MTBR 650b Stans ZTR 355 wheel and Pacenti Neo-Moto Tire

[WhiteGravey]

im a professional everything and i have to agree with the other 2 pros here...

[Napalmdog]

I'm a professional wheel builder and mechanic and although the advantage is small it is still there. Compare it to the difference between a 70 to 71 degree head angle, 3 inches of suspension travel to 4 inches, 100mm to 110mm stem, 24 inch wide handlebars to 25 inch wide bars. There are ALL sorts of things that are small but very significant to contributing to a better or more enjoyable ride....

[ctufankjian]

I'm not really one to comment here, but I've got to say that I'm a professional mechanic/ wheel builder, and it fully appears to me that the 650b wheel size on a mountain bike platform is really nothing more than a complete novelty. There is no necessity for this dimension other that the idea that you've got a unique size wheel. The wheel has been popular in the past on many european city bikes, and it's a fairly common conversion on old 27" bikes, but other than that, a complete novelty.

[fsacolin]

Just a thought - Wouldn't you just get the same benefits from putting 2.2 or bigger tires on your 26" wheels? You'd have more "meat" because of the big tires, and the lightness of a smaller rim.

I've been racing 2.2 Continental Race King Supersonics on my hardtail for over a year now for the same reasons you mention here. On the other hand I'm using this for high-level XC though, not freeride... Thoughts?