Yeah either safer or faster, not at the same time. You know what I mean. If you're landing in rough stuff they're less likely to tuck under you if you nose into a rut or something.
Will 27.5” wheels be obsolete in a few years?
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Honestly that thing looks so damn good. And over here they're the same price as Transition, Santa Cruz, Yeti, etc. I dunno why so many people are whinging about the cost on the PB thread. A little bit worried about the chat about being hard to pick the front end up though - thats pretty important with blind racing/me being hopeless at remembering shit.
Wheels come up fine off a lip, it's in low speed wheelie drop situations or bunny hopping where I find it becomes harder to get the front wheel up.
Why would they think it be any more difficult to raise the front wheel than any other bike?
The druid wheelied and manualed fine and so did the longer travel prototype bike tested locally last year.
Dear mountain bikers on the internet,
Many a moon ago, before Strava existed, and when the only wheel size available was 26”, there was still a shit ton of mountain bikers cutting through corners and messing up the trails. The only difference now is that there is a metric shit ton of them and they ride a variety of wheel sizes. Douchers gonna douche.
Many a moon ago, before Strava existed, and when the only wheel size available was 26”, there was still a shit ton of mountain bikers cutting through corners and messing up the trails. The only difference now is that there is a metric shit ton of them and they ride a variety of wheel sizes. Douchers gonna douche.
Did you try the long travel one? Or the short travel one? I gotta steal one for a proper test instead of just running it into square edges to see if high pivot magick is real. If you've ridden one - dumb question but do they do any funny shit under brakes?
My old and at 1 point an EXPERT level DH racer had no problem Manualing the G2 on flat ground. Don't think a trail bike would be an issue. If so just go faster.....
Let me help you.....probably one of the best 29rs out there and surely will allow you to haul ass.
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The Zerode had 422mm chainstays unsagged, the Shore I'm on now is at 445mm. Either way, not saying it's impossible, just a lot more work than any other bike I've owned.
Yeah, I think some bikes are pushing 460 range on bigger bikes.
random anecdote - the lahar has 465mm (unsagged) stays, stretching out to over 490mm. on what would probably be considered a medium frame. not an issue tugging off slow drops (once you're used to it), and wheelies ok (just takes a more concerted effort to get up into the balance point) but i've never been able to properly manual the thing on flat ground. not that that's *really* an important consideration (ok, maybe for my self esteem it is).
I don't think that 27.5 wheels will totally go away, at least from a hardware perspective. There's going to be a lot more mullets offered soon because a) it's a new trendy thing for the industry to push and b) it handles more sporty than full 29. So if there's demand for it for a rear wheel at least, fronts will still be available.
I've been riding full 29 for about 2 years now, and switching to mullet soon. At 5'8" / 172cm I can make 29 work, but it can be a lot of work in tight corners, and my local trails don't have a ton of chunk. In fact, the vast majority of the guys I ride with are still on 27.5. It makes me a bit sad that the pure 27.5 rowdy trail bike seems to be a dying breed, with the Nomad 5 being one of the last of it's kind. Hopefully Transition keeps it alive with an updated Patrol.
I've been riding full 29 for about 2 years now, and switching to mullet soon. At 5'8" / 172cm I can make 29 work, but it can be a lot of work in tight corners, and my local trails don't have a ton of chunk. In fact, the vast majority of the guys I ride with are still on 27.5. It makes me a bit sad that the pure 27.5 rowdy trail bike seems to be a dying breed, with the Nomad 5 being one of the last of it's kind. Hopefully Transition keeps it alive with an updated Patrol.
I wonder if 27.5 forks will be still around in 4 years.
The Nukeproof Mega 275 looks really damn good too.
I think it'll be like 26" forks...generally only entry level forks will be available.
I tend to agree. As someone who normally doesn't buy complete bikes but just upgrades bits and pieces, I'm a bit cautious about getting a 27.5 forked bike now.
I was complaining years earlier because the enduro/worthy-travel 29ers were way too scare. There were only about 3 or so real options. Now it's market saturation and take your pick. I'm thinking it might be somewhat of a bubble and then back off, but definitely here to stay. It's problematic though, because a company sure doesn't want to produce two models with the same travel for the same use with different wheel sizes. This leads to companies either offering everything under the sun, usually the larger ones, or more specialization. Looking forward to more realistic mullet choices.
Last time I checked with my LBS (2020), he still could get a 26" 36 as a special order new from the distributer.
No, because we Asians are short. 
However, from what I have observed in my small city it seems most cross country riders are going 29" regardless of rider height while the trail/enduro crowd are on 27.5".
I bought a 29" fork for my 27.5 hardtail last year but used a 27.5 x 2.6 Bonty SE5. After a few months I lowered the travel by 20 mm and replaced the front wheel with a 29 x 2.5 Assegai. I don't have many rides on this set up yet. It's ok I suppose. Bike seems more stable at speed. Corners nicely.
However, from what I have observed in my small city it seems most cross country riders are going 29" regardless of rider height while the trail/enduro crowd are on 27.5".I bought a 29" fork for my 27.5 hardtail last year but used a 27.5 x 2.6 Bonty SE5. After a few months I lowered the travel by 20 mm and replaced the front wheel with a 29 x 2.5 Assegai. I don't have many rides on this set up yet. It's ok I suppose. Bike seems more stable at speed. Corners nicely.
yeah high pivots are whack as fuck for mannies. Still really lovely on jumps once you go fast enough.
I found I had to run my fork with a stiffer spring and a bit less damping to feel better pulling the front end up in general
wouldn't be surprised if 27s stop being made. Good thing I have 2 MTBs that I don't ride anymore, so no stress about finding spares ))
You can get the 831 36. 100mm dirt jumper. I imagine you could swap in a longer stroke air spring after the fact. You'd probably want to change the damper tune as well, unless they run the same stock tune as the longer 36s.
I rode the standard druid. Not enough to notice anything funky with the rear brake.
I didn't particularly like the druid.
A mate was mechanicing for Lew when he had the long travel proto and the druid with the alternative link and they did a fair bit of testing and set-up. If you have any specific questions PM me and I can get you proper answers.
I honestly don't find that to be the case at all.
But that might well be down to me not using my rear brake to control them. Do you brake drag to control your mannies?
Do tell more, inquiring minds want to know. I have been thinking about eventually getting a frame and building it with some obsolete 27.5 wheelset.
No I do them brakeless since I learned on a BMX. I guess it could be just not spending enough time on MTBs nowadays, though I feel comfortable on everything but manuals on the supreme
What I find I struggle with is getting the body position right, so I can move my weight around while still keeping the front up. On my bmx I feel as long as I get close enough I can level it out and keep it going but here it feels like I have to do a more specific movement to get around the rear end length changing with stroke
fuck it! might just head to a car park and do some late night practice to get this shit
It shits me that some days I can can seemingly pull off eternal coaster wheelies and perfect fakies, then the next day I'm just hopeless. I know they have no relevance whatsoever to going quick but muck about skills will forever be high on my list. Two of the dudes I ride with come from trials backgrounds and its proper mental watching them pull off 60kph manuals and stuff.
That’s the only real compromise on a high pivot bike is the shifting balance point through the travel.
On really long bikes or heavy and long ebikes I have to hang way more off the back and look under or through the handlebar or else I can’t keep the front end up going through bumps and stuff. I learned new manny techniques I had never done before on this shoot for Scott. The last shot was when I was figuring out manuals on the heaviest and longest bike I’ve ridden.
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Being able to manual a bike and doing it when you want or need to are two are two separate things.
On really long bikes or heavy and long ebikes I have to hang way more off the back and look under or through the handlebar or else I can’t keep the front end up going through bumps and stuff. I learned new manny techniques I had never done before on this shoot for Scott. The last shot was when I was figuring out manuals on the heaviest and longest bike I’ve ridden.
Ben Walker on Instagram: "Skids and wheelies on one of the most fun bikes I’ve ever ridden! I had a blast riding the new Ransom eRide all over Aosta. Too much fun! #SCOTTbikes #SCOTTransom #eRide @shaperideshoot @jochenhaar_photography @bikeonscott"
478 likes, 39 comments - buckowalker on September 18, 2020: "Skids and wheelies on one of the most fun bikes I’ve ever ridden! I had a blast riding the new Ransom eRide all over Aosta. Too much fun! #SCOTTbikes #SCOTTransom #eRide @shaperideshoot @jochenhaar_photography @bikeonscott".
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It was 29" front and rear.
What configuration are you thinking of mid wheeling?
man that video helps, sweet. It's so odd looking compared to bmx where I stay more stretched out but it looks like it works well. So keep the front super high bordering on loop out, stay bunched up and off the back and look under the bars. Scary!That’s the only real compromise on a high pivot bike is the shifting balance point through the travel.
On really long bikes or heavy and long ebikes I have to hang way more off the back and look under or through the handlebar or else I can’t keep the front end up going through bumps and stuff. I learned new manny techniques I had never done before on this shoot for Scott. The last shot was when I was figuring out manuals on the heaviest and longest bike I’ve ridden.
Being able to manual a bike and doing it when you want or need to are two are two separate things.Ben Walker on Instagram: "Skids and wheelies on one of the most fun bikes I’ve ever ridden! I had a blast riding the new Ransom eRide all over Aosta. Too much fun! #SCOTTbikes #SCOTTransom #eRide @shaperideshoot @jochenhaar_photography @bikeonscott"
478 likes, 39 comments - buckowalker on September 18, 2020: "Skids and wheelies on one of the most fun bikes I’ve ever ridden! I had a blast riding the new Ransom eRide all over Aosta. Too much fun! #SCOTTbikes #SCOTTransom #eRide @shaperideshoot @jochenhaar_photography @bikeonscott".
Probably similar to what've done to my Hightower - 27.5 30mm ID wheels on both ends, 160mm 36RC2, a little longer stroke coil shock, DD/SG 2.3-2.4 tires.
I’m not saying that’s the ticket but I had to ride well immediately, on a bike I didn’t know, with a moldy 42 year old lower back and my boss shooting photos. That manny position and some other learned riding techniques were the result of a day and a half chasing Rudy on a huge and heavy bike I had to give back immediately after the shoot. I fucking enjoyed it though!
Yes, the sweet spot is tiny and it’s much easier to loop out but otherwise I couldn’t keep it up going over the smallest bumps and undulations. Normal low and rearward style mannies were destroying my lower back on that bike. I simply don’t have the strength/power. Rudy, the other guy in the video had the M size which was plenty long enough for me but I’m taller so he got the M and I got the L. He’s very fit and fast and I had a hell of a time getting up to speed. On a shoot like that you pedal twice and there’s no more assistance. You try desperately to make it look effortless....
Super long geo and 29 makes for some techniques and positions I hadn’t done before but I liked it. If a bike rips then we should let it rip regardless....
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29" wheels and long reach/wheelbase made me re-evaluate my base riding position again. Now that I've adapted I love it; although different parts of my back are having to get stronger.