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Cubist what's your thoughts on the 27.5(650b) vs 29 debate, which appeals to you and why?
Ah, interesting question.
I've ridden a 29. It was OK. But I only rode it on a rough bridleway, where it did what they hype is all about- rolled over obstacles with poise. It got up t o speed but didn't feel as "snappy" as my 26. I didn't ride it over anything particularly technical.
However. I like riding technical stuff. I love the slack head angles of my bikes on rough rocky trails every bit as much as I love the feel of a smooth swoopy/flowy singletrack blast. My 26 inch hardtail doesn't feel limited on the stuff I ride. My skill and fitness are well short of the bike's ability, so for the time being I don't feel the need to move onto a 29. For XC and speed demons on yer average trail they seem to make sense, and are very popular,but not for me right now. When my 26" stops working I may look at the question again, but I'm not convinced that the current geometry of 29er XC bikes suits my riding ability or preferences. I'm after fun, not necessarily speed.
However. That's the Hardtail on XC stuff, with a bit of rocky droppy nonsense thrown in, perfect Soul territory. My latest progression is more technical, droppy, jumpy stuff, hence why I built the Mojo. The trendy term is Enduro, but I like to think of it as trail oriented stuff. And here's where it gets complicated in terms of choice. I wanted a lightish, solid bike, so a Mojo 140 rear with a longer travel fork was a personal decision based on an experimental streak. So far so good. I wanted a bike that would take me over black runs with ease, but light enough to ride uphill as well. It used to be called All Mountain.
The current market in Enduro stuff does not show much by way of 29ers. The marketeers have done their homework and laid the foundations to move folk away from 26", and here is where 27.5 (650b) is establishing a foothold. The majority of Trail/AM/Enduro bikes are now selling in 650b. My IBIS frame will take a 650b, and I was on the point of buying a 650b fork, but I would have had to shell out £300 plus on new wheels.
I get 650b. I get 29. I actually get 29er more than 650b, because if you're looking for a wagon wheel effect with a bigger contact patch, the gains at 650b are minimal compared with a 29er. So why spend the extra for the new bike?
My final thoughts? I have spent time and money making my front end stiffer on the Soul, adding a tapered fork with 20mm maxle. The Hope Arch-EX wheelset compliments that to give a stiff ride at the front, with all the flex I need from the frame and tyres, not the wheels and fork. . 29er wheels themselves must flex more and have more tyre squirm for a given rim-width, so I'd be undoing all of that. At the same time the Ibis is absolutely solid, with n frame flex whatsoever. It climbing is limited only by my fitness, and I've yet to find fault with the way it descends. It even does XC well despite the extra heft!
