A lot of companies were showing off new bikes at Sea Otter this year, most of them featured plus-size tires
Why Cycle’s titanium Wayward hardtail rolls on 29×2.8in rubber
Terrene McFly tires were seen on a lot of 29+ bikes
Curvy stays make room for wide rubber and heels on the upstroke
Ibis’s new Ripley LS comes with 29×2.6in tires and 130/120mm front and rear travel
The 3rd Generation Ripley has an updated swingarm and clevis, and a wider upper eccentric pivot
The Ripley LS rear end fits 2.6in Schwalbe or Maxxis 2.5WT tires on wide rims
Commencal’s Meta Power e-bike features 27.5×2.8in Minions front and rear
Rigid singlespeeds are definitely on board with plus-size tires
The Terrene McFly tires are available in Tough and Light casings
Chris Chance was at Sea Otter showing off his new Yo Eddy 2.2
The Yo Eddy 2.2 has a Boost 148mm rear end and clearance for 27.5×3.0in or 29×2.5in meats
Even with new tire sizes, Fat Chance stays true to its eye-catching fade paint work
Fat Chance’s Chris Cross monstercross frame is designed, welded and painted in the US
The Chris Cross is versatile with room for 27.5×2.1in or 700x40mm tires
Breadwinner is a collaboration between custom framebuilders Ira Ryan and Tony Pereira with frames built in Portland, OR
The Goodwater trail hardtail can squeeze 27.5×3.0 or 29in wheels and tires in
While cruising around at this year’s Sea Otter, a few trends were pretty much unmistakable. First, there are a lot of carbon wheel companies and second, mountain bikes with plus size tires are the latest and greatest.
From custom one-off steel bikes to e-bikes, to new-school carbon full-suspension wunder rigs, plus-size rubber was here, there, everywhere.
The Terrene McFly tires are available in Tough and Light casingsRussell Eich / Immediate Media
We’ve seen a few brands take existing 29ers and thanks to the additional 6mm afforded by Boost out back slip some 27.5+ tires in. For 2017 though, the trend is even bigger with plus-size 29ers popping up.
The Chris Cross is versatile with room for 27.5 x 2.1in or 700 x 40mm tiresRussell Eich / Immediate Media
Some bikes, such as Ibis’s new Ripley LS, sneak in with Schwalbe 2.6in tires tucked out back, while some drop bar monstercross bikes do double-duty fitting Mondo 40mm treads on 700c wheels or XC-width 2.1in tires on 27.5in hoops.
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Check out the gallery above to get a taste of the latest plus-size bikes coming your way.
