love for the 27.5

PB Forum :: 27.5/650b
love for the 27.5
Author Message
flag iliveonnitro
Posted: Jan 6, 2022 at 6:25 Quote
stonedbiker420 wrote:
anyone can say how a mullet feels? hope its okay to aks that here

It feels exactly like what you would expect, which was a little disappointing to me. Faster than a 27.5 on chunkier or high speed trails, more playful than a 29.

I don't know what I was hoping for, but the bike seemed confused and a bit bland. If I wanted to ride fast, I would pick a full 29. If I wanted to go have fun, I would pick my full 27.5.
flag stonedbiker420
Posted: Jan 6, 2022 at 7:13 Quote
iliveonnitro wrote:
stonedbiker420 wrote:
anyone can say how a mullet feels? hope its okay to aks that here

It feels exactly like what you would expect, which was a little disappointing to me. Faster than a 27.5 on chunkier or high speed trails, more playful than a 29.

I don't know what I was hoping for, but the bike seemed confused and a bit bland. If I wanted to ride fast, I would pick a full 29. If I wanted to go have fun, I would pick my full 27.5.
what bike did you test?
flag Danzzz88
Posted: Jan 6, 2022 at 7:29 Quote
I couldn't imagine mullets being very good...the front rolling over stuff much better would just highlight the shitter rear end and get on my nerves I think.
I mulleted a 26 hardtail with a 24 once and it felt weird as hell.
flag iliveonnitro
Posted: Jan 6, 2022 at 9:39 Quote
stonedbiker420 wrote:
iliveonnitro wrote:
stonedbiker420 wrote:
anyone can say how a mullet feels? hope its okay to aks that here

It feels exactly like what you would expect, which was a little disappointing to me. Faster than a 27.5 on chunkier or high speed trails, more playful than a 29.

I don't know what I was hoping for, but the bike seemed confused and a bit bland. If I wanted to ride fast, I would pick a full 29. If I wanted to go have fun, I would pick my full 27.5.
what bike did you test?

2021 SJ EVO with mulletlink and a 2022 Bronson.
flag rahrider
O+
Posted: Jan 6, 2022 at 15:51 Quote
iliveonnitro wrote:
stonedbiker420 wrote:
anyone can say how a mullet feels? hope its okay to aks that here

It feels exactly like what you would expect, which was a little disappointing to me. Faster than a 27.5 on chunkier or high speed trails, more playful than a 29.

I don't know what I was hoping for, but the bike seemed confused and a bit bland. If I wanted to ride fast, I would pick a full 29. If I wanted to go have fun, I would pick my full 27.5.

This is exactly correct. It's not bad but basically a compromise of both. The big front wheel removes a lot of the playfulness but the small rear wheel adds a lot of nimble turning and faster acceleration. I wouldn't say not as I have one and like it. But I also like my full 29 and full 27.5 bikes as well. Nice to have options
flag Kidklayko
O+
Posted: Jan 6, 2022 at 22:13 Quote
Mullet bikes corner weird, don't know if it's just me, kind of like a high pivot they have that weird feel.
flag stonedbiker420
Posted: Jan 7, 2022 at 0:12 Quote
rahrider wrote:
iliveonnitro wrote:
stonedbiker420 wrote:
anyone can say how a mullet feels? hope its okay to aks that here

It feels exactly like what you would expect, which was a little disappointing to me. Faster than a 27.5 on chunkier or high speed trails, more playful than a 29.

I don't know what I was hoping for, but the bike seemed confused and a bit bland. If I wanted to ride fast, I would pick a full 29. If I wanted to go have fun, I would pick my full 27.5.

This is exactly correct. It's not bad but basically a compromise of both. The big front wheel removes a lot of the playfulness but the small rear wheel adds a lot of nimble turning and faster acceleration. I wouldn't say not as I have one and like it. But I also like my full 29 and full 27.5 bikes as well. Nice to have options
what mullet bike do you ride?
flag rahrider
O+
Posted: Jan 7, 2022 at 22:00 Quote
stonedbiker420 wrote:
rahrider wrote:
iliveonnitro wrote:


It feels exactly like what you would expect, which was a little disappointing to me. Faster than a 27.5 on chunkier or high speed trails, more playful than a 29.

I don't know what I was hoping for, but the bike seemed confused and a bit bland. If I wanted to ride fast, I would pick a full 29. If I wanted to go have fun, I would pick my full 27.5.

This is exactly correct. It's not bad but basically a compromise of both. The big front wheel removes a lot of the playfulness but the small rear wheel adds a lot of nimble turning and faster acceleration. I wouldn't say not as I have one and like it. But I also like my full 29 and full 27.5 bikes as well. Nice to have options
what mullet bike do you ride?

I've done it on three bikes.
Ti honzo - liked it better as a mullet
Xl carbon knolly warden - like it better as 27.5 x2
L evil insurgent - like it better as mullet.

I fit between large and xl. The two I liked better were with shorter reach and the bigger front wheel helped with rollover and the bikes were more to the fun side of things and the bigger front wheel added to their capability.
flag martinmwwebb
Posted: Jan 11, 2022 at 13:41 Quote
grazer wrote:
martinmwwebb wrote:
Last 2 bikes had been 29" xc bikes.. bike shop is currently building up my new and first 27.5 full susser can't wait to join the 27.5 world and see what the difference is like!

Hope you’re enjoying your 27.5. I’m going from years on a 29er xc to a Trance X3 which is due to arrive in a few weeks.

Still loving it, got more miles in on it last year than I did the 29er the year before so it's a great start!
flag jdcycles
O+
Posted: Mar 4, 2022 at 10:40 Quote
So nice to read that 27.5 is alive! I recently picked up a Santa Cruz Chameleon C, set up as a 29er with NX build: heavy, sluggish, uninspiring. Swapped to GX w/ 10-50 cassette and I9 1/1 27.5x2.8. Wow!!! this bikes flows, rails, jumps, manuals so much better. It is great in the snow, mud, dry. With the right tire pressure, this hardtail easily keeps up with my buddies on full suspension trail bikes.

What's so great about this bike - which I think aligns with the spirit of this thread - is that 27.5, especially on a hardtail, forces me to ride smarter, more aware of the trail, look further ahead to anticipate rocks and roots, pick lines more carefully, and avoid hard hits. All of this results in developing better bike skills, which is sort of why I ride.

With the push for 29ers, and now e-bikes, seems like the pendulum continues to swing away from what you all describe as riding for fun and more towards smoothening out the trail and now making climbing easier. The marketing is definitely there and hard to avoid. I'm now looking at a Nomad vs. Patrol...leaning toward Nomad.
flag azpooch2
Posted: Dec 3, 2022 at 16:39 Quote
I have a 27.5 Kona Cinder Cone hard tail. When I bought it the owner of my LBS said this is going to feel like a big BMX bike.....
Playful.....light and easy to ride...fast enough for me. Ive even taken it to the local bike park, and hit the 10-12 foot table tops....easy to handle in the air as well. No prob.
I was able to rent a Trek Fuel EX 29er, it was fun......rolled over every thing....and was very fast on long flow trails. Its odd looking down at this big wheel. Even when I stopped for a water brake, I would look at the profile of the bike..........just looks too big. Yes I would agree there is a ton of marketing pumped into the big wheels.
Maybe there will be a big return to the 27.5......I'm keeping my no matter what.
If I got into nothing but down hill Id consider getting one for that. But it feels the 27.5 fits my 5-9 build just like a good pair of broken in Puma swedes shoes.
flag Alloypenguin
Posted: Jan 10, 2023 at 5:30 Quote
Much love for 27.5 here also. Find it way more playful than 29 but not so much as my 26" trailbike. I don't race so not looking for that extra bit of speed 29 seems to bring. Glad the industry is still selling us 27.5 bikes.
flag Turnin
Posted: Jan 19, 2023 at 15:17 Quote
SeanC1 wrote:
I prefer 27.5
I'm upset that a lot of manufacturers are switching to 29er and pushing a lot of marketing for everyone to switch.

Even the pinkbike staff refer to 27.5 as "small wheels" in all of their reviews.

Agreed. I’m sure it’s all driven by sales numbers, but it’s such a bummer when not one bike in their lineup is a full 27.5. I’ve had a few bikes of both sizes and just always felt more comfortable on the 27.5s, the 29s are faster but I just don’t care.
flag nikonshoot3r
Posted: Jan 26, 2023 at 10:33 Quote
Rocking a 22 Marin Rift Zone 27.5 V2...enjoying the heck out of it!!!!
flag powellriviera
O+
Posted: Feb 19, 2023 at 20:00 Quote
Love my 2015 Patrol. 27.5 all around, so sweeet

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.033657
Mobile Version of Website