Prepare for the 650b Wheel-Size Revolution

The Giant arts and graphs are great! Having now ridden all three wheel sizes, I will say 650b will keep my Mojo HD around for a lot longer. However, their silly science doesn't exactly compute on the trail, at least for me. Yup I felt the 650 wheels were a bit smoother over the low lever chatter, but seriously, they need to move that 27.5 closer to the 26 on their graph, not right beside the 29er. My 29er is far and away smoother over the roots and rocks, a LOT more noticeable between the 29 and 650b than they might let on.

So which company's engineers are on the pipe? Giant claims a huge advantage (the graphs!), while Specialized claimed no discernible advantage, and Santa Cruz was just fuck it we'll give the dudes with the cash what they want.

The Giant arts and graphs are great! Having now ridden all three wheel sizes, I will say 650b will keep my Mojo HD around for a lot longer. However, their silly science doesn't exactly compute on the trail, at least for me. Yup I felt the 650 wheels were a bit smoother over the low lever chatter, but seriously, they need to move that 27.5 closer to the 26 on their graph, not right beside the 29er. My 29er is far and away smoother over the roots and rocks, a LOT more noticeable between the 29 and 650b than they might let on.

So which company's engineers are on the pipe? Giant claims a huge advantage (the graphs!), while Specialized claimed no discernible advantage, and Santa Cruz was just fuck it we'll give the dudes with the cash what they want.

I think that's exactly what happened. No joke.

And apparently they sell Bronsons like crazy.

It´s funny how some companies in the bike biz are all about "giving the customer all the options" and come out with 29ers and a different steerer diameter and now 650B and THEN revert back to one size for all, except not the one-size-for-all of old, but the new, better one-size-for-all. Choice now is bad?

The guy from above is totally right though. They got to live with their lineup. We can buy what we want.

The black Giant looks good enough. I am dazzled why they don´t go with Kashima f+r though. Is the price difference THAT substantial?

A lot of companies do that in their premium line (no KASH on shock or whatever) - I think every elitist posh spoil high end mountainbiker wants stanchions and shock shaft of the same color. It is not about function - simply about prestige and aesthetics :smokey:

Why do we spend a fat pound of cash to color coordinate our Chris King headset, bottom bracket and hubs, just to get thrown off by a BAD mismatch of KASH versus Performance shock.

:lol: @ a 650b XC bike winning a CX race as proof of anything

Don't like the mismatched shock/fork combos. Why no Vivid Air to go with the Pike though?

Looking at SCB trail bikes they offer a bike in each wheelsize, choice of 2 frame materials with multiple trim levels, add ons, and colors /fanboy

The lack of Kashima isn't the problem, $2000 dollars worth of suspension with shit damping is the problem.

Some stupid specs on those Trances. A Revelation on the top model? Great 130 grams saved…

They should have done a Monarch Plus/Pike/XO1 model and they would have cleaned up. Even with the crappy Overdrive 2.

The lack of Kashima isn't the problem, $2000 dollars worth of suspension with shit damping is the problem.

I've ridden the 2014 Fox stuff alot, and it is the improvement we all wanted. I'd hardly call it 2 grand worth of shit damping.

I've ridden the 2014 Fox stuff alot, and it is the improvement we all wanted. I'd hardly call it 2 grand worth of shit damping.

I haven't ridden the new stuff yet but I'd personally still rather have Charger dampers with independent low speed.

The Giant arts and graphs are great! Having now ridden all three wheel sizes, I will say 650b will keep my Mojo HD around for a lot longer. However, their silly science doesn't exactly compute on the trail, at least for me. Yup I felt the 650 wheels were a bit smoother over the low lever chatter, but seriously, they need to move that 27.5 closer to the 26 on their graph, not right beside the 29er. My 29er is far and away smoother over the roots and rocks, a LOT more noticeable between the 29 and 650b than they might let on.

So which company's engineers are on the pipe? Giant claims a huge advantage (the graphs!), while Specialized claimed no discernible advantage, and Santa Cruz was just fuck it we'll give the dudes with the cash what they want.

Giant's arts and graphs appear to be cheating
looks like they picked an unrealistically extremely big object to measure the angle of roll over ability
and were they fair in the contact patch measurement? you can change tire pressure or even some brands like Schwalbe have slightly different tread patterns for the same model and width of tire for each rim size

Giant's arts and graphs appear to be cheating
looks like they picked an unrealistically extremely big object to measure the angle of roll over ability
and were they fair in the contact patch measurement? you can change tire pressure or even some brands like Schwalbe have slightly different tread patterns for the same model and width of tire for each rim size

Not only that, but the size of the contact patch is the same, just longer and narrower. It seems like the argument against different wheel sizes for some people is that there should only be one size and it should be the size I own. I also find it interesting that people suggest a 29er is too slow turning and cumbersome, ie not playful and flickable yet some of these same people want slacker head angles for increased stability. I find my Nomad too slow turning for some of the riding I like to do but it is very good at speed on rough trails. Hardly what I think a flickable bike would be like.

I will try and ride a 650 bike one of these days and see what they are like for me. It is too hard trying to decipher what any given reviewer thinks because most don't ride around here and have no clue what our trails are like or how to ride them let alone what bike X will ride like here. I don't give a rats ass how some bike works in California where it's dry and trails are not hard like here.

It seems like the argument against different wheel sizes for some people is that there should only be one size and it should be the size I own.

This. Exactly. Who cares what size wheels you've got. So you didn't turn a corner as 'nimbly' as me, but you rolled faster on the smooth section of trail and that made up any difference. If that matters.

Sometimes i want to ride my 29r, sometimes i want to ride my 26" all mountain bike.

This. Exactly. Who cares what size wheels you've got. So you didn't turn a corner as 'nimbly' as me, but you rolled faster on the smooth section of trail and that made up any difference. If that matters.

Sometimes i want to ride my 29r, sometimes i want to ride my 26" all mountain bike.

Yep. Me too.

Yep. Me too.

Third.
I like that my 29er is a HT and my squish is a 6"er

Now having 2 Enduros would be both foolish and clinical at the same time

Yep. Me too.

Fourth.

Fifth.

If someone gave them to me - I wouldn´t mind too much having two Enduros. :smokey: