BB looks lower on the Ibises (hard to tell, they list height not drop. Listed as 335 for Ripley with 2.5s. By contrast, SC Tallboy lists 335 with 38 bb drop. Trance has 35mm drop, Reign is 30, Horsethief/Hightower is 29).
I guess I could just factor in the cost of throwing carbon 30mm inner rims on a Trance 29?
That would be pretty sweet, but is 5mm of rim width really going to hold you back?
Kona process 134 29? If that’s too much, Hei Hei?
5mm of rim totally transformed my hardtail into a ripper.
I wouldn’t pay the 25 contra 30 inner rim width too much attention, I think you are reading a bit much into it. It’s not that important of you aren’t gonna “get rad” or venture into enduro/bike park style riding and it doesn’t sound like that from your post? I mean you are probably not gonna run anything wider than 2.6 and that’s all great on 25’s. I run that personally on my ht, but on a DT Swiss and a Ryde rim no problemo.
I’d look at:
2020 Norco Optic C3.
Transition Smuggler NX.
Giant Trance 29 2 or Adv pro 3.
And the Process 134 and/or Hei Hei @Face mentioned.
EDIT: Also a possible rim swap/upgrade when you have beat your OEM/stock wheels to shit isn’t a big thing. Upgrading drivetrain, fork, shock are much more expensive. Not to mention having a bike that feels fun and snappy and not like shit and have outdated geo (which that Salsa most likely will very soon after you bought it…).
Damn, he hate that Salsa.
Idunno. On rim width, I’m on 30mm inners on my hardtail. I had i35s on my Stumpjumper FS, I just got too lazy to relace them with the cheap i30s when it came time to build the hardtail. I liked the wider better.
25 inner saves a couple grams and says the bike is more XCish, but I think i29 is about the minimum I want to ride.
That is what you asked for though?
But I like wider tread/ better grip?
The whole “1mm” thing on rims here seems strange to me, I’m with @drwelby. You don’t “shred” and you want a bike that can climb well but still have a 29/30 inner width requirement for your new whip? How wide/heavy of a tyre are you likely gonna run? Your old stumpy, was that a 29er with 35’s? Grip has more to do with tyre choice than the sheer width of the tyre/rim-combo. Lugging a 2.6 “traction heavy” tyre around climbs on a 29er aint gonna be fun…
Not many manufacturers are gonna have that stock option for you, like you have found out by now. Some might like that oddball Salsa. Your best bet is building up your own wheels and selling the OEM’s when brand new to get some of that $$$ back or re-lacing the stock hubs into your rim of choice if you are really set on having 30’s on your mid travel trail bike.
And yes I really hate that Salsa with a burning passion, outdated geo, low tier damping spec and just a sad excuse for a modern trail bike.
DQ: what’s up with some of the longer travel bikes on the spectrum (Reign, Smuggler) having 170 cranks on an XL?
Taller people on the bikes = longer cranks.
Longer travel means more compression means more pedal strikes. So either you have to move the whole bike up with a higher bottom bracket, or just the pedal via a shorter crank.
I’ve been looking at this a ton since reviews started going up, need to start calling around about finding an XL
I had been pretty interested in the Pole Stamina 140, but they seem like shitheads. Constant manufacturing delays, warranty issues, and they just raised the prices too.
Easy fallback would be a Transition Smuggler which seems less refined, but has been around for a couple years in the same form so I could get it used.
but the Optic looks “poppier” instead of just being a lighter enduro sled, and also comes in Purple with a blingy Shimano build so that’s pretty killer
it’s 170 across the board. I’m used to 175s.
I guess I want more of a rowdy HT mentality in a short travel FS that optimizes pedaling eficiency.
God Transitions are the opposite of poppy. Confidence inspiring on giant jumps I don’t even want to do tho.
Hi mtb geo nerds. This is my HT
http://vitusbikes.com/products/vitus-sentier-27-vr-hardtail-mountain-bike/
I’m assuming I can’t just throw a 29 wheelset on it and call it a day cause of fork AC? Also BB drop?
most folks dont want 175s purely for pedal strike issues. basically everything longer travel is coming with shorter cranks these days.
Depending on the tires it will sit a bit higher, and there’s a question of tire clearance. But it could certainly work.
yeah I would think if it says it clears 27x2.8, you could probably get 29x2.3 in there.
quick shoutout for the orbea occam. i know pinkbike kinda panned it for “being good at stuff but more of a trail bike than the optic” but i think it works so well for 90% of what i wanna ride. build kits and colors are good with higher end bikes getting custom paint. $3k for an slx/xt build with fox stuff is what im about
id personally take it over hightower/scott genius/intense primer 29/cannondale habit, all of which ive ridden a decent amount. haven’t ridden the tallboy much, that might be a good choice in the “trail bike, but make it poppy” category but the occam is lighter.