Willie1

There are a few options to get to the "modern" slacked out ride: 1: use more extreme geometry on a 26" wheel with longer travel, 2: use slightly less extreme geometry and travel with 650b wheels, or 3: use even more traditional geometry with 29" wheels. In the end, all three give up quick handling for the stable feel that riders now want. Unfortunately the trail numbers that the slacked out 26" bikes have will end up with the biggest deficit in handling. A 67 or 68deg HTA on a 26" bike is about as far as the engineers can go until you give up the nimble feel 26ers are known for. Once you go to 66deg, you make a 26er handle more like a larger wheeled bike, but this is what everyone wants now. Its just different ways to get there.

@ tetonlarry, sea otter should have suited the smaller wheel sizes better.

If 26" was so much better than the other sizes, wouldn't the top 5-10 all be 26ers? Remember this is one race, and after results like sea otter etc, there doesn't seem to be much disadvantage to the larger wheel sizes, and there are advantages. Of course, a rider with exceptional skill can win as long as their bike doesn't give up more than they can compensate for. Its really that simple. The bikes are all so close in spec and performance now, gains are incremental. Its gotten to the point where bikes are giving up some of their trail skills to be better race bikes. Look up the reviews on the new Scott 650b. Its not very plush, but rewards the riders the faster you push it.

I am surprised it took them this long. After my first ride on a 650b a few years ago, I thought "Why isn't this used more?"

At 6'3" tall, I tried 24 and 26" wheels in the cruiser class. I preferred the 26" wheels.

BMX is a lot of fun. I ended up getting a cruiser and rode the old timer's class since I was there anyway. My wife even rode for a couple seasons. You can't go wrong with an intense BMX. They are well built, even the more entry level models.

I knew what you meant. :)

I battle this too. I was at a meeting at the school for my 17 year old son, who is under functioning in school this year. He has gifted intelligence in abstract reasoning, but is low average in memorizing. The school counselor wants him to go into the lower level classes because they are easier, rather than consequence him for skipping with his friends. The lower level classes focus more on regurgitating (the opposite of what he needs.) We have accommodations for his weaknesses which have been really effective in the past. Since I consequence him at home, the counselor has actually called my parents and asked if he can live with them because she sees grounding him as abusive. I suggested he needs to fail these classes because of the lack of effort, and I will enroll him in summer school to make up for it. The counselor looked shocked that I would want my child to fail.

+ +++++++++10 to this. This has been my families mantra for years. Prepare your kids as much as you can, let them fall and fix it themselves. Give them some rope but not enough to hang themselves with.

My family was into moto and quads when I was growing up. My dad is 70 this year, my mom is 66. They bought a new quad this year, and still ride the trails around the cabin (near Cadomin Alberta- look it up- not novice riding by any stretch) still. They do spend more time on the logging roads, and the fire roads now, but they are still out there riding. I was more into the 2 wheeled sports, raced moto for a number of years, and started DH and BMX to get my son into something that is a bit more thrill seeking, and non electronic. My son did Judo before the cycling, and was a provincial silver medalist. We need to support our kids in their interests, but we need to push them as well. Once you sign them up for a season, make them keep the commitment. Next year they can try something different, but dropping out because its harder than they thought it would be isn't helpful for them either.