Chinertown
Chinese Carbon MTB => 26er & 27.5 (650b) => Topic started by: Carbon_Dude on April 15, 2014, 06:11:28 PM
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If I were to build a 650b, it would be the XMIplay IP-136. I rode a Giant XTC 27.5 a few weeks back and I think 26er's are pretty much old school now. I just finished a FS 29er but maybe next year I will think about building something smaller. This frame looks to be a smaller version of their IP-057 which has been a popular seller.
http://www.xmiplay.com/ProductDetails1582
(http://www.xmiplay.com/upload/_2013114134954437.jpg)
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If I were to build a 650b, it would be the XMIplay IP-136. I rode a Giant XTC 27.5 a few weeks back and I think 26er's are pretty much old school now. I just finished a FS 29er but maybe next year I will think about building something smaller. This frame looks to be a smaller version of their IP-057 which has been a popular seller.
http://www.xmiplay.com/ProductDetails1582
(http://www.xmiplay.com/upload/_2013114134954437.jpg)
I ordered a ip-136 along with my ip-036, I'll report on it when I get it in a few weeks.
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Yeah plz do Andy... Nor I or CD have one so it'd be great to see yours and get your impressions.
Funny how I'm already thinking about my second build before my first one is even finished.
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since the 29er is too big and the 26 is too small, the 650b is the excellent choice! :)
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since the 29er is too big and the 26 is too small, the 650b is the excellent choice! :)
Everyone has their own opinion but for my size (6'-0" 190lbs) for me 27.5 is still a bit small, 29" fits me well.
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I like my 29ers also. I doubt I'll like the 27.5 as well but I've been wrong before. :) I'll keep you posted.
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I will say that after a thorough demo ride of the Giant XTC 27.5 XC bike, I see no reason for me to every want a 26er ever again.
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I think 27.5 is the best size is bigger than the 26 "but smaller and lighter than the 29".
I'm looking at a 27.5 cost me decide ..... :)
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I like my 29ers also. I doubt I'll like the 27.5 as well but I've been wrong before. :) I'll keep you posted.
andy
I would assume that the 650b got built? Can you give us your comparison between it and your 29er. I am surprised that the head tube angle of all the chinese 650s are 71deg but when I look at almost every brand name frame I see nothing that steep. now that may be because the chinese frames assume 100mm fork and perhaps the others are using longer fork lengths and hence the slacker head angles? anybody care to comment on how they find the head angle on their chinese builds and in the context of what kind of trails they are riding. Also I see a number of chinese 29er with sub 70deg HA when I would have thought they would be steeper? seems like its backwards to me.
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hi Snipe,
I wound up selling the 27.5 frame before It got built. I built the ip036 full squish 29er and I fell in love with it so decided to just keep that along with my carbon 29 hard tail. Sorry I couldn't be more help. good luck in your search.
Andy. :)
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Andy! We were depending on you to be the first 27.5 build on Chinertown! :D
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From the weights on Iplay's site, it looks like the frame and wheels together will be around 150 g lighter. I guess the tires will knock off a bit as well, but this seems pretty close to insignificant. I haven't thought that my -057 had any problems with maneuverability, so to paraphrase CD, I see no reason to want anything but my Chiner.
Besides, Chi-27.5er just doesn't roll off the tounge :)
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From the weights on Iplay's site, it looks like the frame and wheels together will be around 150 g lighter. I guess the tires will knock off a bit as well, but this seems pretty close to insignificant. I haven't thought that my -057 had any problems with maneuverability, so to paraphrase CD, I see no reason to want anything but my Chiner.
Besides, Chi-27.5er just doesn't roll off the tounge :)
Why thank you Patrick!
I've ridden a couple 27.5 bikes at a Giant demo day and they are nice but I'm not planning on adding one to the stable anytime soon. I'm 5'-11" (in my bike shoes) and the 29er just feels like the right size for me.
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Andy! We were depending on you to be the first 27.5 build on Chinertown! :D
My bad SN. :). Alas, I am simply a 29 devotee. And my ip-036 fit me so perfect and rode so incredible I was just smitten. The bike is truly awesome!
Andy. :)
Ip 036
Ltk 023
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Haha.. Totally understand that. I toyed with the idea of a 27.5 but at a little over 6 ft, I think I'll stick with the 29er.
Now a fat bike and a full suss 29er are the only things left on my chiner wish list. In due time..
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SN just gotta tell you. I highly recommend riding a fat bike before you order one. We got one in our shop the other day. Granted it was aluminum frame. The brand was "Framed" and it had nice componentry. I thought it was gonna be a hoot to ride. Dude I hated it. It was just awful. Played with all kinds of psi and everything. It took at least 30% more effort to propel. Climbed horribly and with no suspension bounced you all over the place, But the worst part was the handling. It had so much rolling gyroscopic effect it didn't want to corner so you really have to manhandle it to turn. Then the squishiness of the tire kinda felt like you were riding on flat tires in the corners. I was to say the least completely unimpressed.
I am kinda interested in the mid-fat concept. Using 27.5 wide rims with 2.8 tires in a 29er frame. But gotta ride one first before investing any money into converting my fully rigid LTK 023. Learned that by riding the fat bike....yuck! :)
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SN just gotta tell you. I highly recommend riding a fat bike before you order one. We got one in our shop the other day. Granted it was aluminum frame. The brand was "Framed" and it had nice componentry. I thought it was gonna be a hoot to ride. Dude I hated it. It was just awful. Played with all kinds of psi and everything. It took at least 30% more effort to propel. Climbed horribly and with no suspension bounced you all over the place, But the worst part was the handling. It had so much rolling gyroscopic effect it didn't want to corner so you really have to manhandle it to turn. Then the squishiness of the tire kinda felt like you were riding on flat tires in the corners. I was to say the least completely unimpressed.
Wow, good to hear. I'm deciding between an IP-057 and a fat bike, and leaning towards the 057 because I have almost all the parts already, and the fatbike build would get pricey with frameset, wheels, and tires. Would suck to spend the money, build it up and then have the same experience as you!
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I rode an Origin 8 fat bike back back in February. It was a unique experience, that's for sure. Yes, slow to turn, bouncy tires, but not as heavy feeling as I would have expected. You would need to be in really good shape to pedal one of those through the trails I ride on, however, if you want to ride in snow or sand, I suppose it would be a better option over skinny wheel bikes.
For me the fat bike is a novelty, not a bike for covering serious ground. I enjoy getting on a fat bike and riding it for a short time, it's a real hoot, but my 29ers are king right now.
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Wow, good to hear. I'm deciding between an IP-057 and a fat bike, and leaning towards the 057 because I have almost all the parts already, and the fatbike build would get pricey with frameset, wheels, and tires. Would suck to spend the money, build it up and then have the same experience as you!
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Yes, that's another thing I don't like about the fat bikes, everything is proprietary requiring wider bottom brackets, wider hubs, forks, rims, etc. So can't use any of the piles of parts I've accumulated over the years. Get the 057 or if you can get up the scratch go for the Ip 036 full squish....awesome bike!
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Yes, that's another thing I don't like about the fat bikes, everything is proprietary requiring wider bottom brackets, wider hubs, forks, rims, etc. So can't use any of the piles of parts I've accumulated over the years. Get the 057 or if you can get up the scratch go for the Ip 036 full squish....awesome bike!
Well I already have the three year old Rumblefish for the full squish, so thinking hardtail, at least to start. Have thought about the FS bike in 650b for my wife, she's decided that 26" is "dead like Elvis" and it'd be nice to have a better backup bike than her now maligned 26er. But first, a backup bike for me that is slightly more versatile than my 26er singlespeed. :o
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To gently steer this topic back on track, the IP-136 is actually an excellent candidate for her as well - she's on a Scott Scale 29er right now, and is basically done with her 26er, so even if I don't go with the FS 650b bike for her backup, I couldn't help but think that an IP-136 would be a perfect "B" bike to the Scale, especially for the local trails where the 29er isn't quite as necessary. At a glance it looks like the geometry is close to the Scale, too, so the lighter frame and the mid-scale wheels might be perfect.