26ers are they dead and buried?

cranky-1
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby cranky-1 » Thu Nov 03, 2016 7:26 pm

Usernoname wrote:
singlespeedscott wrote:I think the 26" wheel is dead for performance MTB but there is still a demand in the touring community.

For fast XC the current crop of 29er XC race weapons cannot be beaten by a 26" wheeled bike when using 2.2" tyres.

For general trail riding I think the consumer is better off using the current crop of 650b plus sized trail bikes. Roll over is as good as a 29er in the rough stuff and cornering grip is is in another realm. The move to long and slack trail geometry also gives you a lot more confidence in fast rough stuff. However I have to admit I am not a huge fan of the huge wheel flop associated with this geometry when slowly grinding up twisty stuff.
I've recently moved from an '11 Epic 26er to a 27.5+ HT. Great fun bike and rolls over chatter soooo much better than 26". It's got 3" tires so yes bit a slog. 2.8's are probably better suited to general trail riding, but with this model it would drop the BB to an unacceptable level. It can take 29" wheels and will probably get a set with 2.2 tires for longer rides. One of main reasons to move on was I just couldn't get the tires I like anymore (and a good deal going on the + bike). Still have an old '07 26" HT and will keep it going for commuter etc.
Yep I can see a move to 27.5 but it will only be when I just can't get tyres or the two bikes I have totally fall to bits, which I doubt. The tyre thing has been discussed on here and I'm very very lucky that I have a Totally independent bicycle shop local. I had picked up 26x1.75 pair tyres off the rack there only few months ago. And sourced 26x1.50 for a mate they ordered them and had them there the next day. So if the bikes fall to bits I may get the 27.5 but till then.

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baabaa
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby baabaa » Fri Nov 11, 2016 7:51 pm

All about rider to bike size ratios. On my Xl old 26er I had to run 180 mm cranks plus a 130mm stem with a setback seatpost to get comfortable, but never really felt right in terms of my position and of wheel base and the overall height proportions.
This kinda sums it up for me.
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Would be keen on a 32er but happy with my 29er with 180 mm cranks

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rangersac
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby rangersac » Tue Mar 07, 2017 3:04 pm

Mine still certainly isn't. A 2008 Titus Motolite that I recently gave a dose of 1 x 11 bling. Still loads of fun and keeps the bike handling skills sharp.

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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Wed Mar 08, 2017 12:34 pm

MMM very nice. :)

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Duck!
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby Duck! » Wed Mar 08, 2017 7:34 pm

This is my race rig:

Image.

Its tight, steep geometry compared to modern trends, admittedly not helped by my aggressive setup makes it a bit of a skittish handful on technical descents, but on flowing singletrack and climbs its agility is unmatched by anything else I've ridden. I love it. :-)
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Thu Mar 09, 2017 2:43 pm

MMM that would be a hell of a ride too-nice one Duck. :)

adktz
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby adktz » Thu Mar 09, 2017 3:35 pm

I'm amazed at how hard it is now to find a decent rim brake 26" rim, especially in silver.

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Duck!
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby Duck! » Sat Mar 11, 2017 3:56 am

4 1 3 0 wrote:MMM that would be a hell of a ride too-nice one Duck. :)
Yep, in its element an absolute weapon. :-D
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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Bentnose
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby Bentnose » Sat Mar 11, 2017 7:48 am

One thing I have found is that tyres for 26ers are cheaper than 29ers and 650B's, recently bought the latest Schwalbe TL Easy Nobby Nics and Racing Ralphs, they were both $10 plus cheaper. As long as this keeps happening I have no reason to "upgrade".
Last edited by Bentnose on Sat Mar 11, 2017 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby trailgumby » Sat Mar 11, 2017 6:02 pm

rangersac wrote:Mine still certainly isn't. A 2008 Titus Motolite that I recently gave a dose of 1 x 11 bling. Still loads of fun and keeps the bike handling skills sharp.

Image
Uncharacteristically not-ugly for a Titus.

I like it. :D

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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby rangersac » Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:17 am

trailgumby wrote:Uncharacteristically not-ugly for a Titus.
The Motolite was one of the last Chris Cocalis bikes before he left and founded Pivot bikes. Design wise it was well ahead of the curve for trail bikes, slack (well it was back then!) and low with enough travel to take some pretty mean descents. In fact if you stack the geo numbers up against modern bikes, pretty much all that is missing is a slightly steeper seat tube for better climbing performance.
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby trailgumby » Tue Mar 14, 2017 8:35 pm

rangersac wrote:
trailgumby wrote:Uncharacteristically not-ugly for a Titus.
The Motolite was one of the last Chris Cocalis bikes before he left and founded Pivot bikes. Design wise it was well ahead of the curve for trail bikes, slack (well it was back then!) and low with enough travel to take some pretty mean descents. In fact if you stack the geo numbers up against modern bikes, pretty much all that is missing is a slightly steeper seat tube for better climbing performance.
Quite the visionary, that man.

Looking forward very much to my next XC bike having a steeper seat tube closer to my roadie in geometry. I've found moving my saddle up and forward has made a massive difference to my ongoing left lower back and knee injury issues - I just recruit my muscles much better in my pedal stroke with the saddle up and forward.

I think part of what's driving that trend is that mtbers are now doing their road miles on road bikes instead of putting slicks on their hardtails. I find that when I hop back on the XC bike that the pedal stroke isn't quite the same and generating the same power numbers on the knobby tyred bike is just a little bit harder and less comfortable than it used to be.

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rangersac
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby rangersac » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:12 am

trailgumby wrote:I think part of what's driving that trend is that mtbers are now doing their road miles on road bikes instead of putting slicks on their hardtails. I find that when I hop back on the XC bike that the pedal stroke isn't quite the same and generating the same power numbers on the knobby tyred bike is just a little bit harder and less comfortable than it used to be.
That and it allows a slacker headtube without compromising climbing performance. I'm blown away how well modern geo trail bikes climb, I've just moved from a 2012 Trek Superfly FS, a 100mm XC bike with around a 70 deg HA, to an Intense Primer with a 140mm fork/ 130mm shock and a HA around 67 degrees. The Primer climbs as well as the Superfly, corners better and absolutely eats up downhills.
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open roader
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby open roader » Sat Jul 28, 2018 9:12 pm

26ers are they dead and buried?
Hell No! I'm still right into 26ers.

I purchased this NOS 2008 Trance 0 frame + Suntour Unair rear shock nearly 12 months ago and have taken the best part of a year to build it up. Would have loved a carbon frame but 26er options are becoming rare but never deceased!

The build did not come without some 26er related issues though - largest road block being finding a decent set of 26" forks. After lying in wait for a couple of months I found a NOS set of RockShox Revelation World Cup forks however these have a tapered steerer and my Trance has a straight fork tube fit so I cheated a little and fitted a Cane Creek outboard lower bearing cup to accommodate the taper - adds 12mm to the entire length but slackens the steering right the way I like it after crashing the front end of my previous XTC hardtail............

I also sniped away for 9 months gathering together a discount priced Deore XT 1x11 groupset in dribs and drabs with XTR shifters. The TWE wheels come from my prev. hard tail - I had to re lace the front to accommodate a 12mm axle hub (another side issue from 26er parts becoming harder to find) and a new pair of Maxxis clinchers (after my Small Block 8 front tyre blew out on my hardtail) Some generic carbon bars / stem and saddle and some big platform/clip combo pedals and I have a brand new (aside from wheels) 26er dual suspension for well under $1000.

After a few short rides around home on gravel roads and farm tracks I'm very pleased with this unit. The forks ride well at 100mm travel setting and down unsteady hill tracks the extra 60mm travel makes the front feel extraordinarily stable. I still have to fine tune my rear shock - never ridden one of these dual suspension bikes before, the sag seems right at a tad more than 20% but the damping rate has me tricked a bit, does not act like a motorcycle shock - more riding needed..........!

I have ridden a pair of modern 29ers on some easy trails in the USA and Canada and found the 29 wheels to 'understeer' or at least my brain could not steer fast enough compared to the old 26 inch wheels which seem to flick into the corners with barely a thought. Highly subjective but I prefer the old 26 wheel format.

No pretty trail pics............yet..........

Image2008Giant Trance 0 by Matthew Brennan, on Flickr
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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Sun Jul 29, 2018 2:26 pm

MMMMMMM yes, Very nice. :D

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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby chriso_29er » Sun Jul 29, 2018 3:47 pm

Yes love the Giant!

I still get out and about on my old 26er from 1997 from time to time for something different. Recently I managed to find a perfectly functional set of Deore wheels on hard rubish lol. They have since been put to good use.

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Re: 26ers are they dead and buried?

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Mon Jul 30, 2018 4:19 pm

chriso_29er wrote:Yes love the Giant!

I still get out and about on my old 26er from 1997 from time to time for something different. Recently I managed to find a perfectly functional set of Deore wheels on hard rubish lol. They have since been put to good use.

Image
Nice to be able to get away to the bush too. Bit of a change from the ice and mobile phone addicted drivers on the road. :)

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