29+ Mountain Bikes at Interbike and Other “Plus” Sizes

Amid all the excitement about fat bikes–mountain bikes with 4″ or wider tires–a few companies have started to push frames that can accommodate fatter-than-normal but not-quite-fat tires. Some call it mid-fat, others simply add a plus (+); for now, the consensus seems to be that “plus” means a 3″ tire and 50 or 52mm rims*. …

Amid all the excitement about fat bikes–mountain bikes with 4″ or wider tires–a few companies have started to push frames that can accommodate fatter-than-normal but not-quite-fat tires. Some call it mid-fat, others simply add a plus (+); for now, the consensus seems to be that “plus” means a 3″ tire and 50 or 52mm rims*. Here’s a round-up of all the plus size mountain bikes on display at Interbike for those who want a little extra tire width without going fat bike crazy.

Chumba Ursa

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I got a chance to demo this bike, and it was a solid ride (read my full review here). The Ursa rolls on Maxxis Chronicle tires, one of only a couple 29+ tire choices right now (the Surly Dirt Wizard and Knard also come to mind.)

Surly Krampus

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The Krampus was the first mass-market 29+ mountain bike and Greg got a chance to test ride one at Interbike two years ago. The company categorizes this as a trail bike, though I wouldn’t go that far. It’s a fun and aggressive bike but I’d personally feel a lot better about going fast if the bike had a suspension fork.

Surly ECR

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This year at the Surly booth we spotted yet another Surly 29+ offering: the ECR. Surly describes it as “something of a lovechild borne of our Krampus, Ogre and Long Haul Trucker.” Whereas the Krampus is built for normal trail riding, the vision behind the ECR is touring / bikepacking. Designed to run either a full drivetrain, singlespeed, or internally geared rear hub, the choice of which system is the most reliable is up to you. The ECR features a variety of rack and bottle mounts, with bosses all over the frame and fork to accommodate just about every conceivable combination, along with a Jones loop handlebar for mounting bar bags and other goodies.

I can hear what you’re thinking: “isn’t this just a Krampus with a different build kit?” Actually, it isn’t: while the frame geometry is close to the Krampus’s, it’s been tweaked and optimized for long distance riding, making this a completely unique frame. Check out full geometry details here-Greg Heil

Niner ROS 9 Plus

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Niner wasn’t quite ready to demo the ROS 9 Plus at Interbike, but we at least got to see one in person and it looks pretty sweet.

Jones Plus

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While we didn’t get a chance to meet with Jeff Jones at Interbike, he was in attendance with his new 29+ rig, the Jones Plus. The unique Jones Truss Fork can accommodate 29, 29+, and 26×4.8″ tires (although no word on what the possible benefit of running a 5″ front tire with a 3″ rear tire is). For more information, check out the Jones Bikes website-Greg Heil

Other “plus” news

WTB showed off their 27.5+ tire and rim at Interbike, though we still don’t have a bike to put them on unless you count the FS 27.5+ concept bike Rocky Mountain showed at Sea Otter earlier this year. It’s just a matter of time though: Stan’s is offering their 52mm Hugo rims in 26, 27.5, and 29″ diameters.

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There’s still no 29+ suspension fork, though we’ve seen examples of folks using both RockShox Bluto and RS-1 forks (even the Pike will reportedly work). But once a true 29+ suspension fork is available, expect to see full suspension “plus” rigs rolling out.

* Surly calls the Instigator a 26+ mountain bike since it uses a 50mm rim, though the tires are not quite 3″ (they’re 2.75″).