Difference in Ride of 26" vs 29". I'm making a final decision on a used MTB. I'm looking at a Pivot Firebird 26er that is light weight and pretty easy to throw around, or possibly a Transition or Trek with 29" tires, but lower end components. The 29's weigh in around 32lbs. (have no interest in 27.5. Rode a Giant and didn't like it. I have noticed a steady decline in the number of 26" MTB's being built by some major manufacturers, particularly in the XC and trail market. The 29er has embedded itself successfully into the MTB communityand rightly so. To confuse things even further, we now have another wheel size: the 27.5" (or 650b). I have created a simple diagram to 29 vs 27.5 Wheel Sizes Comparison: 4 Key Differences You Need To Know. Today we are going to review: 29 vs 27.5 Wheel Sizes Comparison.Check out 29" bike: ht xcerj61 YT 2's & Jeffsy 29er • 8 yr. ago. I don't know the trail, but 27" is generally more stable so it's easier to do large gaps. pinnr • 8 yr. ago. I prefer 27.5, but I'm currently riding 26" because they're still new enough that you can get killer deals on slightly used 2014/2015 26" DH bikes on eBay. 27.5 feels "more agile" than a 29'er. This is mostly to do with the actual wheel size, and is not negated by modern geometry. 27.5 is easier to do tricks on because there's less rotating mass. This is where the "more agile" thing comes in. 29er -> faster in a straight line. dRG5Q. A 29 will give you: -Way more roll over than a 26 or some more roll over than a 27.5. Once up to speed you kind of just steam roll things. You can forget getting stuck in roots cause it doesn't happen. They see you rollin' they hatin'. -A bike that is TOUGH to get up to speed but once you do it just doesn't stop. Putting a 27.5 in the rear of a 29 bike can be done. Or alternatively get a 29 rim and fork for the front of a bike with 27.5 wheels which is what I did. You should do some research to see what would be a better option depending on the bike you’re looking to buy. From my understanding, some frames may have better geometry for a mullet setup. 29" geo nowadays is so good that I don't see much reason for a 180cm+ person to get a 27.5" bike. For stability vs playfulness, geo makes a bigger difference than wheelsize anyway. In my experience carbon is just a bit lighter than aluminium and that's it. In any case I'd urge you to demo as many bikes as possible. SRAM SX Eagle 1 x 12-speed drivetrain. Price: $1,125. Weight: 30.5 lb. (XL) BUY NOW. Open Gallery. Cheap mountain bikes continue to get better and better. As the fancy rides get even fancier I have a professional fit and still have an OTB feeling when descending on the 27.5, the ride is much harsher on the 27.5 and getting bounced around a lot more (big wheels offer a lot of cusion), overall the 29er just feels a lot more stable. The SC Highball is an incredible bike, just a lot different then bigger wheels.

mtb 26 vs 27.5 vs 29