[Closed] Building a dream bike? What wheel size?

me i'd go for 26", actually i have and it will be delivered next week.

I'm only 5ft 7 so bigger wheels are lost on me.

Similar to you, I don't fancy 29er so it's between 26 and 650. Not much in it performance wise. It's really dictated by what frame/forks you like, and what you think the prevailing standard will be.

That's pretty much why I'm not building a new mtb over the next couple of years unless fate forces my hand.

I went 29 just because i liked the bike and it happened to have 29" wheels.

26" with 82mm rims

Don't buy a bike because of the wheel size, buy a wheel size because if the bike. There are good 650b bikes and bad 26" bikes etc.

if you're happy with 26, go with 26.
if you're tall, race on bridleways, and are American, get a 29er.
if you believe the hype, get a 27.5 and a lobotomy.

It really looks like 650 is where the manufacturers have gone and we've no choice in it, they aren't going to go back to 26 on high end bikes. It would have to be that unless there is a compelling reason you want a 29er.

It really looks like 650 is where the manufacturers have gone and we've no choice in it, they aren't going to go back to 26 on high end bikes.

Of course they are. If that's what people want. It's a business and all it takes is somebody to sell a 26" bike and for it to be popular for everybody to jump back on that ship. 650b may become the dominant wheel size, it may not, but anybody who tells you that they know for sure one way or the other is deluding themselves. The question is, why you care? Just build whatever your dream bike is now. Your dream will have changed long before you have any problems getting spares for it.

If I was building a dream bike from all new components the wheel size would almost certainly be towards the bottom of the list of considerations. It would be all about three frame and how that handled and copied with what I like to do on a bike. As long as I enjoy the frame I wouldn't give two hoots what size the wheels are.

Actually, thinking about it, I guess I've just done this too. I've always fancied a Five. I know, but I have OK. When I saw that 2013 26" frames in my size and favoured colour were being knocked out at £600 off the old price I couldn't resist. So I guess wheel size was a factor, but only because the move to 650b threw up a bargain. The idea of "future proofing" a new build seems pointless to me. Even if you guess the "right" wheelsize, chances are that nothing else will fit in a few years anyway.

People actually worry about wheel size? ❓

What is your dream bike, that's the question. If you don't know then surely its just a high end bike. If its a dream bike you already know don't you? In which case the wheel size is chosen for you. I was fortunate to get my dream bike last year, its wheel size may be off trend but it still makes me smile everytime.

I've been riding long enough to know what works for me, & my Niner is everything I ever wanted in a bike. I'd buy another in a flash.

My Yeti SB66 is my dream bike & I can't imagine how it could be better.
Ok, maybe the carbon with a lot of money thrown at it, but that's not about to happen.

You're discounting 29'ers because of looks 😆

In that case I'd either go for a used Saracen Myst 26" or a KHS Sixfifty606.

I'd go 27.5, not ridden a 26" for 5 years though so I'd not go that size anyway. 27.5 will bring the trail alive

650b or 29, but based in a test ride!

[i]What is your dream bike, that's the question.[/i]

This.

You can't just say "I want a dream bike" you have to actually have the dream. Pick a frame, decide if you want RL or RLT forks, sweat over what seat clamp to use and what colour cable outers you want.

Otherwise it'll be someone elses dream.

2 months into my dream build, still very happy, still 26"

Good point wasswas; a dream bike isn't a rational thing. My dream was a Five. I can't even really say why. My riding certainly doesn't justify one. But that was my dream bike, I'm in the fortunate position to be able to afford one and life is too short to deny yourself the dreams you can afford.

Given that; a dream bike can't be 650b as they just haven't been around for long enough to be your dream. My dream Five was a 26" 140mm trail bike in neon orange. Anything else would have been somebody else's dream.

My dream wheelsize would be 700c I think with discs, more options for 29er rims, wheel rims etc. Loads of tyre choices!

29er if you're tall enough ... like this 🙂

[img] [/img]

Wheel size doesn't matter, it's what you do with them that counts.