Threevok
Growing old disgracefully
- Location
- South Wales
I find myself wearing my helmet more in lycra
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ChrisEyles
Guru
- Location
- Devon
That bike looks ace!
I ride 26" on both my MTBs (one rigid, one FS), and also rode a 29er hardtail for a year or so. Only ridden 27.5" a handful of times, and on not-very-good hire bikes so can't comment on them. I personally prefer the feel of 26" wheels, they feel a touch livelier and require a bit more finesse on the trail rather than riding over everything like a tractor.
I'm prepared to believe that if you're racing the larger wheel sizes could possibly be a touch faster, but if you're just out to have fun on your bike that doesn't really matter.
As others have said I can't see parts availability being a problem for the likely life span of a 26" wheel bike.
They do feel different to one another so the best way is to try out a couple one after the other (is there a local trail centre that hires out bikes near to you?) and see what you prefer.
I ride 26" on both my MTBs (one rigid, one FS), and also rode a 29er hardtail for a year or so. Only ridden 27.5" a handful of times, and on not-very-good hire bikes so can't comment on them. I personally prefer the feel of 26" wheels, they feel a touch livelier and require a bit more finesse on the trail rather than riding over everything like a tractor.
I'm prepared to believe that if you're racing the larger wheel sizes could possibly be a touch faster, but if you're just out to have fun on your bike that doesn't really matter.
As others have said I can't see parts availability being a problem for the likely life span of a 26" wheel bike.
They do feel different to one another so the best way is to try out a couple one after the other (is there a local trail centre that hires out bikes near to you?) and see what you prefer.
Jody
Stubborn git
Make sure shock rebounds/dampers work OK and no major oil leaks. No scratches or marks on the stanchions. Rock it forwards and back with the front brake on and make sure the forks don't knock or clunk. No wobbles/noises on the rear frame bearings. Make sure the brakes are keen and the levers arent spongy.
OP
OP
Alfa GT
Active Member
thanks for the advise. I'm going to be mainly riding around Cannock Chase with a couple of trips to bike park Wales so wanted something that could handle that. I hope this bike can... I don't have much of a clue when it comes to mountain bike specs!
the bike seems to be in good nick on the pics so I'll do as @Jody advises when I have a ride.
the bike seems to be in good nick on the pics so I'll do as @Jody advises when I have a ride.
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
All suspension forks clunk when you hold the brake and rock it. They have quite a bit of clearance between bushing and stanchion. Knocks from up-down movement is a different matter though.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Mine are silent, apart from some wheezing on the softer damper settings. Or it could be me wheezing, hard to tell.
Threevok
Growing old disgracefully
- Location
- South Wales
Neither my old Tora's or my new SID's do that either. I'd be pretty peed off if they did. It would mean a bushing change
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
There is no perceptible noise, just a perceptible mechanical knock. It is enough to confuse people who adjust headsets on MTBs.
For there to be no knock, there has to be negative clearance (pressfit) and this is not possible. My workshop specialized in fox and shock servicing and it is the same with all bushing-based forks. The exception is a Lefty fork. Those have square stanchions which run on roller bearings trapped between two hard steel races. These races are available in different thicknesses and you keep on adjusting until there is no knock in both planes.
On round stanchion forks there is only one size bushing.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I've had all three, currently own 26 and 27.5, and notice nob all difference. Even commuting on a slick shod 26" MTB, 8 miles each way, my journey time remained pretty much identical when I switched to road bike.
Any difference between 26, 27.5 and 29 is largely illusory, and is why I urge the OP to ignore the armchair experts and do what feels right for him.
PS - I hated my camber HT in 29. Because of that bike I will never buy a new bike again without riding it first.
Any difference between 26, 27.5 and 29 is largely illusory, and is why I urge the OP to ignore the armchair experts and do what feels right for him.
PS - I hated my camber HT in 29. Because of that bike I will never buy a new bike again without riding it first.
Remember 27 x 1 1/4 wheels? They were obsolete on new bikes years ago, but you can still buy wheels and tyres (admittedly not much choice, but I've bought Continental Gatorskin and Ultra Sport, and Schwalbe Marathon, in that size recently).
Compared to that, 26" tyres will surely still be around for decades yet.
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User32269
Guest
I still ride 26" and have a small stockpile of freewheels and tyres. I'm betting that in a decade, when graphene frames with nanobots will be essential kit, the industry will make a radical change to "new" 26" wheels. So not too worried as my Cromo frames will still be going strong. Bah!
Levo-Lon
Guru
Liar liar pants on fire. .....your clearly riding a 36" wheeler in your Avatar
OP
OP
Alfa GT
Active Member
So... i rode the 26" wheeler and it felt great. Admittedly I didn't go off road but it felt as good as the Ghost I was comparing it to. Unfortunately, the seller and I couldn't agree on a price so got to keep looking. I have been pointed in the direction of the Calibre Bossnut as an option for a new bike instead of second hand so I'll try and get to a Go outdoors at some point soon.
