Today I was reading in Bicycling
Magazine and came across a very interesting article about the how the 26er
might be dead. Scott has recently launched the 27.5 inch mountain bike and it
looks like it might be the new size to look at for the future. The 29er is
still the bike to go forward with that I am sure of now.
After swallowing my words, actually more like eating my words, and
riding the 29er in Holland, I can now see that this is the way to go, but I would definitely watch
this space for more to come!
The article below is from Bicycling magazine and is accredited to Neil Gardiner from Bicycling magainze
I do not own or claim to own any
writing or photos of the below work and is used for information and
recreational purposes only.
Did Scott
Just Kill The 26er?
Scott bikes launches their new Genius dual
suspension trail bikes in two new wheel sizes, with a 26″ version significantly
absent.
- By Neil Gardiner
The Genius range is associated with long travel 26″ rigs
that rip around the backwoods, whooping off drops and down steep rocky chutes.
In a world where wheels are getting bigger, this has been the refuge of the
super-skilled lunatic fringe who’d rather die than subscribe to the ‘hype’.
Besides, 29ers are for roadies who don’t know how to ride a
bike. Heard that before? Well then came650B, or 27.5″ wheels, which hit the high stage in
Pietermaritzburg when Nino Schurter managed to pip our own Burry Stander, on a
hardtail with bigger wheels, but not as big as Burry’s 29er’s.
Scott’s new range affirmed their position on the new wheel
format at a presentation in Frigolet in the Rhone Alps yesterday. Mountain bike
legend Thomas Frischknecht stood in front of a crowd of journalists saying, “This
is the future of mountain biking.” A bold statement, backed up by the two
models wheeled out: a 27.5” wheeled carbon machine with 150mm travel and one
with 29” wheels and 130mm travel. Official nomenclature: Genius 700 (pictured
below) and Genius 900 (bottom of the page) series respectively. And no 26er.
On the tech side, the new Genius frame has taken design cues
from the Spark, moving away from the articulated link driven design with the
double-barrelled pull shock. It’s 20-30% stiffer than the previous version,
150g lighter and features three suspension modes controlled by their Twinloc
lever on the bars: Lock, traction and descend (rigid with an ‘emergency blow
off, climbing and fully open for the big hits).
They’ve saved most of that weight dropping old pull shock
and also with their smoother, better load-bearing lines (requiring less carbon
reinforcement) and there’s an updated IMP carbon manufacturing process where
internal walls are better compacted. The rear shock is supplied by DT Swiss and
the front end courtesy of Fox. The top tube looks nice and roomy, the BB low
and chainstays short, the right ingredients for a great big wheeler. Read the
test in our upcoming issue.
Photos: Markus Greber www.markusgreber.com
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