[Closed] 26 ain't dead. Cotic Rocket content

im loving my saracen 14x and 16x frames. 26 deffo aint dead for me

I proper bloody love my Rocket, took me a little bit of tweaking both to me and the bike (and a new shock) but a couple of rides ago everything just clicked. I feel no need to change wheel size whatsoever; in fact I quite fancy a nice 26" wheel Soul to be its brother. Shame I have no money to buy one.

That is a lovely thing. Always fancied a Rocket.

I'd imagine that 26" is only really dead to those who get given bikes rather than buy their own

I'd have one. I love my Bfe. If I could have that steel feel with less ankle smashing vibrations on DH stuff I'd be happy.

those who get given bikes rather than buy their own

Sadly not, shared a chalet with some Canadians this summer.... "Oh you guys still ride 26ers?". They'd all massively drunk the 650b kool-aid to the point that 26 was a relic

I still use my Genesis 2007 altitude 853 in 17.5" I wouldn't ever be without it its one of those bikes that after a ride I'm smiling for the rest of the week I love it.

[i] "Oh you guys still ride 26ers?". They'd all massively drunk the 650b kool-aid to the point that 26 was a relic [/i]

Yep, on a recent night ride the three of us who turned up were all 26ers; Cube Stereo, Meta FS and a Soul.

The 650's and 29ers were all tucked up safely.

Bandit 26 going strong here. No plans to change it while it's in one piece. If you get one, size up, they are super short.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Even managed 500 miles bike packing in Iceland on it this summer. Not an ideal tool for the job but sometimes you've just got to go with what you have.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Planning on racing local XC series on it this winter and may even have a crack at a couple of the local DH series as well. SW enduro in the summer.

Just put a new Cane Creek DB inline on my 26" Rocket, absolutely fantastic bike, as flying monkey says "I have no desire or plans to go to change wheel size" or indeed bicycle.

The 650's and 29ers were all tucked up safely.

😆

Its dead as far as most manufacturers are concerned though 🙁

How many 26" frames are Cotic producing?

Hi
Got 3 29ers and a Rocket and Soul26-love them all and it's difficult to chose what to ride!!!!
Keeping them all too

@timraven
Just got a ccdb in line for my Rocket26 although never had a problem with the Fox that's on it.
Do you fancy sharing your weight and shock base settings with me to save me a bit of chew?
Apparently if you email Cy he will provide some but not got round to it yet.
Looking forward to trying it out
Email in profile
Cheers
Steve

The problem is trying to find forks...

"Kermit" my green 26" Soul could do with some new 120mm Reba's in white, can I find some...?

[i]The problem is trying to find forks...[/i]

Black ones.

https://www.merlincycles.com/rockshox-reba-rl-forks-26-2014-65838.html

Set of black Reba 120mm for 26 inch back from SRAM Tech UK had full warranty service including brand new damper in a box in my garage. Totally unused since returning as I sold the bike they came off with it's original OEM Fox 32 fork back on it while the Reba was away. They're 15mm axle tapered Solo Airs. Steerer is around 200mm but I'd have to check that.

Any good?

Still on 26" for my voltage. Can't see me changing any time soon unless I get a new bike (also not likely)!

No, 26 ain't dead, you just can't buy it anymore!

Most of the people I know are still on 26, a few have 29ers and that's it. A group of us go to the Alps every year and all were on 26, no one even talked about wheel sizes and no one's likely to change bikes soon, we all just got on with enjoying them.

Also on local club ride recently, I thought I'd take my 29er so I'd fit in with all the young cool dudes and their fast xc type bikes. Out of about 12 only 2 were on a 29er, everyone else 26.

It'll be a good few years before I buy a new bike now, I have plenty of 26in tyres, forks, frames that work perfectly to keep me going for ages

@jam bo very nice bike. Noted on the sizing, perhaps I can look out for a large too then. Sadly all seem hard to come by.

I'm a serial bike replacer but I honestly cn't justify replacing my 12 Enduro just now. Wish it wa slighly longer, and maybe a degree slacker, but I've never once thought 'I wish this had bigger wheels'...

it more than cabable for any riding I do, and I'd need to improve exponentially (or more realisticly grow a pair) before I could see any benefit.

Doesn't help that its probably only worth 700 quid, despite it having only done about 500 miles in total over the past 3 years!

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/transition-bandit-26-lemon-lime-2013-large-2

Of the usual suspects I ride with occasionally (7 riders) only 1 has a 29er*. All the others are on 26ers, although in a variety of styles and flavours 🙂

All are HT's too. Although I have a FS 26ers that is up for sale. (Spesh Camber Expert)

*I'm also on a 29er.

26 will never die as long as I have my Ti frame that is perfect for my needs.

I could see why people moved to 29 (it is probably a better wheel size for me with the XC riding I do) but now 27.5 is the thing to have it is really not so obvious why the need to change.
Hold your fingers 13mm apart and having a wheel that much bigger in radius doesn't seem like such a big deal.

I suppose it gave those who found 29 a bit too big to go back to a smaller wheel without going all the way back to a 26 and feeling like they wasted their time and money moving away from 26....

My two mtbs are both 26ers. Commie meta am, and a ragley blue pig. Love em both and won't be changing any time soon.

26" here too, three to five bikes between us depending on how fickle I'm feeling 😆

I suppose it gave [s]those who found 29 a bit too big to go back to a smaller wheel without going all the way back to a 26 and feeling like they wasted their time and money moving away from 26....[/s] manufacturers who were pushing 29" a way to save face without having to admit defeat and say that there's the square root of bugger all wrong with 26" wheels and they'd run out of ways to sell us stuff.

Fixed.

I feel a resurgence coming on, Commencal and Kona (the the odd other brand) have kept the faith and I wouldn't be surprised if a few other new 26ers appear with the buzz words "fun" and "chuckable" glued to them.

My Alpine 160 is running sweet. And it'll have to as I can't afford a new bike. I can still keep up with my buddies on bigger wheels (at the mo).

I won' say #26forlife, but it's definitely #26fortheforseeablefuture

And to be fair I'd probably only get a 27.5 Alpine or Five (or maybe a Geometron).

Tom KP

I only have 26" bikes.If I got a new F/S I'd like a Transition Scout,but the 'Old School'Enduro is more than enough for me.
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I've never had a 'proper' steel hardtail & I'd love a 26" Cotic Soul,I keep looking in the classifieds for a small size frame,no luck so far..

26" here too, three to five bikes between us depending on how fickle I'm feeling

I suppose it gave those who found 29 a bit too big to go back to a smaller wheel without going all the way back to a 26 and feeling like they wasted their time and money moving away from 26....
OR
manufacturers who were pushing 29" a way to save face without having to admit defeat and say that there's the square root of bugger all wrong with 26" wheels and they'd run out of ways to sell us stuff.

Fixed.

Think it is a bit of both really. The manufacturers didn't get it all wrong with 29 though did they. As I said for the riding I do a 29 would actually be faster but I enjoy a 26 more.

There's one of each wheel size in our house, all good.

(two of those bikes just happen to be Cotics)

@gelert can you tell me more about your Rebas? Im guessing from your posts you may be in N Wales too?

breninbeenerATgmailDOTcom

Often think about changing my 26 Soul, but it's only 2 yrs old and I'd probably replace it with a 27.5 one, which would ride just about the same !! I have a 27.5 Anthem and whilst they feel different I can't say i notice the wheels being a little larger 🙂

@jam bo thanks email sent.

26 certainly not dead for me, as above looking at more 26" bikes not less. Never felt like wheel size was an issue and I have too many bits to just cast off. The indistry switch has meant I'm less likely to buy a new bike than ever.

Kerley- Yes, that's more what I meant. 29 is good at what it does if that's what you want it to do, it was more the switch/'rediscovery' to/of 650B that was the face-saving bit I was on about.

'Better' isn't always better!

Both my bikes are 26ers. I'm going to sell the Pace as Mrs Beaker has invoked a one in one out rule and I fancy something new. The Indy Fab is a keeper though!

I hate the 650b none sense, it feels like such a manipulation of MTB'ers.

Last Sunday I passed 40 riders in a Cyclocross race on a 26" mountain bike to a creditable 17th/61. Everyone else was on very old school 29ers with skinny tyres 😉 . Some had the audacity to have a second bike!

Salsa think so they don't make 26" rigid forks anymore just wonder how long it will be till Fox/Rockshox follow suit then we will be ____ with are 26" bikes.

@dobie - we'll keep using our existing kit and remind ourselves thst it lasts a lot longer than we give it credit for

Why are forks such a concern?

Don't know much about suspension forks as don't use them but isn't the axle to crown of a 27.5 fork just 13mm longer than 26 fork for the same travel, i.e. why can't you just use a 27.5 fork with a 26 wheel on a 26 frame?

@kerly, thats a good question but many of our 26 bikes are straight steerer and the tapered forks wont fit

My Genesis io is riding wit Hylix 29er monocoque carbon forks. Didn't seem to change the geometry or handling a bit. Replaced some Rockshox. Straight not tapered if I recall correctly.

Will keep my 2012 Remedy which is 26" wheeled which is still the best bike I have ridden downhill even though I have tried 29ers and 27.5 if the frame goes they will have to give me a whole new bike which they have already done in some cases no 26" frames left funny old world when you think the most common bike is still a 26".

I've got a 2010 Heckler with 150mm Revs and although I've demo'd other 650b bikes recently, I can't really justify the cost whilst the Heckler's still going strong. My only concern is if the forks die - has anyone found any straight steerer forks of 150mm plus travel that perform decently?

@kerly, thats a good question but many of our 26 bikes are straight steerer and the tapered forks wont fit

So more of a straight steerer is dead than 26" wheels, but see the point as my frame is straight steerer but luckily not limited my choice of rigid forks - yet.

@breninbeener I'll grab a photo and measure the steerer for you and email them to you later if I get a minute.

I'm in North Wales not far from Llandegla so easy to meet up at the cafe there if you do want them when you have all the info.

My newest bike is a 26er.

I was thinking of sticking an angleset and a 180mm pike on my 2015 Giant Reign along along with some 26 inch wheels to go with my beard.....then I'd be cool.

Both my bikes are 26 too. One is a 2014 model and just a year old now, the other is 2013 bought 2nd hand as a winter sacrifice. Early 650B switchers are in the same position as us 26ers with the Boost Hub 110 fork and 148 rear situation... I feel for the ones who were hoping they were buying into the future (at least a few years worth anyway) only to be told there's a new boost wheel build to do on their new rims and new hubs to buy and to make it all match up a whole new fork for their next frame so I don't think we're any worse off at the moment.

In fact there may be a shortage of non boost 650B stuff before 26 supplies run dry as there's a lot more 26 folk out there than the now defunct first-gen 650B. Resale values will be worse on those bits than ours.

I wouldn't buy anything non boost now I know about it. The two things should have happened together - 650B and Boost. It's so frustrating for everyone.

Now if that's not an opinionated can of worms I've opened I don't know what is?!!

I love my 26 inch bikes. They're brilliant fun. I hope to get this next season out of them at least. I may have new-bike envy by next November anyway and hopefully the whole standards issue will have sorted itself out by then. Or it won't and I'll try to eek out another season. I will be more inclined to keep my perfectly good 26 inch frames going as long as possible if they don't settle things down for the smaller wheel sized bikes.

Kona just announced a new 26 inch DH bike so they must have confidence in 26 inch being around long enough to service their bikes. Maybe it's the start of a comeback for 26 inch?

gelert - Member

I wouldn't buy anything non boost now I know about it. The two things should have happened together - 650B and Boost.

That'd have completely defeated the purpose of boost tbh.

i don't see the point of boost to be honest. certainly not something that i wish my 650b bike had been specced with. Plenty of 650b non boost bikes available

Why is 148 rear even an issue, you can still buy 135mm hubs for christ sake....anyway whats so hard about sticking 26 inch wheels on a 650b bike if you love 26....all it does is drop the bb by half an inch. You can make that up with an external headset cup or longer forks.

It's just my opinion. I bought a brand new 26 inch bike when 650B was already around for a little while so my own future analysis isn't exactly fantastic, is it, or was it? It worked for me though and that's all that counts. I got the bikes at a discount and I'm happy that I'm not likely to get a lot for them when I sell them and I'm also trying to get maximum value and fun out of them.

If non boost 650B works for you who am I to disagree?
You're not likely to wish your 650B had been specced with boost if you've already bought one (it's like the emperors new clothes) but if you're looking at buying one why buy into a small fragment of the market that's being made obsolete already?

Proper boost hubs make larger wheels stiffer with better spoke angles and help run wider rims better (not + size, just 26-30mm internal width).

I think to sell the benefit of 650B and Boost and a new Frame that is properly different at the same time would have helped everyone. The wheel would have felt stiffer and possibly rolled more noticeably faster too. 26 inch wheels wouldn't fit the frame either so you'd know where you stood and not be tempted to fit them or re-lace them. It would feel like it'd been thought through as a new whole bike concept with added real world performance benefits a bit better.

It just makes more sense to me that way anyway. In my opinion it's a better whole change package that way.

I'd have been happier to let go of the 26 inch stuff if it had been sold that way anyway.

Happy trails. Have a fun Christmas whatever you're riding.

I'm on 27.5 these days, not because I wanted bigger wheels but because I liked the geometry of the frame (Switchback). I can't say that I notice a huge amount of difference over 26inch bikes but I like the way it rides.

At the end of the day, there are good and bad bikes in all wheel sizes.

The boost thing does stink, happening so soon after 27.5 seems to have gained a strong foothold in the market.

Pretty sure boost was developed by Trek to give 29" wheels the same stiffness as 650b wheels, other manufacturers seem to have taken it on board for 650b! 650 Remedy still has a 142mm back end.

im loving my saracen 14x and 16x frames. 26 deffo aint dead for me

They were/are great bikes....nearly cried when my 142 was stolen....nearly, probably dust in my eye or something.

Cotic have a short video on Instagram featuring a rocket 275 but with 26" wheels. An update to follow they say.

really interesting..
i guess that the update says that the rocket275 with 26" wheels is even better than the original 26" rocket...long and low and all that... 😉
and..
I´m still wondering that 6 months ago there was a thread about the Bfe 275...
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/come-on-cotic-anyone-else-waiting-for-the-delivery-of-bfe-275s

and nobody answered to it...