jolly_ross

The b is for betamax. 650betamax

In the future you and one other bewildered and angry guy will be in the far corner of a bikeshop trying to choose between the 2 types of tyre on offer. Good luck with that.

s0ul_chicken

Actually, Betamax was a better system than VHS. The only reason VHS took over is the porn industry - Sony would not let them use Betamax.

So, what are you trying to comment on? 650B is superior but will never take hold??

Daspydyr 

Mountain Biking is superior to everything except Mexican food, good beers and well, fill in the blank for yourself. Just ride and don't sweat the tyre size.

When I'm on a long climb I tell myself, Self, you betamax out yo effort, HTFU!

dminor 

Beta got the last laugh for a while with Beta SP.

Vicegrip

Sony would not license the right for others to make VCRs in the same format. VHS overwhelmed with numbers of units in homes.

Can't say if 650B is better. Have a ridged 26 and a hard tail 29er. Love the 29er but I am a taller guy too.

trekker pete

wonder if porn stars ride 650bs?

Zephyr11

Must...resist...the urge to make a really inappropriate joke...

ColinL

Betamax failed because the standard / full quality speed was woefully inadequate for a normal feature-length movie. VHS in standard mode could do ..what, at least 2 and a half hours.

Anyway, 650b / 27.5 is fine, it's just not very different from 26". So I have no reason to upgrade, but if my bike caught on fire tonight I wouldn't rule out buying a 27.5" tomorrow.

jolly_ross

I'm just d!cking about.

I put it to you that betamax was a *terrible* system from a consumer's viewpoint - I bought a video cassette recorder to watch movies. Regardless of technical merit - the choice offered for betamax was inferior. You can boll0cks on about tracking patterns or tape paths or (god help us) Umatic all you like - but that's the sort of "thinking too hard" that riddles bikeforums.

I don't think all 3 wheel sizes are likely to survive en masse. Betamax wheels are too close in size to the other two on offer. I expect 26 to remain as it is the entrenched system for cheap bikes, these constitute the vast majority sold and are unlikely to go away. If you move up to bigger wheels then surely you want them to be noticeably bigger. My bet is 26 and 29 being the VHS sizes with betamax limping along with low choices available.

Could be wrong. Often am. Although I was never a beta-loser.

dminor 

ftfy.

s0ul_chicken

To be honest, as long as I am riding, I don't care what I am riding.

Mexican Street Dog

Giant has an ad in magazines out now that cherry picks some stats to make what is nonetheless a pretty good argument for 650B. I'm sure a math person could say easily how they make the numbers look like that but... I just got a 29er hardtail and couldn't be happier.

ColinL

27.5/650B is 5% larger diameter than a 26" tire of the same model and width. I personally cannot produce two back to back laps on a local trail that I ride a lot that are within 5% of each other. Cannot do it.

So, a tire that is 5% bigger is going to help me.. how? And it's 10% heavier. Yeehaw!

roccobike

Yeah, I thought the 650/27.5 thing would go away, then I saw the 2014 line-up for Giant. Unless there is a total buyer resistance to the 27.5, which I doubt, Giant has the muscle to make this work with aftermarket support. They're gambling that new buyers, or those coming off entry level bikes will be undecided between 26 and 29 and offer the perfect compromise. I too don't see three wheel sizes lasting, but I'm no longer convinced the 27.5 will be the one to go away. I'm betting 26 fades off to a few entry level bikes in the future and the two larger wheel sizes duke it out. Not what I want to see as all my bikes are 26", but it's just something that seems reasonable.

Zephyr11

That'd make me sad. Not that I see it happening anytime soon, but I wish that wheel size was proportional to bike size. Put 26" on the 13" and 15" wee-bikes, 29" on 21" and larger, and 650 on the middle sizes (or whatever is appropriate, I pulled those numbers out of my butt, and obviously it would depend on bike type and purpose, that bike's geometry, etc).

hodag

Think I'll be ploppong some money down on the new Jamis Nemesis Comp, I know it's not a $3300 super swamper but I live in Illinois and have already spent a kings ransom on my road and cross bikes. My current mountain bike is so dated it might as well be a geared beach cruiser. Had a Scott 29er for a while but dumped it for the cross bike. Grew up in Virginia mountain biking in the mountains. (BMX as a kid) Miss the speed, fear and dirt..

Dannihilator

+1

lubes17319

"I like bikes"

thehammerdog

From what I see and rea d 26 is dying 650 or 29er is the future. 26 was the tire of vhoice bavk in the dsy by default