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650b vs 26

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
I'm just about to order a new 5-6" bike and the one I'm pretty set on comes in 26" or 650b. Since 650b is still so new, I can't really test ride any. I really don't like the feel of any 29ers I've tried but I don't want to order this bike in 26" and regret it in a year. I'm pretty sure 650 is gonna stick. It solves all the issues that people complain about with 29, while still giving some of the benefits. That, and just about every tire manufacture is on board. Once they invest in the molds, the tires will be here for awhile.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
What bike?

I'm curious to try 650b a bit but I don't know that I'd throw down for one without having some time on it first.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
26. I ride a 29er and I love it, but the geometry on the Scott Scale is pretty dialed. The geo on my previous bike, a Voodoo canzo, was horrible. I expect it'll take a little while for manufacturers to figure out what works and what doesn't on a 650b. Plus, 29ers are just starting to be a reasonable option as far as ease of finding parts. I have never seen a 650b tire in a store.

That's my 2 pesos. All your old tires will fit, and they're super easy to find. Do you really want to be limited to WTB or Hutchinson tires for two years?
 

J-Dubs

Monkey
Jul 10, 2006
700
1
Salem, MA
650b is here to stay. There are plenty of rim and tire options out and more are on the way.

Where and how you ride are the factors you should be most concerned with. Both sizes have their pros and cons.
 

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
What's tempting me, is that the geo of a 650 is pretty much the same as a 26" The chainstays are the same length and the bars end up at the same height. The headtube is the same angle and the wheel base is the same. None of those are possible with a 29er, hence the **** geo and compromises.
The tires are already here. And good ones from Schwable and Pacenti. Maxxis and Michy are on the way.
I could care less about getting a tire at a local bike shop. Can't remember ever buying one anyways.
I think 26" will stick around for DH bikes, but for anything less than 5" travel it's dead. That seems weird to say, but take a look at what new riders are buying. Over 1/2 of them are buying 29ers. Even short riders who have no business on big wheels.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,160
Copenhagen, Denmark
Did you see this tread:

One of my 650b bikes won the first xc national championship on the wheelsize back in 2008 and I've been a huge fan since day one.
650b wheels are infinitely more fun for me and my riding style, a dozen years of top-flite XC racing overlapping with pretty darn good DH and bmx race skills.
They roll over stuff better and get traction better than 26" bikes but more importantly they jump way, way better than 29" wheels.
They have a flatter flight path than 26" wheels which is good for turnining your brain off at speed but unlike 29" wheels you can stuff them into a corner violently and still pop back out on the trail in a place where bigger wheels would have sent you over the high side.

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/f19/650-future-freeride-dh-bikes-248152/