I REALLY want to try the Elevator. I actually have bought a hardtail to ride for this year just to experiment with some things and get...
I REALLY want to try the Elevator. I actually have bought a hardtail to ride for this year just to experiment with some things and get away from the big ol Kona. Sadly I can't see myself building a Fairdale frame up or affording the sole stock build, outside of a great sale. I'd much rather try the Elevator than like the Kona ESD or whatever. Would love an Elevator just rocking a bare bones CUES and Bomber Z2 build.
I'm definitely not waiting for a brand to make a dual 27. I've fully accepted they're gone. And they are being replaced by mullets en masse. And I'm not anti-mullet per se. Again, I like playful but it's not as though I'm doing tailwhips and barspins at Rampage. What's really given me pause is how various bikes have felt in various wheel configs. I'd def be open minded to the 5010 in the future, even though I'd hate to barely afford some kind of NX build brand new. So secondhand I'd probly just snag the dual 27 regardless.
And similar to the amazing Shadowcat (and new 5010s), I'd struggle to justify building an MX alloy Optic. I'd absolutely need to demo one and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get that done.Very unique, strange, interesting bike. Even in 29er. MX config makes it even weirder.
I'd LOVE a 26er. As I'm notorious for bringing up in any thread possible, Kona 167 is my dream bike. But I've just accepted I'm not gonna find one, or make a road trip to Canada to try to grab one from a Pinker.
Currently I'm leaning MX Jeffsy. Heck, I'd even commit to it right now on its current sale if I could sell my Kona. That said I've not even seen/touched one yet. I'm just assuming the numbers are similar enough to the Stumpy I demo'd. Which given my experiences with predicting bike feel I'd rather not do lol. I tried the Status 140, really thought it would be a front runner for me, and I didn't quite gel with it. Somehow felt like an Izzo. Think the stack bothered me or something. Maybe a riser bar would help. Not sure :/
Funny, I built up an Elevator from the frame this year and was previously on a Honzo ESD. I wanted something more in the "trail" category and settled on the Elevator after looking at a bunch of other hardtails. It's super fun and playful, pretty much what you would expect for a bike with chainstays that short. Even though the geo would suggest it would be a pretty good mullet candidate, I don't think it would work. The chainstay yoke (not really a yoke, but two separate pieces) wraps around the 29" rear wheel and I'm pretty sure a 27.5" tire would rub. Anyhow, it's a rad bike and would definitely recommend.
All my bikes (hardtail, trail, ebike, and DH) are 27.5 F&R. The hardtail and ebike can take 29 wheels, but I can't be doing with a 29 wheel in front, and I don't want arse rub out back. Actually my DH can be set up 27.5 or 26 with flip chips that alter the BB height, and CS length - I usually trash the rear spokes in the Alps, so I took my old 26 wheel as back up, and once it was needed, I've never looked back as it just felt better with 27.5 front, and 26 rear. Unfortunately it's a DH hub, so I can't try it on my other bikes, but potentially the mini mullet could be the best of all!
Every time i go out and ride my 26” xc hardtails, i weep a little bit for the world we used to live in- when every bike accelerated and turned, when you could nose in to the tiniest little transistions and carve arcs feet inside today’s boring bikes.
I miss the days when 100mm suspension forks were considered Long Travel and 110mm stems were considered too short to ride.
Modern bikes are simply too stable and capable for 90% of the trails that actually exist in the world, and it’s kinda ruining the experience of mountain biking. If you told me in 1993 that i would be choosing a bike from 1987 over a bike from 2023 as often as I do, I would have been pretty bummed out.
I like modern bikes, i guess, but there are just so few places to actually push them outside their comfort zones and so much less versatile than older bikes that I rarely ride new bikes outside of unsanctioned, unsustainable, trails or bikeparks.
My most modern bike is a Trek Fuel EX Gen6- which theoretically can run a 27.5” rear wheel…. you lose enough reach, even with a flip chip that the front/rear weight balance sucks, because it makes the bike essentially a size smaller.
That bike is way, way more fun if you put the mino-link in high and drop in 2x 27.5 wheels, or ride 2x 29” wheels in low.
The relative death of the 27.5” fork is already here, and that’s a huge bummer. l stocked up a few months ago, because there will always be a place for a 130mm/120mm 27.5 bike in my dual-slalolm loving heart… for a while we will be limited to frames that are a product cycle or two old… which is fine, because geometrical evolution and suspension capabilities passed by real-world trail riding a while ago…
It's sad to see the industry move towards this homogeneity of builds. and its not just the wheel size, feel like we're almost stuck between 65.5 and 63.5 for 'trail' bikes. 66 is somehow an outlier for XC or 'DC' builds now.
I just think of BMX which historically I've always made fun of for the bikes all being the same and people freaking out over any tiny changes to the tried and true template. but they quite literally come in everything from 29 inch to 12. guess thats the benefit of making the most bare bones bicycles on the market outside of a fixed gear.
I will say I'm laughing at the jealous feeling I encountered when looking at these new Status 'Zero' and Giant 'Faith' builds, 26/27 bikes for kids. I'm that kid! I want that wheel config! I just happen to be 6 feet. Jeez I've never wanted to be 5 feet tall again until now... I just have to be a big boi and recognize I still need to pedal my bike up trails.
Same thing with that kids Jeffsy in 27 when they stopped making 'adult' 27s. I was like I want that! Thing looks awesome. But whatever. that new MX Jeffsy does look pretty sick. Just iffy on sizing/stack height.
Ive got a 2018 Altitude mini-mulleted and it is a ton of fun. Bike check is on here if anyone cares. I've also run it full 27 and felt it lacked joie de vivre, by comparison.
The geo is definitely outdated with a slack and long seat tube, but if anyone is interested in the mini mullet thing, consider tracking one down. You can dial in the bb height you want with ride-9 (note it also changed the progressivity).
Out of what's currently available, I am most interested in the Endorphin. It looks like the high position with 26" would be similar geo to low position with 27" wheel. Size L has a 487 reach, which I consider long enough for me at 6'1".
You can also do such things with a Banshee of course. I would run either the Spitfire or Rune as a minimullet or even full 26, regardless of the Spitfire's shorter travel. I'll be interested to see if this option will remain available on the next gen of Banshees.
I guess given the option I would choose wheel size and travel each independently based on use case. Not linked to each other necessarily. My hardtail is a 29er and works great for how I use it, but I don't feel every hardtail needs to have big wheels.
Ive got a 2018 Altitude mini-mulleted and it is a ton of fun. Bike check is on here if anyone cares. I've also run it full...
Ive got a 2018 Altitude mini-mulleted and it is a ton of fun. Bike check is on here if anyone cares. I've also run it full 27 and felt it lacked joie de vivre, by comparison.
The geo is definitely outdated with a slack and long seat tube, but if anyone is interested in the mini mullet thing, consider tracking one down. You can dial in the bb height you want with ride-9 (note it also changed the progressivity).
Out of what's currently available, I am most interested in the Endorphin. It looks like the high position with 26" would be similar geo to low position with 27" wheel. Size L has a 487 reach, which I consider long enough for me at 6'1".
You can also do such things with a Banshee of course. I would run either the Spitfire or Rune as a minimullet or even full 26, regardless of the Spitfire's shorter travel. I'll be interested to see if this option will remain available on the next gen of Banshees.
I guess given the option I would choose wheel size and travel each independently based on use case. Not linked to each other necessarily. My hardtail is a 29er and works great for how I use it, but I don't feel every hardtail needs to have big wheels.
That is a really great model year of Altitude. Reminds me a bit of my older Kona. Your build looks so fun. I will ask, have you felt comfortable with sourcing 26 wheel stuff? Seems like it's still alive and well in between kids bikes and slope/DJ bikes so you can at least get something like that Spank rim and a few tires. Not sure which patterns are available 26 and tubeless right now.
I've been having a blast on my new dual 27 hardtail. That's gonna be my 2025 project likely. Hoping to get the 'new' Kona sold by January. Then I can start shopping for a new bike more earnestly. I've just been struggling because I do appreciate new bikes for that peace of mind, as anyone might. Just feel like I'm making a compromise no matter which way I turn. Meanwhile the price of used 5010s is getting... Tantalizingly low. When I got into MTB the Santa Cruz's I could 'afford' secondhand were ancient lol. I'm very excited to consider a future where those first lower VPP 5010s are like ~2k, or 2500 for the better builds.
Right now the thing givinng me the most pause is stack and sizing. As the concept of sizing down for my riding style may also mean too low of a stack, where a riser bar reduces the reach 'too much'. So my leanings are basically... Modern medium that actually has high stack, or older large that has decent stack for an old bike. Kinda trying to start at like 625 so I can go as high as maybe 650 if I want, or whatever. Don't really want a 600 stack bike that I'm trying to run Dak's bars on to get it comfortable :/
I know absolutely no one else on this forum cares about road bikes but here’s my mullet commuter bike. The 27” rear wheel on my shitbike got stolen by tweakers recently (one of the many upsides of owning a shitbike is not being super stressed when stuff like this happens) and I made the unorthodox choice to replace it with a 700c rear wheel for more tire clearance.
So far, my experience riding it lines up with my experience riding mullet MTB’s: it feels almost exactly the same. Pretty much feels like a bike. If you’re the sort of person who bumps into your 29” rear wheel while riding, I think there’s nothing but upside to a mullet setup. If you’re 6’3” with long legs like me? Probably doesn’t matter one way or the other.
Indeed but what about when you want to oppo tail whip a lily pad drop on it? Lower the saddle a bit and send it?
speaking of Semenuk... I am massively jealous at the seemingly fully custom Trek he gets to ride. now THAT looks like a fun and playful bike. toss some 9sp CUES on it and add a dropper and send iiit. i dunno how to verbalize that some people want to ride Rampage bikes even when they're casing 20 foot tables without pissing everyone off. i'm not about this kinkshaming!
I'd probably commit to the Jeffsy right now if I could get the Kona sold. But also I haven't actually demo'd it and not sure if...
I'd probably commit to the Jeffsy right now if I could get the Kona sold. But also I haven't actually demo'd it and not sure if I can actually, as they only demo the normal 29ers. 2500 for that LTD build right now is so sick. I wish I could shop more of the EU brands that still value 275 but I just never see them anywhere and I imagine they could incur extra costs if I tried to actually buy from overseas.
Lots uh, lots going on in your question. I think I read it a couple times, and still not entirely sure what youre trying to get...
Lots uh, lots going on in your question. I think I read it a couple times, and still not entirely sure what youre trying to get at.
Heres my take on things
Dont get so wrapped up in the numbers, and curves, and stats, and nonsense. Its adults playing with toys in the woods, theres absolutely nothing serious about it (unless youre trying to feed your family by going fast). I'm curious about all things mountain bike, and I like a little weird. Currently running a short travel Knolly Fugitive 120/140, as an MX rig. basically a mildly complicated Optic, with a higher quality alu frame... Its a tonne of fun, great play bike, that you can still pedal all day. Its my gateway to a new Endorphin.
I also just came off a Spire (29, 170mm bike) and swapped it for a Dreadnaught (29, 160 bike) but got the -10mm 275 dropouts to give them a go as well. Bikes are rad, dont make it weird
All in all, theres no right, no wrong, just fun to be had. Toss a 29 fork on your current bike, and see how it goes
Also Knollys are incredible bikes, fit and finish, and to ride......and they are a great deal right now. You could dual 275 an Endorphin as well
Well the initial question is confusing because its about like... A theory where wheel size is tied to travel and also geometry.But the long and short...
Well the initial question is confusing because its about like... A theory where wheel size is tied to travel and also geometry.
But the long and short of it, aside from reminding me bikes are fun (what have I been doing on BMX bikes for 30 years!?), is that my style of riding is not very supported in the current market of bikes and I've been struggling on shopping for new bikes (or outright saying screw it and just ride old bikes and become an ebay goblin for the rest of my riding).
I already have an idea of which bikes are 'too much' for me. And I have a general idea of bikes that are too 'trail XC' for me as a single bike type guy. Though I do love a good XC rip from time to time.
Whenever I mention playful type riding and BMX/trials stuff I feel like I'm speaking in tongues. And then people will say like 'Lenosky and Kendall Weed can do trials on 29ers, so you can too'. And I have to go to sleep at night knowing I'm not one of the Jeffs and have to be mentally strong and ok with that (as much as it hurts).
I want to try the 'shortest' mullet I can, but I'm still getting mixed results. I was iffy on the Status 140, and wondering if I could make adjustments to get it where I want. Similar to how I felt on the YT Izzo. The new Stumpy in MX felt quite amazing, and is similar to the Jeffsy MX so I'm wondering if I should go that route. Or think more long term and look out for like an SC 5010 MX or Norco Optic MX but that might be secondhand anyway so... May as well just find a 275 5010 instead at that point. It's ok to get caught up in the numbers. And it's ok to not like the majority of modern bike builds (I think... Not sure lemme ask the Pinkbike comments section)
LIke shortest travel, or shortest wheelbase, or shortest chainstays?
Check out the Knollys, like I said, i run a 120rear Fugitive with MX, as my "trail" bike. Frames are incredible quality, and are an excellent ride. The Fugee as a short travel MX feels like a play bike, that can comfortably cover ground exploring if thats what the day calls for
Lots uh, lots going on in your question. I think I read it a couple times, and still not entirely sure what youre trying to get...
Lots uh, lots going on in your question. I think I read it a couple times, and still not entirely sure what youre trying to get at.
Heres my take on things
Dont get so wrapped up in the numbers, and curves, and stats, and nonsense. Its adults playing with toys in the woods, theres absolutely nothing serious about it (unless youre trying to feed your family by going fast). I'm curious about all things mountain bike, and I like a little weird. Currently running a short travel Knolly Fugitive 120/140, as an MX rig. basically a mildly complicated Optic, with a higher quality alu frame... Its a tonne of fun, great play bike, that you can still pedal all day. Its my gateway to a new Endorphin.
I also just came off a Spire (29, 170mm bike) and swapped it for a Dreadnaught (29, 160 bike) but got the -10mm 275 dropouts to give them a go as well. Bikes are rad, dont make it weird
All in all, theres no right, no wrong, just fun to be had. Toss a 29 fork on your current bike, and see how it goes
Also Knollys are incredible bikes, fit and finish, and to ride......and they are a great deal right now. You could dual 275 an Endorphin as well
Well the initial question is confusing because its about like... A theory where wheel size is tied to travel and also geometry.But the long and short...
Well the initial question is confusing because its about like... A theory where wheel size is tied to travel and also geometry.
But the long and short of it, aside from reminding me bikes are fun (what have I been doing on BMX bikes for 30 years!?), is that my style of riding is not very supported in the current market of bikes and I've been struggling on shopping for new bikes (or outright saying screw it and just ride old bikes and become an ebay goblin for the rest of my riding).
I already have an idea of which bikes are 'too much' for me. And I have a general idea of bikes that are too 'trail XC' for me as a single bike type guy. Though I do love a good XC rip from time to time.
Whenever I mention playful type riding and BMX/trials stuff I feel like I'm speaking in tongues. And then people will say like 'Lenosky and Kendall Weed can do trials on 29ers, so you can too'. And I have to go to sleep at night knowing I'm not one of the Jeffs and have to be mentally strong and ok with that (as much as it hurts).
I want to try the 'shortest' mullet I can, but I'm still getting mixed results. I was iffy on the Status 140, and wondering if I could make adjustments to get it where I want. Similar to how I felt on the YT Izzo. The new Stumpy in MX felt quite amazing, and is similar to the Jeffsy MX so I'm wondering if I should go that route. Or think more long term and look out for like an SC 5010 MX or Norco Optic MX but that might be secondhand anyway so... May as well just find a 275 5010 instead at that point. It's ok to get caught up in the numbers. And it's ok to not like the majority of modern bike builds (I think... Not sure lemme ask the Pinkbike comments section)
LIke shortest travel, or shortest wheelbase, or shortest chainstays?Check out the Knollys, like I said, i run a 120rear Fugitive with MX, as my "trail" bike...
LIke shortest travel, or shortest wheelbase, or shortest chainstays?
Check out the Knollys, like I said, i run a 120rear Fugitive with MX, as my "trail" bike. Frames are incredible quality, and are an excellent ride. The Fugee as a short travel MX feels like a play bike, that can comfortably cover ground exploring if thats what the day calls for
Yes, yes, and yes. And the original question is how people see these things balancing out, in more of a 'mixed' build. Obviously a short travel short cs short wb dual 27 bike is... Playful. Conversely a slack long wb/cs and long travel bike is... Well, not playful.
I'm trying to figure out the general mix of features to cook up the perfect batch. Or, at least, in so far as current market options are fairly limited (or expensive!).
The inspiration for this thread was actually another thread comparing Tallboy vs 5010. Which seemed simple enough, choose the rear wheel you prefer. The travel and geo are too close. But I'm looking more so at Izzo vs MX Jeffsy, similar comparison but slightly more separated.
I think the problem is I start discussions mostly for theory. Aka, for fun. But people want to find black and whites and solve a problem. Just community discussion to see if people only run one wheel config or run diff wheel configs depending on the bikes travel/geometry. Of course a simpler way to put it would be... Do you use different wheel sizes for XC vs trail vs enduro vs DH or whatever genres one cares to add. Downcounty and all-mountain -_-
Can confirm, 26" Krypts are real, though not the easiest to find.
Btw, I don't actually recommend that particular Spank rim. While it's sturdy at a reasonable weight, the inner profile makes tire mounting harder than it should be. Not enough valley for the bead to drop into.
That's probably enough of me derailing your thread into mini-mullet minutiae... 😆
i objectively want your bike. yeah I didn't expect them to be the best, they sound like they're designed to be run with tubes if anything. the WTBs on the Konas are kinda like that I hate those rims. much prefer some DTs or even Stans.
speaking of me hating on every industry standard that exists. getting sick of my pedals basically hitting the floor. not rocks or roots but literally just the trail floor if its even slightly off camber or if i drop a foot for a second. make BBs high and unstable again. i'd rather have an unstable bike and not break my toes if i dare ride a tech trail. meh
i objectively want your bike. yeah I didn't expect them to be the best, they sound like they're designed to be run with tubes if anything...
i objectively want your bike. yeah I didn't expect them to be the best, they sound like they're designed to be run with tubes if anything. the WTBs on the Konas are kinda like that I hate those rims. much prefer some DTs or even Stans.
speaking of me hating on every industry standard that exists. getting sick of my pedals basically hitting the floor. not rocks or roots but literally just the trail floor if its even slightly off camber or if i drop a foot for a second. make BBs high and unstable again. i'd rather have an unstable bike and not break my toes if i dare ride a tech trail. meh
I'm replying not to this particular comment but to you and your bike search in general:
i objectively want your bike. yeah I didn't expect them to be the best, they sound like they're designed to be run with tubes if anything...
i objectively want your bike. yeah I didn't expect them to be the best, they sound like they're designed to be run with tubes if anything. the WTBs on the Konas are kinda like that I hate those rims. much prefer some DTs or even Stans.
speaking of me hating on every industry standard that exists. getting sick of my pedals basically hitting the floor. not rocks or roots but literally just the trail floor if its even slightly off camber or if i drop a foot for a second. make BBs high and unstable again. i'd rather have an unstable bike and not break my toes if i dare ride a tech trail. meh
Yes and no. Obviously the sale price is attractive. Otherwise in terms of custom build I could mess around with that new Norco Optic.
I am a bit confused as their inventory options. I'm assuming it's not like built to order, but they just have configs and the config I would want is... They imply its 'for' 26 and the BB would be quite low. In that case I'd actually to run normal 275 tires like 2.35-2.4 on that config with the shorter CS/WB... Not sure if that actually comes up as a clearance issue, sounds like it shouldn't.
Like a lot of options I think it falls into the 'frustrating compromise' territory, although I will give you credit in terms of brand new products under warranty... It basically stands alone as an option and is attractively priced at the moment. I just feel like I'll fully have to pull out the protractor to understand how viable it is for me. Because I do want short chainstays and would love like a 135/140 bike with steeper HTA... But don't want my pedals dragging on flat floor and trying to break my toes in any tech whatsoever if possible.
Bit confused why the 275 config is inherently 10mm longer rear center for that valuable 7mm BB gain (wish it was more if anything).
I definitely have my eye on Banshee and Airdrop and a few other 'lesser known' I suppose options, but in between total cost and various marginal compromises I've felt less committed to those ideas.
Of course if I came across a cheap secondhand listing that really fit the bill I'd be a lot more comfortable 'trying things' more or less. I mean I'm on a Kona now that, on paper, should be more than fine for me (its arguably quite similar to the Banshee and other similar bikes)... And I've really fallen out of love with it. Which I did not expect. At the end of the day, for niche riding like I do... It's REALLY hard to properly demo and test bikes and get the valuable data you need. As of now I've basically nixed a lot of outliers, easily. But I still have a decent range of stuff I'm at least considering. Tryin to narrow it down every day lol
Yes and no. Obviously the sale price is attractive. Otherwise in terms of custom build I could mess around with that new Norco Optic.I am a...
Yes and no. Obviously the sale price is attractive. Otherwise in terms of custom build I could mess around with that new Norco Optic.
I am a bit confused as their inventory options. I'm assuming it's not like built to order, but they just have configs and the config I would want is... They imply its 'for' 26 and the BB would be quite low. In that case I'd actually to run normal 275 tires like 2.35-2.4 on that config with the shorter CS/WB... Not sure if that actually comes up as a clearance issue, sounds like it shouldn't.
Like a lot of options I think it falls into the 'frustrating compromise' territory, although I will give you credit in terms of brand new products under warranty... It basically stands alone as an option and is attractively priced at the moment. I just feel like I'll fully have to pull out the protractor to understand how viable it is for me. Because I do want short chainstays and would love like a 135/140 bike with steeper HTA... But don't want my pedals dragging on flat floor and trying to break my toes in any tech whatsoever if possible.
Bit confused why the 275 config is inherently 10mm longer rear center for that valuable 7mm BB gain (wish it was more if anything).
I definitely have my eye on Banshee and Airdrop and a few other 'lesser known' I suppose options, but in between total cost and various marginal compromises I've felt less committed to those ideas.
Of course if I came across a cheap secondhand listing that really fit the bill I'd be a lot more comfortable 'trying things' more or less. I mean I'm on a Kona now that, on paper, should be more than fine for me (its arguably quite similar to the Banshee and other similar bikes)... And I've really fallen out of love with it. Which I did not expect. At the end of the day, for niche riding like I do... It's REALLY hard to properly demo and test bikes and get the valuable data you need. As of now I've basically nixed a lot of outliers, easily. But I still have a decent range of stuff I'm at least considering. Tryin to narrow it down every day lol
The Banshee folks seem to be easy-to-get-a-hold-of. Send 'em an email with your questions and I bet you'll get some answers that give you a yes/no rather than an "I don't know."
the answer to all my problems... JK not at all but love how this abomination looks. I am potentially hardtailing this entire year and will be more or less forced to upfork whether I like it or not, due to 275 availability as well as brands wanting BBs to touch the floor. probly not throwing a DC on it. and sadly the low BB means no 24/26 tomfoolery... needless to say would LOVE to give this custom rig a rip as my hardtail will never come close to it
Funny, I built up an Elevator from the frame this year and was previously on a Honzo ESD. I wanted something more in the "trail" category and settled on the Elevator after looking at a bunch of other hardtails. It's super fun and playful, pretty much what you would expect for a bike with chainstays that short. Even though the geo would suggest it would be a pretty good mullet candidate, I don't think it would work. The chainstay yoke (not really a yoke, but two separate pieces) wraps around the 29" rear wheel and I'm pretty sure a 27.5" tire would rub. Anyhow, it's a rad bike and would definitely recommend.
All my bikes (hardtail, trail, ebike, and DH) are 27.5 F&R. The hardtail and ebike can take 29 wheels, but I can't be doing with a 29 wheel in front, and I don't want arse rub out back. Actually my DH can be set up 27.5 or 26 with flip chips that alter the BB height, and CS length - I usually trash the rear spokes in the Alps, so I took my old 26 wheel as back up, and once it was needed, I've never looked back as it just felt better with 27.5 front, and 26 rear. Unfortunately it's a DH hub, so I can't try it on my other bikes, but potentially the mini mullet could be the best of all!
Every time i go out and ride my 26” xc hardtails, i weep a little bit for the world we used to live in- when every bike accelerated and turned, when you could nose in to the tiniest little transistions and carve arcs feet inside today’s boring bikes.
I miss the days when 100mm suspension forks were considered Long Travel and 110mm stems were considered too short to ride.
Modern bikes are simply too stable and capable for 90% of the trails that actually exist in the world, and it’s kinda ruining the experience of mountain biking. If you told me in 1993 that i would be choosing a bike from 1987 over a bike from 2023 as often as I do, I would have been pretty bummed out.
I like modern bikes, i guess, but there are just so few places to actually push them outside their comfort zones and so much less versatile than older bikes that I rarely ride new bikes outside of unsanctioned, unsustainable, trails or bikeparks.
My most modern bike is a Trek Fuel EX Gen6- which theoretically can run a 27.5” rear wheel…. you lose enough reach, even with a flip chip that the front/rear weight balance sucks, because it makes the bike essentially a size smaller.
That bike is way, way more fun if you put the mino-link in high and drop in 2x 27.5 wheels, or ride 2x 29” wheels in low.
The relative death of the 27.5” fork is already here, and that’s a huge bummer. l stocked up a few months ago, because there will always be a place for a 130mm/120mm 27.5 bike in my dual-slalolm loving heart… for a while we will be limited to frames that are a product cycle or two old… which is fine, because geometrical evolution and suspension capabilities passed by real-world trail riding a while ago…
For when I travel, I keep the same wheel size, so I only have to carry along 1 spare tire.
It's sad to see the industry move towards this homogeneity of builds. and its not just the wheel size, feel like we're almost stuck between 65.5 and 63.5 for 'trail' bikes. 66 is somehow an outlier for XC or 'DC' builds now.
I just think of BMX which historically I've always made fun of for the bikes all being the same and people freaking out over any tiny changes to the tried and true template. but they quite literally come in everything from 29 inch to 12. guess thats the benefit of making the most bare bones bicycles on the market outside of a fixed gear.
I will say I'm laughing at the jealous feeling I encountered when looking at these new Status 'Zero' and Giant 'Faith' builds, 26/27 bikes for kids. I'm that kid! I want that wheel config! I just happen to be 6 feet. Jeez I've never wanted to be 5 feet tall again until now... I just have to be a big boi and recognize I still need to pedal my bike up trails.
Same thing with that kids Jeffsy in 27 when they stopped making 'adult' 27s. I was like I want that! Thing looks awesome. But whatever. that new MX Jeffsy does look pretty sick. Just iffy on sizing/stack height.
Ive got a 2018 Altitude mini-mulleted and it is a ton of fun. Bike check is on here if anyone cares. I've also run it full 27 and felt it lacked joie de vivre, by comparison.
The geo is definitely outdated with a slack and long seat tube, but if anyone is interested in the mini mullet thing, consider tracking one down. You can dial in the bb height you want with ride-9 (note it also changed the progressivity).
Out of what's currently available, I am most interested in the Endorphin. It looks like the high position with 26" would be similar geo to low position with 27" wheel. Size L has a 487 reach, which I consider long enough for me at 6'1".
You can also do such things with a Banshee of course. I would run either the Spitfire or Rune as a minimullet or even full 26, regardless of the Spitfire's shorter travel. I'll be interested to see if this option will remain available on the next gen of Banshees.
I guess given the option I would choose wheel size and travel each independently based on use case. Not linked to each other necessarily. My hardtail is a 29er and works great for how I use it, but I don't feel every hardtail needs to have big wheels.
That is a really great model year of Altitude. Reminds me a bit of my older Kona. Your build looks so fun. I will ask, have you felt comfortable with sourcing 26 wheel stuff? Seems like it's still alive and well in between kids bikes and slope/DJ bikes so you can at least get something like that Spank rim and a few tires. Not sure which patterns are available 26 and tubeless right now.
I've been having a blast on my new dual 27 hardtail. That's gonna be my 2025 project likely. Hoping to get the 'new' Kona sold by January. Then I can start shopping for a new bike more earnestly. I've just been struggling because I do appreciate new bikes for that peace of mind, as anyone might. Just feel like I'm making a compromise no matter which way I turn. Meanwhile the price of used 5010s is getting... Tantalizingly low. When I got into MTB the Santa Cruz's I could 'afford' secondhand were ancient lol. I'm very excited to consider a future where those first lower VPP 5010s are like ~2k, or 2500 for the better builds.
Right now the thing givinng me the most pause is stack and sizing. As the concept of sizing down for my riding style may also mean too low of a stack, where a riser bar reduces the reach 'too much'. So my leanings are basically... Modern medium that actually has high stack, or older large that has decent stack for an old bike. Kinda trying to start at like 625 so I can go as high as maybe 650 if I want, or whatever. Don't really want a 600 stack bike that I'm trying to run Dak's bars on to get it comfortable :/
https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/bikes/giant/faith-51846#product-reviews-533661
ok now Spomer is outright trolling me after my cringe 'wish I was a kid so I could ride these modern kids bikes' narrative
How cool is this thing!? Give me an adult size large 26/27 with the same paint job! lol
I know absolutely no one else on this forum cares about road bikes but here’s my mullet commuter bike. The 27” rear wheel on my shitbike got stolen by tweakers recently (one of the many upsides of owning a shitbike is not being super stressed when stuff like this happens) and I made the unorthodox choice to replace it with a 700c rear wheel for more tire clearance.
So far, my experience riding it lines up with my experience riding mullet MTB’s: it feels almost exactly the same. Pretty much feels like a bike. If you’re the sort of person who bumps into your 29” rear wheel while riding, I think there’s nothing but upside to a mullet setup. If you’re 6’3” with long legs like me? Probably doesn’t matter one way or the other.
Indeed but what about when you want to oppo tail whip a lily pad drop on it? Lower the saddle a bit and send it?
speaking of Semenuk... I am massively jealous at the seemingly fully custom Trek he gets to ride. now THAT looks like a fun and playful bike. toss some 9sp CUES on it and add a dropper and send iiit. i dunno how to verbalize that some people want to ride Rampage bikes even when they're casing 20 foot tables without pissing everyone off. i'm not about this kinkshaming!
LIke shortest travel, or shortest wheelbase, or shortest chainstays?
Check out the Knollys, like I said, i run a 120rear Fugitive with MX, as my "trail" bike. Frames are incredible quality, and are an excellent ride. The Fugee as a short travel MX feels like a play bike, that can comfortably cover ground exploring if thats what the day calls for
Yes, yes, and yes. And the original question is how people see these things balancing out, in more of a 'mixed' build. Obviously a short travel short cs short wb dual 27 bike is... Playful. Conversely a slack long wb/cs and long travel bike is... Well, not playful.
I'm trying to figure out the general mix of features to cook up the perfect batch. Or, at least, in so far as current market options are fairly limited (or expensive!).
The inspiration for this thread was actually another thread comparing Tallboy vs 5010. Which seemed simple enough, choose the rear wheel you prefer. The travel and geo are too close. But I'm looking more so at Izzo vs MX Jeffsy, similar comparison but slightly more separated.
I think the problem is I start discussions mostly for theory. Aka, for fun. But people want to find black and whites and solve a problem. Just community discussion to see if people only run one wheel config or run diff wheel configs depending on the bikes travel/geometry. Of course a simpler way to put it would be... Do you use different wheel sizes for XC vs trail vs enduro vs DH or whatever genres one cares to add. Downcounty and all-mountain -_-
Re 26" tubeless, here's what I know of in the trail/enduroish category.
Maxxis: several older tread patterns including DHF and DHRII, HR2, Aggressor. Typically exo/DC, but there are a couple maxxterra options IIRC.
Continental: Kryptotal Fr & Re, both in Enduro/Soft.
Schwalbe: Big Betty ST Soft, Hans Dampf SG Soft, Magic Mary SDH Ultrasoft.
ooo the kryptos are coming out in 26? that would be the dream rig for sure. Kona 167 with kryptos would go so hard.
I was running them in 27 on my old Kona 153. I should have never let go of that bike and 'upgraded'. sigh.
Can confirm, 26" Krypts are real, though not the easiest to find.
Btw, I don't actually recommend that particular Spank rim. While it's sturdy at a reasonable weight, the inner profile makes tire mounting harder than it should be. Not enough valley for the bead to drop into.
That's probably enough of me derailing your thread into mini-mullet minutiae... 😆
i objectively want your bike. yeah I didn't expect them to be the best, they sound like they're designed to be run with tubes if anything. the WTBs on the Konas are kinda like that I hate those rims. much prefer some DTs or even Stans.
speaking of me hating on every industry standard that exists. getting sick of my pedals basically hitting the floor. not rocks or roots but literally just the trail floor if its even slightly off camber or if i drop a foot for a second. make BBs high and unstable again. i'd rather have an unstable bike and not break my toes if i dare ride a tech trail. meh
I'm replying not to this particular comment but to you and your bike search in general:
Banshee might have exactly the bike you want!
https://www.bansheebikes.com/spitfire-v32
Yes and no. Obviously the sale price is attractive. Otherwise in terms of custom build I could mess around with that new Norco Optic.
I am a bit confused as their inventory options. I'm assuming it's not like built to order, but they just have configs and the config I would want is... They imply its 'for' 26 and the BB would be quite low. In that case I'd actually to run normal 275 tires like 2.35-2.4 on that config with the shorter CS/WB... Not sure if that actually comes up as a clearance issue, sounds like it shouldn't.
Like a lot of options I think it falls into the 'frustrating compromise' territory, although I will give you credit in terms of brand new products under warranty... It basically stands alone as an option and is attractively priced at the moment. I just feel like I'll fully have to pull out the protractor to understand how viable it is for me. Because I do want short chainstays and would love like a 135/140 bike with steeper HTA... But don't want my pedals dragging on flat floor and trying to break my toes in any tech whatsoever if possible.
Bit confused why the 275 config is inherently 10mm longer rear center for that valuable 7mm BB gain (wish it was more if anything).
I definitely have my eye on Banshee and Airdrop and a few other 'lesser known' I suppose options, but in between total cost and various marginal compromises I've felt less committed to those ideas.
Of course if I came across a cheap secondhand listing that really fit the bill I'd be a lot more comfortable 'trying things' more or less. I mean I'm on a Kona now that, on paper, should be more than fine for me (its arguably quite similar to the Banshee and other similar bikes)... And I've really fallen out of love with it. Which I did not expect. At the end of the day, for niche riding like I do... It's REALLY hard to properly demo and test bikes and get the valuable data you need. As of now I've basically nixed a lot of outliers, easily. But I still have a decent range of stuff I'm at least considering. Tryin to narrow it down every day lol
The Banshee folks seem to be easy-to-get-a-hold-of. Send 'em an email with your questions and I bet you'll get some answers that give you a yes/no rather than an "I don't know."
the answer to all my problems... JK not at all but love how this abomination looks. I am potentially hardtailing this entire year and will be more or less forced to upfork whether I like it or not, due to 275 availability as well as brands wanting BBs to touch the floor. probly not throwing a DC on it. and sadly the low BB means no 24/26 tomfoolery... needless to say would LOVE to give this custom rig a rip as my hardtail will never come close to it
Post a reply to: Where do you mix and match wheel size? How do you feel different configs compare?