[Martin.au]

Ok, if 29ers can be built for short riders down to 5'2" or less Then isn't a larger wheel better again for riders 6' and taller. If you could get a 36" wheel like this

Wouldn't that be a better fit for much taller people.

 

[ozlongboarder]

Yeah there has even been a few threads about it.

 

[Cloxxki]

It's just a matter of time for the first 36" MTB's to surface. Right now rims and tires available are pretty low-end, but once that's taken care of, weight penalty would be such that the BIG experience will not be spoiled by weight too much.

And you thought a 29"er rolled smoothly over obstacles...

36" is practical only for riders 6'1"+, or really extreme geometries need to be tried.
For my 6'4" I am convinced a fitting 36"er with 195mm or so cranks can be made that fits me well, has not toe overlap and handles as well as the average AM 26"er. Doable on tight trails, a blast when given a bit of breathing room, and bumpy terrain. But also over soft soil it should be killer.

 

[Martin.au]

So where does it go from here? Straight to 36"? Is that the max? What sort of timeframe?

 

[GlowBoy]

36" is a big jump. Unfortunately there isn't an industry standard rim anywhere in between. Somewhere the 32" range (i.e. a rim size around 700mm) might be ideal for a lot of taller riders.

 

[PeanutButterBreath]

It's just a matter of time for the first 36" MTB's to surface. Right now rims and tires available are pretty low-end, but once that's taken care of, weight penalty would be such that the BIG experience will not be spoiled by weight too much.

Just sew two Exiwolfs together. The big wheel size would eliminate any lumpy sensation when riding.

The Airfoil 36" rim seems like a good option -- wide and disc-only!

 

[Cloxxki]

show me how to mount the beads then.

 

[PeanutButterBreath]

Grant Peterson, of Rivendell fame (or infamy, depending on your bent), published an article on building a rideable 650B tire by cutting and re-joining a wire bead 700C. It was pretty gnarly looking. I'll see if I can dig it up (print-only AFAIK) and see what it says about mounting issues.

It seems possible though.

 

[Guitar Ted]

Time past?

It's just a matter of time for the first 36" MTB's to surface. Right now rims and tires available are pretty low-end, but once that's taken care of, weight penalty would be such that the BIG experience will not be spoiled by weight too much.

And you thought a 29"er rolled smoothly over obstacles...

A "matter of time", you say?

It's a matter of history, isn't it? :smilewinkgrin:

 

[Cloxxki]

I said surface.

 

[PeanutButterBreath]

Proof of concept ->

Here are some pics of a 29" tire I made from two 26" tires and duct tape. It is patiently holding 30 psi. I shaved off the knobs where each section is overlapped, and the tire rolls across the floor with no discernable hop.

Obviously, this experiment is not trail-worthy, but it would appear that a sufficiently determined person could make a rideable 36" tire out of their choice of available smaller models. It would just need better bonding method and more attention payed to the bead junction.

So, what kind of A-C would a fork need to fit a 36er wheel?

 

[Cloxxki]

Oh wow! Can I order a 29x2.4" Racing Ralph from you?

A 36" wheel is 18" in radius. A 20" fork would be sufficient. Some 100mm corected 29" forks may even barely fit, depending on crown height.
Rigid-specific 32"ers (I did some drawings, based on 28" diameter rims, 3" larger than 700c) could work really well with existing disc-specific 29" forks. Would make any project bike a couple hundred bucks cheaper right there.
Who'll custom-bend an existing for for me to give it more offset? I need it done with a Pugs fork and or the 32" with a KM fork.

Please do work on better ways of making larger custom tires!!!
Are the wire beads interrupted or soldered together?