Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

27in or 29in?

Old 03-04-22, 10:56 AM
  #1  
lucas.vdb
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
27in or 29in?

which one do you prefer
lucas.vdb is offline  
Old 03-04-22, 11:20 AM
  #2  
vespasianus
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: In the south but from North
Posts: 685

Bikes: Turner 5-Spot Burner converted; IBIS Ripley, Specialized Crave, Tommasini Sintesi, Cinelli Superstar, Tommasini X-Fire Gravel

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 396 Post(s)
Liked 376 Times in 210 Posts
For a MTB?

I have all wheel sizes, a 26" wheeled Turner 5-Spot, a 27.5 " wheeled Turner Burner, and a 29" IBIS Ripley.

The 26" 5-Spot is fun and feels fast but is slow and is not nearly as confident in the rough stuff as the 29er. The Burner feels like the spot but with heavier wheels. Nothing is different between that bike and the 26" bike. The times on my local trails are similar but I feel slower. The Ripley is another story. Fast, confidence inspiring in the rough and feels like I am barely working. And almost as fun as the 5-Spot. These new 29ers are just out of this world.
vespasianus is offline  
Old 03-04-22, 11:38 AM
  #3  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,535

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10901 Post(s)
Liked 7,390 Times in 4,148 Posts
Boulevard or Lane. Which do you prefer?
mstateglfr is offline  
Likes For mstateglfr:
Old 03-04-22, 11:44 AM
  #4  
phughes
Senior Member
 
phughes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,057
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1018 Post(s)
Liked 1,246 Times in 719 Posts
Yes.
phughes is offline  
Likes For phughes:
Old 03-04-22, 11:47 AM
  #5  
SpedFast
Just Pedaling
 
SpedFast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: US West Coast
Posts: 958

Bikes: YEP!

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 313 Post(s)
Liked 491 Times in 325 Posts
Welcome! With that said, I like wheels.
SpedFast is offline  
Likes For SpedFast:
Old 03-04-22, 12:02 PM
  #6  
DMC707
Senior Member
 
DMC707's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Posts: 5,389

Bikes: Too many to list

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1764 Post(s)
Liked 1,119 Times in 743 Posts
29"
DMC707 is online now  
Likes For DMC707:
Old 03-04-22, 12:07 PM
  #7  
wolfchild
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mississauga/Toronto, Ontario canada
Posts: 8,721

Bikes: I have 3 singlespeed/fixed gear bikes

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4227 Post(s)
Liked 2,488 Times in 1,286 Posts
27.5 fad is on it's way out...29 is here to stay...26 is going to make a comeback.
wolfchild is offline  
Likes For wolfchild:
Old 03-04-22, 12:28 PM
  #8  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,527

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
really enjoyed my 27s
rumrunn6 is offline  
Likes For rumrunn6:
Old 03-04-22, 12:34 PM
  #9  
LV2TNDM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 731

Bikes: Cannondale tandems: '92 Road, '97 Mtn. Mongoose 10.9 Ti, Kelly Deluxe, Tommaso Chorus, Cdale MT2000, Schwinn Deluxe Cruiser, Torker Unicycle, among others.

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 275 Post(s)
Liked 201 Times in 127 Posts
Go big or go home!

Originally Posted by vespasianus
For a MTB?

I have all wheel sizes, a 26" wheeled Turner 5-Spot, a 27.5 " wheeled Turner Burner, and a 29" IBIS Ripley.

The 26" 5-Spot is fun and feels fast but is slow and is not nearly as confident in the rough stuff as the 29er. The Burner feels like the spot but with heavier wheels. Nothing is different between that bike and the 26" bike. The times on my local trails are similar but I feel slower. The Ripley is another story. Fast, confidence inspiring in the rough and feels like I am barely working. And almost as fun as the 5-Spot. These new 29ers are just out of this world.
The increase in wheel size was to take advantage of a larger wheel's ability to roll over rocks, ruts, bumps & roots. So since this is the design goal, why go only half way? Yes, lighter wheels are almost always a benefit to a bike, but if so, then just go back to 26" (not that we can these days, realisitically). Plus, today's bikes are simply heavy. I went from a 20 lb. bike to 31 lbs. That's more than a 50% increase and crazy in the traditional cyclist's eyes. But today's bikes make the weight penalty more than a worthwhile tradeoff.

Went from a 26" hard tail to the Ripley last May and it's been pretty damn amazing. The larger wheels & tires make the "gnar" a lot easier to get through. Far fewer issues with that tire getting stuck on something and threatening going over the bars. That plus slacker head angle and almost zero reach stem mean OTB is FAR less of a risk than in the old days on the old stuff. Rode Hole in the Ground at Donner Pass last fall and assumed I'd walk some of the gnarlier stuff (nursing a sore and injured shoulder and being mid 50's means you adhere to the adage, "ride smart to ride the next day!"). Turns out I walked virtually NONE of it! There were a few tech sections I simply didn't clear due to bad timing or being at my limit (almost 8,000 feet, ouch!). But ended up surprised at how much I blew through. I'll admit that I did hop off for about 20 yards of the "rock fall" at the end, but rode the other 90% of it. Again, wasn't planning on riding virtually all of it, but did when it simply "felt right."

New geometry makes a lot more "feel right."

And to the OP's question: I'd go 29" all the way if it works. Smaller riders on XS or S bikes may find 27.5" a better option. My wife's 5' tall, so a 29" wheel was out of the question. She's been totally psyched on the bike, as she too was going from a '94 hard tail. Night and day difference, even with the smaller 27.5" option.
LV2TNDM is offline  
Likes For LV2TNDM:
Old 03-04-22, 02:02 PM
  #10  
Iride01 
I'm good to go!
 
Iride01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,810

Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020

Mentioned: 50 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6100 Post(s)
Liked 4,732 Times in 3,262 Posts
Get one of each.
Iride01 is online now  
Likes For Iride01:
Old 03-04-22, 02:07 PM
  #11  
Rolla
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 2,888
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1346 Post(s)
Liked 3,269 Times in 1,439 Posts
27.5" for me, on both gravel and mountain bike. I get 90% of the rollover benefits of 29", with 90% of the acceleration and flickability benefits of 26". For pure road riding I still like 700c, but I never ride pure road anymore.
Rolla is offline  
Old 03-04-22, 03:46 PM
  #12  
PBC peugeot
Junior Member
 
PBC peugeot's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: roads & trails
Posts: 181

Bikes: 1972 Raleigh international, 1975 Raleigh professional, 1978 ALAN criterium, 1981 Pinnarello Traviso

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Liked 31 Times in 22 Posts
a bit of apples to oranges isn't it?
27" on my vintage road bikes
29" on my modern mountain bikes
I like them both, but hard to compare
PBC peugeot is offline  
Old 03-05-22, 03:55 AM
  #13  
tempocyclist
Senior Member
 
tempocyclist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Australia
Posts: 815

Bikes: 2002 Trek 5200 (US POSTAL), 2020 Canyon Aeroad SL

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 309 Post(s)
Liked 664 Times in 324 Posts
I'm all for 29" wheels. They roll over everything like a monster truck, making up for my lacklustre technical trail skills.


Originally Posted by Iride01
Get one of each.
Mullet bike! 🤘😁🤘
tempocyclist is offline  
Likes For tempocyclist:
Old 03-05-22, 01:39 PM
  #14  
JanMM
rebmeM roineS
 
JanMM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Metro Indy, IN
Posts: 16,216

Bikes: Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 653 Post(s)
Liked 345 Times in 225 Posts
27 does not equal 27.5

The three bikes that I ride (two singles and a tandem) all have 20”/406 front and 26”/559 rear wheels.
__________________
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
JanMM is online now  
Old 03-09-22, 07:28 PM
  #15  
hevysrf
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 130
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 79 Post(s)
Liked 66 Times in 31 Posts
At 5'6" and 28 inseam I can't get comfortable on a 29er. I don't know why a 26 with the same seat height fits me better.
hevysrf is offline  
Old 03-09-22, 08:13 PM
  #16  
qwaalodge
Banned.
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Kingdom of Qwaa
Posts: 307
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 211 Post(s)
Liked 79 Times in 61 Posts
29'er for me because more comfortable and much better availability of tires. It will even fit 700c tires in there and have actually used 50mm wide 700c gravel tires in my MTB for less noise and faster rolling when riding on pavement.
qwaalodge is offline  
Old 03-10-22, 07:16 AM
  #17  
JohnDThompson 
Old fart
 
JohnDThompson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,935

Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.

Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3571 Post(s)
Liked 3,367 Times in 1,916 Posts
27" (ETRTO 630) is a deprecated size with limited tire and rim selection. 29er (ETRTO 622) is still active and has far better tire and rim selection.
JohnDThompson is offline  
Old 03-10-22, 07:33 AM
  #18  
soyabean
Senior Member
 
soyabean's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: GMT-5
Posts: 801
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 462 Post(s)
Liked 371 Times in 246 Posts
Originally Posted by Iride01
Get one of each.
Why stop at only one?
soyabean is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.