Did Plus bikes lose their swag?
#1
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Did Plus bikes lose their swag?
I like the idea of 2.4" tires but I mean what happened to 2.6, 2.8 and 3.0 tire bikes? I saw some manufacturers like Opus seems to have changed their opinion.
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I don't know. Fads come and go so quick in the MTB world that I don't even try to keep up with it. I run a 26x3.0 and it's the absolutely perfect tire size for me but 26+ bikes were only made for a year or two then instantly died.
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Swag officially lost summer 2018. Made MY19 a gamble for manufacturers whether they would make and spec new bikes for WT or for 29/27.5 plus... the WT won. Not everyone is on board, clearly, but mostly.
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I absolutely love the plus tires on my new mtb. I was riding just the other day with a buddy and we hit a sandy patch. His 2.3 tires went jiggety while my 3 inch tires floated over the spot no problem. I find I push through obstacles rather than finesse over them like I used to have to do. I certainly see reason for them. I can even ride on the beach if I stick to the firmer sand.
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I absolutely love the plus tires on my new mtb. I was riding just the other day with a buddy and we hit a sandy patch. His 2.3 tires went jiggety while my 3 inch tires floated over the spot no problem. I find I push through obstacles rather than finesse over them like I used to have to do. I certainly see reason for them. I can even ride on the beach if I stick to the firmer sand.
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Bike manufactures have settled on offering 29" bikes with the ability to run 27.5+ tires. Consumer choice instead of the manufacturer having to inventory a bunch of wheels and tires for the same bike.
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that was 2017-18… getting a few more years with new boost versions of existing 29er frames while plus tires were making it awkward. New bikes now are pretty much dedicated 29er again and a few special models (e.g. 5010) or some XS-S sizes staying 27.5. Droppers figure in here too, existing frames could handle 125 or maybe 150 droppers but new bikes are getting bigger changes for more drop
Last edited by Darth Lefty; 09-30-21 at 01:03 PM.
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That approach in 2016-17 was based on a 27.5x3 being par for diameter with a 29x2.2. By 2018 when I bought my bike they had already backed away from 27.5x3" tires as too floppy and were accepting more pedal strike with 2.8's. Now, it's going away. Frames drawn long-low-slack around 29x2.5-2.6 have too much bb drop for 27.5x2.8 that would put the bike half an inch lower, and are using the real estate that would have been taken on the 3 in width for other purposes. I'm sure you can find counter examples, and the plus tires are going to persist longer and be more tolerable on hard tails, but that looks like the way it's headed.
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Love my 27.5 X 2.8". Gonna stock up on tires in case the fashion mavens kill them off.
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