UKC

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/xtc.advanced.27.5.3/14827/6...

or

http://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/products/227710008/bike-scale-920-l/

The Giant is in the new fad 27.5 as opposed to the Scott's 29er.
I suspect that things are going to move more to the 27.5 so would be good to be ahead of the field slightly.
However, i have never used the 2by10 gearing that the Giant has and really like the Scott's 3by10 though maybe its just a question of getting used to it.

Any opinions??

In reply to Kimono:

They both look like good bikes, I don't think wheel size is clear cut one is better than the other, more like wheelsize allows for different geometry and wheelbase which is closely related to the size of rider. I.E big wheels tall rider, medium wheels medium rider. All you can do is give them both a test. I find 2 chain rings better than three mainly due to less crossover and doesn't drop the chain as much on rough ground.

In reply to Kimono:

Just rode my new 650B long travel (150mm) hard tail last night and thought it was great fun (coming from a 7" full sus bike for XC - not giving up that though). Having not ridden a hard tail for 20 years, it is really difficult to say what difference the 650B wheels made vs 26 - but it still managed to go pretty fast down the hills - and ride up them a bit quicker.

I've been riding 2x9 for 10 years, so 2x10 was nice on the new bike, but not really that different from 2x9. Low end was perfect (it got out of Jaggers Clough in a oner in the dark), but you could run out of gears at top speed.

660B v 29er will depend on the type of trails you ride and how you ride, 29er is too big for my taste and the wheels a bit too flexy, though my mate has just got the 29 Scott Scale for his HT for Peak riding and seems very pleased with it (but we have very different styles of riding - he's mr XC and I'm more DH/speed focused).

Hope this helps - lots of personal taste comes into this, there is no right answer. 650B does seem to be a good all round compromise.

In reply to ChrisJD:

I've built a few 29 wheels, you can get em laterally stiff, but it's not an off the peg factory job so probably would be a little flexy, I've landed on the sidewall on theem with tubeless on slightly flat tyres and completely deflated, them a bit scary. Like you say 650 is probably best pound for pound