[B1105]

Hey guys,
I'm currently riding a Rocky Mountain Pipeline 2002. It gets 4-6 inches in the rear, and I would kinda like a slacker head tube angle . I understabd 24" wheels make the bike ride differnt overall. How so? I have a single crown marzoccho Z1 MCR (5 inches). I have considered getting a dual crown also, but I don't have the money for a fork and new front wheel at the moment.

THanks

Byron

 

[Kntr]

A 24 in the rear will help a lot but you will need a taller fork also. I dont think the Pipeline would handle a 888? Does anyone know?

 

[RaID]

24" rear will make your bike slacker and have a lower BB
it will be easier to pop the front wheel up
and quicker to accelerate

but the smaller rear wheel will decelerate quicker ie wont keep its speed
and it might get hung up more in rock gardens and big rut sections
also your gear ratios will be lowered

 

[B1105]

is it necessary that I get a taller fork? If so, is it to compensate for the bb drop?
I dont want to have to get a new fork AND a new rear wheel. but we will see

 

[BlackDiamond]

I ride a 24" rear and love it. The bike does like Raid said, and handles the tight turns very well too. My brother-in-law switched to a 24" rear on his Fetish and he became a lot quicker.

It makes getting the front end up easier for drops and makes getting your weight over the rear end easier too.

I don't notice myself loosing speed any quicker than the guys running dual 26", I also don't get hung up in rough stuff.

 

[CowboyLeo]

is it necessary that I get a taller fork? If so, is it to compensate for the bb drop?
I dont want to have to get a new fork AND a new rear wheel. but we will see

You won't need a new fork dont worry. A larger fork might affect the ride too drastically. Bottom bracket drop wont be a big issue. by switching wheels, as your bottom bracket height goes down you bottom bracket rise goes up, moving your weight back and allowing for more stability at speed,(that sounds like what you want) and makes it easier to hop or lift youre front end
24" is great im running 26"f 24"r on my bike. I never felt comfortable with a 26" rear wheel but 24 is perfect It's lighter, stronger, faster to accelerate allows for more tire clearance and in your case the change in geometry is beneficial. 24" wheels are also easier to manual and control on the rear wheel

Your gearing will be a bit lower, You will lose momentum faster (not that much faster), and there are less mountain bike tires to choose from (but hey you get use BMX cruiser tires for urban or hardpack!) both 26 and 24 have their advantages, for most offroad riding I would say a 26" is just right for the front but a you can get alot by changing the rear wheel size.

 

[bighitfsr]

Make sure you can get tyres your happy with in 24.
the biggest downside to a 24 inch rear is tyre choice.
Even if a manufacturer makes the tyre in 24 the distrubutors and shops might not have them.
A 24 inch rear also puts your derailer down lower where its more likely to get snagged. At the same time the COG is lower with 24".

Otherwise I agree with the other posts.

 

[B1105]

Thanks for the replies, so with the 24" inch wheel, my gears should become easier, correct? As the wheel circumference is smaller?

 

[RaID]

yes..

 

[Tarpon]

Your gearing change will be like adding 2-3 teeth to each cog (or subtracting 2-3 from each chainring). I have an Imperial that I swap between a 24" and 26" rear wheel. The 24" is for steeper terrain where the head tube angle is a little too steep with the 26". Overall, I like it but it is heavier than my 26" wheel (the 24 is a Mag30 with 2.7 High Roller double ply while the 26 is a Single Track with 2.5 Mobster single ply).