27.5 or 29 - what size for a 140mm frame?

macs

About 8 months ago I bought my first bike that didn't have 26" wheels - a carbon 29er hardtail with 100mm fork for local trails. I really like it and think the bigger wheels make a difference to the way the bike handles and gets over things. I recently rode my full suspension bike, which is a 26er with 120mm travel front and rear, for the first time since getting the 29er. It felt very odd and the bike felt small in comparison to the 29er. This has led me to having some thoughts over my next bike which would replace the 26er full suspension bike.

The biggest quandary I'm having is that I'm drawn to 29er bikes after riding the hardtail. Clearly I'm limiting my choice of bike because I'm only choosing from a smaller range of bikes, but am I likely to limit the quality of ride I get with the new bike? I haven't ridden a 27.5 bike, are they better for a 140mm bike than 29ers? It might just be that the full suspension I have is older geometry and what I like about the 29er hardtail isn't it's wheel size but actually more to do with being longer, is that likely?

Any thoughts on this will be helpful.

JGTR

I have a 29” 140mm full suspension, I love it for the exact reasons you say, rolls over pretty much everything and is very fast. Most manufacturers are now making 29” Enduro, and even down hill bikes so I wouldn’t worry about the performance. Basically main difference is that 27.5 may feel a slight bit more nimble, but the 29er will roll better. I do a lot of long XC rides which is why I prefer a 29er, but it can still handle BPW etc.

macs

Good to know that a 140mm travel 29er is fine at BPW etc.

Another reason to go for a 29er is that if I get similar kit i.e. GX eagle, guide brakes etc then the parts are going to be interchangeable. So if I break a spoke on one wheel I can just take the wheel from the other bike and vice versa.