If you have read my previous post you know that my opinion is that a 650b geared bike is the best performing bike for my size and riding style for my local area. I have always said that I wasn’t 100% sure for a single speed if it is the right thing and I am still not 100% sure, but I do have some interesting comments to share in this area. So the details I am about to share are regarding my opinion of going with a 650b SS.
Before I start, I will simply say this, ride what works for you and what you enjoy. For me, before I rule out new technology or geometry I prefer to try it and make decisions based on my experience with it. The folks that know me, they will tell you that I give something a try for a reasonable period (5-10 demos).
For the past 7 years I have been riding an SS and getting back on a geared bike was only considered because I was looking for something to use for endurance races on. So now that I had to return the demo frame that Kirk Pacenti provided, I had to go bike to my 29er SS.
For my first ride out on the 29er SS, I missed the handling of the 650b and the acceleration of the 650b; I keep thinking to myself that I 650b SS for me is going to be the way to go. As I was finishing my ride on Niner at Catawba, I was thinking man why not try my new 650b wheels on the 29er?
Following my previous ride, the next day I dropped my 650b wheels on the Niner, which I had setup fully rigid. I headed over to Catawba for a quick 1 ½ in the evening before dinner. Sure, I could tell a big difference in the trail (geometry), but I could feel the same handling characteristics that I grew to love with the 650b geared bike.
Experiment 1: Niner with 650b wheels
My opinion: I liked the handling aspects, but due to the differences in geometry, BB drop, trail etc., I felt it was too drastic of change and something else needed to be done, other than frame replacement.
When I got home from my test ride on the (Niner) SS with 650b wheels, I dropped a 29er front wheel on the SS, so now I am rolling with a 29er front and 650b rear, a 96ber!
So this will be the 3rd ride in row on my One Nine with different wheel setup. I could tell a slight difference in the hits with the larger wheel, but not much, the biggest benefit I noticed was the tracking in the corners, it was more stable and the 650b rear allow me to spin-up out of the corners much quicker than the 29er rear wheel. So far, this combination felt great and would be much better if the frame was designed for this.
My next experiment will be to put the Reba Race back on and test all combinations again. I really would like to have a 2.5 650b front tire for testing, but all in all I am finding that the 650b wheel even for SS has some advantages and it’s very possible that a combination of the two will be a nice compromise.
It sure would be nice to have a real 650b SS frame to test, so maybe I can talk to Kirk about this.
