Fuji Tahoe 1.1: 29 inch vs. 650B

A few years ago, many mountain bikers were skeptical about bikes with large wheels: Not agile enough, heavy, difficult to accelerate, wheels that were too soft - that was often the opinion. Nevertheless, 29ers have not only established themselves within a relatively short time, they have even almost completely replaced the classic 26ers in the marathon and XC area.

Since last season, 650B bikes (27,5) have also been part of the appearance. They are intended to combine the increased smoothness, traction and better rollover behavior of the 29er with the rigidity, low weight and maneuverability of the 26er. In addition, they should lead to an improved look and more flexibility with smaller frame sizes. The reigning XC World Champion Nino Schurter proves that these considerations are not made out of thin air. 29ers didn't offer him enough cant. So he grabbed a 650B that was adapted to his needs.

But what really differentiates the two wheel sizes? We wanted to investigate this question more closely and asked two (almost) identically equipped bikes to be tested. Since 29er and 650B bikes are mainly represented in the middle price segment, we chose the Fuji 1.1 tahoe .

//equipment

The Tahoe 1.1 29 and Tahoe 1.1 650B are almost identical in structure. They only differ in terms of the tires. So you can find Schwalbe's on the 650B variant RacingRalph and Schwalbe's 29er variant Nobby Nick, each 2,25 inches wide. For our test, we have therefore converted accordingly and fitted both bikes with the same tire models.

On both bikes, the saddles, seat posts, stems, grips and handlebars come from Fuji's own brand, Oval. These are quite stable. During our test, they behaved inconspicuously in a positive sense. Although the 710 millimeter handlebars may be too wide for some marathon riders, they can be shortened according to taste.

When it comes to the drive, Fuji relies on a mix of Shimano Deore xt-Components on rear derailleur and front derailleur, Deore SLX-cranks and shifters, Deore-Cassettes and chains from the KMC brand. This combination always does its job quickly and reliably, but due to the combination with the rather heavier oval components, the weight of both bikes increases. In addition, appears to us on 650B the thickest gear is a bit too small for fast descents. They also come from Shimano Deore SLX-brakes. Although these offer good braking power and controllability, they were not optimally bled from the factory, so that you sometimes had to pull the lever quite far.

The impellers are characterized by the combination sun inferno-Rims and Deore SLX-Hubs marked. In both cases they leave a very solid and robust impression. In addition, they have a high inner width, which gives the tires a better shape and thus more grip. This also reduces rolling resistance.

A Fox on the front of both bikes ensures sufficient comfort 32 floats-Suspension fork. This responds very sensitively and swallows both smaller and larger bumps without grumbling.

//Practice

Both bikes proved to be more agile than smooth-running during our test. As expected, the 650B is a bit ahead here. However, it is amazing that the 650B bike seems to allow a touch more speed than the 29er counterpart, even in fast corners.

The 650B feels a tiny bit better when accelerating out of tight corners, but the opposite is true on longer climbs. Due to the high weight of around twelve kilograms, both bikes do not achieve absolute top values. Nevertheless, they are anything but sluggish. The weight difference between the two wheel sizes is practically imperceptible at just 200 grams.

The really big difference only becomes apparent in really rough passages. On our test track, the 29er copes with a root section of almost a kilometer without any effort. With the 650B you have to fight a lot more here. In the race, this would probably result in somewhat larger time gaps.

In all other situations, both test variables behave quite similarly. Both bikes are quite stiff and largely unobtrusive when accelerating, steering and braking.

//Conclusion

The Fuji 1.1 tahoe looks very solid both as a 650B and as a 29er. Both bikes can be used in a variety of ways and are also suitable as beginner bikes due to their equipment and the reasonable prices. However, in order to use them in the race, one should choose a different mix of components, which is more expensive, but would also make the wheels lighter.

We can't identify a clear winner. The characteristics of both bikes are too similar for that. However, if you like to ride rough trails, you should opt for the 29er because of its better rollover characteristics.