The 26-inch wheel size has been loudly proclaimed dead and is already half-buried in the very place where it defined an entire bike category for decades: Mountain bikers are sometimes quite ageless fellows. Loyalty counts for little here, innovation is the trump card.
But in the frenzy between the "Sensation 29er", which for many people rolls too slowly and is not at all suitable for small frame sizes, and the fat bike, whose potential seems to lie mainly in its blatant appearance, the direction of travel is now back to the "best compromise" of all of this.
Now the 27.5 inch (or 650B) dimension is finding its way into the MTB world as the golden mean. Only a few manufacturers are still building MTBs with 26-inch wheels. Inevitably, tyre, rim and spoke manufacturers will also invest less energy and resources in the further development of 26-inch components in the future - they will eventually become extinct in the high-quality sector. This will then also apply to 26er touring bikes. This is because many designers and product managers continue to use existing MTB material when it comes to equipping solid touring bikes.
However, it is not yet necessary to sound the alarm for fans of compact wheels. During the test enquiry to the manufacturers, we also asked about their intention to retain 26 inches as the wheel size. They all declared in unison: "We're keeping 26 inches!" However, some are already having second thoughts. Stefan Stiener, for example, declares his Velotraum bikes to be "27.5-inch ready", not without a wink. In most cases, his forks and frames also allow for the slightly larger 27.5-inch wheel size. However, connoisseurs still think 26-inch wheels are simply great! Their smaller circumference makes them a little bumpier when rolling over obstacles such as stones, branches and the like. Here, the large 28 or 29er climbs over them more easily. Under comparable circumstances, the larger diameter also develops more grip. Its footprint, the ground contact area, is slightly longer, meaning that more tread touches the ground than on the 26er. As a result, the 26er will, for example, slip a little earlier uphill than its bigger brother.
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 6/2015. You can read the entire issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play) or order the issue in the DK shop.
You can download the individual articles as PDF files here.
