I get a lot of emails and for some reason, as I was on the road in Utah, most of my inquiry emails came in the form of “what’s an affordable 27.5+ hardtail?” While there are many options out there, this one just happened to come across my inbox and it looks promising. The REI Co-Op Cycles DRT 2.1 hardtail features a X-Fusion McQueen fork, Shimano SLX components and clearances for a 27.5+ tire. While the chainstays look a little too long for my taste, this bike would get you rolling for under $1,600. Not bad if you have some REI dividends coming in… See more at REI and if you have an opinion on this bike, or others, drop them in the comments.