Northrock XC27 or XC29 - will battery fit?

[coaster]

Hi, I'm planning a BBS02 mid drive build to handle rural road commuting with some moderate hills. My current commuter bike has V brakes and the drivetrain is probably a bit worn to use as a donor bike. I was looking at these two options from Costco, but was wondering if anyone knows if a dolphin or shark battery pack will fit in the frame triangle :

https://www.costco.ca/Northrock-XC29-Mountain-Bike.product.100328364.html

https://www.costco.ca/Northrock-XC27-Mountain-Bike.product.100328357.html

I would normally never consider a big box store bike, but I'm a ferry ride to the nearest town so craigslist is really not an option, and the shipping for Bikes Direct can be nearly the price of the bike unfortunately. I found a few conversion threads for the Northrock CX6, but not these models. Thanks for any input.

 

[ScooterMan101]

1) When I was looking at them a year ago, Shark Packs were not as high/tall as Dolphin Packs,
So a Shark Pack will have a better chance to fit inside any frame.

2) The Larger the size frame on a standard Hard Tail Bike, the larger the pack you can fit into it.

3) And the most important point.

A) How tall are you ? Your height will determine if a 27.5 or a 29er is a better bike fit for you.
B) There are now in 2017 , plenty of street tires available for 27.5 ( 650b) wheels .

 

[coaster]

Thanks, I've only ridden 26" or 700 wheels, but the fit guide for both bikes puts me in range (I'm 5' 11" and the medium frame available is 5' 7" to 6' 1").

A frame bag is still an option but I like the utility of a hard case.

 

[ScooterMan101]

At 5' 11" you could use either, 27.5 would be my choice since the industry is heading more in that direction, 29ers seem to be favored by people over 6' , 29ers with dirt tires seem a little awkward to me, but a 700c thinner road tire bike does not seem that way , someone in the bike industry could probably explain why.

Since you will be riding over rural roads the condition of them , would dictate tire choice.
and
If you get a Dolphin or Shark pack , If I was riding rough roads I would use some straps since those packs are only held on by two small screws that go into the bottle holder holes.

Don't know how strong the velcro is on frame bags you might have to use extra precautions there as well.

 

[coaster]

I tried the company by phone to see if they had any info. Spoke to a fellow whose accent sounds a bit like an East Coast gangster, but he came through with the information from the factory. For anyone who is interested the triangle dimensions are:

Measurements for xc27 & xc29

A- Top Tube B -Seat Tube C - Down Tube

FRAME A B C
XC27 573.5 430 701.2
XC29 560.2 440 711.8

 

[cadrian]

I have a Northrock XC27 , which conversion kit is best? Thank you.
Or parts?