Cam Zink and His 27.5/26-inch Mixed Wheel Sizes

Many readers were likely interested in the fact that Cam Zink was running two different wheel sizes on his YT Tues bike in our “Inside the Pros’ Bikes” Kyle Strait had told us months ago about how Cam was running a 27.5-inch front wheel and 26-inch back wheel at last fall’s Red Bull Rampage. We asked Cam how he got the idea for the mixed wheel sizes, which required a customized frame to accommodate the two different wheel sizes. We also asked him if any of the other riders at the Rampage were running the non-matching wheel-size combination.

“I don’t think anyone else runs it,” Cam told us, “but I just came up with it because it really only matters in the rear for shorter chainstays. The front tire gets more grip and better tires, etc. The rear gets lower gyro and rotating mass, plus shorter chainstays.”

Cam had told us previously that the 26-inch rear wheel makes it easier to spin 360s in the air, thanks to the reduced gyro-stabilizing effect of the smaller wheel.

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO GET MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION