Why I Don't Ride My 29er MTB Anymore | 29er vs 27.5+
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- I love 29ers. I remember feeling amazed the first time I rode one and questioning why I had been stubbornly riding those tiny 26" wheels for so long. But then 27.5+ came into the picture...
When I bought my hardtail mountain bike, it came with a 29 inch wheelset but had the clearance to use a 27.5+ set up. I eventually got a 27+ wheelset and have hardly ridden the 29ers since. In this video I take on the rock rolls and technical riding in the Pipestone OHV area and talk about why I don't see myself putting the big hoops on any time soon.
Are 29ers still great? Absolutely. I still rock a full rigid singlespeed 29er from time to time and it's a blast. But for the time being I'm really enjoying 27.5+.
Basic Maintenance Tools I Recommend:
Metric Hex Key Wrenches - amzn.to/3LV7P6v
Housing And Cable Cutter - amzn.to/3rZrQRj
Cassette Lockring Tool - amzn.to/3By2Vr9
Bottom Bracket Removal Tool - amzn.to/3gWlkVe
Chain Whip (or build your own) - amzn.to/34Jh0WV
My E-Bike:
Ride1Up Core5 - ride1up.com/pr...
#mtb #29er #hardtail
![[DRIP] ‘CLIK CLAK’ PREVIEW](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bcxkcOSbpac/mqdefault.jpg)
Good to see some nice videos by someone who can ride a mtb but is not sending jumps or gaps like it is the most normal thing for this sport...I am tired of seeing tests and reviews by people that do things that are not thinkable by the most of us..Keep doing like this good work! Your tests are convincing me to buy this new Timberjack a lot more than other reviews hare around YT..
I’d take hand cut singletrack over flowy jump lines any day.
100% agree with you Luca
Agreed
@@RideYearRound If you had the skills to shred flowy jump lines casually. Would you still stand by that statement?
Yep. Half the reason I prefer hand cut singletrack is for exploring new areas, pushing my endurance and getting out in the forest away from the crowds. I mean I should still work on my jumping skills, but it’s never been something I really got a thrill out of.
100% agree. I converted my Tallboy LT Carbon to 27.5 plus 2.8 4 years ago from 29:and it was a huge difference in traction, balance on sketching trails, floats on sand with more control.
I recently picked up an SLX Timberjack 27.5 plus, and it's been a great "one" bike. I put on Schwalbe SuperMotos for pub crawls and CM rides, and have the stock rubber ready to go tubeless once the trails dry out more.
I've been riding for over 30 years and the new technology (27.5, boost, modern geometry) are game changers. Loving my Salsa!
@SlaveLaboringKid the first 27.5s came out in 2007 (according to a quick google search), so they've been around for a little bit already, though depending on how long you've been riding I guess they might seem newish.
@@matthewfernandez82 Thanks for the feedback; they're new to ME, having switched from a 26" On One Inbred that was a mish-mash of other bikes.
It's all relative, kids, and not for nothing, but I've been trail riding (down in deep South Texas it isn't really mountain biking) long enough to have ridden on threaded headsets and linkage forks.
Perspective: It's a thing.
I ride 29’s and love how they handle rocks ruts and roots typical in the San Juan’s. JUST RIDE
Braver than me dude, the only time I've ever come across any rocks like that I went down them completely by accident because I was going too fast to stop, and I almost wet myself.
Thank you for the video I purchased this very bike last year with the 27 5 plus tires and I've enjoyed them having tried them on the snow yet and I'm planning on doing it this winter don't expect too much but hope you have some instead of just sitting around on the couch watching videos🤣great job thank you
Great Channel.. I ride a Trek 2021 Roscoe 6 with Bontrager XR4 27.5 x 2.8 on Bontrager LineComp 40 wheels.. Not quite the Fat Bike you ride, but as close as I can get.. I really enjoy the plushness of the ride (Upgraded to the Rockshox Reba RL) and the reliability of the tire.. New Subscriber and looking forward to your video’s.. 🇺🇸
I demoed everything I could get my hands on for a whole summer. Budget was 5k. Ended up with a 27.5x2.6 bike. I’m 5’10” and strong intermediate rider with a jumpy bmxy type riding style. Don’t ride super fast but like to air out. 27.5 just felt smoother and whippy and fun.
I actually rode and ride bmx for like 15 years but am doing a little mountain biking and I'm about 5ft 8 I'm looking for this too can you please tell me what bike you ended up with picking?? I'm leaning towards the big honzo I really want the honzo esd but I'm not looking to spend 3 grand
@@Bushey4545 I can relate. I ended up with the Trek Remedy 8. I upgraded the tires and seat (the stock seat sux). It’s basically Bmx bike on steroids. Super fun
I just picked up a new Timberjack XT last week in 27.5"+. I almost got the 29er until I decided to try the 27.5"+ at the last second. The difference was dramatic. The 29er felt good at first. Then after trying the 27.5"+ the 29er felt awkward and clumsy. 27.5" is the sweet spot. I hear the Timberjack makes for one of the best mullet bikes. Maybe one day I'll try it that way.
Seems like all you can find 35mm and higher for rims 27.5 are WTB. A lot of manufacturers are not making wide rims for 2.8 or 3.0 anymore.
I know you can still get the Duroc in their 40 and 50mm rims. I think the RaceFace Arc is also an option, but yeah things are definitely more limited now.
@@RideYearRound thanks. Wasn’t aware of those options. I never want to get rid of my 27.5+. I want a higher engagement hub and I’m not sure whether to replace the sram one on my WTB i40 wheels or just get a new wheel set built.
I love my 27.5+ wheels, but I run them on lift accesses trails, so they have Minion DHs and those tires suck for anything involving pedaling. So if I’m going to be climbing or pedaling distances, it’s the 29ers. But if I’m riding lifts or short climbs, 27.5+ all day. When I’m done with the Minions, I’ll put a better rolling tire on the 27.5s and probably won’t look back.
I run 29x2.6" up front and 29x2.35" in the rear and I gave up wearing clipless YEARS ago :-)
I've seen more people crash because of clipless pedals. No thankyou
I really like comfort of the 27.5+ tires at 30 psi (with tubes) and the tire diameter is close to a 29 x 2.2" tire so rollover is almost the same.
Where were you during the ride and what bike is that? Awesome video. I’m going to subscribe to your channel. Thanks!
Thanks for subscribing! It's in Pipestone Montana and I'm on a Salsa Timberjack.
What camera did you use for filming? The video quality is very good, also the sound
First off you seem really cool this is the first video of yours I have seen second I don't hit jumps or berms at high speed without my buddies with me
If you decide to get rid of the 29 setup, let me know!
27.5+ are fantastic for people who don't ride very hard. For people who ride hard, 29 > 27.5+ as it squirms less in hard corners and you simply just can't get the casing strong enough on a 27.5+ tyre without making it super heavy.
I don't know... All the stuff you showed, i think would be better on a 29. It didn't look super technical. But the 29ers will roll over those better.
Have you ever tried the trails that you called to muddy with a fat bike?
Ok, you’ve hooked me on the Salsa TJ 27.5. So big question, if you or anyone can advise: I am 5’6 3/4” inches in height on a good day for a 58 year old. I am 205 +/- lbs and my inseam from nuts to hem is approximately 28”-29”. That said do I go with the Timber Jack in a small frame or a medium frame ? Do to age and this being my last MTB purchase, I really need to figure this out. I am likely going to be limiting myself to blues and greens as I head into my 60s. I presently ride a steel 853 Reynolds MEDIUM frame Jamis Fire Dragon 26 inch wheels upgraded to the max. It’s older geometry but made to be slacker with a 100mm fork …
The best answer would be to go test ride one, but that's not as easy to do these days with shortages. Another option would be to calculate the stack/reach of your current bike or a bike that you think fits you well and compare that to the two sizes of TJ. A modern bike will have a lot different reach and stack by design so this also may not be a great option. I'm usually in between sizes and always go larger, but I have pretty long arms/torso so I like more reach. It seems like you have a longer inseam for your height, so I would guess you have a shorter torso in proportion so maybe the small would be better for you.
Look into Lee McCormack's Rider Area Distance (RAD) measurement. There's a couple good videos on the Joy of Bike TH-cam channel.
Keep riding forever. I am 73 and still doing well enough on bikes. I thought it would be my last bike too but hey next month I'll grab a giant Reign. I may not be able to jump much but still MTBing
crank size is also a thing, many ppl should be using 155-165 vs the standard 175
Im 5"7 and around 260lbs, so im a heavier rider. Would i benefit from a 29" wheel instead of a 27.5 because of my weight, or would it be the opposite? The style of riding would only be casual, roads/paths/parks, no downhill or anything. Im also thinking i would be a medium or large frame?
Any advice is appreciated.
I’m 4 inches taller but only 15-20 pounds lighter. Wheel size doesn’t make much of a difference in my experience.
So if you wanna go from say 26x4 to a 27.5x3 or 29x3 you’d have to get new wheels as well right? The thinner tire wouldn’t secure to that wider wheel correct?
Yes that’s correct…26, 27.5 and 29 all have a different rim diameter.
So 29ers basically make riding over lumps and bumps easier, and faster? The 27'5 sounds like more fun. Im just thinking about getting my first modern mountain bike. Had one a long while ago, about 20 odd years back. It was a Raleigh Firefly, if anyone can remember those. It looks like a death trap by todays standards. Really solid bike though. Quite excited to get a new bike though. Can't decide between 27.5 or a 29er..
Im 5.8ft with my trainers on. Im wondering if a medium frame with 27.5's will be a bit small, or look too small for me.
You kiddin, 27.5 looks huge with decent rubbers. Make sure you check if the seat gets high enough on these modern frames. A medium might just fit you. Modern mtbs not for xc are usually very relaxed reach wise. So if it's too long with already short stem, go size even smaller.
Tyre size, if you go carbon high end more of xc style Id say go 29. If not, 27.5. I personally would always pick 27.5, except I want a mullet with 29 up front when doing steep rooty rocky downhill. Other than that its just not worth the hassle when you can just mount a bigger tyre.
@@vaporainwaves
Cheers for the help. 💯👍🏻
I'm 5'9"and I went with the Timberjack in a medium frame with 27.5+ tires. It fits me very well. It definitely does not look or feel small.
So what issues are there with running 29+ tires?]
They don’t fit on this bike, but I love 29+. My last video compares 29+ to 27.5+, I talk about some of the differences between them in that video.
Hello, what tires do you use for 27.5+? I have an Orbea Loki, which is the old Laufey, and I use a WTB Vigilante 2.8 at front and DHR II 2.8 at the rear. I´m planning to try it with a 29er at front and see how it goes.
I’m using the Rekon+ right now and really like them.
Running a 2019 Orbea Laufey and run a 27.5+ setup with a Maxxis High Roller 2 in 3.0 in the front and a Rekon+ in 2.8 at the rear. Really grippy, great cornering and the Rekon feels pretty fast at the rear.
Unless you're going to run a 29 in 2.6 there's not going to be much difference between the 27.5+ and a 29er. About .75 of an inch.
The bottom bracket will be made lower as a side effect of mullet set up.
@@krymsix574 I´m 163 cm or 5´4" tall, so I fell confident with the 27.5+ or as a mullet. Because I tried 29" front/rear and felt kind of difficult in tigh curves.
@@joseantonio-tv2ky The 29" wheels feeling a little tricky in tight turns or technical terrain is pretty common. Their benefits are more in flow trails or XC. I think a larger rider would feel fine on them with 29s.
With that said I'm 5'8" (173cm) and I found the 27.5+ setup to accelerate quicker and corner extremely well.
I feel like a large Plus tire (2.8 or 3.0) would probably yield the result of rolling over terrain easily without sacrificing any of the handling characteristics.
Overall the Laufey is an awesome bike. I love the power transfer the bike provides. It feels extremely direct and really dives into corners.
@@krymsix574 I have that same Laufey (Loki geometry) & tires, that came with a '19 Fox 27.5 140mm fork with Plus tires.
I would love to try 29" tires & wheels; but don't know if they'll fit in the fork. The frame has ample clearance at the rear.
Would love any feedback.
Monto ruedas de 27.5 x 3.0 desde hace tiempo y aunque tengo un juego de ruedas 29 x 2.35, solo uso estas ultimas para rutas "lisas" carril bici, sendas, vias de grava, carretera etc...cuando se trata de salir al monte, raices, piedras, barro etc...27.5+ plus es superior en todo, ya que solo se ve perjudicada al volver a la carretera y rodar en liso perdiendo algo de velocidad..
Un saludo!
Seems like your trails are loose and maybe some deep sand so yeah a plus tire would be better.
I ride 29x2.6 everywhere, wouldn’t go back back. Mad control 🥂
What's your internal rim width?
@@halnogaies1256 no clue, factory Rm Tr30's
Is there enough room for 27.5 x 3 tires?
In the front yes, the rear would be close. I don’t have wide enough rims for a full 3.0 right now though.
27.5+ tires have the same rolling diameter as a 29x2.3
Do they? Maybe it depends on the rim?
I have a 3" 27.7 Plus tire on my (2018 or 2019) Fox 27.5 34 140mm fork & would love to try 29" tires & wheels.
Would love any feedback.
Both 29 and 27.5 have advantages and disadvantages. Id go Mullet.
For beginner / sorta intermediate riders 27.5 is a good choice. But once you go 29 you’ll never go back. However; for me racing dual slalom I run a mini mullet. 27.5 front and 26 rear or 27.5 front and back. Depends on the coarse.
You'll have to upgrade from your Timberjack to rock those 29+ wheels, or otherwise just stick to your fat bike while switching out wheels.
I am not ready to look down on 29x2.6" when 29+ is disappearing from the market entirely.
what size is your bike? and how tall are ya?
I’m around 5’11” and it’s a large.
@@RideYearRound ppl say i am a small on a 29er, what if I go 27.5? will should i go medium? im 5'6 short hehehe.
You could definitely ride a 29er no problem. If you were 5’ flat then maybe it’d be a different story.
@@RideYearRound small or medium? im 5'6
That’s really dependent on the bike itself. I’d go to a shop and ride a couple sizes and bikes and see what you think.
Is this Montana?
Yep it is
Nice riding mate!
What width rim on those 27.5
35mm internal.
@@RideYearRound I found some cheap 40mm would that be to big?
That’s perfect for 2.8 and 3.0. I wish mine were 40mm internal.
Plus with full sus. Nothing plusher
yawn.