What Wheel Size Do You Ride?

[ahansen60]

Got an email from Bike Magazine with a link to a movie about the death of the 26 inch wheel. Video can be found here:

http://www.bikemag.com/videos/video-26-aint-dead/?utm_source=Newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Bike+Magazine+Newsletter+-+12.5.13_681079&utm_content=4036006&utm_term=_681079_681090

It got me thinking. I wouldn't have thought anyone would have even considered 26 inch in the minority. I would think it is still the vast majority. So I would like to do a poll and find out what you guys are riding and see what the percentages really are. At least in the Bogley world.

[RedSpecialized]

26" for 3 of my bikes, and my down hill bike has 26" front and 24" rear, all stock. I wouldn't think 26"is going anywhere. But I guess only time will tell.

Sent from my SPH-L900

[Iceaxe]

I've been heavily involved in cross country mountain bike racing over the past year. There is no way in hell a serious racer would even consider showing up with anything but a 29er. One of our racers this year switched from a 26 to a similar 29 mid-year and his race results really improved with just the bike switch. The kid went from running in in the top half of the pack to contending for the win. Myself and the kids dad were amazed what the change in wheel size did for his lap times.

FWIW: my daughter who is racing and only 5' tall is getting a new bike for Christmas and it's a 29er. It was really hard to find a 29 that would fit her but we finally got it dialed in.as Trek makes an extra small frame for their womens 29ers.

[ahansen60]

I would think it would depend on how tight and windy the course is. The tighter and more frequent the turns, the more the 26 inchers have the advantage.

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[BruteForce]

I have 29"..

[accadacca]

26

[RedSpecialized]

I've been heavily involved in cross country mountain bike racing over the past year. There is no way in hell a serious racer would even consider showing up with anything but a 29er. One of our racers this year switched from a 26 to a similar 29 mid-year and his race results really improved with just the bike switch. The kid went from running in in the top half of the pack to contending for the win. Myself and the kids dad were amazed what the change in wheel size did for his lap times.

FWIW: my daughter who is racing and only 5' tall is getting a new bike for Christmas and it's a 29er. It was really hard to find a 29 that would fit her but we finally got it dialed in.as Trek makes an extra small frame for their womens 29ers.

I do think that if your riding CX then 29 is seems like the logical choice. For free ride and down hill riding, I don't tthink I even know of a manufacturer go makes a 29 version....? Maybe there are some? Just don't see 29 taking over the segment of the market, but stranger things have happened before I guess.....?

Sent from my SPH-L900

[mxerhale]

I took a 2 mile ride on a Fisher 29er when I was riding a Titus 26er and decided to switch right then and there. I'd like to ride a 27.5 to see if it's a nice compromise, but I don't expect it to sway me. Of course I didn't expect the Fisher to either...

[DOSS]

26 cuz thats what I have and rather throw my $$ at roadies :)

[Tystevens]

Two 26" here. I tend to think that wheel size is overstated somewhat -- it is more about bike geometry, suspension design, etc. than wheel size, but I don't care too much. Whatever is working when I buy my next bike is what I'll ride.

[Iceaxe]

My two cents is 26er's will be gone in anther five years. I don't know of any serious riders that have went back to a 26 after owning a 29. 26er's are a dinosaur.

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

[Bootboy]

My two cents is 26er's will be gone in anther five years. I don't know of any serious riders that have went back to a 26 after owning a 29. 26er's are a dinosaur.

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

26ers will be on the downhill and park scene for a while. They better lend themselves to shorter wheel bases, and are much easier to control in the air. In the lexicon of today's freeriders, they are "more flickable".

I could maybe see fronts going to 27.5 because it can be mounted on a 26" frame with a different fork without hacking the geometry too badly. But rears will stay 26" for gravity riding.

[BruteForce]

My Moab based Platinum 29'er (given to me free by my employer) is super lightweight and I've taken it ~22 miles trail riding. Sucks riding it uphill though.

Edited to add: Fat Tire bikes seem to be the new rage among the hard-core bikers at my office (I work adjacent both Cottonwood Canyons and Corner Canyon in the SE corner of SLC)

[REDFOX]

I have 3 bikes with 26" wheels, 1 bike that is a 27.5" wheel size and one of the bikes I built with a 26" front and 24" wheel in the rear for strength and for racing downhill. Giant has some interesting research regarding wheel size on their website. The only advantage that a 29" wheel has over something smaller in my opinion is that they can roll over sharp edges easier and faster on average trails. Take a traditional 29 " wheeled bike and fork on a downhill trail or lift served park and it will be disaster for the rider as well as the bike. For strength and weight nothing compares yet to a 26" set up. For cross country racing and mellow trails without drops or jumps, a 29er works well. The Giant 27.5 that I bought for my son seems to offer the best of everything. With that being said, I wonder how much of this is marketing to simply sell more product.

[REDFOX]

My Moab based Platinum 29'er (given to me free by my employer) is super lightweight and I've taken it ~22 miles trail riding. Sucks riding it uphill though.

Edited to add: Fat Tire bikes seem to be the new rage among the hard-core bikers at my office (I work adjacent both Cottonwood Canyons and Corner Canyon in the SE corner of SLC)
The only time that I pedaled a 29er uphill was in Moab a couple of years ago. Of course it pedaled easier than my 49lb bike that I lug around everywhere. I remember when I went from stock tires on my 1982 Toyota truck to 35" super swampers. The engine, gears, clutch, drivelines, and brakes got worked hard. I would think that some of this could apply to a 29er compared to a 26" bike.

[accadacca]

Bumping this thread. What wheel size are you riding today?

I'm looking to upgrade my MTB and I am leaning toward 27.5.

Thoughts on 29 vs. 27.5?

[Iceaxe]

What do you plan to ride and do with the bike?

If you are riding cross country anything but 29 is stupid. I spend a lot of time in the racing community and everyone rides 29.

I've never met anyone who rode 29 for any length of time that ever swapped down. In five years anything but 29 will be a dinosaur.

[dgw2jr]

What do you plan to ride and do with the bike?

If you are riding cross country anything but 29 is stupid. I spend a lot of time in the racing community and everyone rides 29.

I've never met anyone who rode 29 for any length of time that ever swapped down. In five years anything but 29 will be a dinosaur.
Agreed. Tried 27.5. Meh. Now I ride a Remedy 29 spring, summer and fall and a Moonlander for winter.

[devo_stevo]

I'll let you know in a month or two. I've only ever ridden 26" wheels up until now, but the new bike I got is a 29er. I'm looking forward to trying it out...

[BruteForce]

Now that I've figured out my 29" er, I find it a better peddling experience than my old 26". Sit position, shock adjustments..all make a world of difference running Slickrock or just trail riding!

[accadacca]

Cross country mostly with some downhill mixed in. I'm guessing I'll obliterate my Strava times when I get bigger wheels.

Are you guys sure that 27.5 isn't the best of both world in pedaling and handling? I guess I need to try both before buying...

[tallsteve]

My opinion: For pure x-country riding, go 29. If you're doing mostly downhill or lift-served riding where maneuvering is king, go 27.5 or 26 even. I definitely can't take switchback corners on my 29er like I could on my old 26 but, everything else is by far an advantage.

[Iceaxe]

Are you guys sure that 27.5 isn't the best of both world in pedaling and handling? I guess I need to try both before buying...

Understand the only reason 27.5 wheels exist is because they will fit on most 26 frames. This was a stopgap that allowed those with expensive 26 bikes to gain some of the improvement without having to buy a new bike.

Also 27.5 isn't actually a mid-point as the gain is not a linear line. I could put together a bunch of pie charts and power point presentations to show you what is happening mathematically and physically, but a lot of it would probably go over your head. Bottom-line it's the wheels circumference (angle of incidence), which actually cause the improvement, and the theoretical curve when plotted out looks more exponential.


The only guys still advocating 26 are those who own an expensive 26 and are hoping there might still be some value in their bike, which any classified ads will prove there is not.


The last item you might want to take note of is many companies no longer build 26 or their 26 lines are very limited. That should really tell you everything you need to know.

:2thumbs:




I'm guessing I'll obliterate my Strava times when I get bigger wheels.

Probably not as your still a pussy and no bike can fix that. :roflol:

[accadacca]

Probably not as your still a pussy and no bike can fix that. :roflol:
Don't cry too much this summer when you see my name at the top of all your Strava lists.

[Iceaxe]

Don't cry too much this summer when you see my name at the top of all your Strava lists.
Better bring your A game as I currently own just about every Bogley record in Corner Canyon... not bad for a guy thats 55 years old.

[accadacca]

Better bring your A game as I currently own just about every Bogley record in Corner Canyon... not bad for a guy thats 55 years old.

You've got a good chunk of the uphill records. Congrats on that, it's been impressive to watch. On the downhill, you need to lay off the brakes.

Once I upgrade my bike, it'll shave some time. My current bike is 10 years old! It's about time. Plus, I'll have to ride more. I can count on one hand how many times I rode last summer.

If both things come together, I will start beating my old records and reclaiming the lead.

[Iceaxe]

I'm too old to care about going fast downhill anymore, that's a young man's game. When you get old you'll understand.

All things being equal most your times across the board will tumble once you're peddling a 29er. They roll easier and handle most obstacles better.

[Sombeech]

Are the fat bike tires 26 or 29?

[tallsteve]

Technically, most fatbike tires are 26" with more and more popping up with a 27.5" version. The problem with the 27.5" version is the width is only 3.7 or 3.8" while most 26" tires are 4.8's. From everyone I know who ride fatbikes in Utah, they say the 3.8's are pretty worthless. Again, that's for Utah conditions with our famous fluffy powder snow. They may do just fine in other areas of the country but, not here. Proponents of the 27.5 x 3.8" say, because of the bigger volume tire (27.5 vs. 26"), you get the same footprint. If you look at the long, long debate on the subject at MTBR, in actual application it's not working out that way. I think the 27.5 x 3.8" size would be fun for summer riding (if you're into summer fatbike riding). The Trek Farley 7, which I'll be purchasing this summer, accepts both wheel sizes but comes with the 26's.

[Sombeech]

I'm still rocking the 26ers on my bike, it would be nice to have 29" wheels, or a Fat Bike, but for now the way I look at it, uphill is gonna suck either way.

[gholt]

I have the 26 too. On the ibis sl. Love it. It would be nice to get bigger wheels, but it costs a fortune to upgrade all that.

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[Sombeech]

Yeah to be honest, I'm content with my 26ers. I'm more into the downhill stuff and the heavier 26" wheels feel more stable and solid on the ground while banking the hard turns and over some of the drops.

29ers are nice though for the general XC riding. I'm a shuttle brat though

[Iceaxe]

FWIW- I have a 26er and a 29er. Originally the 26 cost about three times what I paid for the 29 as it was the best money could buy when I purchased it. I've ridden the 26 only a couple of times since the 29er arrived, and that was mostly because I hate seeing what was once a lot of money sit in the corner of the garage.

[accadacca]

At this point I want something light and fast for all conditions. This includes climbing, bombing, turning and general handling. If a 29er does not corner and handle as well on downhill sections, then it might not be the ticket for me.

[Sombeech]

Yeah it depends, maybe putting some heavy slime in the 29" tires would help stability on the corners. For pure downhill though, the riders even go down to 24" on the rear. I've been on some nice 29" bikes, they're definitely nice. Too many options and decisions out there though if I'm going to get another bike, throwing a Fat Bike in the mix too.

[Kent K25]

26" on my downhill and 29" on my trail bike.

[tallsteve]

... maybe putting some heavy slime in the 29" tires would help stability on the corners.

Stability on my 29er is fine. For me, the bike is just bigger all around- longer wheelbase and taller so, my center of gravity is higher, which has always been a handicap for my already tall body. For instance, there are a couple of switchbacks in Corner Canyon and the Tibble Fork trail up AF Canyon that I literally have to stop at the corner apex (going downhill), put my feet down, and move the back-end of the bike around. Kinda sucks but, it's not frequently the case and I'm sure it's a combination of the bigger wheel size and an XXL frame. Smaller frame sizes typically don't have that issue. I could always make those corners on my smaller 26.

[Iceaxe]

At this point I want something light and fast for all conditions. This includes climbing, bombing, turning and general handling.

You just described a 29.

[REDFOX]

Giant has listed some information regarding wheel sizes on their website called 27.5 technology. I am interested in the 27.5 size for myself. If you ride smooth trails and don't plan on hitting any jumps a 29er will most likely hold up for you. Has for myself I would destroy a 29" wheel and I am not looking to increase the rotational weight of my bike.

[mxerhale]

Giant has listed some information regarding wheel sizes on their website called 27.5 technology. I am interested in the 27.5 size for myself. If you ride smooth trails and don't plan on hitting any jumps a 29er will most likely hold up for you. Has for myself I would destroy a 29" wheel and I am not looking to increase the rotational weight of my bike.

I actually test rode a Yeti SB5c, which is a 27.5er, last summer and I'll be damned if it wasn't the sweetest riding MTB I've ever swung a leg over. I suppose the suspension was more instrumental than the wheel size was, but it was nice on the uphills to have a wheel that seemed to accelerate a bit quicker than my Salsa Horsethief 29ers do. The Yeti had a 1x11 which was something new too, my normal ride is a 2x10 and if I had my druthers I prefer 3x9 or 3x10. This being said, I rode about 7 miles of my normal 10 mile route and never felt too weird, but that magical Yeti suspension was nearly perfect everywhere I pointed it. The 27.5 wheels never felt like they held me back in the rock gardens or over tree roots, it actually felt like the ultimate bike for all terrains. Mind you this was only a 7 mile ride and I didn't have a computer or Strava going to compare speeds to a regular ride on my 29er but the this particular 27.5er was awesome. This may sound like an advertisement, but I just felt that great on this bike, of course when I asked how much for the bike as it sat I was disappointed to hear $6300! I'm still formulating a plan on how to build one up Johnny Cash style, one piece at a time!

[neilether]

I have a 6" Trail bike that is 27.5". This is my do it all bike that I use for 80% of my riding. I don't race, and just ride for fun.

I also have a steel framed hardtail that has 29" wheels. That bike is a lot of fun as well. Ironically, the steel framed bike with the bigger wheels is heavier (by a fair bit) than my carbon full suspension bike.

Soooooo, I don't have a strong opinion either way. How's that for an answer?

[double moo]

Last year, starting in April, Go-Ride did free demo days about once month at Corner Canyon. I was looking at new bikes and it gave me the chance to ride different wheel sizes, suspensions, and frame sizes back to back. I went into it thinking I was going to like and buy a certain model, just wanted to ride it to confirm my decision. I ended up going a different direction. I think Canyon Cyclery also did some of this. If you aren't already decided on a wheel size, take a spin on them back to back, take a friend or two add trade off on the ride to get the most test rides in.

[accadacca]

The debate continues...