Giant 2014...nearly all 650b

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Comments

  • 97th choice
    97th choice Posts: 2,222
    I've also just noticed that Giant, via their facebook page have posted that carl decker became all mountain champ at the downieville classic for the fourth consecutive time. Therefore he's most likely won it on a 26", 29" and 27.5"
    Too-ra-loo-ra, too-ra-loo-rye, aye

    Giant Trance
    Radon ZR 27.5 Race
    Btwin Alur700
    Merida CX500
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    RandG wrote:
    still rather have a 26er


    I'm staggered by folk who say this, and there are a few.

    It's like they are stuck in a time warp or stubborn to change, like old folk with video recorders or mobile fones.

    I wonder how many of those same folk said they wouldn't have suspension forks or disk brakes, and have have both :roll:

    i'm still staggered by people who say this, like band wagon jumping treehugging hippies.

    Personally i found 29er to be awful to ride, and as the rest say 650b is so close its pretty mucha pointless thing to do other than giving a new standard so people have to replace everything and spend money.

    its pretty much about gullability i've decided.
  • RandG
    RandG Posts: 779
    its pretty much about gullability i've decided.


    I agree, and when you can't get parts for your ford anglia I'm sure you'll be the first to say that they don't make them like they used to. :lol:
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    My ford anglia?

    when 29er and 650b starts winning DH races over 26" consistantly i might be convinced till then, its all marketing cod wash.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    My ford anglia?

    when 29er and 650b starts winning DH races over 26" consistantly i might be convinced till then, its all marketing cod wash.
    What about all the other races? The only reason they're "dominating" XC racing, is because all the manufacturers switched their team riders to 29ers. Wasn't exactly a whitewash last year.
    And 4x? still on 26" as far as I know.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    true enough at the olympics 26" vs 29" wasn't clear cut, one won in the mens the other in womens
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    I have no idea if it may be marginally slower than an 29er or a 650b but I do know that i mostly ride a bike for fun, not to achieve marginal efficiency gains at the expense of everything else.

    CAWT.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    I have no idea if it may be marginally slower than an 29er or a 650b but I do know that i mostly ride a bike for fun, not to achieve marginal efficiency gains at the expense of everything else.

    CAWT.
    oh look, I think it's had a stroke.
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    Whatever.
  • adamfo
    adamfo Posts: 763
    Come on you LBS types that sell Giant, have 26" sales nose-dived ?

    483299_390798367640668_264230231_n.jpg
  • So am I correct in thinking that on the American giant website that all the bikes are the 2014 bikes? There isn't any 26" wheel bikes. Accept the glory but that's basically a motor bike with out an engine. Massively surprised they have ditched 26". Each model they have a couple of 29's and a couple of 650's

    http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bik ... ?level=all
    2015 Stanton Switchback
    1993 Kona Lavadome
  • adamfo
    adamfo Posts: 763
    They probably stopped making 26" bikes back in April or whenever the factory 2014 model year change-over occurs.
    Tyre suppliers etc. must of been informed well before that.
  • Sarnian
    Sarnian Posts: 1,451
    I got to say this is giving me one hell of a headache, I have a 29er ridgid and love it for mile munching and less technical stuff, but I'm in the market for a new FS and coming from a place that only has 4 cycle shops and there idea of letting you go for a test ride is a 100mtrs down the road and back again, so I have no idea what to do.
    It's not a ornament, so ride It
  • adamfo
    adamfo Posts: 763
    The data on the Lapierre website, even with one of the Worlds top riders on board, shows the difference between the small wheel sizes is marginal. Some of the new 650b bikes are really good because they are really good designs not because of the wheel size.
    The bloke pictured above riding the Cube is going to get a big laundry bill regardless of what miniature wheel he is riding. On a 29er he may of just got away with getting his white socks grubby !
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    My reasoning is that unless you want to have loads of sets of wheels/tyres but want more than one bike then buying them with the same wheel size gives you more options and some redundancy. Especially if you run tubeless and dont want to be swapping tyres - you can have one set with mud tyres on and another for the dry and put them on whichever bike you are using. If a wheel is in need of attention or in the shop you can also borrow one from the other bike.

    As I run a fleet for 2 adults and 2 kids, standardising on 26" makes life alot easier for me, regardless of performance, especially when the rest of the family use their MTBs for road riding too - I have enough tyres already but the fact that they can go on any of the bikes makes life simpler and one spare set of wheels can go on whichever bike necessary if one needs to go to the shop..
  • adamfo
    adamfo Posts: 763
    Sarnian wrote:
    I got to say this is giving me one hell of a headache, I have a 29er ridgid and love it for mile munching and less technical stuff, but I'm in the market for a new FS and coming from a place that only has 4 cycle shops and there idea of letting you go for a test ride is a 100mtrs down the road and back again, so I have no idea what to do.

    I would wait until later in the year and see how much the new Canyon 650b bikes are going to be and the Lapierre Zesty 650b

    large_Canyon_Barel_Prototyp-1.jpg

    IMG_1803.jpg
  • Sarnian
    Sarnian Posts: 1,451
    adamfo wrote:
    Sarnian wrote:
    I got to say this is giving me one hell of a headache, I have a 29er ridgid and love it for mile munching and less technical stuff, but I'm in the market for a new FS and coming from a place that only has 4 cycle shops and there idea of letting you go for a test ride is a 100mtrs down the road and back again, so I have no idea what to do.

    I would wait until later in the year and see how much the new Canyon 650b bikes are going to be and the Lapierre Zesty 650b

    large_Canyon_Barel_Prototyp-1.jpg

    IMG_1803.jpg

    I'm still stuffing the cash away for the new bike so it won't be until around October time
    It's not a ornament, so ride It
  • I was thinking earlier about what wheel size would you go for if you were going to buy a bike now. There's so much confusion I think. Not on what's the best wheel size for the discipline you want. But buying one that isn't going to be discontinued in the future. Although I don't see anything happening soon.

    I thought it was good with 29 for xc/ trail and 26 for trail/downhill. My lbs was telling me its ball ache for them trying to stock a good choice of wheels n tyres in 3 different sizes. But now the manufacturers have had to fiddle more. Fiddle/convince people they need something else.

    What will it be next they feel we need.....
    2015 Stanton Switchback
    1993 Kona Lavadome
  • adamfo
    adamfo Posts: 763
    Felt have bucked the trend a bit, they have introduced a new 26" model as well as more 29ers

    http://www.pinkbike.com/news/First-Look-Felt-2014.html