Source: TrekTrek Bicycle today previewed their 650B plans to European retailers and select members of the European bike press, unveiling two revamped platforms in the technical trail and enduro product lines. The Slash and Remedy lines will be offered in 650B options to address those segments where the emerging wheel size is most suited to the terrain and rider demands.
The high-end Slash 9 is built up with SRAM's X01 drivetrain and FOX suspension hung on its revamped aluminum frame.
The 160mm-travel Slash has been completely redesigned from the ground up with a focus on the emerging and demanding enduro scene. With a lower bottom bracket and slacker head tube than the 26-inch version, the Slash 650B provides a lower, longer position for the competitive enduro racer. Amazingly, the alloy frame weighs 350 grams less than its 26-inch predecessor.
The 650B Remedy is in addition to the already released 29er model, and there are six models of 650B Remedy bikes in total. How long until we see a carbon frame for the big-wheeler?
The Remedy line adds 140mm-travel alloy and carbon 650B options to complement the 29er lineup launched in early June. The smaller-wheeled sibling was built around the nimble ride characteristics of 650B wheels to offer technical trail riders a more playful option alongside the more confidence-inspiring 29er. The Remedy 650B will be offered in both OCLV MTB carbon and Alpha Platinum Aluminum.
| After a decade plus of alternative wheel size development, testing, refining, and debating, it's become clear that for trail riders wheel size is primarily about riding style. 29'' will be fastest for XC racing, but as we get into more trail riding, 650B and 29 can both excel on the same trail. Then it really comes down to how different riders tackle the same trail in their own way. So the Remedy now has the confidence-inspiring 29er option and the more playful 650B option. Then the Slash gets the new small wheel treatment with a ground-up 650B chassis. - Travis Ott, Global MTB Brand Manager |
Trek's 650B models will hit worldwide retailers this autumn.
www.trekbikes.com
Pinkbike's TakeWhile they might have taken their time getting to the mid-wheeled pool party, Trek is certainly the largest brand to jump in. And they aren't just dipping their toes into the water, with the expense of a brand new mold for the carbon fiber Remedy 650B platform being the equivalent of a cannon ball sent right into the middle of the pool. Trek's massive resources have allowed them to design and manufacture both 29'' and 650B-wheeled versions of the Remedy platform, with the aluminum 29er model debuted in early June, thereby allowing consumers to choose the wheel size that makes the most sense for them... so long as they aren't looking for 26'' wheels, that is. Having spent an admittedly limited amount of time so far on the aluminum framed Remedy 29er, we can say that the bike is a potent trail weapon that handles unlike any 29er of similar travel that we have spent time on - it is a very good bike and we are excited about the obvious prospect of a carbon framed model that is no doubt in the works. Will the 650B compare as favourably?
The 650B wheeled Slash is even more interesting in our minds, as it is a travel bracket that sees many rider still looking for 26'' wheels. The previous 26'' wheeled Slash is one hell of a potent bike for rowdy terrain, and the slightly bigger rollover capabilities of this new 650B version will likely only improve the bike's performance. But will the consumers bite? If the near extinction of performance level 26'' wheeled bikes wasn't clear before, it now seems to be written in 10ft tall letters on the wall in front of us. Interesting, this announcement means that new wheel sizes have been deployed for Trek's entire high-end full suspension lineup barring one model: the Session. We were given the ''no comment at this time'' answer when we asked about a possible 650B-wheeled DH bike in early June, but we have a sneaking suspicion that not only have 650B Sessions been tested, but that we'll also see them under Trek World Racing riders at some point this season. Bigger wheels for World Champs in South Africa? We think so. - Mike Levy
as long as these wheel sizes create and sustain more naturally harder technical terrain so to promote their existence, i can keep my 160mm 26er forever and i should be good..
These bikes are so awesome and if you don't like them its because you are probably from France or worse French Canadia. God gave us 29ers so we didn't have to ride 26 inch wheels like the homosexuals and hipsters. 29 inch wheels are so strong you can do huge airs like bunny hops and wheelies. They are so awesome I cant believe people don't like them. Do you think I'm crazy? I just don't know why you people cant just get over 650b. Sadam Hussein invented them to draw us apart. If you ride 650b the terrorists win. Is that what you want? I would rather you ride a 26er like the homosexuals and the hipsters than ride something that comes from a godless crazy terrorist.
When I look at the bikes above a few things come to mind. Eagles, fireworks, daisy duke shorts on a red head with a Daddy issue, big fake breasts, and of course the before mentioned fired chicken and waffles. Not any of those Belgian waffles. Them really skinny ones you get at Waffle House that might as well be pancakes. The only difference is they have all the pockets to hold syrup. We need to have unity. We can all agree that 650b is terrorist non-sense. UNITY B*TCH*ES.
I would rather take the five grand to Vegas as the ride would be a lot more exciting and it would certainly last more than 5 seconds!
I think wimpey may have been extracting the urine
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony
While for some reason I have felt necessary to respond to trailstar2danman, Wimpey and I are not friends we are actually mortal enemies that have been forced into working together. The only thing we have in common is we both would rather kill one another. We compete fiercely in everything we do, from cycling, fajita making, beer drinking, and screwin gals with big chesticles.
As for 650b on these Trek bicycles. Very interesting.
Then as far as I understand freeride and riding really free, I'd love to see something allowing people to ride away from the trail, so 6" travel balloon wheels anyone?
It's all good! Sit back and enjoy it, watch it as a train passing by
If you are looking for hard evidence in a race scenario, you have to wait a couple of years. Did you see 29'ers dominating the podiums in their first couple of years of mainstream popularity? No. Today however, it's relatively rare to see a 26" bike on the podium in an xc event.
I am just poking fun at your comment, and am certainly not seriously suggesting that you ride a rigid bike, only that you be a bit more open to embracing the technology and advancements that stem from those you already take for granted.
Some tech really makes a difference ie damping other stuff is just pure marketing tat.
You're being RIDICULOUS. It's a wheel size. The fact that so many of you are throwing temper tantrums about a wheel size and getting pissed is just absurd beyond all belief.
Bikes are fun. ALL BIKES, are fun. And the fact you guys are so hung up on one single wheel size shows you don't have an all encompassing passion for the sport of cycling be it DH, fixed gear, Road, DJ, whatever.... Which is a damn shame.
Matt Hunter said it best: "If you enjoy mountain biking, you can see the fun in every single one of the different ways of doing it."
If he's wrong, f*ck it, I'm wrong too and I don't care.
marketeers and brand managers aren't stupid, they know 29ers don't really work beyond certain travel limitations but they love the idea of making existing products obsolete.
27" wheels are perfect for this, JUST big enough to make most existing components useless but not big enough to compromise handling.
remember it is much much harder to sell someone something they already have!
i bet if someone snuck into the WES pits at night and swapped all the 650b wheels for 26" none of the pro's would notice any difference whatsoever.
oh and back to the main story, they are trek's so crappy propriety shocks that are useless if you weigh more than an 8 yr old on a frame that is too light and flimsy using a suspension design stolen from dave weagle.
Sweet advertising budget though.. . .
No. No I'm not missing anything. I know some people don't like them who have actually put in time on them. Or some people like them for some trails but not others. Whatever their reasons, I don't care. More power to them and their personal choices.
So no, I'm not missing the point. I'm responding to the people who keep saying you can only have fun on a 26" wheeled bike and anyone who rides anything else can't have fun on it, or doesn't care about fun. That's bullshit. And anyone defending that idea is just sad.
i assume that you are referring to this: "this is mtb. its supposed to be a sport based on fun, not the fact that one wheel gives you a 0.756% advantage with rolling resistance"
where do i say you can't have fun on a 650b wheeled bike.
for me the reason i will buy a bike is that it handles the terrain well and is enjoyable to ride. i am an ex road racer where every manufacturer tells you that this years bike is 2.5% stiffer, 3%lighter, 2% more aero and its all marketing bullshit. yes they make a difference to a tour rider where a second counts but to the likes of your average racer it won't make as much of a difference as just getting out and riding. iv'e tried treks top end road bike thats supposed to be the dogs bollocks but to me it just feels dead and no fun to ride. i have tried 29ers/700c, 26" and 650b and to be honest i cant tell much difference between 26" and 650b so i just see it as an unnecessary distraction from improving 26" bikes.
the upcoming rise of tweeners is not going to be a choice it's going to be a lack of options. it's like opening a shop that only sells coke then saying no one likes pepsi because you haven't sold any.
You're absolutely right. The General attitude, according to the people on this website, is that anything other than 26" is absolute shit and just a ploy to steal money from us.
I pretty much NEVER see anyone who rides 650b of a niner going around freaking out about 26" wheels. Know why? THEY DON'T CARE WHAT WHEELS YOU RIDE ON. They just want to ride their bikes. Anyone else notice that? They don't call you gay for riding a 26" wheel, they don't say you're a traitor, they just honestly don't give a shit about what wheel size you ride.
Funny how it's the the 26er crowd who allegedly are the people "having fun" and "not caring" about bike advancements or whatever, yet it's practically ONLY them throwing a fit and causing such a shit storm.
If you do this, you're a hypocrite, and you should really just love all bikes regardless of drive train, wheel size, bar width, whatever.
I like bikes. Yes, bikes. I like all bikes. As long as I'm on it, I don't care what kind of bike it is. I'll be having fun and I won't be sitting on pinkbike flipping out over what someone else rides. I really just don't get all of this anger and childish name calling over a wheel size.
No wonder this community is a laughing stock in the mtb world. Shame too, because the site puts out great content.
More like you saying I don't sell Pepsi because it sucks and by the way I haven't actually tried it, but read it sucks.
Having spent a ton of time on 26, 29, and now 650 platforms, I can honestly say I'm happiest on 650. Took a while to dial it in, but it's great now.
Not saying everyone is gonna have the same experience, just that maybe shit-talking it without trying it is a bit presumptuous. (he says speaking to a site full of keyboard warriors)
next year when 75% + of new models of trail bike are sporting 27" wheels and new bike sales of tweeners could possibly overtake 26" the manufacturers will be claiming its because they are better, it's what the customers asked for etc. but the reality is its purely sales driven, if trek had updated the models above with 26" wheels fewer people would buy one, stick the latest buzzword technology on there and suddenly everyone wants to sell their perfectly good existing bike because it's not fashionable and at the end of the day mountain biking is a fashion driven sport/hobby. banshee and ibis have got the right idea making frames that are switchble between the 2 almost identical smaller wheel sizes.
did lots of team riders start asking their mechanics for wheels with an extra inch of diameter, i doubt it very much.
more likely a suit of some sort was looking at wheel sizes on wikipedia and thought "hey 650B that sounds sexy, i'm going to pitch that one at our next brainstorming session"
Simple question, have you ridden one?
I'm guessing no, so go try one then come in here and tell me you feel no different.
Sorry the 26 riders are feeling threatened, but you can't expect any industry to simple stay stagnant to appease a small group of hold outs.
When I first read about 650B I decided to try and convert my Felt but it would fit. When it was time for a new bike I rode a Jamis 650B and I could defiantly tell the difference, just didn't like the bike as a whole. Had there been more choice back then I would have never ended up on a 29er.
Now that there are finally a ton of choices I'm going back down to 650B. So I say it is customer driven. Who's right?
Contrary to popular belief bike tech is not going to get much better without putting motor on the bike. The advances of late are just things that can be spun by marketing and not significant, 142mm spacing, taped HT, and iscg05. And the list could go into components, but I'm tire, I'd rather figure out which 650b I'm going to have to buy since my five favorite bike companies don't have a 26in AM bike in their lineup.
Calling something a marketing scheme just to get more money surely isn't a compliment is it?
Again calling it a mind game- another compliment I missed?
Finally I was pointing out that they did think of 650B sooner and did think it was that much better; money plain and simple is what drove the decision to start mountain biking with 26 inch wheels, not what was best. I was trying to help him stop looking so ignorant.
lapierre have gone 650
cube have gone 650
santa cruz have gone 650
trek have now gone 650
YT industries have gone 650
canyon are going 650
scott have gone 650
i'm hard pressed to think of a new 26" model for next year that isn't a new stickers and a different colour effort.
This wheel debate certainly drags on, with repeated arguments, hysteria, ignorance and all that Jazz all the time - i would love PinkBike to have some kind of identifier next tom users name which states their primary riding discipline (downhill, AM, AC, Trail etc) and this may put into context the comments made about each wheel size debate
At the end of the day, from what i see on all these press releases, its all about the big money high earner end of the market, i see it all the time in the LBS, guys coming in and getting shown around all the shiney new bikes, either first timer s or upgrades - most of these are not interested in building and messing with bikes, they just want one, the bigger and shinier the better
as noted by many my olcal LBS is slowly stocking mainly 29`ers in store, most being Specialized as this is their main brand and this is why Specialized are doing what they are doing with their off-the-shelf bikes, they know their market and know they have many high street outlets so they win
anyway, lioke many i am sure i have limited budget and am small in stature so 26 on a 16" frame is more than adequate for me and i aint buying a new full bike any-time soon - i am just happy that i can whoop many shiny shiny riders on my budget machine, so this wheel debate is really not relevant to me which voids all the above
This wheel size makes total sense to me and its good to see some experimentation going on with wheels. That said, 29ers make no sense to me at all. They ride like pigs.
26" & 27.5 FTW
next years bikes from all but 1 of the brands these shops stock are almost exclusively 650b what part of brands forcing the popularity of a particular standard through lack of alternatives do you find it so hard to understand?
it's the bike equivalent of the simpsons episode where all the little girls rush to the shops to buy the latest malibu stacy doll just because it comes with a new hat.
In your reply to LTmtb you pretty much say that tweeners are a cynical ploy to push sales yet in most of your other replies to people you are preaching about how much of a life changing experience riding them is.
In your community 26ers might sell better. I'm sure they do in Vancouver as well, but the general sales trend is strongly toward larger wheels. Based on your logic, if you lived in a BMX community, you would question why anyone would want anything other than 20" wheels. There is a world outside your world you might not be aware of.
BTW, the onus is on the 26" fans to prove they are wanted, with their wallets, not a post on a forum looking like a fool who doesn't understand basic business principles. There is no conspiracy. None of the manufacturers want those pesky leftover 26" wheeled bikes and lose out on sales to what has basically been proven to be a superior product. V-brakes went away. Cable discs went away. Friction shifters went away. 26" wheels went away. Its how it works.
from 2014 there is a very strong possibility that more 27" than 26" wheeled bikes will be sold in the mid travel range that is a given considering that very few 2014 model year bikes are being made with 26" wheels.
but for this year and every year since the inception of MTB 26" bikes will have sold more units, if you think otherwise you are a fool
i've red lots of your comments on this thread and you often totally contradict yourself, the general trend seems to be that you have bought lots of 650b bits so anyone who hasn't is inferior to you in some way. and all this from a person who's profile openly states they have been mountain biking a couple of years.
your nothing but an MTB fashionista that must jump on the latest trend, kind of like the audi driving IT consultants from surrey that wobble around the welsh hills every weekend on their ellsworths and mojo's.
is this you???
www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQyJeJgIw8
Many manufacturers are reporting sales 7:1 for 29er over 26er. I'm not sure what you are going on about. Over the past year, I had a hard time even getting new tires for 650b, as everything was sold out for most of the year. Production ramped up for this year. b45her: please post the sales numbers you are going on about. Maybe one of the manufacturers will hire you because their market analysis people are obviously incompetent?
take the trek bikes here, if trek had released lest years bike with a new colour it's no big deal, release last years bike with slightly bigger wheels and it's suddenly the second coming.
dito the santa cruz bronson which is just a slightly stretched LTc, solo slightly stretched TRc etc.
its like the movie inception, the industry plants a seed that they are faster, better etc. and before too long lots of people believe it, couple that with taking away any real alternatives and hey presto it's "customer demand"
bike tech pretty much stagnated abut 5-6 years ago, wheel sizes are an easy way to spark interest and and empty wallets. it all boils down to the old saying that it's harder to sell someone something they already have, in the case of 650b they are selliing us what we already have only with sparkles on.
I have a really good suggestion for you, go for a ride! Take out your ibis mojo thing ma bob and clear your mind, open up your thoughts! Don't waste your entire life on pinkbike ranting at people who just express their opinion.
If you have been out for a ride, go for a long one.
At the end of the day, I think it's more weight that makes a bike a better ride than it is wheel size, but when you can have 650b bikes the same weight as a 26er, with the same descending characteristics, yet some of the climbing benefits of a 29er... why wouldn't you go 650b?
Oh yeah, I know why, because you remain naive to the fact that this is the way the industry is going... get over it and just have fun riding your bike, whether it's 26 or 650b, just don't bitch and complain in 5 years when you have troubles finding a 26" tire that you really want... the writing is clearly on the wall.
I have never ridden a 650Bm or a 29er, only 26. Naive? You are making some call there Sir. We all know which way the industry is going, and we all know why. We also all know that not giving consumers the choice in the future makes great marketing sense since it essentially leaves us with the solitary choice you identify: join the bandwagon / industry as it rolls forward or get left behind.
Only there is just one thing, and it troubles me. In fact I'd go as far as to say that I don't like it. I can stand and look at my very small workshop corner in my place. It has a significant number of frames and parts I have amassed over the years. A fantastic set of U-turn Pikes that have seen thousands of kms, similar Halo rims, a boxxer WC I managed to pick up for an absolute steal in 2009. not to mention a couple of great steel HT frames and a Domain that has been around and seen all kinds. I had to spend a great deal of time and effort getting those at reasonable prices / not break the bank. Many are second hand that I fixed up / built up with enthusiasm, love. care and attention. However, I have a young family now and the time to buy shiny new 650b bits s not now, maybe never.
So it saddens me that I may have trouble finding tyres in 5 years time. Those frames, forks, rims... all of them are worth more surely than being consigned to a dusty corner because some marketing group decided their time had come.
In fact, it saddens me enough to bitch about it, now and in 5 years time.
Naive? No way.
About to be right royally shafted by the bike industry and know it? Possibly.
(If it was up to me we would go back to 8-speed drivetrains and heavy, low maintenance forks.)
Don't get me wrong I'm not anti new stuff - 650b is cool, so are 29ers if that's your cup of tea. I just think it sucks that these companies look like they're setting up to phase out a whole genre of their product simply to ensure people like me have to spend a whole bunch of money just to continue doing what we would have done anyway - ride our bikes.
how much research do you think it takes to move a rear drop out 10mm?
and that orange and black monstrosity wouldn't look out of place next to the baked beans in a supermarket.
Have to disagree with your silly color comment as well and I'm betting most would also. Guess you'll never own a KTM dirtbike (or bicycle) either. Go see how well those sell with a similar color combo.
Personally, I come to read the comments because occasionally... very occasionally, you'll have a rep, or someone directly involved with the industry mention details not in the article, or you'll even have someone from the public (ie: non-industry person) make a good point about technology or something related. But, it gets extremely tiring when in order to get to that comment, I have to sift through 140 other comments of people bitching about how much a 650b or 29er sucks when it is very clear, extremely so, that they have never even actually ridden one (and again, riding your buddy's for 10 minutes doesn't really count). It just gets a little frustrating because somewhere in all those comments there is some valid and worthwhile information...
i wonder whats next for the slash since they sold very nicely. The demo rep told me they are bringing out 4 models next time around, one specked higher than the 9. Maybe that means a carbon slash coming soon since the competition and the remedy offer carbon bikes.
Big S is gonna take a beating in sales without a 650B bike. It'll happen eventually because they will want a piece of that pie but hey maybe all the 26" diehards will flock to the big S so they can maintain their (mistaken) position on the 650 wheel size.
Both of these new Treks are sweet looking bikes. Their new 29'ers also. That KTM colored Slash is the nuts!
"26: "Lift?"
;-)
If you look at bicycles from the late 1800s to early 1900s...they all had BIGGER than 26" wheels, and they were all ridden "off road" because there were no paved roads... but for some reason mountain bikes, with all the improvements in technology, have to keep using a kiddie bike wheelsize because people don't want to have to buy new wheels/frames/forks ?!?
IMHO, we are only seeing this tremendous and premature push towards 650B because MTB tech has reached a point of diminishing returns. The market is saturated with very expensive and highly capable bikes from dozens and dozens of manufacturers... bikes so capable that most riders will never come near the maximum potential of the equipment that they are on. Marketers desperately need a way to differentiate their product and make gear wonks feel like last year's über gadget is holding them back. 650B is a perfect storm because it necessitates a completely new bike.... no piecemeal upgrades and they can immediately limit the supply of 26" replacement parts.
Right on deeeight, and IIRC all those race results were in 1 years span when 650b is finally just grabbing hold. 2014 bring the tidal wave.
I don't have to ask why. I've been riding 650Bs for FIVE YEARS NOW. I already know they're better than 26ers. I'm getting rid of my 26ers for that reason. Why keep bikes that'll never get ridden again because the ones that are better and more fun to ride are the ones I choose to take every time I go riding.
2/ Anne caro could win on a penny farthing, i doubt an extra 11mm or radius made her a champion.
3/ contrary to popular belief Dan Atherton races WES on a 26" wheeled prototype NOT the new 650b force. just like fabien barrel races a 650b proto canyon but attends podiums and press meetings with a current generation 26" strive.
Also reading through this page it would appear US and Canadian folk are a lot quicker to buy into the latest trends, still yet to see a a 650b bike outside a magazine or catalouge here in the uK. but next year they are going to be everywhere, hardly seems consumer driven to me.
oops my mistake it's actually 12mm. difference in diameter is 24mm.
for that matter if the greatest mountain biker in the history of the sport can only eek out a 1 second advantage in 3 mins how awesome must you be to find the 0.55ish % performance boost noticeable?
Can't feel 12mm? Put on a set of 2.0 tires, go for a ride. Change to 2.35 tires and repeat. Any difference? Before crying foul re: air volume, the 27.5" tire has more volume than the 26" tire too, adding to the gain. More importantly, the BBdrop on a proper 650b frame changes the axle/bb height, which is a huge performance variable. Yes, I do run more sag on my converted 650b Mojo SL to take advantage of this.
In racing situations, a flat costs more time than 100g extra on the tire. I'm not sure I understand your reasoning on the air volume. More air volume allows less air pressure with the same flat resistance (I was referring to pinch flats- sidewall tears require different protection- which ads weight.) This is pretty much accepted. Additionally, my 650b racing ralphs have the same traction as my 26" nobby nicks, and are almost the same weight. I'd have to look it up again, but the difference didn't seem a big deal when I switched over. Ride feel noted faster acceleration with the 650b, especially over choppy terrain. My 650b Mojo SL is still 26lbs with a dropper post, and no stupid light components. Regular width bars, real saddle etc.
Can you please give some riding lessons instead of presenting new big wheel bikes!
So everyone would be better in riding and nobody would need this weird 29" and 27,5" Bikes which are rolling better over roots...
although in this case... I've known about Trek going this way for months, and tried telling folks that they'd be announcing by july but did anyone listen... no.....
gearselected.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Trek-Remedy-9-2013-adjustable-geometry.jpg
I thought i had my mind made up TOO many chooses lol
? Um, Giant?
The men's was won on 26"
And the women's was basically won on 26". The Ibis can run both ways.
If you reduce the travel, you can add bigger wheels. But let's be honest if I gave ACC my mojo HD (26")to race, there is a good chance she would podium with it.
As for people with lousy jobs that don't want to buy new equipment. I bought new equipment last year. I bought a bike last year that handles well, jumps well, and is lightweight. ALL three are things that 650B won't do as well.
If I want a bike that rolls over crap, doesn't handle great and is heavier, I will just pull out my old Ventana El Chamuco , built up for free ride. I have seen the emporeur's new clothes.
Different choices work for different places and people.
It's a shame that the bike industry saw fit to " Take 26" OEm off the table." To quote Jason Moscheler.
Lightweight? Ummm, one of the factors in retiring my 26ers, particularly my full suspension ones, is that my 650B full suspension is LIGHTER.
Handles well? Again, how much experience do you have on 650B bikes to make such a statement ? I'm guessing somewhere between slim and none.
Seriously though, having mtb'ed for the past twenty years, learning to ride on a fully rigid bike and shifting on a deore top mount shifter, I feel pretty qualified to say that bigger wheels don't really help you IF you have a full suspension bike. They will do different things but, don't confuse that with better.
29er took over XC because a lot of XCers were already riding hardtails. 29ers took over sales because the bulk of the market is lower priced hardtails.
Bigger wheels work for you because you're 6'7". But I think that you confuse that with bigger wheels must be better for everyone.
We all want choices, the bike industry is choosing not to give us choices. That's lame.
Saidrick. I have been riding since 1992 on real MTBs. I have full suspension ,and the 650b is a noticeable difference. I didn't read about it, or calculate it, I tested it. Its different, and I like it.
Stop thinking black and white. Going from a 2.0 tire to a 2.4 will make the same changes you list above: increased weight, less maneuverable, decreased jumping etc. The reality is the costs are so small, and the increased traction and air volume are so beneficial the tiny cost gets negated.
how about this shit for you go ride the bikes, have an open mind pedal the shit out of a few bikes and you will be surprised.
i was in the market for a new bike i pedaled many bikes had an open mind on every bike i got on. i road 27.5 bikes 26 bikes. many dislikes for many bikes. i was considering bikes like the remedy, some how i found out about the slash. i went out and demoed the slash it ripped i could not stop pedaling that bike around. i am a die hard 26' rider. me and my friends said one night that we are not riding anything else but 26" till we cant ride any more. well foot in mouth now i am a slash owner and my bike is on its way. i guess i am 27.5 bound. just don't tell my 26" friends. i am not telling them till the ask to borrow a tube and i am like no i am running tubeless, oh and by the way 27.5 too
That said I like their bikes more than any other of the big 3 and I think their road bikes are absolutely the best.