Originally Posted by
ColinL
I've read about it a shedload, and I'm fascinated as to why someone would do it for a 4% larger tire. Yet we have a whole industry and consumers doing exactly that.
I don't know about any 4% difference as I never measured. But I do know Its Night and day for me, a 26 to a 27.5
The 650b has most of the roll over advantage of the 29er's without the added rotational mass and added cost to make a larger hoop as stiff, And IMO it has ALL of the flickability of the 26 inch bikes..
All the newer downhill bikes are jumping on 27.5 it looks like..
My simple math says its an 8% difference and so far almost every Improvement I have made to my bike's handling has been the smallest of Increments.
Raising the handle bars just half the bars diameter,
then rotating them up a a few degree's
Moving my seat back 1/4 inch.
Moving the controls inboard a half an Inch,
Using only one finger on the front brake,
Its the little things sometimes.
The 27.5 wheels on a bike with geometry for a 26 inch wheel set,,, center of gravity up some ?
Other than getting the crank up over rocks the only other advantage is better roll over right ?
Its all in the little things IMO.....
Nice looking sleds OP