Thewheels were then passed between testers who used each set on their personal bikes for familiarity and consistency. Each pair was ridden hundreds of miles on the vast and varied trails of the northern Sierra and the greater Lake Tahoe area. All of the wheels we tested were 29 inches in diameter with standard Boost 148 spacing and Thereare two options for mountain bike standard wheel size: 29 inches (or 29er) and 27.5 inches (also known as 650B). The diameter of these wheels is larger than the previous standard 26 inches. And the width is also wider than typical road bike wheels, ranging from 2.1’’ (53mm) to 3’’ (76mm). GuessI don’t need a 29/27.5+ for now. Wishiwasbiking . Posted: Jan 6, 2018 at 11:33 27.5 (650B) is actually closer in size to the 26" wheel then the 29er. The 27.5 is more of a marketing Thedebate between 26-inch vs 29-inch bikes is one that has been going on for years, with no clear winner. Both have their pros and cons, so it really comes down to personal preference. However, the downside of 26-inch wheels is that they can be heavier and slower to accelerate than 700c wheels. 700c wheels, on the other hand, are Weride three similar bikes with three different wheel diameters back-to-back on identical trails - and the winner is Thefirst mountain bikes were introduced with 26-inch wheels. The main reason being, this was the size of the very popular cruiser bike’s wheel. Let’s look at the pros and cons of a 27.5 inch wheel when compared to a 29er. Benefits Of 27.5 Inch MTB Wheels. Easier to manoeuvre on tight, technical trails; Quick acceleration; Nimble handling; Thekey difference between 27.5″ (also known as 650b) and 29″ mountain bikes lies in the wheel size. A 29″ bike has larger wheels compared to the 27.5″ bike. Its here I take issue with 27.5-inch wheels. The traditional logic states that they roll-over things better than a 26-inch bike, but handle more nimbly than a 29-inch bike. However, if you flip Shootout Wheel Wars—29 vs 27.5 vs 26 This story first appeared in our March 2012 issue, when only a few companies were offering bikes with 27.5-inch (650b) wheels. At that time, the dilemma for most riders was to choose between bikes with either 26 or 29-inch wheels. Thisis because the two remaining wheel sizes, 29″ and 27.5″, give you three possible concepts to choose from. The keyword here is mullet, where a large 29er up front is combined with a smaller 27.5″ wheel on the rear. The concept of combining two different wheel sizes on the same frame isn’t new, already appearing on bikes in the 26 FMP1GN.