Mountain bikes with 27.5” or 29” wheels? This question has been asked and discussed over and over and will continue to be discussed in the future. Is a swift and fast-reacting bike better than one with a longer wheelbase and outstanding obstacle-clearing capabilities? Or the other way round? There is no conclusive answer.
Obviously, the rider’s body measurements are decisive. And to a certain extend the choice of wheel size is a matter of taste.
Basically all STEVENS touring and marathon fullies as well as hardtails used 29” wheels. Only frame sizes 16 inch and smaller were made to fit 27.5” wheels, because a small frame’s proportions and therefore handling wouldn’t go well with 29” wheels.
Beginning with the new season STEVENS mountain bikes will adapt even more exactly to bikers’ preferences and foreign market demands and will offer a wider size spectrum: More than half of STEVENS’ fullies and many hardtails, that previously were only available in a 29er version, now offer the choice between both wheel sizes.
The STEVENS Jura ES 29 for example is available in frame sizes 18, 20 and 22 inch; its sister model Jura ES 27.5 in sizes 16, 18 and 20 inch. The specs are the same except size specific parts like suspension forks and, of course, wheels and tires.
Usually taller riders get along better with 29er bikes and smaller riders with more compact ones. The overlap of wheel sizes for frame sizes 18 and 20 inch was a deliberate choice, because in that range –between 172cm and 185cm (5’8” to 6’1”) - rider height is not the decisive factor for choosing wheel size.
If a mountain biker prefers a compact and nimble STEVENS bike or rather one with great directional stability and obstacle-clearing capabilities, is - to a certain extend - a matter of belief and taste. And we firmly believe: The bike has to fit the rider and not the other way round.
STEVENS offers the size split for the following models:
