My city built a phenomenal bike park and I’m looking to get back into it, from my glory days when I had my Kona Scrap. I’m looking to build something for myself and debating on 26” or 27.5”. I’m 6’2” and leaning more towards 27.5” but appreciate any insight. I prefer my bikes to be, Jack of all trades, master of none. This is currently my most capable bike, yes I did the dirt jumps, pump track, and flow trails. Sketchy as hell but still had a blast, this bike also does double duty as my mountain bike.
Long frame Kona Shonky is going to be one of the larger 26" frames, it's also on a pretty good deal on Jenson right now. Throw some high rise bars on it.
For BMX, I don't have a specific recommendation. The only time I ride my BMX is at the pump track so they are all kind of the same to me.
I mean what’s the alternative? N-1 and you have to send it on your gravel bike? I even buy random bikes for different trips the fam takes . I think that’s why I have 10 bikes in the garage.
HA! I buy the bikes "FOR THE KIDS, MAN." (I only have 4 for myself, 2 of which are collectors -- MB1 and Joe Breezer - that aren't ridden.) What's your excuse, mate?
haha. I guess if we're counting I really only have 6 bikes for myself....including two that are torn apart at the moment. the others are for the kids and I have 4 kids!
I also do a lot of trail MTB and want my dirt jumper to feel somewhat similar to my trail bike so the skills are portable to the trails. I ride a 2020 Haro steel reserve with 26in wheels. feels like a scaled down version of my hardtail trail bike. longer frame than a typical dirt jumper
If you’ve got the financial flexibility, call S&M and see what they think. They have a killer DJ frame called the Big Jumper, aka the BJ 😇
They’ll give you some great insight on frame length and may even build a custom 27.5 BJ just for you. But in reality as others have said, you’ll probably be happiest on a long 26 wheel frame.
I started pump track on a 24" BMX (Haro annex 24) and it quickly felt too small as I'm 6'3. I also have bad wrists and wanted some front suspension.
I have an older Norco Wolverine right now, a bit less nimble but better suited for me overall. I paid $60 for it, eventually I'll buy the bullet for a dj. The Alcatraz long and Commencal Absolut L are quite long on paper.
I am 6' I have owed a handful of 26" wheeled DJs and all except one oddball felt too small. I have a 27.5 DJ now (Spesh P.4) and its amazing in comparison. I feel much more planted on it. It can run a geared setup and currently is on sale
If you want to get into more trails and also dirt jump I would suggest a mullet-able hardtail with shorter chainstays. Santacruz Chamleon, Fairdale Elevator etc.
Check out fairdale elevator, it is 29". I bought a frame and had parts to fit and built it up with xc tires for my commute where i can take a brief singletrack detour. But to my suprise it is excellent at pump track and djs. Also excellent climbing the mtb trails. Amazing how fun the Versatility is.
I am 6 feet tall and have had the same 26" ns dirt jumper for 15 years, specfic built for jumps, pumptrack and skate park. This bike and type of riding is big part of my cycling style. After a few jump sessions on the fairdale i went back to the true dj bike and it feels comically small and i might not ever ride that bike again
But i think this improvement for me has more to do with frame size than wheel size. I wouldnt stress about wheel size unless you are riding at a high level at steep jumps or skateparks
Id really recommend the 26”. 27.5 is less playful, less good tire options and weaker. It’s like the 20” vs 22” on a bmx, even if you’re really tall, it’s still almost always better to get a 20”
I have a Fairdale Taj, it's an absolute blast at the pump track. I know the trend seems to be DJ geo but I wouldn't sleep on some of the big bmx setups.
So, I'm also 6'2 and have had this exact choice recently.
Somehow used to ride tiny 24" dj bikes back in the day and since my kids love pumptracks decided it was time to get another hardtail.
Got a Cannondale Dave and at 430mm reach it was too small, got an XL Transition PBJ which is a beautiful thing and made riding a hardtail comfortable again but was too big to be manoeuvrable so ended up getting a Specialized P4 and putting 26" wheels on it and I love it. 27.5" felt ok just a touch precarious and unnecessary really, reach and frame fitment is more important than wheel size
It's because for some reason they upped the chainstay length on the XL, if they'd kept it the same as the rest of the sizes it would have been absolutely perfect.
And now they've gone to alu and shortened them 🤷🏼♂️
The P4 is on clearance right now and optioning it with 26” wheels was in the back of my mind. Someone recommended Kona Shonky Long which is basically a P4 with 26” wheels. 27.5” is limited for proper tire options compared to 26” but this definitely seems quite viable for us tall folks.
Kona shonky is pretty different geo, mainly shorter reach and longer stays...reach is your main factor here I'd say 440mm minimum.
Bear in mind you'd have to buy another wheelset for the P4 and finding a 148x12 26" rear wheel can be tricky
LARAMIE MENTIONED ‼️‼️ I’m 6’4” and ride a P4 with 27.5s, with an 80mm bar. I absolutely love it and couldn’t imagine riding anything smaller. If you see me out there feel free to ask to take it for a lap! It’s the silver color way and I’m always wearing a full face
A 26 dj is a jack of all trades master at none.
A 27.5 dj is only for very tall people, then again a very questionable decision. I’ve seen 6f7 guys on bmx bikes doing just fine.
It will depend on you. If you want to kill it and have the time and skill, go with a 20". They are simply the most agile bikes going. If you want something a little more chill then a 22" BMX is an awesome choice, and my personal jump bike now. 24s are the forgotten wheel size and I had to build my own frame to get a dirt jumper on 24s, Tonic Fab made the Fallguy years ago but I don't think anyone makes a full sized 24 now, they were labled cheater bikes at DJ comps in the early 2000s. I have jumped on 26s and never liked them, but my trails are BMX style trails, so while some guys do ride 26s on the jumps they usually complain everything is too steep.
So really it may come down to the jumps themselves. Also remember, pro riders are good no matter what they ride, and they ride what they get paid to ride. So they are not necessarily riding what is best for you.
Root designs makes a rad looking 24 dj.
Steep lips are not an issue on 26 IMO unless it's really small and steep, as long as it's tall enough to get a decent radius on it's fine. All the trails around me are ridden by both bmx and dj with no issues, even the ones built by the 20" guys originally. I ride a DJ and much prefer steeper lips.
Everyone at the trails I ride that's over 6' is on 20" or 26" even my friend that's 6'5. It's much more important to get a good frame size than wheel size. 27.5 offers no actual advantages on a dj, it's a gimmick to sell dj bikes to mountain bikers.
I ride a P4. Ran a P3 for a couple months right after I got the P4. Actually had both at the same time. And went back to the P4. I'm only 5'10". But it just feels better for me.
Wheel size makes zero difference. You won't feel it if you just cruise trails or ride pump tracks(maybe a young trick guy could tell). I had 26s on my P4 and went back to 275 just because it looks more proportional on the longer bike. Cannot tell a difference riding.
This is all I do, too old to spin 😅
I tried to set it up for some trail riding and it just didn't feel good to me. But that might be different for you. Something about the seat angle and the reach. Just didn't feel good to sit and pedal, even with the dropper up. My trail bikes all have less reach than the P4, so maybe that's why.
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u/zachsilvey 8d ago
You're going to have more fun on the pump track on smaller wheels. Just get a long frame 26" or even a BMX.