Hi l plan to buy a cheap mountain bike on ebay.mostly for flat roads not trail riding, l am a male 172 cm tall. l once had a 26 inch bike and found it too small, l am worried if l buy a 27.5 inch l might also find it too small but worried if l buy a 29 inch l might find it too big, what size should l get, 27.5 inch or 29 inch
27.5 Inch or 29 Inch Bike
Jackdawson79 on 11/05/2024 - 12:37
Comments
Jack,
you seem to be confusing wheel size with frame size. Any wheel size will suit your height, you just need the right frame.
Personally, 27.5 is a pointless middle ground that should never have existed.
29er has the advantage of being exactly the same as 700C. Handy if you have multiple bikes.BTW, if you want roads only, why buy a MTB at all?? There are plenty of cheap, decent flat-bar road bikes and hybrids these days. Get 700C.
you seem to be confusing wheel size with frame size.
Correct!
if you want roads only, why buy a MTB at all??
Excellent question. Use case and budget means O.P. will end up with a heavy and inappropriate bike for what they are looking to do.
Help me out here. I'm trying to understand why the difference in weight between a mountain bike and a road bike would be that significant.
Let's say the rider weighs 85kg and the difference in weight between a budget mountain bike and a budget road bike is approx. 5-7kg. Does an extra 5-7kg mean so much?I can understand a committed cyclist thinking that if they bought a bike that weighed a few kilos less this would shave some time off their travels or allow them to travel a few kilometres further at top speed but for a commuter, I can't see how it would be important.
Weight is the most obvious but least important part of it.
Road or even hybrid style bikes with flat bars will run much thinner tyres and have the rider in a much more power-efficient position to pedal.
Mountain bikes run fat knobbly tyres with loads of rolling resistance, and have the rider far more upright which results in a less efficient position and far more wind resistance at speed.
But if you're just slowly riding ten minutes to the shops, or out to enjoy the views then either is fine.
Its not the pverall weight, but a mou tain bike has heavier wheels and tyres which makes the bike FEEL heavier and slower.
The cheaper the MTB, the heavier it will be. Might be okay for a ride with small children, where you are ambling along, or for a very short ride to the shops.
But, it will be less than enjoyable if undertaking long rides or riding with others who have better bikes as the weight will certainly be noticed.
Personally, 27.5 is a pointless middle ground that should never have existed.
You've never seen a tacoed 29 inch wheel in the earlier days of their adoption? I remember seeing some guy do that to his brand new Santa Cruz in the first 50 metres of trail.
I bought 27.5 becauss when i tested 29 and 27.5 back to back on the same frame modsl (admittedly around a carpark and over kerbs etc) i found the 27.5 more nimble to ride. The 29 was definitely slower to turn in. I wanted to be able to chuck the bike around. This was for a trail oriented dually.
Having said that, I've also just assembled a 29er hardtail for bike path cruising or pub runs.
You need to get the right FRAME size. Wheel size is not necesarily related to frame size. At ypur height you are probably suited to a medium size frame.
Dont buy online. For the same money you could get a good quality second hand bike amd actually test it for size first. Its not hard to find a lightly used bike second hand.
I am a similar size to you. I have a medium sized frame with 27.5 inch wheels and I find that fits me very well. The 29er is good for rolling over obstacles as the the first commenter said. Generally the 29er is better in most conditions probably with the small exceptions of the 27.5 being a bit better at really tight technical tracks that require lots of stop and go. But as you said its for flat roads so the 29er will give you better momentum.
thanks so the 29 inch generally is not too big for someone 172 cm if it has a medium frame size
I think it would be ok. I am 170cm with short legs and manage fine on the medium frame with 27.5. If I got a new bike I probably would go 29
You can get 29" wheels with an XS frame in some cases.
Do you think this one would not be too large for someone 172 cm
https://www.kmart.com.au/product/74cm-ridge-dual-suspension-…
That is a piece of garbage. Don't even think about buying a full-suspension bike from kmart.
They should be illegal.
would not be too large for someone 172 cm
Nope. Someone that height could easily put that out for kerbside waste collection after they stop using it because it's terrible.
Do not buy this piece of rubbish. Its not wortb $50 a d wont be at all good to ride.
It's a universal truism with anyone who knows about bikes- do not buy mountain bikes from Walmart/KMart/Target/random department store.
They are total garbage sourced from the cheapest producers in China, assembled by minimum wage kids who know nothing about bikes and DNGAF.
If you do go down that route (and frankly a secondhand bike would probably be better) at least check that the brakes work properly.
Just go to Facebook market place and grab a second hand, go and test them before you pay.
is this one from Kmart OK or is it garbage
https://www.kmart.com.au/product/275in-rival-dual-suspension…
Summary would be
"from KmartOK orisitgarbage"Kmart bikes have their place. Some people want a $99 bike to ride 2km between home and the train station, or around campus.
When I was at uni, I had a cheap single-speed so i did not have to bother locking it. (Not sure if that would work these days :-( )
The only bicycles from kmart that should even be contemplated are single speed wirh no suspension. Even then, only buy if you have the skills to add grease to their bearings.
What part of " Don't even think about buying a full[dual]-suspension bike from kmart." did you not understand? :)
Dont buy that Kmart bike. If you want cheap wait for the Aldi deal to come up. Otherwise these ones
https://www.bikesonline.com.au/2024-polygon-premier-4-mounta…
https://www.bikesonline.com.au/polygon-cascade-4-27.5-inch-m…Forget dual suspension if budget is tight and you are on flat roads anyway
or buy a used good quality bike with a good name like Trek or Giant
28.25 inch.
26" is not an issue if you get the right size frame. Google bike frame size.
thanks what the right frame size for someone 172 cm
Depends on the frame. Best to try if you can as the frame geometry/type can mean a medium frame from one brand may too big, but another will be fine.
Hope you are clear on the 27.5 vs 29, that refers to wheel sizing not the frame size.
It's the frame size that matters with whether you're comfortable on the bike.
If it's a cheap bike I would get the smaller one.
Stop looking at MTB-style bikes if you're not riding off-road, they'll be heavier and slower than a flat-bar road bike or hybrid, and they won't be more comfortable which is a common misconception. What is your budget?
True, op sounds like hes more after a hybrid. MTB's are for mountains, not flat roads in suburbia.
As others have said 26” and 29” is the wheel diameter, not frame size. Your best bet is to go to a bike shop and see what size frame you are. I’m 183cm and have a XL frame, L would also work. It’s a 29er
Forget 27" or 29" wheels as others have said. Both of these wheel sizes will fit you fine if you have the right frame with them.
At 172cm tall you'll likely be a medium size frames in most brands. Go to a bike shop and try them out and see how they fit.
The wheel size is immaterial, it's the size of the frame that matters.
Thats what she said?
If your just on flat roads do you need a bike with suspension? Extra weight to push and suspension can absorb some pedalling effort. You have to actually get on a couple bikes and feel the fit of the whole package to small a frame and you will feel cramped im thinking 27.5 wheels though for you but the frame has to be right.
Frame size is the thing here. People keep mentioning the 27.5 has a more snappy response, thats true, but thats only applicable in very tight single trail hairpins with roots and rocks to navigate, you might notice the 29ers sluggish response. That being said, i have both and find the 29ers speed and momentum over obstacles to outweigh the cons, i can use skill and pick good lines to mitigate the 29ers sluggish handling, but its a minor issue.
But who cares anyway, op is not smashing those tight hairpins corners, uphill while trying to shave a few seconds of his podiom time to clutch the sneider trophy. Hes riding to the pub and back, over some kerbs here and there. Get the 29.
Minor point, but I have two 29ers and they are so large it's very difficult to fit them in the back of my 4wd so if I'm driving to the start of a trail, it's a big effort, and no room for anything else.
Wish I'd got smaller wheels.If you have a bike rack, great. If not, add significant budget for that too.
(for dumb reasons, bike racks for a Pajero with no tow hitch are a PITA to find - any half decent solution would cost more than both bikes put together)Id be surprised if 27.5 wheels made a lot of difference to the size of the bike. Modern bikes are a lot longer than they used to be.
I built a platorm store my bikes. Sized it to my 26" MTBs. When i got a 27.5 trail oriented bike it stuck out a lot further. A 29er would likely only be a little longer. The 27.5 is a lot harder to stick in the back of the ute than the 26ers while a 29er is about as difficult as the 27.5
I'd go 27.5. I'm 177 and have had both sizes. The 29er was great for rolling over obstacles but the maneuverability was worse and I think even worse for me given I don't have a large arm span. I couldn't throw it into corners well enough and the 27.5 was much better.
But if you're just riding on flat roads it really doesn't matter either way. 29 might have more of a premium price. Just go with whatever you find for a bargain.