Moving on to 650B with a new toy...

[brightonebikes]

I have always ridden 26" bikes off-road, and greeted the whole 29er movement with a lukewarm reception. For my personal taste, 29ers are a step too far for the kind of riding I mainly do; singletrack, not overly knarly DH, places like Swinley, Peaslake, and generally ragging around in the local woods with a few jumps.
Intrigued by the potential of 650B, curiosity finally got the better of me and I recently put together a Ritchey Timberwolf with A Bafang BBS01B motor as my new toy!. - It's bloomin great! It feels nimble, planted, smooth, the geometry of the frame is right up there with the best hardtails on the market.
First few rides have proved quick and it all handles great. (But then the trails are running right now).The BOS Deville forks are of particular note too, and compliment the frame's optimum 140mm travel.
First move onto Stans no tubes with Maxxis High Roller 2s and it's feeling like a good move so far. Running at far lower pressures than ever before for fear of pinch flats and the ability to barge through undergrowth with little fear of thorns is all good. Considering a Maxxis Shorty once the deeper claggy mud arrives, I'd appreciate any experience anyone has of running these please.
I'm very much looking forward to getting more miles under my belt on this one, feels very rewarding so far

 

[chris130256]

Looks good. How long did the conversion take?

 

[EddiePJ]

Another very nice build, and even better that it is a hard tail. The Timber Wolf is a lovely bit of kit, and you must have done well to find one.

Just out of interest, is the chain long enough?

That is an interesting one ref the 29er. I've found my self increasingly studying the set up of bikes used in world level XC and comments by riders, and was surprised by how often that they switch between wheel size.
The most interesting being that it has added to confusion, and frequently they will try both sizes before deciding on which to race with.

Like you, I don't think that a 29er would do me any favours at all in respect to where I ride, but it wouldn't be something that I would rule out if I were putting in miles on the SD.

Sadly can't help with the Maxxis Shorty's but the reviews look okay, and they are lighter than my Hutchinson DZO's.
The one aspect that I hate about riding on the SD, is the chalk when it get wet. As you now, it is like hitting black ice!
That is possibly going to be the most important aspect for you in respect of tyre choice, and ideally you need a tyre that is going to cope with that aspect of the riding conditions.

 

[brightonebikes]

Looks good. How long did the conversion take?

About half a day. A very straight forward one really, everything just fitted beautifully.

 

[brightonebikes]

Another very nice build, and even better that it is a hard tail. The Timber Wolf is a lovely bit of kit, and you must have done well to find one.

Just out of interest, is the chain long enough?

That is an interesting one ref the 29er. I've found my self increasingly studying the set up of bikes used in world level XC and comments by riders, and was surprised by how often that they switch between wheel size.
The most interesting being that it has added to confusion, and frequently they will try both sizes before deciding on which to race with.

Like you, I don't think that a 29er would do me any favours at all in respect to where I ride, but it wouldn't be something that I would rule out if I were putting in miles on the SD.

Sadly can't help with the Maxxis Shorty's but the reviews look okay, and they are lighter than my Hutchinson DZO's.
The one aspect that I hate about riding on the SD, is the chalk when it get wet. As you now, it is like hitting black ice!
That is possibly going to be the most important aspect for you in respect of tyre choice, and ideally you need a tyre that is going to cope with that aspect of the riding conditions.

Cheers Eddie. Haha, trust you to notice the chain, eh! It is indeed too short. (I should have left in it a higher gear, you might not have noticed )
It came off a bike running 1x10 with a 34 tooth XT ring up front, so the 42 tooth Lekkie means it just won't quite get to the top sprocket. I've adjusted the limit screw so the mech. can't get up there if it wanted to. It is part worn c&c so I will live with it for now. I've already ordered new chain and cassette but I'll wait until these start to slip before I change. (Get me moneys worth!)
I'd prefer an XT shifter over the Zee too, as they do multiple (triple I think) sprocket upshifts and I found it handy on the Santa Heckler when heading off at speed.
I think I'll try a Shorty and see how it is, not cheap though! ...but as we both know from motorbikes, good rubber is worth every penny!
Cheers fella