The definitive plus tire mountain bike list
In the last post, we talked about the evolution of our site, and what we are planning for this year, among a myriad of reviews, articles, tutorials, and video ideas. We are looking into a pair of modern mountain bikes to do a long-term review. In the last years, we have dived into the mountain bike world, which is huge and rewarding, and many things have changed. Some will say that bike companies are thinking about money, and it is true, but they are also moving it forward to improve it for all.
We are looking into the perfect mountain bike combo, a hardtail, and a full suspension bike that can exchange components and are able to complement each other. With all the current range of wheel sizes, it is difficult to complement 2 bikes that don’t share the same wheel size. Also, having the same wheel size will make the 2 bikes share most of their capabilities. So, in the end, making one of the bikes useless and forgotten in your garage.
Thanks to a new trend in tire size, the plus tires, wider tires between 2.6 and 3 inches, we talked about them in what are we expecting for the 2017 MTB brands lineup, we will be able to swap wheels between a 29er and a 27.5+ bike. Also, the two bikes should mount boosted wheels. We also want these bikes to mount some of the standards that are taking more ground and that seem to be what will keep our bikes up to date for a few years.
Having a 29er will give us a trail bike, one that can handle big routes, epic days, more XC-oriented on the lighter hardtail, more capable on the full suspension. If we switch to the 27.5+ tires, we will get a much grippier bike, a hardcore hardtail, or a super capable full suspension. Choose your weapon or have them all with the definitive mountain bike combo!
Let’s enumerate what are the requirements and what kind of bikes are we looking for:
- A hardtail or full suspension bike 29” or 27.5+ that mounts boosted wheels (110mm front, 148mm back) of course with a compatible fork between the two tire sizes.
- Single chainring drivetrain with a wide range cassette.
- Of course, if we buy a 29er hardtail, then we will look for a full suspension 27.5+ bike to get 2 different wheelsets or the other way around.
- A good move should be getting a lower specced bike (usually the hardtail) and one higher specced (usually the full suspension) so we can switch components and save some money, especially focusing on the suspension.
- In the Category B, we include the cheapest bike that meets all requirements.
- The Category A price is the price of a bike with an all-mountain-specific fork, at least a Rockshox Yari or a Fox 34 Rhythm.
Hardtails
| Bike/Frame | Frame only | Cat B config | Cat A config | Wheels | Travel (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmoor Primal Plus | ~300€ | 140* |
| Diamondback Mason Plus | $1400 | $2300 | 27.5+ | 120 | |
| Diamondback Rely Trail | $1400 | 27.5+ | 120 | ||
| Sonder Frontier | 230€/£199/$250 | 1011€/£879/$1100 | 27.5+/29 | Rigid/100 | |
| Specialized Fuse | 850 € | 4.000 € | 27.5+ | 120 | |
| Trek Stache | 1.800 € | 3.500 € | 29+ | 120 | |
| Cotic SolarisMax | £599 | 120* | |||
| Specialized Ruze | $1000 | $3100 | 100 | ||
| Kona Big Honzo | * | * | 27.5+ | 120 | |
| Norco Torrent | $449 | $1649 | 27.5+ | 140 | |
| Orbea Loki | 1.299 € | 1.999 € | 27.5+ | 120 | |
| Ragley Big Wig | 1889€/£1750 | 29 | 130 |
Full Suspension
| Bike/Frame | Frame only | Cat B config | Cat A config | Wheels | Travel (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radon Slide+ | 2.600 € | 27,5+ | 140 | ||
| Santa Cruz Hightower | 4130€/£3599/$3599 | 29 | 140 | ||
| Santa Cruz Hightower | 5100€/£4399/$4599 | 27,5+ | 150 | ||
| Specialized Rhyme | 2.799,90 € | 3.999,90 € | 27,5+ | 150 | |
| Vitus Escarpe | 3229,99€/£2636,99 | 29 | 150 |
Note: The table above lists full suspension bikes with their respective configurations, frame options, prices, wheel sizes, and travel in millimeters.
Shown prices are the official prices in their respective websites, some prices may change and if you search a little may find it for quite less.
We will be updating this post in the upcoming days and weeks with the bikes that comply with the requirements exposed before. This is not an easy task as there are many brands out there. If you know of any model that meets our requirements, let us know in the comments, through our contact page, or on twitter.
Also, any help, discount, or lend bike from a brand, company, or sponsor will be most welcome to test and review, which we commit to do in a deep long-term review.
Also, keep track of this article for updates on our twitter account. Stay in touch and thanks in advance!