Last fall after I shredded my freehub in Whistler I had to rent a bike for my last day in Squamish and all I could get was a 27.5" Test SB140 with 2.6" Minions on it. (hard I know)
I figured no problem, I'd just ride and enjoy the day, and it was FUN. The bike was great, and I attributed most of the great day on Nelson, AM, etc...to the 2.6" tires. Sure it's a capable bike, but it was insanely fun to jump and rial corners.
When I got home, I promptly bought a set if 2.6" Minions for my 27.5" Carbon RaceFace wheels and put them on my wounded 20" Rocky Mountain Instinct. I even swapped my chips around to mimic the Yeti and low and behold, my Instinct suddenly felt different and SB140-like.
The 2.6" tires at 26-32psi maintain a much more overall rounded profile and corner incredibly well with a lot more angulation. Traction is improved on climbing too. After a few rides I swapped out 2.5" Minions and the difference was noticeable to me.
So, maybe 27.5"+-light ? (2.6")
March 9, 2022, 1:42 p.m. - Juarez
Last fall after I shredded my freehub in Whistler I had to rent a bike for my last day in Squamish and all I could get was a 27.5" Test SB140 with 2.6" Minions on it. (hard I know) I figured no problem, I'd just ride and enjoy the day, and it was FUN. The bike was great, and I attributed most of the great day on Nelson, AM, etc...to the 2.6" tires. Sure it's a capable bike, but it was insanely fun to jump and rial corners. When I got home, I promptly bought a set if 2.6" Minions for my 27.5" Carbon RaceFace wheels and put them on my wounded 20" Rocky Mountain Instinct. I even swapped my chips around to mimic the Yeti and low and behold, my Instinct suddenly felt different and SB140-like. The 2.6" tires at 26-32psi maintain a much more overall rounded profile and corner incredibly well with a lot more angulation. Traction is improved on climbing too. After a few rides I swapped out 2.5" Minions and the difference was noticeable to me. So, maybe 27.5"+-light ? (2.6") 