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I'm looking to build a new bike and really want to try 650b plus.
I had planned to get a Stanton Switch back which is advertised as 650b or 650b plus. However I don't quite understand how this will work when every other bike is listed as 650b plus or 29er.
So are 29er frames just being relabelled 650b plus because the wheels for or are there specific frames for 650b out there?
May even ditch the idea of a hard talk and go for a 650b full susser.
I guess the two variants have different bb heights, or you use a longer fork in plus mode to adjust.
Drop them a line and see what they say though.
Following this with interest - I'm wondering if my Stumpjumper FSR 29 would work with a plus wheelset
2.4 trail kings on 22.5mm internal rims are within ~5mm of a 2.8 schwalbe plus tire on 35mm internal as far as the diameter is concerned.
Not the difference with was expecting. 3.0 specialized is much closer to 29x2.4
For FS:
There seems to be two schools of thought. 1; frames designed to run 29 and 27.5+ like my FlareMax. Cy designed it that way (rather than taking an existing frame) and also sells it along side a 27.5 only version. Tend to be setup to run a max of 2.8+ tyre in the back. Obviously loads of clearance when you go to 29.
I've run mine on both sets of wheels and prefer the chubbies but 29 was great for mud/winter/gloop/tyre choice. Forks are the same of course and boost both ends.
2; are a few frames that are designed for 27.5 and 27.5+ but NOT 29. Like my Mojo 3 😉 (I have too many nice bikes) - the idea being the BB height is very similar with a 2.3 tyre at 22PSI as it is with a 2.8 at 16PSI on the same rims. Again max 2.8 and in the case of the Mojo, that's a 2.8 and not much clearance. I'm running mine with 2.4/2.5 Maxxis WT which I prefer to the Cotic on 29 but still prefer the chubbies the Mojo came with. Intrigued by these 2.6s that are coming out but frankly my tyre fetish is getting out of hand.
To complicate things, bikes like the SC Hightower have both a flip chip and expect you to run a longer fork in one mode. I prefer not changing anything other than the wheels (or in the case of the Mojo, just the tyres)
HT:
Something like a Trek Stache (yes I have one of those as well!) is probably an outlier is that it's designed for 29+ and 27.5+ but you have to change forks/wheels/tyres and you can shorten the chainstay. FWIW I prefer it 27.5+ but it's almost fatbike-funny with 29+
I imagine it's 650b with a mass of clearance. My 650b+ is deliberately designed to also take 29" for skinny winter tyre duties.
Whether the Stanton will work with a regular 650b fork and 650b+ tyre is another question.
Edit: beaten by Al.