The TK is a notoriously tall tire, both in 2.2 and 2.4. My TK 2.4 are a good 6-7 mm taller than my Maxxis HRII 2.3 and Minion 2.3 and Schwalbe Magic Mary 2.35. The only other taller tires I know of are the WTB Vigilante 2.3 and the Vittoria/Geax Goma 2.4

Any of the following 650b tires will be a decent fit in the rear of your HDR:

Maxxis Minion DHF and HRII 2.3
Maxxis Ardent 2.25
Schwalbe HD 2.25
Schwalbe Rock Razor 2.35 (my personal favourite).

 

Great suggestions, thanks. I do like the Schwalbe HD I run in front. The trail I rode also had lots of gravel/pebbles, and the TK tire kind of has too broad a tread and sucked them up into the swingarm. Think I should have had some tighter tread on that trail. But I'm a middle class man, ain't nobody got time to be changing tires before every damn ride! =)

 

Liked the HD, love the HDR.

Slight upgrade from the HD, which was close to perfect for the type of riding I mostly do out here.

26.4 lbs as pictured.

 

Crazy weight. What size and please post of build.
Mines hovers around 32lbs. Still love it though.

 

please post of build.
Mines hovers around 32lbs. Still love it though.

It all comes down to what intended purpose/environment you are looking to use them in. And how you decide to build it I guess. There is no right or wrong.

I always liked the HD/HDR for its flexible design. With it's geometry, 130mm travel and rear tire size requirements. I always felt the HD/HDR was more of a burly XC bike. The 27.5 wheels just seem to augment that. I personally was looking for more of a 27.5" SLR replacement. To fit in as an alternative with my 29er XC hardtail.

Now that the HD3 is out with its slacker angles, longer wheelbase and 150mm travel. It seems to cater more to the "Enduro" crowd, which is great for them.

Build:
Ibis Medium HDR frame.
Ibis Hexle thru Axle (rear).
Fox CTD Kashima Factory Shock (7.875 x 2).
Rockshox Revelation Dual Position 140-120 RCT-3.
Rockshox Maxle Stealth Axle (front).
Reynolds Black Label 27.5 AM Carbon rims w/
DT-240s 28 hole straight pull hubs w Aerolite spokes & nipples.
Schwalbe Nobby Nic EVO 27.5 x 2.25 (front).
Schwalbe Rocket Ron EVO 27.5 x 2.25 (rear).
Shimano M970 22-32-44 Crankset.
Shimano CN-7701 Chain.
Shimano M970 Bottom Bracket.
Shimano M970 11-34t Cassette.
Shimano M970 Shifters (f&r).
Shimano M970 Pedals.
Modified M972 rear derailleur (9sp. body w/m986 clutch mechanism&cage).
Shimano XT M771D Direct Mount 9 sp. front derailleur.
Cane Creek 110 Headset.
Easton EC70 Carbon Bars.
Easton EC70SL Carbon/AL Stem.
Rockshox Reverb Seat Post.
Formula The One Brakes (f&r) Carbon R1 blades and all ti bolts.
Formula 180mm 2 Piece Centerlock Rotor (front).
Formula 160mm 2-piece Centerlock Rotor (rear).
Prologo Nago Evo Saddle (Solid Ti Rails).
Ibis (SRAM) Lock on Grips.
Ibis Downtube Protector.
Aluminum bolts for Downtube Protector.
Ti Bolts for Carbon Cable guides.
K-edge adjustable Garmin mount.

 

Very true on the intended use. Mine is built for smashing stuff!
I may try the 27.5 front wheel route leaving 26 in the rear. I use most of the 160mm travel every ride and I have it set up pretty stiff.
I also have an angle set reducing the head angle along with an x-fusion vengeance fork that has a tall a2c height. Mine is an XL plus good, strong wheels and tires.
If I go 27.5 next season, I should lose some weight as I would replace my fork with a Fox 36 which is significantly lighter than than the Venteance.
This bike is my do it all after selling my DH bike. Even with a crack in the downtube, it continues to take a beating (1 week in Squamish and Whistler, just raced an enduro at Mont Sainte Anne and continue to bash it around Bromont).
I'll eventually fix the crack when the snow falls as I don't want to lose any riding time as race season is picking up now.
Eric

 

While waiting on my HD3 to arrive, I threw my 27.5 Derby wheel on the front of my HDR (26 back) 160 travel, loved it so much that I'm having another front derby 27.5 wheel built for it.

Also just sent my rp23 shock into fox for service and asked just for grins if they would do a crash replacement on it for a Float DPS shock with the EVOL air spring and they said they would do it, looking forward to seeing how that works out.

 

While waiting on my HD3 to arrive, I threw my 27.5 Derby wheel on the front of my HDR (26 back) 160 travel, loved it so much that I'm having another front derby 27.5 wheel built for it.

So much for everyone who insists I can't possibly tell the difference between 26 and 27.5

 

To be honest it's not a fair comparison, I went from a narrow Mavic 819 aluminum rim, to a 35mm carbon rim. The traction and lower pressure's I can run not to mention the wheel stiffness prolly has to do a lot with what I noticed, I may have been just as happy with a 26" Derby front wheel. But I figured since I'm happy with it, it will act as a backup wheel for my HD3 also so I went with another 27.5 for the front.

 

:thumbsup:

 

I need to get me a couple of those crank bike stands. What do you guys use/recommend?

 

Any of you lot moved onto an HD3? Is it really that much better?

 

I only have about 4 rides on my HDR so not yet. The HD3 seems to be a bit more of a downhill bike.

 

I really dig the way my HDR is set up and riding now, but it is now primarily a backup bike now.

The HD3 is definitely a step up though, I'm cleaning stuff up and downhill I've never ridden and consistently cleaning stuff that I'd only make once in awhile. I'm hearing the same thing from friends that are riding the HD3 also.

I would not call it more downhill oriented, although I can charge harder on it, I find for cross country it's just as good, did 65 miles and 8K of climbing on it last Sunday on the Tahoe Rim trail, been doing that ride for 9 years now and the HD3 was the best bike yet for doing it.

Latest incarnation of my HDR, 2016 fox stuff and a wide 650b front end, 160 travel all around.
Photo from last night

 

Interesting write up. Glad to hear the HD3 handles the long days so well.

 

Agree. Hd3 is amazing up, down and on long pedally rides. Better pedalling than HDR was in 130mm mode. I was really worried, before I rode it, that it was too much bike for long days but it was perfect for BC bike race (lot of 4+ hour days). Honestly I have fun on the bike no matter how tame or rough.

Having said that, HDR is a great bike and its a lot of money for the better ride of the hd3 but if the $ aren't a problem the hd3 won't disappoint.

 

I want the new HD3 so bad. Love my HDR, but wanting more travel and more rear clearance.
What did putting the 160 up front do to the ride and geometry?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I want the new HD3 so bad. Love my HDR, but wanting more travel and more rear clearance.
What did putting the 160 up front do to the ride and geometry?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If this is directed to me, I've only run my HDR in 160 mode front and back, with a 26" in the rear there are zero tire clearance issues.

 

Since I'm waiting for my knee surgery and can't ride

I decided to do some "wrenching"

Got an EVOL air can kit for the shock and a PMS 388 colored sticker kit from Silk Graphics for fork and shock.

 

Since I'm waiting for my knee surgery and can't ride

I decided to do some "wrenching"

Got an EVOL air can kit for the shock and a PMS 388 colored sticker kit from Silk Graphics for fork and shock.

Please post your thoughts on the shock upgrade after you get a few rides in. I would like to hear your review as i am looking to upgrade the shock on my hdr.

 

Nice!

Skickat från min E6553 via Tapatalk

 

I had the original HD (not HDR) and after a short stint on a YT Capra, I got the HD3.

Though the HD3 is not really slacker than the HD it is more roomy in the front and lower, which makes it way more planted on the trail. All without loosing the particular feel of being playful and easy to pedal around on longer rides. Overall: very similar in character yet a bit better in nearly all areas.

 

Funny, when I tried the HD3 it definitely felt slacker and I didn't like the added wheelbase compared to my HD650. Not saying it was bad, but to each his own. I'm not looking for a gravity oriented ride out of my HD and not a hucker. More of say, a SC-5010 vs Bronson. Geometry is always a compromise. A lot of it comes down to how you set your bikes up and what you are looking for out of that setup. It's also going to be difficult to compare a 26" wheeled bike with an old RP23 to a 27.5 with a CC Inline or FOX EVOL.

 

By numbers, the HD3 is .4 degrees slacker in the headtube than the HD. Fell free to notice it, I don't. Well, to me the HD3 is far from being gravity oriented, that would be the breed of Capra/Nomad/Rune ofr ex. or at least the "modern" very long enduro race bikes like Reign/Dune/....

The HD3 is none of that. Just a wonderful trail bike with an outstanding rear end due to the new DW link and has very fun handling. To me it is an update to the HD bringing the very bike to the present day. That in itself is a difficult thing to do. Most manufaturers rather do a completely different bike for a new generation.

 

Is it just me, or does the HDR have the longest chainstays of any bike out there? I can't even find a true dedicated 650b rig that has longer chainstays than the HDR.

 

You're probably comparing it to todays (2016's) geometry trends of longish top tubes, steep seat tube angles, and shorter chainstays. But it never was a "shortish" stays type of ride.

If you look at the 2014 SC Bronson for example, the HDR actually has shorter stays.

Apples to oranges.

 

You're probably comparing it to todays (2016's) geometry trends of longish top tubes, steep seat tube angles, and shorter chainstays. But it never was a "shortish" stays type of ride.

If you look at the 2014 SC Bronson for example, the HDR actually has shorter stays.

Apples to oranges.

I've been struggling with rear tire clearance of Conti 2.1 Trail King. If the tire picks up a rock, it scratches the *hit out of the swingarm. So I started comparing the chainstays of the HDR to those of true 650b rigs out there, and the HDR's are still longest. How are these other dedicated bikes able to fit 650b tires w/clearance?

 

Blinged up my HDR

I've been wanting to try the oval chainring from Absolute Black as I have read such great reviews about it. At the same time I was also interested in the new pedals that James Wilson over at Pedalling Inovations designed.

Well I just got back from 2 weeks riding the wet coastal trails of Hornby Island BC and both get a big thumbs up:thumbsup: James pedals with the larger platform felt really solid underfoot and really let you lay down the power. Those and the extra traction from Blacks elliptical chainring helped me climb hills that had given me grief before.

Cheers
Straw

 

My hdr 26 with my new carbon wheels.

 

Sweet!
I still love those 26" wheels, so much fun!

 

Are those light bike rims?

 

those are LB stickers for sure, would assume the wheels are LB also

 

26 is still so much fun and I couldn't tell the riding difference between the 27 in terms of rolling over things though the modern geo of the frames this days are only offered to 27... Yup they are LB rims and they are pretty good rims...