27.5" v. 26"? Is 27.5" the new norm?

Son and I spent a Saturday looking at bicycles. Intially, it was for dad to check out an SE 29er BMX bike, but my soon to be 15 year old started looking at mountain bikes.

Couple of the bike shop guys said that 26" wheels are "on their way out" and "nobody really sells those anymore". Instead, he needs to look at 27.5 or 29, because that's becoming the norm.

I've been out of the biking scene for a long time. Last time I even looked at bikes, 27.5 was very new. The cynic in my thought, "sure, it's really just a reason to sell new bikes".

Is 27.5 really the way to go?

FWIW, I told him that I'd have no issue buying him a nice mountain bike. He's been riding a lot more as of late and will be working at the local YMCA over the summer, so it'd be good transportation for him. BUT, he was also thinking about a motorcycle. I can't afford both. Plus, I'm NOT spending the equivalent amount of money on a used Miata that some of these bikes go for. At the moment (he IS a teenager afterall), he's leaning towards a mountain bike instead of a motorcycle..... We'll see what tomorrow brings!!

-Rob

I still ride a 26" dual sus MTB. It is getting harder and harder to find good wheels and tires. Until a couple years ago it was 29" that was taking over, but in the last 12-18 months 27.5 has really taken off. There are relative advantages to each wheel size, a few are real, many are just perception.

If I were buying a hardtail MTB that was meant to tackle flowy, cross-country style terrain, I'd be shopping 29". If I were looking for another dual that would see more aggressive territory, air time, etc, I'd go 27.5"

These are just my opinions, mostly because I like the playfulness and flickability that seem to happen with smaller wheels. Either 29 or 27.5 will have lots of support in the future, and I know people happily riding both sizes in varied terrain.

27.5"/650B seems to be a newer fad. 29er I think is the new standard on a lot of bikes. It used to mostly be for XC riding, but now there are some pretty sweet downhill/enduro 29er rigs. I have a 29er hardtail that I use for my XC riding and probably wont be leaving that setup for awhile. Granted I live in Milwaukee and don't have the crazy downhill trails that are available out west.

I also purchased a Salsa Beargrease X5 fatbike this past winter, whcih might be something to look at. The pricepoint to get into a decent fatbike is still a little high, but the ability to run fat/29+/27.5"/29er wheelsets makes it very versatile. I was looking into some 29+ and 27.5/650B bikes to give me that extra footprint, but decided to just go really big.

I think at the end of the day just find a bike you like to ride. If you're not competitive I would honestly just find something that is a blast to ride. That's why I ended with the fatbike. It jsut rolls over everythign and has traction for days. Not really fast but fast enough to have a ton of fun. I keep the 29er becasue it's fast and climbs like a beast. You can probably get into a entry level 29er for a way better price that an equivalent 27.5", so that might be something to look at too.

Honestly, i'd look for an older vintage mtb and see how he does with that before spending big bucks on something newer.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/5564357159.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bid/5541597325.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/5564173500.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/5528799957.html

Some bike shops might not sell 26 inch wheels but there are still going to be parts out there for them.

27.5 is the new norm. I'd been riding my old 26" Trek for the last dozen years with no issues. Then all my friends started riding 27.5" and I could no longer keep up. I didn't think the bike made as much difference as the rider, but it really does. Finally forked over a small fortune on a NORCO 27.5" and love it. I have no problem keeping up and the extra stability is much appreciated. Crossing ruts and maneuvering over rocks has improved greatly with the larger wheels.

Like mentioned, if going hardtail and cross country the 29er is a good choice. For downhill or all-mountain the 27.5 is the preferred choice.

Also look in to 1x or 2x shifter setups. The 3x gearsets are old news too. I have a 1x11 and do not miss the extra gears and appreciate the simplicity and weight of a single shifter.

I'm hoping to go with a 1x setup in the future. Lose the messiness of the having to deal with two derailers.

If your son isn't going to be riding off road much, I might suggest putting some road oriented tires on whatever mountain bike he ends up getting. It will be easier to pedal.

In reply to The Hoff:

Those NORCO bikes are sweet. well bought!

I was riding 27.5 before it was cool. /hipster

Seriously though, 650B is where it's at. Great combination of speed, agility, and smoothness. 26" really slows you down on XC rough terrain, but 29ers are too slow to respond to inputs and not nimble enough on a tight trail.

650B/27.5 is the perfect balance. I use it for road and trail.

Great, didn't even know 27.5 existed until this thread and now I want one.

Also very happy to hear they are gravitating towards the single cog in the front, I've always said that.

My new Bike is a 27.5 Single cog front long travel hardtail and I absolutely love it.

Most of the trails I ride are tight and technical and it just rips it up with ease. The bike honestly is much better than the rider

I rode 26" for a while and the difference is clear. I can keep up with the fast guys now and it's more of a skills and confidence exercise vs. a bike holding me back conversation.

Now my road bike is a 29" but that is really common for roadies now a days.

26" IS DEAD!

Now you just have to deal with Boost sizing...

I generally agree 27.5" is the new norm unless your typical riding area is mostly flowy single track where a 29er can be an advantage. My trail bike and DH bike are both 27.5" now. I also have a 29er hard tail although I just bought a 27.5 "plus" fork and wheels for it since the frame is not all that great for XC racing and I'm hoping it'll be a bit more of a trail bike with the larger wheels. Eventually, when I go back to racing XC more I'll get another XC bike or two.

"Boost"... yeah... I already have wheels in too many different sizes: F100x12 QR, F100x15 thru-axle(TA), F110x15 TA, F110x20 TA, R130x12 TA, R135x12 QR, R142x12 TA, R150x12 TA, R157x12 TA. And I don't even have any damn fat bikes...

Hmm... I suppose we could add bikes to our "GRM garage" section.

The different sizes handle differently. The bigger the wheel, the longer the wheelbase becomes out of necessity. I say buy a used 26" for dirt cheap, and upgrade anything you think isn't any good. Great 26" forks go for a lot less than the equivalent part for 27.5" wheels. People were shredding for years on 26" hardware, no reason you can't keep doing it. The most important component is the engine, anyway.