy on a 29er - no way around it. So, I wanted to try a 275 out back on the Stumpy.

A rear 275 with a Flow Ex was built up on a King rear for the test. Mounting a Nevegal 2.35 made the most sense at the time. Yes, an expensive experiment I know. But, I knew if it did not work out with the Stumpy I could run it on my KM. As a side note, I was having similar clearance issues on the KM and knew I could make use of the 275 on that bike.

With the rear 275 mounted on the Stumpy 29er, and keeping the 29er up font, the bike feels great. Much better than a dedicated 29er for what I'm using it for. In many facets of handling, performance, and feel, this set up is superior for trail/AM riding. If anyone is interested reply and I could go into all that.

A dedicated longer travel 275 is too be my next bike for trail/AM. The Stumpy will return to full 29er mode but get faster, lighter wheels and it will be more of a xc bike. I'm convinced that is where mountain biking is going. AM 275. XC 29er. The in between all purpose "trail-bike" category could go either way.
 
#8 ·
29ers have been around long enough. I've been on mine for about 8 years. Probably 10 plus on 26" bike before that. Since going 29 I've not owned a 26 so, I'd say that counts as die hard.

With that said I always felt drivetrains were not 29er friendly. Rear triangles and rear wheels on 29ers have always felt a bit flimsy to me, and just a bit too heavy and long to flip the back end around how I'd like. So, while I was a die hard, I also recognized their limitations. Still, the 29" wheel rolls so much better than a 26 with overall less strain on the rider I couldn't go back. (By roll I mean both "roll over", as in roll over chunk, and lower rolling resistance.)

The 275, on paper, seems like a good compromise with the issues I mentioned about - stiffer, lighter, more drive train friendly than a big hoop, but still retain some of the "roll over" and lower RR, and stability of a 29er.

My Stumpy 29er, my trail/AM bike, seemed like a good bike to experiment with. I was having issues with trying to run a fatter tire out back. It has short stays and with the inherently flimsier big hoop out back I was getting rub. Also, when pushed hard, I felt too much rear wheel flex. A big limiter on AM 29er setups is wheel weight. For AM you need a burly tire and rim, regardless of hoop size. Running big rubber on a thick rim gets heavy on a 29er - no way around it. So, I wanted to try a 275 out back on the Stumpy.

A rear 275 with a Flow Ex was built up on a King rear for the test. Mounting a Nevegal 2.35 made the most sense at the time. Yes, an expensive experiment I know. But, I knew if it did not work out with the Stumpy I could run it on my KM. As a side note, I was having similar clearance issues on the KM and knew I could make use of the 275 on that bike.

With the rear 275 mounted on the Stumpy 29er, and keeping the 29er up font, the bike feels great. Much better than a dedicated 29er for what I'm using it for. In many facets of handling, performance, and feel, this set up is superior for trail/AM riding. If anyone is interested reply and I could go into all that.

A dedicated longer travel 275 is too be my next bike for trail/AM. The Stumpy will return to full 29er mode but get faster, lighter wheels and it will be more of a xc bike. I'm convinced that is where mountain biking is going. AM 275. XC 29er. The in between all purpose "trail-bike" category could go either way.
Ask yourself a simple question. Can I live without spandex. If the answer is no, than a 5 inch or greater 27.5 or 26" isn't for you.
 
#2 ·
The reason I ask is after riding my 29er solely for so long, I can't see myself ever going back to the small wheels BUT I am interested in giving the Intense Tracer 275 a go and will be test riding the snot out of one in the next few weeks.

Just interested to see what the 29ers think, personally I'm going to reserve judgement but I'm not expecting to jump the 29er ship anytime soon, although I am quite open to stand corrected.

:)
The way I see it...29ers haven't been around in their present form long enough to call anyone "diehard 29ers".
The enjoyment might be missed if you resign yourself to one type of bike. There's still fun to be had on 26er bikes...I ride whatever to have fun.
Z
 
#6 ·
idem ditto,

had a sizes: 26er, 29er, 27,5er and a fatbike,
will "change the garage" now in to:
27,5 enduro
27,5 any weather Ti hardtail (read mud&training bike)
29er race fully
26er light trail-bike (for the holidays: plane + new carbon bike = no go for me)

why:
although the capacities of a 29er to roll over fallen trees/rockgardens/..., it
is to "lame" to play the front wheel around/over obstacles
and the rear to grippy for the switchbacks
therefor the smaller wheels on my trail-bikes
 
#4 ·
I love my 29er and wanted to switch from the moment I first rode one and that has not changed. However, sometimes I miss the zippity quick handling of my old Racer X; it would be fun to try 650B to see if is the best of both. Hence, lurking around on this forum.
 
#7 ·
There's certainly some really good thoughts here thanks guys.

My 29er is an XC/trail bike set up nice and aggressively, I'm amazed at how it rolls (over square edges and with less resistance) and the difference in steering speed against my last 26" bike(SC Nickel) is pretty undetectable to be honest but I'm still looking forward to trying out the Intense and seeing what the different wheel size has to offer me.

I like trying these things out for myself, it took me ages to find a 29er I was happy with but when I did I've not looked back since! :)
 
#9 ·
I've been on 29ers for many years, and gave 650B a reasonable try this year. For me, for a hardtail, a 29er offers so many advantages that it's not worth downsizing. Full suspension, on the other hand, may be worth a go. I've never found a 29er FS that I really enjoyed--they just seem to get too long. But even as a 29er lover, I'm enjoying my time on my current Stumpjumper FSR 26er to complement my rigid SS 29er.
 
#11 ·
But even as a 29er lover, I'm enjoying my time on my current Stumpjumper FSR 26er to complement my rigid SS 29er.
Really? No probs switching? I went 29er for SS and never looked back. Going back, switching back and forth with my geared 26er didn't work for me.

I'm in the process of rebuilding my 26er now, a custom Carl Strong steel hardtail, into 650b. I'm hoping the difference won't be too much this time and I can have my favorite custom bike back again. I loved that Strong, more than the S-works Epic it replaced.
 
#12 ·
I only recently converted to 29ers (a Inbred rigid and Trance X0) and love them. I am really excited to try 27.5 though, as guys have mentioned I reckon the 29ers will become the xc standard and 27.5 the trail, AM standard. In my head that makes sense...now I just need to get my hands on one!
 
#14 ·
Im a die hard. I had 4 29ers in 5 years and will never own another. My 650 accelerates WAYYYY better rolls over most stuff nearly as well. Is more nimble,has a shorter wheelbase,wheelies over stuff better has an inch shorter chainstays. It doesnt hold momentum the same but its close....
 
#22 ·
if you like your 29ers, then keep them.

For me, I found fault with the way mine handled. When I investigated why, I realized that I could never get one to handle like a 26" bike, and I believe it's centered around the chainstay. I couldn't afford a devinici atlas, and no other FS 29er had chainstays that came close to being acceptable, in my book.

I picked up a rush 650b and I love it. It's snappy and fast, and it doesn't lose a whole lot to the 29er. If I bled cash, I'd want a 17.2" chainstayed hardtail as an addition to my quiver.
 
#29 ·
I was pretty sold on 29ers for the past few years, and I really like my Tallboy FS 29er and SIR9 hardtail 29er. But then I got a 2006 Epic frame and fork for free and built it up with some parts I had. I had a lot of fun on that 26er, and thought that with a little more travel and a bit slacker geometry it could be a great trail bike. So I bought a TRc frame on sale and swapped the parts onto that bike. Compared to the Tallboy it isn't as good through rock gardens but is better going downhill. I also like the TRc's shorter chainstays and smaller feel, which makes it feel more playful.

I will be doing a 650b conversion on the TRc soon, and I'm hoping that this will improve its rock garden abilities while still maintaining the playful feel. I don't think it will replace the Tallboy, but I might prefer it for certain terrain.
 
#31 ·
I did the same thing with my 29er Stumpy FSR except I went with the AC 650BXC. When it comes to sustained, steep climbs, it was a huge improvement over the stock setup. Unfortunately, the already too low BB is slightly lower now, which has caused some pretty spectacular pedal-strike assisted dismounts :) Awesomeness would be a 26" Stumpy FSR that would accept 2.35" 650B's front and back. The extra BB height would make it an all mtn monster.
 
#33 ·
I have had 2 C'dale F29's, 3 Fisher 29ers, 2 Salsa El Mars, a Jamis and a custom 29er, so I would say I'm a 29er fan. I also have the Nemesis 650b which I really like, but on the flatter, less technical trails we have here, it does not really gain me anything (hence trying to sell it). When it sells, I will go back to a 29er. I invested lots of money to get it as racey as possible, but it still lacks the "roll-over-ness" of a 29er.
 
#34 ·
I'm lucky to have quite a solid fleet that includes a 26 inch HT and duallie, 1 x 650B ti customs, 1 x ti 26 inch convertible to 650B and a 29er Onone Scandal. I moved to 650B following purchasing the 29er and finding it really wasn't that much fun. Makes it harder to flick the front end up and rail corners in my experience. My 650B bikes just seem so right. I have an obstacle course around my house that id o with the kids. It's quite interesting as there is a speedy curved turn in the front garden - 29er requires brakes, 650B can just burn through it. 26 inch requires a bot more work to get to speed. it's a true scientific test.
 
#37 ·
After many seasons on different wheels sizes I won't go back to a 26er. As much as I liked 650b & 29er's both had issues. The 29" rear wheel was just too much - hurt acceleration, rigidity & frame geometry changes. The 650b front wheel was too small when compared to a 29er - 29er just rolls over obstacles. So I ended up w/ my favorite 29 / 650b combo :
 
#41 ·
I've been riding for over 20 years now (wow I feel old thinking about that!) I've not once worn Lycra other than on my inner shorts, I've just always rocked the baggy look or jeans back in the day!

Anyway back on topic, there are some great (non-lycra) comments on here, I can't wait to try the tracer 272, I just hope I don't like it more than my 29er! ;)
 
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