[crewjones]

I went to a LBS for a rear tire and they only had 2 to choose from in a 26" wheel. i'd love to support the local guy but i'll have to go online to get the tire i want. I've got no problem with people riding other size wheels. ( maybe i will someday) But i sincerely hope that 26" wheel components will still be manufactured and sold in the years to come.
Maybe it was that particular shop i don't know. All i know is i still see a hell of a lot of 26 bikes on the trails. Anyone else experience this at their lbs?

 

[AZ]

26ers are the next big thing. Gonna save the bike industry.

 

[VTSession]

I don't think the industry realizes that most bikes currently on the trail are 26 inch wheeled and these riders need tubes, tires, wheels, etc. I had the same problem trying to find a 26 inch fork for a bike I recently built. Manufacturers and LBSs are acting like 26 inch bikes weren't the norm for the past 20 years and that riders want parts.

 

[AZ]

They went all in on 6fiddyb and are shoving it down our throats. Well, I ain't buying into the hyperbole. The industry plays us like we are window lickers, time to send them a message.

 

[crewjones]

I'm with you AZ. I'm not anti "lager wheels" by any means. ride what you want or what you've got, but for the Mtb industry to start turning their back on the tried and true would be a mistake.

 

[Shane5001]

Try a different shop, my normal lbs has just as many 26" as 29" tire options. As far as forks, it's getting harder to find a straight steerer let alone 26".

 

[tomeeskeburbs]

I know the pain man I have to order a lot of stuff online as all the local shops have very limited selection. I try to shop local when I can but the market is just going through a fad I'm sure they will realize that 26" bikes in fact do still exist and have not vanished of the face of the earth.

 

[heartland]

Here you go, Brah:

 

[heartland]

I like 26'' because it has better rollover characteristics than 24'' and snappier acceleration than 27.5. It's truly the best of both worlds.

 

[Fremenrider]

Once the hype dies down & the other sizes have been around a while, the people riding larger wheels will "rediscover" 26" & realize how great it is.

 

[NoVA_JB]

It's absolutely crazy. I've been thinking about a new bike and if you listen to the spin from the manufacturers and shops I'm amazed people were ever able to ride 26" bikes.

 

[Harold]

very few folks in my area ride bikes as old as mine (12 years this month), and 29ers are everywhere. I get the "I can't believe you rode that on a 26er" crap all the time. I tell them how long I've been riding the same bike and their eyes get big. wtf?

I really have no desire to change wheel size.

 

[dickeydoo]

I demo-ed a Superfly on my favorite trail way back when and it was slow and boring. I don't see myself not riding a 26.

 

[NoVA_JB]

Have them follow you in some tight switch backs at a high rate of speed with their 29rs and see how they feel.

 

[STACK]

I bought a new 26er last year, love it. Bought the same bike in a 29er, actually, (talk about your side to side comparison) and I like the 29er in the winter (and on some harder trails) when there are snow piles and I don't want stuff slowing me down so much, but I think I like the 26' better for commuting and zipping around in the summer. I like them both.

I'll always look at 26ers when looking at new bikes. I like climbing a little better on them, and they are at least as "fun" to me.. That's what I ride for. My commutes take about the same time on both bikes.

 

[mattnmtns]

I love my 29er but I have been hankering to get a long travel 26er that's agile and nimble The 27.5 just seems to be in between. It might be the best if both worlds but I suspect I'd prefer the toe opposite ends of the spectrum.

At the end of the day the bike doesn't mean diddly. A rider's skill is the game changer not the bike. Sure it's nice to ride a nice bike but I'm often reminded that the bike doesn't make you a better or faster rider. At least with in reason.

 

[tomeeskeburbs]

29ers though making a ride a little less sketchy, maybe and like a few seconds faster, loses the "thrill" I guess of riding a 26. A 26" actually requires the rider to know what they are doing, and have fun with that. I don't hate the idea of 29ers, let people choose what they want but it is undeniable that 26" is not dead and the marketing excitement is just unnecessary.

 

[dirtrider76]

I built a new 26 last year that will accept a 27.5. This season I built a new 26'er wheel set instead of changing. I have a stack of tire's here, tires for 26'ers are cheap and plentiful and theres very little difference between 26 and 27.5 overall. I just cant see making the swap to a size thats still limited by the tire market.

I ride with guys that ride all different sizes of wheel's. Besides for 1 guy no one really cares. We usually laugh about the wheel size thing.

 

[heartland]

Por que no los dos?

26 or 27.5? for your Next Bike? DMR 20switchinch lets you have Both!

 

[Dirt_Shirt]

I don't like the way the 29er wheels make a bike look. I think they look more "hot-roddish" with the smaller wheels. I haven't rode a 29er yet, so can't comment on if I like it or not.
Just seems a smaller wheel would be better in the deep brush.