How do 27.5"s feel?

2_chickens

Hi,

Haven't noticed anywhere to introduce myself so just going to post away. Hello though.


On another subject, any 27.5" riders out there care to comment on how they like riding theirs? I hoping that might be a happy medium for me.

Thanks in advance.

Tim.

BloggingFit

27.5" feels like a sorted 26" bike to me.

Chunkers1980

650b is below 'medium'.

Put it on ebay - that's how much it is worth, on that day at that time.

rockmonkeysc

The 27.5" bikes I have ridden feel just like 26" bikes.
I have ridden the 27.5 version of my own bike and I couldn't tell the difference other than it had rubbish tyres.
The whole 27.5 thing is just because they have run out of actual improvements to sell.

Angus Young

RockmonkeySC wrote:

The 27.5" bikes I have ridden feel just like 26" bikes.
I have ridden the 27.5 version of my own bike and I couldn't tell the difference other than it had rubbish tyres.
The whole 27.5 thing is just because they have run out of actual improvements to sell.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet...

supersonic

I absolutely agree with Rockmonkey.

kajjal

I agree as well it is a marketing gimmick in the main and an attempt to make 26er's obsolete.

29ers are different to 26ers but for me it is being over 6ft6 and doing XC riding is why 29ers suit me better. My wife has a 26er as she prefers it.

rockmonkeysc

I can see the point of 29ers. They do certainly feel different. If I was in the market for a pure xc bike I probably would go for a 29er but for more technical riding I prefer 26"

declan1

Same as above. 29ers feel very big to me, but 27.5 just feels like a 26 with the only difference being you can see more tyre in front of you.

rockmonkeysc

It's the biggest change no one wanted. Driven entirely by marketing idiots.

Stevo_666

RockmonkeySC wrote:

It's the biggest change no one wanted. Driven entirely by marketing idiots.

+1

Wait long enough and they'll reinvent the 26" wheel as the lighter, stronger, more agile 'must have' new thing. I'll keep my three 26" bikes for now ta.

lawman

So are you all saying you'd never buy 650b? Even if it had the perfect spec, geometry and price to fit your requirements? If so then imo it's not the marketers who are the idiots. The industry seems to be going for 650b on a lot of bikes, many of which I'm sure fit the majority of what you all look for in a bike so to discount it purely on wheelsize is naive tbh.

declan1

lawman wrote:

So are you all saying you'd never buy 650b? Even if it had the perfect spec, geometry and price to fit your requirements? If so then imo it's not the marketers who are the idiots. The industry seems to be going for 650b on a lot of bikes, many of which I'm sure fit the majority of what you all look for in a bike so to discount it purely on wheelsize is naive tbh.

Of course I would consider a 650b bike - I told my dad to get the new Anthem and it's very nice indeed. However I wouldn't replace my current 26" bike just because 650b is 'better'.

supersonic

So are you all saying you'd never buy 650b? Even if it had the perfect spec, geometry and price to fit your requirements?

Nobody has said that. Just that the 650b is a big change in standards with hardly any differences - so much so most cannot feel the difference over a 26 wheel. This is where the marketing comes in and it has annoyed people.

Angus Young

RockmonkeySC wrote:

The whole 27.5 thing is just because they have run out of actual improvements to sell.

supersonic wrote:

I absolutely agree with Rockmonkey.

Kajjal wrote:

I agree as well it is a marketing gimmick...

declan1 wrote:

Same as above.

RockmonkeySC wrote:

It's the biggest change no one wanted. Driven entirely by marketing idiots.

Stevo 666 wrote:

+1

supersonic wrote:

This is where the marketing comes in...

declan1 wrote:

However I wouldn't replace my current 26" bike just because 650b is 'better'.

Aw, shucks! Just when you were all doing so well with the conspiracy theory.

Chunkers1980

I don't think any one thinks there is a conspiracy here just that the difference in wheel size is not enough or that different from 26" to make any real world difference - just a different but not a significantly different product. The companies have this product so the marketing folks have to sell it.

poah

Kajjal wrote:

My wife has a 26er as she prefers it.

my wife is happy with just 7 TBH

Angus Young

POAH wrote:

Kajjal wrote:

My wife has a 26er as she prefers it.

my wife is happy with just 7 TBH

7? TBH? Really?

warpcow

I'd agree too that the big push is mostly marketing-driven, but it's not like it should have come out of the blue. If every other part of a bike can undergo an evolution towards better, if marginal, performance, why not wheel-size? Most people barely bat an eyelid at changes to geometry, new gears, better suspension, new tyre tread patterns and rubber types, and we mostly seem to have accepted things like tapered steerers now, but a new wheel-size is a huge no-no? I'd hazard a guess that the majority of ordinary riders don't really notice how these things have changed the feel of their bikes (ok, so in terms of tyres it might have to be a comparison between a single vs triple-compound tyre with the same pattern).

cooldad

POAH wrote:

Kajjal wrote:

My wife has a 26er as she prefers it.

my wife is happy with just 7 TBH

mm or cm?

Angus Young

Chunkers1980 wrote:

I don't think any one thinks there is a conspiracy...

Really? Did you read the quotes?

rockmonkeysc

Because 650b is so similar to 26" I would consider one if the bike was right. I wouldn't choose one just because it's 650b.
I bought a 26" bike this year because it was the right bike for the right price and I have spare 26" wheels and tyres.

Thewaylander

happy with mine,

rides as they say like a sorted 26, but rolls a little better over the rocky stuff its marginal but noticible.

Ferrals

My new(ish) bike has them, to be honest, changes to geometry and spec means that while the bike feels great I have no idea if it is the wheels or something else. Visually it's not that noticeable with different tyres on.

rockmonkeysc

Apparently the difference is noticeable on downhill bikes, making them better for bike park style trails but not as good for proper technical downhill.
One professional racer I know gave up with his 650b race bike at Fort Bill and went a lot faster on his old bike. Wheel strength was an issue for 650b riders at Fort Bill as well.
I believe that last years Enduro World Series was won on a 26" Yeti as well.

2_chickens

Blimey, lots of replies and mixed opinions

Be interested to know how much time you guys have spent riding 27.5/650b bikes?

Thanks for your feedback so far.

Angus Young

2_chickens wrote:

Blimey, lots of replies and mixed opinions

Be interested to know how much time you guys have spent riding 27.5/650b bikes?

Thanks for your feedback so far.

Bear in mind that it's human nature not to like change as change represents threat (we all still have caveman brains). The "It's all just marketing!" is often nothing more than an attempt to make any objection sound considered rather than knee jerk.

Chunkers1980

That's not really the case Angus.

The difference is not great, unlike moving to 29ers.

It's just another difference which has quite large consequences, like a different frame, wheels, tyres and forks - the most expensive chunk of a bike. It's not like a QR or 20mm front wheel as different standards - it's massive.

2_chickens

Chunkers1980 wrote:

It's just another difference which has quite large consequences, like a different frame, wheels, tyres and forks - the most expensive chunk of a bike. It's not like a QR or 20mm front wheel as different standards - it's massive.

Not really following you tbh?

Worth mentioning, I currently have a 29er but am not enjoying it as much as I'd hoped, I came from BMXing as a kid and am used to being able to throw the bike away and start running when things go pear shaped (happens to me fairly often ) I Mb for the downhills and the views with the uphill being a necessary evil and thought I'd be OK with a 29er, (especially as I'm getting older and fancied an easier ride) but I'm finding the geometry/frame set up lands you much further down between the wheels requiring far more commitment and less bail-ability - therefore I'm slowing down on my downhill sections and not getting as much enjoyment.
This is why I'm curious about the 27.5s and wondering if it might be a happy middle ground.

Angus Young

Chunkers1980 wrote:

That's not really the case Angus.

The difference is not great, unlike moving to 29ers.

It's just another difference which has quite large consequences, like a different frame, wheels, tyres and forks - the most expensive chunk of a bike. It's not like a QR or 20mm front wheel as different standards - it's massive.

So, doesn't matter if it's better or not (and I'm not saying it is), it's all about what spares you've got left over?

supersonic

What is your opinion on 650b Angus?