The mountain bike wheel wars are getting even messier this year, with 650B—or 27, or 27.5, depending on whose nomenclature you subscribe to—all the talk at . Based on an obsolete French standard that splits the difference between 26 and 29, these mid-size wheels deliver the quick, snappy feel of a 26er with the stability and rollover of a 29er, and a dozen manufacturers, including Turner, Ellsworth, Rocky Mountain, Intense, and Litespeed, are rolling out models for 2013. Our favorite so far is the Scott Genius 700, a six-inch, 25.5-pound trail bike built around what Scott is marketing as 27-inch wheels. The top-end Genius 700 SL is a full carbon construction with DT Swiss Nude2 rear shock, Fox 34 Talas Kashima fork, a mixed SRAM XX/XO drivetrain and brakes, and Syncros carbon wheels. We also love Scott’s, ahem … genius TwinLoc system, which yields three modes of travel from a single bar-mount unit. Happily, the 27 trend won’t be reserved for the top end as Scott is launching the bike in six models—three carbon, two aluminum, and one women’s specific—ranging from $9,000 for the SL all the way down to $3,000.
