Hello everyone!
I am new to the forum, and recently just getting back into mountain biking after 10 years or so of being lazy! It is amazing how technology has changed over the years and the big surprise for me was the change in wheel size. Of course the 26 in wheel was the norm back in the day and now you have 3 options to choose from. At the start of the summer i picked up a Giant Talon 1 29er and instantly loved the new wheel size. After about 2 months i upgraded to a 2014 Giant Talon 1 with 27.5 inch wheels and so far do not like them as much as the 29". Do not get me wrong, I’m not saying i hate the bike, or the wheels for that matter, but I’m not as impressed with the 27.5’s as i was when i got on the 29" wheel.
Is there anyone else out there running 27.5? I am interested to you hear your opinions.
I’ve had my '14 Giant Trance 27.5 for a bit over a month and I love it. I only rode two 29ers for a very short period, but to me they both felt like I was sitting down low in between two giant wheels and just felt odd to me…but I never got to give them a real good chance.
With the 27.5 vs 26 I don’t find it a very drastic difference like 26 vs 29 would be, but I have definitely noticed it. Certain sections of trail I can roll over a lot easier than on my 26" bike, and I find it a lot better on climbs (that could be partly or fully because of the different frame and suspension though). For the type of riding I do I think the 27.5 is perfect.
I’ve been riding a Norco Shinobi 2 with 29" wheels. I like it, but am getting a 650b very soon. I’d like to have a smaller wheel size for some more aggressive riding. Not that I’m great at aggressive riding, but it just may help me!
I certainly preferred the 29er over the 26" wheels. Easier to roll, climb, and maintain speed.
I am set on my 29er wheels now. My take on 650 B? Don’t move down to them, but by all means move up to them. I rode them on a demo. It was OK, but I missed my monster truck. Rode 26" for a while in Reykjavik, and it felt squirrelly for the first while again.
The big wheels grip, corner, float, absorb and keep rolling better than anything out there. Downsides? Slight increase in power required to get them going, maybe issues with smaller riders/bikes. If Giant completely drops 29er in the future, I will keep my XTC 29er rolling for a while. Or, get a fat bike…
The 27.5’s are supposed to be the best of both worlds, but if you enjoyed 29er and didn’t mind it in the twisty/sprinty stuff, I’d stick with it. Just my $0.02.
