Ask Pinkbike - Nevegal Tire Upgrade, Converting a 26-inch Bike to 27.5-inch Wheels, and Choosing the Correct Spring
Here at Pinkbike we get inundated with all kinds of questions, ranging from the basic "Can I have stickers" to more in-depth, soul searching types of queries like if you should pop the question or what to name your first child. Ask Pinkbike is an occasional column where we'll be hand picking and answering questions that have been keeping readers up at night, although we'll likely steer clear of those last two and keep it more tech oriented.
Replacement Tire for Nevegal?
Question: PB user marcus-the-bike-rider-4 asked this question in the Downhill forum: My front tire is starting to wear down on my downhill bike and I'm not sure what to replace it with. Right now I have the stock Kenda Nevegal on the front and a pretty new Minion on the back. Any suggestions on what I should get for a new front tire?
 | Maxxis' Minion tire, the DHF in particular, is a proven winner, one that works well in nearly all conditions, providing excellent grip no matter how nasty the terrain. You mention that you already have a Minion in the back, but don't mention whether it's the DHF or DHR tread pattern. In either case, I'd recommend purchasing a Minion DHF to accompany it as a front tire. It's perfectly fine to run the DHF in both the front and the rear (a setup I prefer due to the slightly faster rolling speed when compared to the DHR), so when that rear tire gets too worn you can rotate the front tire to the back and replace it with another DHF. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the improved performance that the DHF provides over the Nevegal. - Mike Kazimer |
There's a reason the Minion remains a favorite of all-mountain and DH riders - predictable traction no matter the conditions.
Convert My 26-inch Bike to 27.5?
Question: UnboundBoarder asks in the All-Mountain and Cross-Country Forum: I'm looking to buy a Knolly Endorphin 2014 XT model off a buddy, which has 26-inch wheels. My questions are: Is it possible to upgrade the wheels to 27.5 inches? Would I have to replace the forks? I'm new to biking, so I hope this makes sense.
| Some 27.5-inch wheel and tire combinations will fit inside "select" 26-inch forks, and there is a slim chance that the same combinations can be shoe-horned into the Knolly's swingarm. Doing so, however, would not be a good choice for a number of reasons. First, your only positive gain would be a slight decrease in rolling resistance over choppy terrain. Your tire selection would be limited to smaller versions of the brands you prefer or anemic cross-country models. Also, the stock fork will not have offset corrected for the larger hoops. Even if the Knolly did fit a 27.5-inch rear wheel and you purchased a 27.5-inch fork, switching to larger-diameter wheels will raise the bike's bottom bracket to a less-than-optimal height. The 26-inch-wheel Knolly Endorphin is one of the better-handling trailbikes made, so leave it at 26 and enjoy the ride. I'd suggest converting it to tubeless and spending a small sum on a fast-rolling set of large-volume tires - two improvements that will dramatically improve the Knolly's roll-over performance in addition to boosting its handling in every other trail situation. - RC |
The 26-inch-wheel Knolly Endorphin was one of the first mid-travel trailbikes to adopt modern, low-and-slack frame geometry and it remains a favorite among the sport's most capable bike handlers. Amy McDermid photo
Choose the Correct Coil Spring
Question: Pinkbike user Cherouvim asked this question in the Downhill forum: I have a Specialized Demo 8 with Cane Creek Double Barrel coil shock, with a very high-for-my-weight spring rate. The Cane Creek calculator suggests a 275-pound spring. Assuming that the shop only has a 250- and a 300-pound spring, which one should I go for?
| As you discovered, the majority of coil springs are only available in increments of 50 pounds. You must weigh very little to require such a light spring, but in your case, the stiffer, 300-pound option would be best because, in an ideal world, no preload on the spring is optimal and will give the best performance. The perfect spring would let your rear suspension sag exactly right, with just enough preload to keep it from rattling between the collars. Our resident Demo Tech says more than two full rotations of spring preload is approaching too much. So, it seems like you have two options for your Demo: Buy the lighter 300-pound spring from your local shop, and it should produce your desired sag measurement. Or, purchase the lighter, 250-pound spring and hope you can preload it to your proper sag setting without causing it to coil-bind. Coil-bind means that the spring reaches maximum compression and the coils bottom against each other before the shock reaches full travel. This is a big no-no and could result in damage. Too much preload leads to harshness in the ride and allows the shock to bottom out too easily. If the 300 is too stiff and the 250 won't provide enough support, then you will need to source a 275-pound spring. Springs in 25-pound increments are available from Ti-Springs.com. They only offer titanium springs, which will save some weight, but at a premium expense. Expect to pay around $159 for their basic Ti spring - colors are additional. Remember, when purchasing a spring, you'll need three numbers: the spring rate in pounds-per-inch, followed by the spring's rated compression length in inches. Both are printed on the coils (ie: 300 x 3), and you must also order the inside diameter of the coils to match the new spring with your Cane Creek shock's collars. That info will be provided by the spring maker. - Paul Aston |
The best spring is the one that allows you to achieve your ideal suspension sag value with the least amount of preload. Sometimes that may mean ponying up for titanium.
Have some unresolved tech questions? Jump in the Pinkbike Forum and we'll look to answer it for next time.
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Further to that, why would one limit themselves to a singular option when numerous variables lend themselves to wheel size. What might be best for North Shore type riding might not be as good for eastern B.C. and Western Alberta riding or not as good for East Coast riding. More options, while maybe not the greatest when looking at it from a strictly budgetary point of view, are better for everybody. Speed alone should not be the only variable one measures.
MTB for Lyfe!!
Ultimately the differences are negligible for most riders. If your racing world cups and looking for 10th or 100ths of a second, then sure its worth running whats right for the course. However a single bad pedal stroke or wrong line can offset the benefits. Im of opinion the rider and quality of the race run will always play a bigger part than wheel size.
A novice shouldnt make wheel size a deciding factor in a bike purchase. a seasoned rider should choose based on what fits the type of riding they do most, if the choice is available for te bike they want. That being said I personally would still look for several other bike features over wheel size.
In MTB riding is 80% about the rider and 20% about the bike (as long as it offers fundamental performance that'd be 3k bike). Then that bike is 80% the complete package (geo+components) and 20% wheel size.
Look how long it took for 26ers to dial the geometry of a modern DH bike or AM bike, even when in 2003 we had all suspension systems at hand along with disc brakes. Now 29ers exploded around 2009 - it wasn't until 2012 when we got some decent ones like Kona Honzo or Stumpjumper 29 (it includes decent 29" forks snd wheels). Now it's time for 27.5 to get dialled. Let's face it, just because some old bike had 29" wheels it didn't mean the potential of the larger wheel was utilized. Nowhere clise to a monster like Enduro 29. But some people who call themselves "early adopters" rode junk, geo disasters if you like and now claim that the world caught up with them while modern 27.5 has nothing to do with crap they rode before.
So are we all happy. Not the people who really enjoy every other modern piece of gear but would love to have it all connected to some fun 26 inch wheels. We're just out to have fun and not race or get KOM or any of that other fun racing stuff that I do support.
Anyways, just my thought. Eventually yup I'll end up with a 27.5 wheel bike and I'll have to learn to ride all over again. Maybe it'll be fun. Maybe it won't. Thanks.
A thing I can think of that big wheels really improved for everybody was the development of lighter and stiffer rims both in aluminium and in carbon. If you shown the Ryde Trail aluminium rim, 25mm internal width at 405 grams (fk me!) to almost anyone in 2010, you'd get either misbelief or laughter. In 2001 they'd call you fkn stupid right away.
There was legitimately an illuminati style meeting where certain manufacturers and retailers wanted to control the market, and it had nothing to do with which bottom bracket was better, but how these companies could make the most money, forcing people to switch over, making frames/cranks/bottom brackets in compatible and general screwing over of the bikers.
It was an incredible story and I think the same thing is happening with the 27.5” wheel. I don’t believe the marketing BS machine for a second. The 27.5” may have benefits over a 26” wheel, but the benefits are completely coincidental. The birth of the 27.5” wheel was completely a profit driven motive by the bicycle “illuminati” (if you want to use that term).
I
haven’t seen any sales data but if the introduction of the 27.5” saw a big jump in sales and renewed interest in the cycling world, I would expect 27.5” to be dead soon and some new “innovation” to come out shortly.
Laneship - there is no conspiracy here. Conspiracy theory is most often used as a mean of defence against critical thinking. A cheap way to shut someone up. It is perfectly logical: to keep sales going in competitive environment you must keep on introducing "new stuff". Otherwise people stop buying, or buy much less - it is obvious. Now as a bike company owner that actually designs and makes frames, then puts sht on them, in order to change wheel size on your bikes you MUST make a lot of areangements with fork, rim and tyre manufacturers. Whenever I hear "conspiracy" word a red lamp lights up in my brain: "Achtung! moron in denial!"
On 26" vs. 27.5" vs. 29"... I was able to lose 15 seconds on a 2:30 trail going from a 26" to 29". Then was able to lose 13 seconds going from the 29" to 27.5". So 27.5" bike was faster than the other 2. The 29" took the most muscle to ride, the 27.5" bike was the most fun to ride in all situations.
@cthorpe - I agree with your statements for the most part, however a wheel size can make a lot more of a difference than a tenth of a second. I did my own experiment. 29" and 26" were the same bike with different wheel sizes. The 27.5" was a different bike in the same category (maybe even a bit more beefier). The trail was a flow trail with a substantial amount of pedaling.
I like the idea of a 26" rear and 27.5" front. No popular company has the balls to try it though.
Getting real tired of this "wheelsize, style-of-bike, pricepoint" elitism in cycling real quick.
Shut up and ride.
You've hit on a reality that some refuse to consider, I'm six four and yeah when push comes to shove a 29er just feels less like a bmx with a broom in the seattube. Which is obviously handy. Having yo ass in the air is all well and good.. on a timetrial bike. I also get the impression that, whilst it's not the rule, there seems like a tendency for bigger and longer limbed riders to be more likely to get on with the increased gyroscopics of a wagon wheel.
@SlowdownU - I agree converting 26" to 27.5" is laughable. Go visit some forums or blogs of folks doing it and things get rather clear. My favorite of their arguments is that apparently some bikes are too low and this only helps to stop pedal strikes. Pedal timing is too much to ask (unless you crank a 22t granny...). Fk stability, fk railing corners, I strike pedals and it scratches them.
Let the world burn!!!
I'm really interested in their springs, but I don't know if there is a real gain?
Trasher - Butcher in 2.3 is a minime version of Minion DHF. I love both butcher works better for trail riding. Ardent is a trail tyre, too small side knobbs for my likes and skills as for the rear. Nobby Nic is a Euro tyre for slower trail/aggro XC. Can be used on rear for something faster.
Canadian buddies took one look at my bike "Slippery death tires?" and gave me some used High Rollers, probably saved my life on the North Shore trails!
I find the kaisers insane as a front DH tire, not so much as a rear tire as they desintegrated faster than the speed of light, which is a first for me. Currently waiting to find someone who stocks the foldable version to get one up front on my AM bike. Considering the butchers too, as they are probably half the price and I liked the ones I tried recently.
With so many people in love with them you feel it has to be you and sometimes I want to give them a go again just for the sake of it but I can't say I liked my experience with the DHF.
Butchers seem to have the same wear-life as the 3c MaxxTerra Minion, are cheaper -- and dare I say it -- grip better in the conditions I ride. (Colorado -- dry, dusty, rocky). Sidewalls, however, are not as sturdy. I've had burps with the Butchers and finally a little hole that put a kabash on the whole tubeless thing on the rear wheel for the time being. None of those problems with the front tire, though. For the price, I'd go with Butchers again.
The ones running standard 27.5 had to stop and clear out mud as wheel locked up, even had to carry them through stages.
Some pros stuck the 26" wheels in the 27.5 frames and just rode through the mud...
The big race teams seam to had this sussed as before the start they all just swapped out wheels...
10mm sag on a 350lb spring
sag with 300lb spring will be (10/300)x350 = 11.66mm
Sag isn't the be all and end all. depends on your riding style and how big drops you do too..
I was only stating an easy method to calculate a spring weight to change the sag of your frame to what you want it.
I never mentioned the % sag for a specific frame or riding style.
Also the damping should be custom tuned to your weigh and style with shim stack/piston changes for someone lighter at only 10 stone.
If I wreck, it tends to be on the 26er because the front wheel does not roll over obstacles as well. It's fun to change up and ride both to get a different experience.
Good advert on Ti-Springs i ve heard rumours their advertised weight on their site on the standard Ti-Springs they offer has nothing common with reality and they are pretty heavy for a Ti spring but still less than metal once
I've heard the "no more than two turns of preload" thing a few times and never listened, putting as much preload on the spring as I damn well please has never caused me a problem. Lots of preload to get the right sag gives a nice linear feel to the spring that suits some frames very well. Just measure the gaps between the coils, and add them up to make sure the coil will not bind on full compression. I'm sure if one neglects to set the rebound to suit the extra preload there could be damage to the shock, but hey if your bike is set up like that, it's going to be trying to send you over the bars every time you get air.
MTBR has in their 650B forum two stickied topics, one for forks for conversions, another for frames which can be converted. A quick DIY way to check involves a measuring tape. If you have at least 14" from axle center to whatever frame/fork structure the top of the tire might hit, then you'll be able to fit 650Bs up to about a 2.35 size safely (with forks you need to check the brace and the crown, and remember the fork travel amount in the crown calculation).
Just putting it out there.
Pretty sure manufacturers (of all products, i.e not mtb related) in Europe have to provide spares for up to 7 years, but I might be wrong. So in 7 years I would have possibly change bike by then.
People made the same chatter when earlier innovations came out; Suspension, disc brakes, tubeless, latex condoms etc, but now take a look at what people are riding; full suspension fat bikes, UST and DIY tubeless( that's where the latex comes into play) and all while trying to get laid. Even roadies get a taste of the consistence that disc brakes provide.
I noticed everyone was cheering on Rat Boy in the Worlds, but no one was poopooing his bike, a 650b DH rig He would have won if he hadn't broken his ankle.
NOTHING NEVER CHANGES SO ACCEPT CHANGE OR LEARN NOTHING.
A common enemy to hate.
[/joking for all of you who have no sense of humor]