Are 26 inch wheel bikes still a thing?

[Ratchet Cat]

Is it all 29ers now? Both my mountain bikes have 26 inch wheels. Both suit me fine, as long as I can still get rims tyres and tubes.
I have no plans to swap bikes to something more modern any time soon.

I’m just interested in your thoughts. Is anyone out there still riding a 26inch wheel bike?

 

[OldShep]

Yes still riding my 93 Clockwork. Not as aggressively as I once did but still brings pleasure.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

My ice bike is an old 26 inch wheel MB.
I'd swap one of my 700 for a 26 inch if I could find a suitable bike.
Well, I haven't really looked hard, because I have enough bikes, but 700X combined with my extra small frames results in toe overlap.

 

[MontyVeda]

I'm still riding my '96 Orange P7 which is showing signs of age now. I intend to keep it going at least until i retire

 

[Ratchet Cat]

Yay! I’m not the only one then. My 2008 Rockhopper will be hitting the trails again soon.
I’m short, so it’s easier to find smaller frames for 26 inch wheels.

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

I've got one in the garage that I'd love to get back on the road, but I've got no idea how to make a start on it. I just remember how much fun it was to bomb around the streets on it back in the day. Mine is from '96.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Yay! I’m not the only one then. My 2008 Rockhopper will be hitting the trails again soon.
I’m short, so it’s easier to find smaller frames for 26 inch wheels.

I was very happy with how my 26 inch wheel bikes handled, till, many moons ago, there was a chance to get 2 new shiny ones - N+1 and all that.
I still regret going 700X, small frames are better with small wheels.
When all my spare pairs of 700X tyres wear out, I'll look for 26 inch bikes again

 

[a.twiddler]

I still remember how handy I found my first generic mountain bike when I bought it in 1989 or so, after decades of riding around on bikes with firstly 27" then 700C wheels. The difference between those and the 26" wheels isn't much on paper but the feel and ease of use is huge. I'm pretty short, so they suited me well. I sold my last 26" wheeled mountain bike in 2020 when I bought a recumbent, though had a couple of 700C bikes for a while. The last one of those is up for sale, as I just don't use it now.

Having been used to recumbents with various sizes of smallish wheels in the interim, riding my 700C wheeled bike recently to check it out before putting it up for sale was very strange. Even after I'd got used to it again, I couldn't imagine having a mountain bike with such wheels. If ever I were to contemplate buying a mountain bike in the future, I'd be looking out for something with 26" wheels. The theoretical rolling ability of a 29er might be a selling point for some, but a 26 incher is much more useful. When you need a 15" frame, the larger size of wheel is rather disproportionate.

 

[Dag Hammar]

Variety is the spice of life.
I have a 1989 Raleigh Cajun with 26 inch wheels, An older Claud Butler with 27”. Another Raleigh with 700c and my most recent purchase is a Cube Aim riding on 29’s.
Some of you may remember that last July, to celebrate my Raleigh Cajun’s 35th birthday, I posted a few photos.
This Raleigh Cajun is certainly a rare bike. I’ve not seen one on Facebook Marketplace and only one on eBay.

 

[richardfm]

My Thorn Sherpa has 26" wheels

 

[tyred]

60ish hilly miles covered today on my '92 26" wheeler. I have no intentions of retiring it. It's not even what most would consider a good frame but it works well as a practical touring bike and does what I want it to.

 

[fossyant]

I commute on a 90's Diamond Back. You can still get wheels, rims etc etc and they aren't going to vanish.

 

[Brandane]

I have 2 MTB's with 26" wheels, both of them Trek 6500 SLR's from about 2008. I bought one as a parts donor for the other but soon realised it was too good a bike for that, so hand painted it in an attempt to turn it into a "rat bike" for times when I need to leave a bike locked up in dodgy areas.
The original one is in sunburst orange colour scheme, and a nice bike to ride. The suspension forks are gone, replaced with carbon fibre. It was recently used for a few rides in the Aviemore area including a ride to Inverness. Bike is in great condition and it has never before even crossed my mind that the size of wheels are outdated.

 

[Moodyman]

Aye, hack/errands bike is a 26” Marin from the late 90s.

No probs getting parts.

 

[a.twiddler]

Come to think of it, before the recumbent bug bit me in the backside with it's oh so comfortable bite, I had been thinking about converting my steel Revolution tourer to 26" from 700C, as with disc brakes it seemed a fairly straightforward job. That thought surfaced as I've just sold it this very day, the last of the Mohicans, my last diamond framed bike. I'd had it since 2016, though it had hardly been ridden during the last five years and I finally "steel"-ed myself to put it up for sale. I still felt a pang when it went as I'd done loads of interesting rides in my early days with it, and it was a very under rated unsung hero. It was a very comfortable bike of its kind.

A random fact. My newest, most recently accquired recumbent bike has 26" wheels front and rear, although it is more road orientated, but a quick search shows a wide range of 26" tyres still available. There seems to be plenty of life in the 26" format yet.