Hardtail 275+ vs 29'er

I am looking at getting a chromo hartail, looking for some feedback on the differences between a 275+ and a 29er. If you have ridden both, or can compare what you have to what I am currently riding, it would be great to get some feedback on your experiences.

My experience:

I used to ride a 26" Banshee Viento aluminum hardtail on the shore a lot and I really loved it, but had to give it up because of my bad knee, now that it is fixed I am looking for a chromo hartail. I currently spend all my time on a 160 x 160 Banshee Rune V3 (27.5), with 2.4 tires.

I prefer the big wheels. It’s a somewhat subtle difference though. The way some folks talk it’s like it’s a huge difference. I find the big wheels definitely roll faster. Handling is pretty similar.  The wheels went on my Chameleon which had 27.5 when I bought it but with a 29er fork so I could run plus tires. So it was a straight swap. The geometry mostly stayed the same but a bigger wheel means a touch more trail.

I went from my 27.5 Chromag Wideangle to a 29 Norco Torrent and it was the worst bike swap I've ever done.

#opinions

I don’t have experience with 27.5 plus but I ran my last 3 steel hardtails with 29” wheels front and rear and found after lots of experiments that cushcore pro and 2.6 rubber on hardtails around these parts is the shizzz IMHO.

Andy,

Just to clarify, you ran 275 on your Chameleon, then swapped it to 29, or did you try Plus at some point. 

I am looking a Rootdown with 275+ on it (huge 40mm rims designed for 2.8 and bigger), I can swap the wheels and tires to 29 (but that is a fairly big expense).

Thaad,

What was the negative for you, is it the bike geo (Norco v Chromag), or specifically the wheel size (not as agile/nimble)? How big a tire could you get in your Wideangle (2.6?). 

I am a good rider, not great, struggle with the jumping now days, but currently I am very happy riding the Shore on my 27.5 FS for everything. I don't go racer speeds (never did), like the tech stuff as well (Lower Oilcan, Executioner).

TonyJ,

I have a chormag primer set up 29, found a 27.5+ setup with tires on Pinkbike for $400 and picked those up as spares since they came with tires set up tubless already. I've ridden both but settled on 29 because it meant fewer crank strikes, had nothing to do with the ride. They both rode ok.

27.5 Plus, 3.0 front and rear

29, with 2.8 front, 2.6 rear

Thanks rnayel, I guess you are running the biggest possible tires in your 29 set up, so it should feel pretty similar. 

Do you like the Vigilante tires? They have always intrigued me.

Posted by: TonyJ

Thanks rnayel, I guess you are running the biggest possible tires in your 29 set up, so it should feel pretty similar. 

Do you like the Vigilante tires? They have always intrigued me.

These were the DH slow rolling version and they were great albeit, slow rolling. Grip was tenacious.

I've switched out to a 2.4 Der Kaiser rear/ Vigilante 2.6 front since, I am liking the additional clearance in the rear but not enjoying the Conti which can be a bit unreliable if the psi isn't perfect, also lacks the sidewall support of the vigilante. Will likely switch to something more robust when it wears.

27.5+ on the rear, 29 on the front, naturally. :)

I tried a bike with the wagon wheels by swapping with a bro, I told him I couldnt feel any difference that big wheels might make.

He said ok but when we swapped he could tell the difference becuz riding out in front  I was less slow and he had to work a little to keep up whereas with the small wheels he just runs a way

I have since gone 29 and now mullet, I like the mullet

Posted by: Kenny

27.5+ on the rear, 29 on the front, naturally. :)

This. I experimented 27.5x2.8 with my Rootdown BA back in 2016, found the bb too low and too many pedal strikes on the way up for what I was riding. But I really liked the increased traction out back and a bit of cush. I didn't like the 27.5 up front though, at least not at the 'proper' ~14psi, tire squirm and vague steering was a thing for me and my limited skills.

Once I jumped up to a 29" front wheel it raised my bb just enough, and running a 2.4/2.5 with proper 21psi was enough to get steering precision back. 

I don't carve berms so that bit of tire squirm that I'm sure exists out back never factored in for me.

I swap pretty frequently between 29x2.5 and 27.5x2.8 on my Timberjack. I prefer the squish and  (slight) playfulness advantages of the 27.5+ for winch-and-plummet trails, backcountry riding, and bikepacking. The big wheels usually go on when I need to keep up with buddies on full-squish 29ers.

Posted by: Kenny

27.5+ on the rear, 29 on the front, naturally. :)

That's by her request of course....sorry, couldn't help myself with the (that's what she said joke)