MTB vs 36" Wheel Bike | Are Bigger Wheels The Future Of Mountain Biking?

[@yages]

Blake looks like an 8 year old riding his dad's bike 😂

[@andthefunkybunch1466]

It's comical when he is standing to pedal

[@bikemike1118]

Just ridiculous ‼️

[@dooleh84]

Exactly my thoughts.

[@markdavis8430]

😂 👌

[@rodmarker2071]

😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@snowman22ism]

I have to admit I was extremely impressed to see him wheelie a 36-in bike. I know he's a pro but come on, it's a 36-in bike and he's wheeling it like he does it every day. Well done sir.

[@tanaychopra338]

he is doing better than hank from GCN

[@ChampyOnPC]

Poor Blake, you put your smallest rider on the biggest bike 😂 I bet he was praying not to hit his nuts on the frame 😅

[@alinapopescu872]

He looks like a kid who's "borrowed" his father's bike 😉

[@matt.3.14]

GCN put Hank on it at some point for a race, lol.

[@adventurefj819]

I bought my first modern 26" MTB a couple months ago and I actually love it. Much more playful, maneuverable and poppy than my 27.5" and 29" wheeled bikes. All 3 sizes have a place in my riding now.

[@blakeh9628]

You forgot 20in, for the most fun! (until middle age where the wrists can't do it anymore)

[@MichaelRobibaro]

Nice, I just did a custom soft tail 27.5 front, 26er rear 170mm. It can do. 29er front with a 130mm fork

[@kaisersoymilk6912]

Doesn't the size of the wheels depend on your height? This is what I was taught by bikers.

[@MichaelRobibaro]

@@kaisersoymilk6912 nope, seat tube height, and reach.matter more. I'm 5ft 7 and can ride 29er, 26x4.0 27.5 etc

[@kaisersoymilk6912]

@@MichaelRobibaro You're right, I misremembered. BTW, I'm 1.75 and I remember my MTB wheels being 28.

[@chrisfranklification]

Great fun Blake - thanks! Just one thing the physicist in me can't help but point out: when you talk about the difficulty of turning the wheel, you don't mean centrifugal force, you mean the gyroscopic effect. It happens due to conservation of angular momentum :)

[@WKDPOWER]

The physicist in you should also know there's no such force 😉

[@joneinarmattiasvisser6113]

Also, we lean the bike instead of turning the handlebars. If we wanna steer left, we steer uncontiously right first so the bike is leaning left

[@chrisfranklification]

@@WKDPOWERWell, yes, once I would have taken more issue with that. However, I've mellowed a bit and these days I don't mind it being used in everyday speech as a shorthand way of explaining what people experience. No way I'd let my kids get away with it in their Physics homework though!

[@siggyincr7447]

That and when he said that it was harder to keep momentum with the big wheels. If anything the bigger the wheel the more momentum it has. I think he was complaining about how much more work it was to get it up to speed which isn't keeping momentum but rather working against it.

[@carlholland3819]

did your inner physicist also pick up on his claim that larger wheels have more traction? more ground contact reduces psi causing less traction in many situations common to trails

[@AshfordMTB]

It's ok Blake, you will grow into it.

[@iTeachMyToast]

A company local to me, Black Sheep, makes 36’ers. Super cool. I have one of their 29er klunker frames and it’s awesome. Couldn’t imagine it with 7 more inches of wheel

[@winklertribe5268]

Thanks for the fun video Blake! After riding on 26” wheels, then getting a 29” wheel bike, I wouldn’t consider a larger wheel- the 29” wheel is already too unwieldy for my taste!

[@kb5638]

Came here to say this. I have 26 aand 29. Bikes are too expensive to buy for just want, but I hope my 29 breaks in a few years so I can get the 27.5

[@gabrielserrano5054]

I wish new improved efficiency in crank shaft and gears would happen. That's the real mechanism for the bikes efficiency

[@MichaelRobibaro]

@@kb5638 just buy 27.5 wheel set for it...or 26er. Worse case you'll have to go with shorter cranks set like 150mm

[@WesMacaulay]

@@gabrielserrano5054bikes with gears are already about 93% in energy delivery to the wheels. You can’t improve on that, which is why chain drive hasn’t been replaced

[@repairdrive]

As someone who grew up and raced 26 this is how I still feel on 29s

[@brandonclark435]

I got two bikes. An old Cannondale M700 and a Kona Lava Dome. The Kona feels like a truck, the Cannondale feels like a VW Bug.

[@agg25gga]

29" to 36" is a huge jump. I could see a lot more potential in something like a 32" wheel for xc

[@timtuckercom]

29x3.25" is pretty close -- not many choices available, but the outer diameter is ~31.5-31.75" Have them and wouldn't mind trying bigger.

[@SnowShackboy]

@@timtuckercom seems like that width would create a lot more rolling resistance though. Probably not too great for XC use. 29+ seems great for trail riding and bike packing though.

[@n.y.npache2646]

i don't even like going from 26 to 27.5 in my practice so ... 36 ... lol why not 50 or 70 or 120 ? what is the limit ?

[@timtuckercom]

​@@n.y.npache2646 36 is the biggest that anyone is making pneumatic tires for at the moment. My understanding is that even that size requires different molds / hardware to produce that's not all that common. Beyond 36" you get to penny farthing sized wheels in the 40-60" range, but those are usually based on solid rubber tires instead of pneumatic tires, since it's easier to just extrude rubber, cut to length, & fuse the seam. In terms of geometry, 36" is starting to push the limits of being able to have a handlebar above the front wheel in a position where it makes sense -- at least one company has tried a design with handlebars that extend to the sides off the fork to somewhat address that. Going beyond 36 you're likely to need to get even more creative -- potentially needing to try something like a hubless wheel with the handlebars suspended within the wheel.

[@andrewince8824]

I'm on 26, might go mullet one day with a 27 up front but I'm quite happy on my swiss-army bike, 26 does everything

[@MichaelRobibaro]

If it's not modern geometry, it'll just become a wheelie machine Better to get a modern geo 27.5 /29er bike and swap on a 26er rear wheel. Or go custom frame Marino(steel) or Titan (Titanium) Marino will be a ywjere from 400-700 pending options..but you could make it same drop out size and literally swap never thing from currently bike to modern custom frame

[@andrewince8824]

@@MichaelRobibaro or I can just chuck in a set of 650bs since the DMR Bolt also fits them due to replaceable dropouts. I'm already running the +8 dropouts to increase the wheelbase and improve mud clearance. If I go mullet though, I'll just stick to a 650b front end and reduce the travel. With a Continental Der Kaiser 559-60 up front the front wheel is about the same diameter as a 650b running a 52-54mm tyre anyway. Geometrywise, the Bolt is pretty modern. Fairly slack head tube when running a 130mm fork and quite slack with a 160mm (and it's built to take it). Nice and long in the front, short in the rear for the technical descents. Tapered headtube (IS 42/28.6, IS 52/40), 73mm BSA threaded BB. The only signs of an older design are the 27.2mm seatpost, IS rear brake mount and external routing, none of which are an issue. Seriously dope frame and genuinely capable.

[@MichaelRobibaro]

@@andrewince8824 good deal,.I just assumed it was something mid 2000s or older XC geo Not that many slack 26ers out there I'll check out the bolt

[@andrewince8824]

@@MichaelRobibaro DMR designed it as a slopestyle frame but used their Swopout system and sold it with the 9mm vertical dropouts. Riders quickly found that the frame was sick almost everywhere so didn't really fit the horizontal 9mm dropouts. DMR caught on to this and released a 12x135 dropout then 12x142 to keep up with changing standards. Kinesis used the same Swopouts on their frames including the 12x142 +8 which pushes the axle back 8mm for improved clearance. DMR figured it'd be a great improvement to their frame so updated the Bolt frame to the MK2 with a few tweaks to the RT and the option for a short or long reach which made it 650b compatible.

[@stevenr5149]

He is right. It does all comes down to racing. Buying speed has driven road and gravel riding to unimaginable sales levels. When the best sponsored racers start being paid to ride these and win on these(because they would win on most anything), the customers will come. It will drive a load of new frame, fork, tire, and tube sales. Smart move by the bike industry.

[@blakeh9628]

@@iwearLingerie The argument could be made you already got tricked into buying 29in lol, so what makes you think it won't happen again?

[@carlholland3819]

@@blakeh9628 people buy new bikes to show off to their bike fairy friends. thats what the spandex is for too. its all a small dlck competition

[@paulbernard2397]

Nice to see Teds work getting some much deserved praise. The guy is an amazing welder and designer. I think modern designed 26 inch frames would find a place on the market if people could actually make something sensible rather than following trends to make more and more extreme bikes. 29ers and 27.5 are okay for certain things but for having fun and exercising bike control a 26 is much more ridable.

[@matt.3.14]

Probably worth mentioning that in the original build videos on GCN, the talk about wheels and tires. 36" is a unicycle size, so the rims and tires are much heavier than even basic traditional bike components. They need to carry the entire weight of a person+unicycle. I think it'd be much different if it went to current bike configuration (carbon wheels, thinner tires, etc.). Also, I'd bet you'd use at least superboost if not fatbike hubs to get spoke angles that make the wheel a lot stronger. I'm interested just because I'm a fairly big rider. Not "I can't find bikes that fit" big, but "I'd be interesting to be less 'on' the bike and more 'in' the bike".

[@ExplosiveNotes]

I'm on 27.5 and have no intention to go bigger

[@MikeTheYokel]

Same. But then i am 5’6”. Only recently gone from a 26” wheeled bike

[@philipoconnell6413]

Would love to actually see a 36” mtb with suspension that fits the rider. When I went from a 26” to 29” I felt I was deeper into the saddle

[@LawrenceMacMacster]

Exactly, this 👆 I'm thinking about switching my 10 yrs old DH bike from 27.5/26 to a full 29 after riding dh trails faster on my 29 150mm travel trailbike... It didn't make sense at first but it's all about control and confidence...

[@matt.3.14]

Really, the fit is what might be the difference. I'm pretty big (185cm / 110kg), and I'd be interesting to ride a bike that felt like what a smaller rider on a smaller 29" bike feels; I'm way more "on top" of the bike than someone more average size.

[@MichaelRobibaro]

@@matt.3.14 fit and geo I still ride faster than my local group which consists of 29er FS..meanwhile I'm on an XC geo bike and 26ers...still faster even when I'm on a 26x4.0 XCish fat bike. I'm about to finish a modern build(27.5/26r). I'll probably be slower or a couple rides still I adjust and become faster

[@duroxkilo]

@@MichaelRobibaro it's you that's faster, not the bike.. if two bikes fit you properly, when it comes to going over "bumps" the bike w/ larger diameter wheels will maintain a faster rolling speed and be more stable at high speed.

[@X41N3]

26" ain't dead boys, whenever I ride my homie's 29er I'm like jesus F these wheels are so big. But I guess I like smaller bikes

[@alfonshasel1995]

5:40 the nutcracker

[@piggymito]

I'm still rocking 26" on my 2004 ragley blue pig 😆

[@YouFearMe]

My 26" was made 3 months ago.

[@tri-seeker2753]

Being 2meter monster myself, I kinda like idea of 36" wheels since I first saw this rig on GCN. But oh my god that fork flex is terrifying! in case I ever pay somebody to build me such thing, double crown for is a must...

[@luukrutten1295]

Build it in steel!

[@tomsing98]

​@@luukrutten1295even half that flex would be scary, though.

[@bohnito]

What Blake is refering to as centrifugal forces is actually called the gyroscopic effect. Other than that nice Video!

[@augmented2nd666]

What the actual F, Blake just proceeds to wheely and then manual a 36 wheel bike. I'm a 25+ year BMX veteran and I struggle to manual my 29er because I'm so new to mountain bikes, and I could easily manual 100+ feet on bmx. Blake is the bicycle whisperer.

[@s.nelson256]

I must say I really enjoyed this video. It was fun and funny and well done. I liked how he took the bike seriously and gave genuine feedback. As some other comments have mentioned, I would be curious about a full suspension bike (a 36er, or maybe a 32er?) with a rider that fits the bike better.

[@R1eger25]

I have to say the choice of music while Blake is sending it down is epic! hats off editor you're the real MVP

[@toniedvardsen8169]

As a lover of technical climbs and singletrack. I prefer 27.5". Much more nimble and playful. And I have 29, 29+ and fatbike with 27,5. So I have tried it all. Bigger is NOT better, I think 🙃😉

[@BlackFlag94]

I've been saying 32/29 mixed wheel is coming for 2 years... I'm excited 🎉

[@oreocarlton3343]

Bring back 26!

[@davidmiller4758]

I actually really genuinely enjoyed this video and the host/rider. The dude surprised me woth his legitimate skills he had on that thing the first ride down the first trail he just straight up committed himself to comin out on top lol throwing the bike way up into the corners of the turn pumps. But then he came back with real excitement as he had moments testing each trail and he noticed the bike allowed for certain conviniences in tricky spots yellin as he did it lol then had some cons too and he explained himself well. Well put together you guys you and your team need to keep it up

[@E.T_rode_bikes_As_well]

Looks like everything a modern mtb should not be.😅

[@saml8119]

I’m always scrubbing my butt on a 29”. That 36” looks perfect for perfectly smooth ground just like it was built for. That front fork flex is terrifying!

[@escapenguin]

29 already feels like almost too much. The mass is a lot to get used to if you are used to 26. But I appreciate the benefits so I'm sticking with them for a while.

[@ItsDaJax]

They're just 700c, it's not really that bad.

[@WesMacaulay]

@@ItsDaJax I believe 700C is equivalent to the 27.5” wheel, no?

[@ItsDaJax]

@@WesMacaulay 27.5 is 650b(584mm), which is between 700c(622mm) and 26"(559mm)

[@FirestormAA]

Blake look like having hell lots of fun on this monster! Lol Great video mate!

[@guylord3837]

I saw my first 36er in 2006 when Black Sheep bikes brought one to a bike swap show. And I’ve been waiting ever since for them to catch on because I want one but don’t like how there are basically zero tires or wheels for them.

[@zogzoogler]

Isn’t this just how we talked about 29ers (or at least 69ers) 20 years ago? Love it

[@HighlandUnicyclist]

Unicycles also have a 32inch wheel which have been also been made in to a few bikes

[@davidfitzwater1022]

For me 29" is an absolute upper limit. I have a 29" bike that I enjoy riding, but I prefer 27.5" for most riding conditions. The smaller wheels corner better and accelerate better. I had a mullet years ago that was 27.5" up front and 26" in back. Haven't tried 29/27.5", but I have a feeling that it might be a winner.

[@ronrubble]

Blake thanks for the work you do. Your videos helped inspire me to get out to my local trail centre on my hardtail (Marin bobcat) and I love it. Have been back half a dozen times and have today ordered my first full-sus (specialised status 140). Keep the content coming!

[@gmbn]

Amazing, good choice! Let us know how the new bike feels! 🤘

[@heathr2072]

The first time I have ever seen Blake ride like I do. Everything looked sketchy. I loved this video.

[@marvinator79]

Did anyone see the flex on those forks at 9:37 yikes 😬

[@KiranMachiraju]

0:25 - I've seen this a lot of times 😂 Bro's ragging poor Connor like anything 😂🤣😂 I'm riding a 700c road bike but I think a 32-inch wheel is best for me

[@JourneyToJacked]

“It’s not mine, I don’t want to break it” immediately hucks it to flat! 😂😂

[@damarapoledna3636]

Would be interesting to see Seth test this rig🤔

[@mrvwbug4423]

I don't think Seth could ride it at all. Blake is 5'8" and barely fits on it with the saddle slammed all the way down, Seth is 5'4", I don't even think he could pedal it at all.

[@nickwooden2103]

I would like to try a 32 on the front. 36 is surely too much

[@Dowper]

I was thinking the same.

[@YouFearMe]

32 is too much. 29 is too much

[@danwebber9494]

32’s are only 64mm bigger than a 29, rather than the 165mm bigger of the 36. I think it could be the sweet spot.

[@AutiSam1974]

@@YouFearMe 32 isnt too much, a fatbike with 5" tyres is 32", works great

[@YouFearMe]

@@AutiSam1974 no it doesn't

[@scherzo0o]

Blake must have lost a bet or something... Now, let's get serious: while a 36" is far-fetched, a 31"-32" wheel might make sense for those above 6.3 (above 1.90m). Nowadays carbon rims are light enough to counterbalance the weight of big rims & big tires.

[@Larry93215]

I like my 26 inch wheels

[@letsgoletsgoletsgoletsgoletsgo]

I'm a 5'10" asian dude , I tried 26 27.5 and 29 , I settled on the 27.5 , overall I love it the best . The 29er is superior for climbing and getting over stuff , but it just feels really big for me .

[@Rose_Butterfly98]

I'm 5'6", Asian as well butI prefer 29 though. The bikes aren't really bigger are they? I strangely need an m size instead of an s size for some of the new 29 MTBs. But I'm guessing it's just different designs. I thought 29ers are worse at climbing lol. I use 27.5 because my favourite bike was built around 27.5 there's no space for larger wheels. I would use 29 if I could. Kinda why I do want a Polygon Xquareone or if they could make a carbon version of the new Collosus N9.

[@letsgoletsgoletsgoletsgoletsgo]

@@Rose_Butterfly98 there is this short but steep rock climb that I regularly slay on my 29er ,but I just can't do it with my 27.5 I know it's technique but the grip and rollover-bility helps so damn much I just find it over all heavier and cumbersome

[@Rose_Butterfly98]

@@letsgoletsgoletsgoletsgoletsgo there could be another reason, how different were the bikes? I have 2 MTBs, 1 is a full sus XC with 120mm travel and the other is a full sus trail bike with 140mm travel. The trail bike climbs much better because of the linkage design it has. Like even up paved roads, there's a steep slope I used to go up to my friend's house, my xc bike needs to do it in 6th gear on the big chainring, it's a 2x10. The trail bike will do it in gear 10, it's 1x11 The chain rings are different but 36 and 32 tooth should make that much of a difference. On trail it's a much larger difference.

[@letsgoletsgoletsgoletsgoletsgo]

@@Rose_Butterfly98 the 29er was a pipedream moxie hardcore hardtail . Then I changed to another hardtail with a 27.5 and I can't do it anymore , the wheel gets stuck in ruts , or the rear keeps spinning out . With my current Santa Cruz nomad same issue

[@Rose_Butterfly98]

@@letsgoletsgoletsgoletsgoletsgo that does make sense but isn't that also an issue of how muddy the trail is?

[@M3PH11]

9:36 the flex on those head tube and fork is extreme. those welds are going to crack

[@MrMagoo-hf8yk]

09:34 LOOK AT THAT WOBBLE!!.. Those Forks FLEX like CRAZY!!...COOOOOOL.😂

[@EndoplasmicReticulum7]

To improve handling on trails, you should have installed a dropper post on the 36“ bike 😂😂.

[@bikegoon]

That thing is nuts haha! That fork scares me

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

I figured that manufacturers would go for 31.5 first, then 33… skipping to 36 is crazy. But that’s the trend. Bigger wheels every generation.

[@RobDuggan]

Honesty I feel a 36" wheel is just far too big.... but, I could see a 32" wheel making the market for things like X country racing. It would make DH bikes more interesting.....

[@Hamilcar_Stronginthearm]

That's what I was thinking. There's a lot of room between 29 and 36.

[@MelleagranT]

36" is too much and you pointed why. 32" seems to be a nice almost half-way from 29" and also makes room for a 30,5" like we have with the 27,5".

[@dadventuretv2538]

A new wheel-size- great, just what we need. If that is the bike industry’s solution to its abysmal bike sales, I think it’s gonna be a huge fail. Hang on, let me get some popcorn. Gonna be amusing at least. Oh, and that’s a hard NO for me, if you couldn’t tell.

[@mead813]

20" for life! Blake should try the We the People Swamp Monster.

[@DoroteoVilla]

The image of that 36” reminds me of gentlemen in the 19th Century riding absurdly large wheeled bicycles, wearing full tweed suits and derby hats.

[@PaulFlude]

I feel like that fork flex and dragging on the frame is an old sense memory from riding riding rigid MTBs hard as a kid.

[@peterbachman5965]

I built 26" single-speed "bmx" bikes recently; my wife said she'll never ride a bike with multiple gears again. I can only imagine what a 36er feels like, but ultimately, no thanks- especially with titanium forks up front. Lower the triangle, increase rake a little, let me have cromo forks up front, and I think it becomes a different machine. Pros and cons, definitely. For racing this may be a hot ticket for storks. For average-height Joes, this would be "little guy in a bro-dozer" No wait a sec... what if!!!!!! Suppose ya build a 32" wheel up front and a 29'er out back- combine with a slightly relaxed geometry. This would make for a potent hardtail (swap in a 29er suspension fork for technical ride, switch back to 32/rigid cromo fork for high speed cruising. No matter what, I don't like noodle forks, and with so much spinning mass up front, that's what you get. Still, wild and impressive design/engineering/build, so it is still a winner.

[@schnitzlfritzl]

27,5 just for fun!

[@Mith420420]

This was a fun watch, this bike is enormously too huge for Blake to control comfortably.

[@H457ur]

Just remember that those are *unicycle* wheels. I have a friend that builds unicycle wheels and I’ve seen how crazy strong they need to be. When Connor did his video on the 36-er bike build, they talked about this issue. Those wheels heavy and designed for extreme low speed applications. Also, look at the number of spokes - this adds to the weight. If you could get lightweight wheels at that size (which may or may not even exist), then the experience would be very different. You would still see the angular momentum issues (not centrifugal force, for what it’s worth), but they would be substantially less on any wheel that was designed for a bicycle.

[@better.better]

I would choose it, I love my big fat Dummy, and I see this is sort of similar but in a different direction. The frame design just has to compensate for the additional leverage arm length of the bigger forks. and to be fair, I think that design change would benefit my Big Fat Dummy as well. the steering tube needs to be longer so that there's more distance between the headset top and bottom bearings, to give it more leverage. you can see in the footage that that's where the front fork is pivoting, it's not that the fork itself is flexing that much. they can use the trick that fat bike wheels use to reduce the rotating mass, lattice on the spoke-side of the rim, with a nylon(or PU, DCF, whatever it is) bed-liner which not only would make the wheels lighter, but also improve handling. either way, even if you got it in a 5 inch Fat tire version, I think it would STILL be lighter overall then my Big Fat Dummy is without it's rear rack, so it doesn't sound as ridiculous to me as it probably does to a lot of other people. and by the way you do acclimate to the wider turning radius, I don't even notice it on my Big Fat Dummy anymore

[@Ronnymikkonen2686]

It has to be stronger overall, .

[@Avionixty]

I am very excited for the 100 inch update

[@philjoyce7939]

Rather you than me. Watching those forks flex as much as they did was scary. "How long would they last before fatigue cracking?" was my main thought.

[@joesun2331]

Looks like a mtb from the early 90s. It would be interesting to see those big wheels in a proper fs bike with modern geometry

[@S1MediaHQ]

Yeah thought that but I honestly don't think you could package everything and still get the stiffness you'd need from the frame if both ends had movement.. Even with 100mm travel forks you'd need a minimum of 100mm between the crown and the tyre which would make the front end ridiculously high, same for the rear.. the frame tubes would have to designed in a way which accommodate for the massive 36" wheel moving, can you imagine the state of it 😂

[@jarchewa85]

The flex of the fork is scary 😮

[@HFVidShotz]

No thanks!! Hardtail 26er 4life!

[@maximiliano8540]

This reminds me of how I learned riding a bicycle when I was a kid (taking a grown-up bike and riding under the top tube :)).

[@ItsDaJax]

I got a video of a 5'2 woman riding my 64cm SS, that's hilarious.

[@ensnipe2000]

I worked on 2 drydocks in Norfolk VA. Sustain and Resolute and while on Yorktown CG48 we had 3 drydockings for SRA's

[@pepe_4206]

The fact that the glow in the dark wheels say stealth is so funny to me😭

[@elizabethpoley6882]

3' off the ground is really gonna hurt a whole lot more, when you fall. Bigger ouchies!!

[@717pixels9]

I am surprised the frame is not made by Giant.

[@adamcoppock5018]

I wouldn’t put it past the bike industry to try and market this standard when they have run out of other ideas on how to get us to buy new stuff we don’t need 😂 UDH is the latest one.

[@ahobimo732]

It was really damned impressive how well you handled a bike that's so ridiculously oversized. I was kinda shocked actually. 👍👍👍

[@bryankeenersmith3375]

Nice bit of video, I would like point out that I have a 36er with a 5.5" travel front fork and better brakes that was built to fit a 6 foot tall person. I would love to see the gent in the video give it a go and reevaluate his thoughts. Looking at the video I believe that if he flipped the handle bars and looked at lowering the tire pressure he would have a better time.

[@Dumbo3.1428]

Yes I'd like to try bigger wheels than 29ers maybe not all that big but around 32 inches I recon would work nice with a revised geometry

[@SonnyDarvish]

There were some experimental 750d wheels last summer (d is for no reason other than continuation of b and c on existing wheel sizes). There weren't any updates since then, but it would be interesting to see if they do for taller riders.

[@Dumbo3.1428]

@@SonnyDarvish thanks for the info. I fear that this won't catch on because the difference is minor and it would cause a whole new standard of wich there were lots the last ten years and customers as well as manufacturers would protest against another new standard. Not without good reason I think. Rim's tires frames forks and drive trains would all need to be changed. Maybe in a decade or two when the industry is in dire need of the next big thing.

[@blazerMcfly]

As a 6’8” guy…yes I need this!

[@simonrook5743]

Bold statements, a friend built a 36er in about 2009 and I have ridden it. Amazing rollover but just too big to be effective as an MTB, massive inertia, noticeable gyroscopic effect and of course much heavier. His had a much stiffer fork as we used some triple clamps and dropouts from a cheap ‘big box store’ bike with aluminium tube in place of the suspension units.

[@justanotherbob1621]

I'm more of a XC guy and I would totally go for like 31-32"ish wheels

[@gregorykulinski2186]

Build it 32" in Girwin ProFlex

[@AndreyPokidov]

I bought a bike with 29 inches wheels at the August of the preset year and now I am told that bikes with 36 inches wheels are the future.

[@rouxenophobe]

correction, most people who are not being paid by the industry are riding 27.5

[@jamesmarsden9348]

Finally a bike that would fit me, at 6'8" I struggle to find a bike big enough for me. Would love to give it a try.

[@savagegiraffe527]

I’m 6’8” as well. Just picked up a Norco Fluid Xxl. Designed to be xxl from the start not an adaptation of a smaller frame. Best I’ve found without going custom.

[@alf3071]

I think 40" is the future

[@jacek1765]

Make it rather 52😂😂😂

[@ItsDaJax]

Just get a high wheeler 😂😂

[@JPspinFPV]

That fork flex is hilarious 😂

[@MichaelRobibaro]

I'd have to do a 36/32 mullet lol I really wouldn't consider one till someone makes a legit suspension fork for it.

[@toddfoster975]

I don’t think I’ve ever before heard them called “curly bars”. I’m still waiting for “rubbery hoops”.

[@maxthrust976]

I feel like it's hard enough to get a 29" to lean over, I couldn't imagine going any bigger.

[@mrvwbug4423]

I have no issue getting my 29er to lean over, just comes down to the bike

[@MrMeheheh]

Angular momentum seems very high. I'm still happy with 27.5r 29f. I like mixed wheels myself. Maybe 32f 29r would be a thing.

[@2nd3rd1st]

10:30 Looks like Connor broke off his snow covered peak on the top branches of those trees 😅

[@pjkennedy1740]

If anyone is curious, these rims and tires are also used for massive 36” unicycles. I actually have one with the same bright green rim.

[@ItsDaJax]

Are there street tires available for them?

[@michaelpegasiou4531]

This is why I’m happy on 26 inch wheels,if I measure the diameter including tyres it’s exactly the same as my 700c road bike.

[@byrondot]

With any 26"er you can feel the control all time. 29'ers compensate the momentum of the front wheel with wider handlebars to create confidence. I know that 29'ers roll better on rough terrain, but 26'ers are more challenging at technical level to the rider. I tryed a 29" bike (bought a Specialized Stumpjumper Expert and many months after I sell it), and the conclusion is that I'll keep riding 26" all the time that I can.

[@radiocontrolled9181]

​@@byrondotI'm 5'8 and chose 27.5'. I found it's a good size for me, but even 26' would do, like my old 90's days. 29ers - nope!

[@SiXiam]

My 26 inch bike came with 2.35 inch width tires. I can go to about 2.4, but not much bigger. A 29/700c bike should be able to fit much wider tires. 2.25 is a joke on 36 inch wheels.

[@ItsDaJax]

How are they the same? 26 is 559mm and 700c is 622mm.

[@SiXiam]

@@ItsDaJaxThey actually meant width.

[@DanRC69]

9:35 That fork flex looks TERRIFYING.

[@wantahertzdonut]

Drop the top tube so you can get a dropper in there, slacken the head tube angle, and make the fork a dual crown and you'll be on to something that's actually ridable.

[@xenaretos]

From what I remember about El Alto, I don't think it ever had skinny tires. They only make them in this size, it looks like, the other ones were just not knobby.

[@j7c4n]

On my 29 when i stop and stand flatfooted theres one ⚾ hanging on each side of the top tube. And even with my feet as far back on the pedals as i can stand comfortably i still occasionally toe bump the front tire if im not consciously thinking about it. I love the way it mounts obstacles,the extra clearance at the bottom bracket, its a rocket when I want it to be but nimble she isnt.twistys and jumps she can do but she does them ugly. But she's what i have right now and she gets the job done with brute force and rolling mass.

[@WalterDill-d9j]

Fun watching everybody on El Alto - Conor looks "normal", everybody else tiny! 😅

[@z50king29]

Whoa, your thumb nail made me think this was Berm Peak

[@ItsDaJax]

That bike looks like it could use a triple tree style fork with at least 26cm diameter fork tubes. That flex is wild and makes a steel roadbike fork look stiff. while we're at it, 60mm deep rims and higher than normal flange hubs for stronger wheels.

[@Mt.herzberg99]

Wow awesome explained. ❤❤