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SC Tallboy LTC - Plus Conversion?

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TMCD1111

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I have a Santa Cruz Tallboy LTC. I run 2.35 Schwalbe Nobby Nics or Hans Dampfs on WTB i23 Frequency rims. I've always ran big tires and now I'm thinking about going plus. Can't afford new bike so swapping rims and tires is a better option at the moment.
I've read that the 27.5 x 2.8 Nobby Nic on 45mm Scraper rims will work on my bike but not sure if the lower bb height and smaller diameter wheel will outweigh the benefits of the plus tire.
Would a 27.5 35mm Asym rim make the the tire taller and enable a 3.0 tire?
Would going to a 29" 35mm Asym rim and running 2.35-2.5 tire be a better option?
How much wider would the tire get?
What plus size 29" tires would fit in my frame and Fox 34 fork?
Would the 29" 45mm Scraper rim be a better option?
Confused, so many configurations available.
Any help appreciated.
 
#2 ·
I was able to put a Dirt Wizard in my Fox 34, but I am hearing people saying that the 60tpi version is growing quite a bit. I ran my 120tpi version for a long time(until it ripped on a rock) and it fit fine the whole time.

My question to you is - why would you want to run a plus tire in the rear of that bike?

I ask that because I am running a plus in the front with a 2.4 in the rear on my LTC and that combo friggin' rocks it! I have a 29+ HT, but adding a plus in the rear of a FS would add minimum benefit IMO.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
yogiprophet said:
My question to you is - why would you want to run a plus tire in the rear of that bike?

I ask that because I am running a plus in the front with a 2.4 in the rear on my LTC and that combo friggin' rocks it! I have a 29+ HT, but adding a plus in the rear of a FS would add minimum benefit IMO.
Click to expand...
Have you seen the new SC Hightower? I'd really like one but I'd have to get rid of the TBLT and the wife for that to happen. The next best thing is to fatten up what I've got. Been riding a fat bike all winter. Really like the fat tires. The TBLT looks anorexic now.

I hear what you're saying and now I'm leaning more towards just lacing up some 29" 35id Asym rims to my DT hubs and going semi fat like you suggest. I think there maybe more options soon with new plus and semi plus tires coming out that will be more suited for the 30-45mm rims.

Anymore thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
#5 ·
I'm using 30mm ID LB rims with 2.3/2.4 tires and I really like it on this bike. It is super stable and you can just charge into the chunk without too much worry. I'm not a heavy guy and I'm not too clumsy so I opted not to get the slightly wider 38od/32id rims. They have a much thicker and heavier layup that for 2mm width gain I decided isn't really worth it. I've built up 2 LB wheel sets and I'm so impressed with the quality and value I have a hard time imagining buying anything else at the moment...
And fwiw I like the Hightower but I'm still so happy with my TBLTc I wouldn't change unless I had a warranty issue and had no other choice.
 
#6 ·
I'm trying out the WTB Asym 27.5 rims with trailblazer 2.8's. bike is a 2012 TBLT with rockshox up front. bottom bracket is roughly 0.5 inch lower, but I haven't had any issues pedaling or bottoming out over obstacles yet.

Compared with the 29er 2.35 hans dampf I formerly ran up front, the tread is just about as wide. in the rear the 2.8 definitely has a wider tread vs the 2.25 nobby nic I used previously. slight rub in the rear when I'm running lower pressures and leaned into a corner. not sure if a truer to size 2.8 would fit.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Ok,so I've borrowed some 29 x 3.0 Vee Trax Fatties from a friend and have one on the front with my skinny i23 rim, it fits with ample amount of room. The rear was to tall, width was fine so I still have my 2.35 Hans Dampf on. I know I'm not getting the full benefit of a plus tire on a i23 but this is just a trial to figure out what I want before I invest in new wheels. I really like the way the bike rides with the plus on the front.
I know some have said there would'nt be very much benefit to running a 2.8 on the rear as opposed to a 2.3 -2.5, but I'd like to try it. Im looking to borrow a 27.5Plus wheel and 2.8 tire from a friend of a friend at my local bike shop, hopefully he comes through for me.
Don't laugh at me if you think this is nuts, but what do you guys think about running 29+ in front and 27+ in rear. It would get rid of the low BB issue and only slightly give me a slacker front fork angle, less than 1 degree. I think the TBLT is pretty steep already.
Have you heard of this being done before?
Thoughts?
 
#9 ·
TMCD1111 said:
Don't laugh at me if you think this is nuts, but what do you guys think about running 29+ in front and 27+ in rear. It would get rid of the low BB issue and only slightly give me a slacker front fork angle, less than 1 degree. Have you heard of this being done before?
Click to expand...
I am considering the same for my bike which I ride on rootier (sp?) local trails and the NC mountains. For when I ride in the mountains, I was considering a longer travel bike, but more recently, I have been considering going with 27.5+, so that I get more use out of my current bike (29" wheels for local / 27.5+ for the mountains). I wondered how the increased head angle by using a 29+ upfront would work out.

I recently switched to a Minion DHF 29-Inch x 2.5-Inch upfront, which rides really well on local trails, but have not had a chance to try it in the mountains. There is 1/3" clearance on the sides and top, so I wondered how a 29+ with a fatter LB rim (45mm) would do.

Let us know how it works out for you ;-)
 
#10 ·
I've been running wtb scraper 45 and wtb trailblazer 2.8s since last fall on my TB LTc. The do fit and there are some real pros to the plus thing. Amazing traction and plush ride are big ones. It really allows carrying some extra speed out of the corners. Climbing traction is enough to pull a hamstring. On the down side, the scrapers are really heavy compared to the flows on my 29 setup and I can feel it when needing to throw the bike around when things get fast and furious. But, there are much lighter rims out there now. The WTB TB 2.8's are also not my favorite tire as they are very squared off. When it gets a little slick, watch out when laying it way over as there is a sudden release point. I think there are also much better tires out there now but I'm not sure what will fit my bike. Overall, I think the experiment has convinced me that there is something fun about the plus. At this point, I'd go for a toned down version of it on my next bike ... like the nobby nic 2.8. I haven't tried those as I'm afraid they'd drop my bb too much. I think they might be around 10mm less in diameter than the TB.
 
#11 ·
sirlinus said:
I've been running wtb scraper 45 and wtb trailblazer 2.8s since last fall on my TB LTc. The do fit and there are some real pros to the plus thing. Amazing traction and plush ride are big ones. It really allows carrying some extra speed out of the corners. Climbing traction is enough to pull a hamstring. On the down side, the scrapers are really heavy compared to the flows on my 29 setup and I can feel it when needing to throw the bike around when things get fast and furious. But, there are much lighter rims out there now. The WTB TB 2.8's are also not my favorite tire as they are very squared off. When it gets a little slick, watch out when laying it way over as there is a sudden release point. I think there are also much better tires out there now but I'm not sure what will fit my bike. Overall, I think the experiment has convinced me that there is something fun about the plus. At this point, I'd go for a toned down version of it on my next bike ... like the nobby nic 2.8. I haven't tried those as I'm afraid they'd drop my bb too much. I think they might be around 10mm less in diameter than the TB.
Click to expand...
I just picked up a 2012 SC Tallboy C - any idea if 2.8's will work out back? It looks pretty tight right now with 2.3's, but it seems like people are pulling it off:

How to Convert Your 29er to a 27.5+ All-Trail Bike | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Maybe its worth it just to stop by the LBS to see if they have a 27.5 setup available to try on for size...
 
#12 ·
Mine is a 2012 TB LTc. I put WTB Scraper 45 rims with WTB Trailblazer 2.8s front and rear. I have a Pike up front and there's no issue there. Although it's tight, there is enough clearance in the back. I might get a rub now and then when railing hard but it's not that noticeable. I've been riding it like that since November.
 
#13 ·
sirlinus said:
Mine is a 2012 TB LTc. I put WTB Scraper 45 rims with WTB Trailblazer 2.8s front and rear. I have a Pike up front and there's no issue there. Although it's tight, there is enough clearance in the back. I might get a rub now and then when railing hard but it's not that noticeable. I've been riding it like that since November.
Click to expand...
Good to know, thanks! What kind of psi are you running?
 
#14 ·
I weigh around 165 and have been running from 13 to 15 depending on the trails. If there are some hard corners to rail, I'll run toward 15. BTW, I'm probably going to buy a new 27.5 plus and will probably sell my wheelset/tires if you're interested. WTB scraper 45s, WTB Trailblazer 2.8s, DT Swiss 350, 10 sp cassette, and rotors for $550, you pay shipping. It's a cheap way to see if you like it.
 
#15 ·
sirlinus said:
I weigh around 165 and have been running from 13 to 15 depending on the trails. If there are some hard corners to rail, I'll run toward 15. BTW, I'm probably going to buy a new 27.5 plus and will probably sell my wheelset/tires if you're interested. WTB scraper 45s, WTB Trailblazer 2.8s, DT Swiss 350, 10 sp cassette, and rotors for $550, you pay shipping. It's a cheap way to see if you like it.
Click to expand...
Interesting offer... Since I just dropped a boat load on the bike, I'll have to see how desperate I am to go a little wider tire-wise. I wouldn't need the cassette or rotors. Would that impact the price? I'm guessing everything was purchased new sometime in the November-ish range last year?
 
#17 ·
Alrighty, let me get back to you after a few rides. Again, thanks for the offer! Good luck buying a new 27.5+ bike. I had my eye on the Norco Torrent 7.1 for a while. If I didn't buy the SC TB I would have picked up one of these.
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
yogiprophet said:
I think you should try it. It sounds like it might just be the ticket for you.
Click to expand...
So, I tried a 29x3.0 on the front and a 27.5 Scraper with a NN 2.8 on the rear. I really liked the handling and traction. Don't think changing the head angle really affected anything negatively , but did notice a lot more pedal strikes with the lower bb. With the bb being closer to the rear axle, even with a 29+ on the front, the bb was lowered too much for where and how I ride.

That being said I ended taking Yogi's advice. I had a pair of WTB Asym's 29xi35 built up with DT350's. I'm running a Maxxis Chronicle 29x3.0 up front and Scwalbe Hans Damf 29x2.35, which turned into a 2.55 on the Asym i35, on the rear for now.

I absolutely love it. The traction and handling is awesome, and with the i35's I don't really feel much of a noticeable weight penalty.

I'm hoping we get some more 29+ and mid+ choices soon. Would like to get a Maxxis DHF 29x3.0 or a Schwalbe NN 29x3.0 for the front. And I'm hoping the same in a 29x2.8-2.6 might fit into the rear. Hopefully by the end of summer we'll have some more choices.

So I plan on riding my SC TBLTc for another season or two til I step up to a real +bike. Maybe by then we'll have figured out all these new choices, sizes, axle spacing, gearing, etc. lol

Thanks to everyone who helped me make my decisions[emoji106]
 
#19 ·
Hello all. I have found a less expensive way to run a mid fat tire on the SC Tallboy than building a new 27.5 wheelset. I installed front and rear the Panaracer Fat B Nimble 29x3.0 tires. They raised my BB about 1/4" and have given me a lot more float/ volume without a weight penalty like the downhill specific tires. I am 6'5" 200 lbs and ride an xxl frame. I am running the front at about 15 psi and the rear at 20 psi. Here in the southwest (Durango, Moab and in between) the tires are perfect. Good luck.
 
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