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switching to 24" rear wheel

skurfer333

Monkey
Apr 21, 2005
249
0
Raleigh, NC
well I've got a haro extreme x2 and I'm considering putting a 24" rear wheel on it. I've never owned a bike with 24" wheels or ridden a bike with 24" rear wheel and I was just wondering if this was a good idea, or if I'm wasting my time/money. I'm not a dh'er, more of a skinnies/stair gaps/drops rider if that helps any.
 

bigdrop05

Monkey
Mar 26, 2005
427
0
I had a 24" wheel on all my bikes for quite sometime..not anymore though.
Had one on a HARO Extreme & it rocked. Also on Santa Cruz Bullet & it rocked too.
But after all that time riding 24" & then switching back to 26" with a proper DH bike i could roll over rough terrain 2x better it felt like..
There is a difference on how a 24" & 26" roll over rough terrain.

24" better for slow speed North Shore stuff i guess, & 26" for anything else.
Although a 24" wheel is Stronger but tire selection a smaller !!
I think it rakes the HA by 1* slacker.
 

Loozinskin

Monkey
Jul 9, 2005
172
0
Bellingham,WA
I put a rear 24 on my Norco Atomik and will never go back! love the way it corners down tight sketchy switch backs and the lowered stand over height. it also kills for easing up manuals and pedal-hops off skinny-to-drops.
tire selection decreases but doesnt matter since they make high rollers in 24 which is all i care about.


and it looks cool
 

mandown

Poopdeck Repost
Jun 1, 2004
20,128
7,679
Transylvania 90210
love the 24 rear. got one that i swap between my HT and my BB7. i notice it less on the BB7 as far as how the bike rolls. but i do like the way it jumps and corners. however, the tire i have (2.6 gazza) on it does not grip as well in all types of dirt. the tire i have on my 26" hoop is better, so i can corner better with the 26 in certain situations. on the HT, it feels better. i like the 1* slacker head angle. it feels better when i manual. i like the lower BB height, since the bike feels more stable (and i don't notice the downside people say about pedal clearance).

the wheel is strong as hell. it is lighter than a 26 of similar build since it is smaller. the tire selection is limited. however, you can run wider rear tires on most bikes when using a 24.

lotsa haters out there for the 24 too.

is the haro a full suspension or a HT?
 

mandown

Poopdeck Repost
Jun 1, 2004
20,128
7,679
Transylvania 90210
oh yeah, it also changes the effective gear ratio you have. you may need to go to a bigger ring in the front to compensate (if you are running just a single ring).
 

TheMontashu

Pourly Tatteued Jeu
Mar 15, 2004
5,549
0
I'm homeless
I have a BH and I rode the same bike (same set up exept with an MRP instead of E13) and it had the BETD stays that allow a 26 inch wheel and it rides ALOT better its faster and rolls over stuff better
 

black noise

Turbo Monkey
Dec 31, 2004
1,032
0
Santa Cruz
Actually, physics says that a 24" wheel will not roll over things better (at least things like rocks and roots), however it will accelerate better.

Its rolling inertia is less than a 26" one due to it's smaller diameter, so it will be sped up/slowed down (accelerated) easier than a 26".
 

droplover

Monkey
Nov 3, 2004
173
0
Colorado
I have an '04 BigHit with a 24" rear wheel. 24" wheels are extremely strong. I have beaten the heck out of mine over the last year or so. The wheel is still true, no flat spots, nothing. You have to be careful, though. The rear suspension on the Haro X2 is not that stiff. I used to have one.......the point? 24" rear wheels, in my opinion, are more effective on bikes with strong rear suspensions. I'm sure others will agree.
 

TheMontashu

Pourly Tatteued Jeu
Mar 15, 2004
5,549
0
I'm homeless
droplover said:
I have an '04 BigHit with a 24" rear wheel. 24" wheels are extremely strong. I have beaten the heck out of mine over the last year or so. The wheel is still true, no flat spots, nothing. You have to be careful, though. The rear suspension on the Haro X2 is not that stiff. I used to have one.......the point? 24" rear wheels, in my opinion, are more effective on bikes with strong rear suspensions. I'm sure others will agree.
The stock rear wheel on it is not that strong, I cracked the hub and put a large dent in the rim and I am only 130 pounds
 

droplover

Monkey
Nov 3, 2004
173
0
Colorado
TheMontashu said:
The stock rear wheel on it is not that strong, I cracked the hub and put a large dent in the rim and I am only 130 pounds

The cracked hub was either a manufacturer's defect, or you were hitting 30'+ drops. I know that Shimano hub is not the best, but the stiff rear suspension compensates for it, some. I'm 145lbs. I guess I've just been lucky...........
 

TheMontashu

Pourly Tatteued Jeu
Mar 15, 2004
5,549
0
I'm homeless
droplover said:
The cracked hub was either a manufacturer's defect, or you were hitting 30'+ drops. I know that Shimano hub is not the best, but the stiff rear suspension compensates for it, some. I'm 145lbs. I guess I've just been lucky...........
It was about a 20 foot gap that I over cleared about 3 or 4 feet onto a couple of roots