MONTEREY, Calif. -- The new bike on the block is a bastard -– "El Bastardo" to be precise.
El Bastardo is a high-end, dual suspension mountain bike from custom frame builder Ventana Mountain Bikes, which is based near Sacramento, Calif.
But why's a $5,500 bike called 'the bastard?'
"It's the bastard wheel size," explains owner Sherwood Gibson at the Sea Otter bike show, where he's offering test rides of the new machine. "Twenty seven and a half inch."
El Bastardo's 27.5-inch wheel size is halfway between the regular 26-inch mountain bike wheel and the new 29-inch wheel size.
The 29-inch wheel size is fast becoming popular because the larger wheels roll easily over rough terrain and are suited for climbing – if you’re pretty tall. For shorter riders, the wheel size can be hard to get rolling. Ventana’s 27.5-inch wheel offers the benefits of larger wheels to smaller riders.
"It’s great," said Dennis Block, a 5' 9" rider who took El Bastardo for a test ride. "I have a 29-incher but for someone of my size, it's a bit too large. This is perfect."
