Trends- CATEGORY
TRENDS: WELCOME TO THE B-SIDE By Dirt Rag Magazine
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t started this spring at Sea Otter. Under hushed voices, brand managers from various bike, wheel, and tire companies were asking us what we’d heard, who was doing what, and what to call the darn things—27.5?, 650B? It seems that everyone wanted to jump on the “tweener” wheel bandwagon, but many companies were unsure if the timing was right. Well, if this summer is any indication, 2013 will go down as the year of the 650B mountain bike.
Kirk Pacenti was the man who brought 650B wheels from touring bikes to the modern mountain bike world. Click here to read our full interview with the man who started the modern 650B movement.
For several years it seemed the increasing popularity of 29-inch wheels was set to roll over the nascent crop of 650B-wheeled bikes. A handful of companies introduced production models, but some of them gave up on the idea after a few short seasons. Some observers saw stagnation in the 650B movement. But 650B innovator Kirk Pacenti has a different take on the evolution of the wheelsize: “What may be viewed as ‘stagnation’ by some, could be looked at as ‘the calm before the storm’ by others. When you consider that development of a new product line from big companies can take up to 24 months, and that both Fox and RockShox released 650B-specific forks this year, you can begin to piece together a more accurate picture of how quickly the industry got behind 650B. The other thing people seem to forget is just how long 29ers took to get to where they are today,” said Pacenti. While 29ers may have stolen the spotlight 22
for several years, their acceptance set the stage for mountain biking’s next act. “The 29-inch phenomenon fueled this taste for bigger wheels. The momentum, roll-over ability, and traction that bigger wheels offer are undeniable. However, 29-inch wheels cannot be placed on a bike in the ‘Trail’ segment without compromising geometry,” said Scott Sports’ Adrian Montgomery. Not everyone is excited about introducing a third wheel size. For companies, it could mean expanding product lines, for dealers it means more SKUs, more inventory, and more education for staff and consumers alike. “I imagine the complexity of three wheel sizes will be too much in the long term and the market will settle on one or two. Honestly, we'd like to see one,” said Yeti’s Chris Conroy. Even the companies committed to 650B acknowledge that it presents challenges to retailers and consumers. “Trying to explain the pluses and minuses of 26- and 29-inch
Scott is fully embracing the 650B revolution for 2013. This summer Scott unveiled the 650b Genius. It’s worth noting the company dropped the 26-inch-wheeled Genius from its line in favor of the larger wheels.
wheels to an entry-level consumer is already quite difficult. Inserting a third wheel size creates more confusion. Ultimately, people need to get on each of the different wheel sizes and see what they like best for their local trail and personal riding style,” said Schwable’s Sean Cochran. Another salient point is that 650B is unlikely to grow the mountain bike market. Rather, it will likely be a matter of selling new bikes and components to the same riders. “[650B] is only going to reshuffle market share,” said Trek’s Travis Ott. This reshuffling is sure to be a theme of this year’s show. Will companies try to support all three wheel sizes, or will they choose to focus on one or two?
The 650B wheels aren’t new to Dirt Rag readers — In 2008 we squeezed 650B hoops into a Santa Cruz Heckler, subsequently dubbed “The Beckler.” Read our initial impressions of this “tweener” wheelsize project here.
TRENDGUIDE 2012