All hands on deck Mr Christian the 29er is faster and has taken over.
Mutiny on the Bounty. Steve Jones tells us his thoughts on the bikes with the big wheels.
ALL HANDS ON DECK MR CHRISTIAN THE 29ER IS FASTER AND HAS TAKEN OVER.
The need for speed and fun is central to everything we do on two wheels; Steven Jones takes at a look at the 29er bike to see whether they really do deliver or if it’s just a case of the next big thing.
Clarity and the 29er bike have lacked unity for too long. A mix of cynicism, fence sitting and reluctance to stray too far from the common ground are only part of the story. The message from California has been slow to arrive. Or blocked. Maybe not surprising given the politics of the subject, the fact there’s an Olympics next year and a bunch of my mates are going to hate me for saying this because ultimately it might mean their bikes are just about to become out-dated.
Steve Jones on the Rumblefish. Photo:Andy Lloyd
Of the ways to get a bike across the Atlantic, sticking it in a box UPS direct from SFO would seem the most logical in terms of a physical product. The overall 29 bike message meanwhile has been stuck in a bottle, the industry having sent the paperwork down the slow route and since become lost in a mid Atlantic fog, stuck on a cargo ship run by militant sailors hell bent on dragging out the journey, hijacking and certainly not exactly eager to let anyone know the value of their cargo.
Shyness of the industry to push too hard, after all there’s one mighty big shed of bikes out there that could overnight become obsolete. For a business that prides itself in transfer of knowledge (bright ideas too) these boys have been startlingly introvert all of a sudden.
The 29 message has been staggeringly slow to get across. Like the Russian boat we all know its there but nobody wants to get on board for fear an outbreak of “yetanotherthingtosell” – the boat continues to drift, a Czech man wins the World Cup cross country series and still the boat drifts. Maybe it’s all a bit more sinister, gigantically political…. UCI bans skin suits from World Cup but hey guys you carry on using bikes that are inherently faster. A technicality maybe, but does anyone out there actually know the facts?
The media have not exactly helped. And hell there’s a lot of people within the mountain bike industry that really don’t like them BUT the industry is trying to sell them as the next big thing. More than that media comment nearly always involves questioning people from within the media and the industry their opinions. Much of this is largely insular, out-dated and clueless. Forums filled with garbage, 26 versus 29 forum debates in which there is seldom an opinion, never an outcome, purists stuck in a bog, downhillers basing everything on ten inch bikes and science background boffins telling us that it makes no sense. Conspiracy theory’s, Europe versus America, empiricism pirated…..yes this could be a big one.
Then there’s the general banter associated with the subject – hippy hardtail bikes, road biking on dirt, a good rider owns the terrain but not on a 29, there’s more to going fast than rolling, turns too slow and slow to flop left or right. More than that, professional World Cup cross-country racers are quoted as saying there is a weight disadvantage. Guys what the fuck are you thinking? Maybe too much of the following:-
THE ARGUMENT – AGAINST 29ers
Manoeuvrability – most arguments centre around the front centre/rear centre balance and the years of fine-tuning that 26” bikes have achieved
Acceleration – Larger rotational mass of the wheels is said to be slow in tight corners
Agility – You cannot pump and work a 29 in technical terrain like you can 26”
Weaker wheels – a theory that smaller wheels are stronger
Poor geometry – the designs are in their infancy
Limited designs – fewer companies producing limited designs
Rider height – said to be better for taller riders
Flow – not possible to pump terrain, flow corners especially tighter ones
Fall over – said to fall over in corners due to a higher centre of gravity
Unsprung mass – more weight in the rear will make the bikes harsher
Tyres and tube weight – increased overall bike weight due to such things as the rubber content
26” lighter and faster than ever – plus the Europeans are making some bloody good 26” trail bikes
Other issues that need solving before go 29 – for example gearboxes, mudguards
Conspiracy theories – the USA based companies desperate to make our garages obsolete
They look shit – people perception that bigger wheels look bad
The science – you cannot argue with a boffin after all
THE ARGUMENT – FOR 29ers
Traction
Cornering
Roll over
Taller riders
Less nervous
Better grip
Better flow, less nervy
Scale of large 26 bikes looks daft
Stability
Faster
Smoother on descents
ONE RIDER MANY HILLS
Below are my own thoughts and tests on the subject carried out on several bikes including – Santa Cruz Tallboy, Specialized Camber, Trek Rumblefish, Norco Shinobi and Charge Cooker.
It’s all about timing and perception, for the first week I struggled mightily on 29 for the sensation seemed so wrong and my technique as I was about to find out frighteningly inefficient. But the watch, I trusted would not lie. At the end of day one, testing on reasonably technical terrain (they hold a downhill race here quite often) the second hand was consistently 8-10 seconds down on 26” times. I had as I said to the uplift man ‘seen enough.’
A few more bikes arrived, Maxxis sent over some new Beaver tyres, I got some shorter stems fitted, I slowly racked up the hours, I felt myself settling on the tyres more, getting the timing better.
There was no doubt that climbing was quicker and soon found all the crap about acceleration was in fact totally untrue, maybe for the first few turns of the crank the 26 has an edge but your mate on the 29 will almost immediately be buzzing your tyre within yards. Chasing a 29 on a 26 becomes hard graft.
Santa Cruz Tallboy
Three weeks into riding 29ers I no longer sign up to the theory that 26 bikes offer great agility either. In fact I now find them more nervous and slower. For me it clicked on the Norco Shinobi amongst tight flat rooty corners, the place where I had previously been totally struggling to get any kind of timing and flow. Within a few turns and a change of style I found myself leaning, attacking and pulling away from my riding friend who shares similar speed. It was simply a moment of clarity, in an instant manualling, pumping the ground, confident and fully coherent of the timing required. In the mud the bigger wheel size translates to more control during the slide and certainly increased traction.
But ultimately what did it for me were the times versus what I believed to be quicker. The clock came out again, I changed some bike sizes. Over a variety of terrain from flat and rooty to steeper technical tight, wet and rooty terrain I put several more 29 bikes up against the proverbial king of the mountain 26 bike. Possibly the most state of the art 140mm bike currently available.
The 29 gave me my fastest descent ever of a particular section 2 minutes 45seconds. On the 140mm bike I felt I was about to totally destroy the times set on the big wheels – out of corners, through the rollers, balanced in the berms. But no 1 second slower. Since then I have increased the gap to 8 seconds
Onto the steep technical riding which previously proved so successful for the 26-inch bike I began beating the times previously set. I had to get back on the 26 to check again but no, still slower. These big wheel 110 and 120mm travel bikes were now simply consistently faster.
ADAPTION
To me time has shown that you can make the adjustment necessary and now I have fully found my feet on the 29 bike will find it difficult to ride bikes that are inherently slower for UK trail riding. I have found a change in rhythm, gained a faster speed.
And the fun? Poise under pressure, corner speed, camber hold, stability in the air and on the ground are just some of the things I like about the 29. I’m also riding smoother which might ultimately mean a change to spd pedals. For now the gains in traction in British winter are unquestionable.
The only thing sluggish of the 29 bike is the indolence of those that are quick to put down these bikes, taking jabs at a subject for who most have absolutely no idea – the 29 is all about speed, efficiency and in my opinion fun. The slow uptake might simply be down to riders getting riding time and the fact that there are still some bad examples.
Yes the testing is limited and its true the sticking point maybe the move to 160mm, but I tell you what, I’m relishing that day. I also cannot give an opinion what a smaller rider might feel. How long before we see small and medium bikes in 26 and large in 29/26 and XL in 29 only?
For now the 29er bike offers me a better feeling and faster ride in trail environment than a 26”. I’m not in any way giving a broad endorsement to all 29er bikes here – there’s good and bad examples of both size wheels – and maybe different riders will create different results, but at least lets get some facts.
For now, for the majority of trail riding I do on any bike up to 140mm travel I now believe I have an advantage by using 29inch wheels on certain bikes. The question whether faster is better, for me it’s a better experience. Can of worms opened…test to follow.
The boat drifts…All hands on deck Mr Christian.
Are you frightened to go around the horn Mr Christian?
Steven Jones.
i still think they’re shit.
don’t hate until you have tried
Holy Crap – Steve Jones has jumped ship! 29ers are ok in the UK, not just the USA. I’m gonna have to ride one of these new fangled big wheel bikes.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM…
file under MBR or Singletrack
You’ve just opened a can of worms there Mr Jones.
Let’s enjoy watching the sheep now…
Gravity enduro racing – home and abroad: should I invest in a new 160mm 26″ bike, or avoid the rush and jump onto a 140/130mm 29er?
That’s what I want to know right now…… Jones?
Been wanting to at least try bigger wheels for a while now. Got to say this is one of the best straight-up real-world comparisons I have read. Top effort Mr. Jones.
Wow, you’ve opened up a can of worms there Mr Jones! Really interesting reading … I had been trying to resist this trend/development in the industry, but if you guys are taking it seriously I’m going to have look as well. I can foresee a future for myself in which another bike may be needed and will be phoning my local bike shop to test the Camber they offered me the other week! Doh. This could be expensive. Let the debate commence!
29′er Santacruz Nomad would be immense!
Well said Steve, I’ve had a hardtail 100mm forked 29er for almost a year (as well as my Swiss army bike, on one 456 summer season), it’s immensely quick for trail riding! even though I constantly smash my mates to bits on trail rides, they all still slag it off (as do most who haven’t tried one). In my opinion, 29ers are the future for trail riding, faster, just as manoeuvrable, more grip and just as much (if not more) fun!
Nice one Steve.
From the little mans perspective (5’9 on my toes..) I’ve fully changed over to 29 – having previously published the words ‘I’ll ride 29ers over my dead body..’. yeah, I’ve eaten humble pie. Got over the weird look. like you I let the reality of time, and the visial signals like my ability to gap my regular riding companions without spending more energy make the choice for me. Of all the benefits though, it’s climbing traction on less aggressively treaded tyres which appeals to the XC racer in me. Passing the 26ers up grunty slither channels on a summer tyre simply feels like cheating.
Currently running a carbon Niner Air 9, a Ti Seven Sola SLX29 and a Scott Spark RC29, and can’t see many rides where i’ll need to pluck one of my 26ers from the rack.
BTW – Julian from SRAM says you ruined him. Catch you soon and best to JB..
Cheers, Justin
what pisses me off most is that they are still measured in imperial, a new wheel standard was a clear opportunity to go metric, but oh no those damn backward yanks and their 18th century units of measurement!!!
thats why 650b sounds better to me
as for the ride, one of my mates just got a gf rumblefish, hes a lanky fellar and the bike seems to suit him, though he did find it a bit less pumpable and flowing compared to a 26er on a weekend at afan, it may just take a while for him to adapt.
either way it means more standards, tyres, spokes, rims, frames forks, etc etc incompatability is a pita with things like dropper posts, can the market sustain so many variables?
and jonsey not brave enough to come out and say 29ers are the future for DH?
@gregb There’s also people who have tried and are not convinced, you see? I count myself amongst those. I’ve ridden quite some 29ers by now, both hardtails and full-sussers, but it did not click yet to me. Maybe I’m not tall enough at 5’10 to appreciate or feel the advantages of 29ers, maybe my idea of a fun bike is too much that of a squirrel on speed or a handful as some people would say.
For the last few years, we’ve been doing a large test for a Swiss magazine in Ticino/Switzerland with 26ers with 140/150mm of travel (think do-all trail bike here) and 29ers with 105 to 120mm of travel – and with 12 to 15 riders doing the testing to get a balanced feed-back. Last year, the Niner Rip9 made it into the top3 of the bikes in the test. This year, the Transalpes 29er was the most liked big-wheeled bike – but the top3 were all 26ers, including Yeti’s SB-66, Cannondale’s Jekyll and BMC’s TrailFox Carbon. Some of the testers liked the 29ers’ more stable handling a lot as it increased their level of confidence in technical terrain, others mentioned the same stable handling as fun killer.
It all comes down to personal preference and how tall you are, I guess. If I wanted the fastest bike for a ride, I’d stick to a sub 20-poundish rigid carbon lightweight bike – but then again, where’s the fun with that?
I want to see 160-180mm 29″ bikes and I want to see them tested against 26″ and see which is best!
@Laurens, I only say that because most people have an opinion without even trying!
Ah they’re coming out the wood work now…
Makes me wanna cry that the facts are facts….They just look so shit. Mwwwahhhhhhhhh…
And there’s me still riding with a 24″ rear
I do want to try out a 29r though as it might be better than a bighit for a commute. doh!
*sticks head in the sand*
La la la…I’m not listening.
@DTM, Throw some 650Bs on for Nomad now. Its the optimal wheel size as you will find out. 27.5″ dia. Perfect.
‘tests on the subject carried out on several bikes including – Santa Cruz Tallboy, Specialized Camber, Trek Rumblefish, Norco Shinobi and Charge Cooker’
‘I’m not in any way giving a broad endorsement to all 29er bikes here – there’s good and bad examples’
Care to elaborate? You don’t have to tell us the bad ones, just the good ones
Could have told you the outcome even before I read the article… typical Jones!
@jonzo – is that because the title gave it away?
When are 4x and Slalom racers making the switch to 29r’s….anyone…?…
I thought the next big thing was 24″ wheels?
I’m sure I still have the Dirt issues that promoted them as THE essential, bike-changing, pocket-emptying product.
After recently returning to mountain biking after a fairly long hiatus, I tend to look past the promotional and try things out for myself. Perhaps I’m being overly cynical, but this 29er business smacks of the bicycle industry trying to generate a whole load of cash by telling riders that if you don’t switch your frame, forks and wheels, you’re going to be outdated.
I bought a rumblefish over a year ago, put on a shorter stem, 711 bars, stans rims & dropper post. Ever since I have been telling my mates “it’s so fast” but no one else has one. last night I had to keep slowing down to let my mates catch up, & I was not really pushing. Week before on my 5 with stans rims/similar spec & I have to really push to keep up. Then if I get the 29 hardtail out (salsa rigid fork, stans) I can destroy people, it’s so much fun and exhilerating going so fast. Technical & jumps is no problem either, I love my rumblefish, I also love my 5, it’s different. Covering ground at high speed it is. I’m just so pleased to hear someone of Jonesy’s reputation spell it out. Stans rims, ardents & Mud X’s are not that much heavier in 29 form. It’s a speed shock every time on the 29er, but not if you keep the standard heavy rims.
Velcome to my vorld, ha ha ha.
Try a slacker head angle + bigger fork and shorter chain stay 29er and you’ll be even more impressed. Ie Canfield brothers Yelli Screamy (mine),Banshee Paradox, 2souls cycles Quaterhorse, Kona Honzo, Chromag Surface and a few more just starting to come out….
How tall are you steve?
Id like to try a 29 er but being a short arse not sure if id get on with one.
“the proverbial king of the mountain 26 bike. Possibly the most state of the art 140mm bike currently available.”
Care to develop a bit more about what 26 bike you’re comparing with? Sounds like a Zesty with off-set bushing mounts and a BOS Deville 140 to me. Or a Banshee (Mythic to you UK guys) Spitfire.
Jones on SPDs? They couldn’t be quicker could they? Could they … ?
Jonesy, there is a guy in New Zealand called Fenton, rides a custom built Nicolai Helius AM 29er, with Manitou Dorado forks, Enve Carbon wheels, bling kit etc etc.
Get yourself on a plane and go test ride it. I am 100% sure he would let you he’s a massive 29er advocate and would bite your hand off at the chance to let you test it!
Looksie here: http://forums.mtbr.com/nicolai/9-months-still-love-753240-post8712485.html#poststop
For obvious reasons, I love reading articles like this. 2012 marks the 10 year anniversary of Gary Fisher 29ers hitting the market.
It’s also worth noting that Willow Koerber enjoyed her best year on the World Cup circuit in 2010 while racing for the Subaru Fisher team on a 29er. She’s 5’1.
Im really happy with my recently new 26″ wheel bike so im ok at the moment, Ive worked in the bike industry for 15 years now and tried a few 29ers (from the really bad ones they tried to make us like in the 90″s to a couple of the ‘must have’ new models listed here) and after riding them I can say that personally there not for me, i do have a cx bike and enjoy riding all sorts of diferent bikes so Im certainly not on a hating different types of bikes tip although I will admit to being a bit of a 29er hater until recently.
I had my eyes opened a little by a 29er owning friend of mine who raised the point that in surfing in the late 90″s people started to experiment with riding longboards again and this sparked a new movement (mocked at the time by a narrow minded short board riding majority, but now fairly commonplace) that a wide range of equipment can be ridden an enjoyed by anyone depending on the conditions and the personal whim of the user. this didnt lead to a halt in shortboard production, but an explosion in development in all shape and size boards, and subsequently an explosion in progression of the sport its self.
So my view on the 29er has been changed. as I say Im not a massive fan at present but remain open minded to what can be done on different styles of bike, check this link for example and interested to see it. to quote my friend “ride whatever you want as long as you ride it well” and i will add to that buy whatever you want but dont be SOLD anything by anyone else. We live in a wonderful time where we can demo most bikes that we are considering buying for free, DO IT try before you buy and buy what feels right. and ride what makes you happy. bike manufacturers wont stop making 26ers or 29ers or even 24ers, each of the bike styles will just improve and become more suitable for their intended purpose.
To shorten my massive rant: ride what you will and enjoy it and try not to hate anything, theres already too much of that about. bikes are mint and riding them with your mates is even better.
tried to post link above but didnt work here it is. http://youtu.be/rxC7rgeTGck
juansamwell- that’s a good attitude.
Haters get in the way of having fun. Isn’t fun the main reason we ride bikes anyway?
Oh, when Jonesy says state of the art trail bike, I don’t think he’s talking about a Banshee!
This is the wrong time (economic/financial) for this balls, they’re going to kill mountain biking. After a good 16 odd years of spending every penny on MTBs I’m sick of all the bollocks regarding standards and widths of this or that. I’ve gone from a rigid bike that I would do everything on to ending up having 3 or more bikes for every variation of terrain, each one like a child that calls out for parts every five minutes. I’ve now refused to spend any more money on my bikes apart from the odd chain or inner tube. I’ve also been getting more into sports like snowboarding and surfing where the thing you ride lasts longer than a few months before it breaks or becomes obsolete. (head in hands sobbing :’(…)
@GDawg really?
as I say ive been in the industry since the mid nineties and theres actually very little that has become totally obsolete, hell we can still get parts for a gt rts! thats over twenty years old. and if your frame is made of aluminum it may break within five years anyway as ally age hardens I really dont think that there going to kill mtb because theres too many small dedicated companies out there that will continue making good parts even in very small numbers. and you can still do everything on your rigid singlespeed if you want, you just have to ask yourself if your riding for your own amusement, or trying to be competitive. I do winter club mtb rides down all sorts of trails and even off jumps on my cx bike i just have to accept that in some situations its a bit slower/ rougher than a six inch travel mtb. and if being competitive is your goal, you will always have to keep accepting new standards and designs. mtb as an entity is all of us who ride not the companies who sell us stuff and unless we all quit mtb will never die. People said bmx was dead in the 90′s but im sure mat hofman and all the otheres of us who rode every day would have disagreed =)
The main thing that annoyed me recently was went I tried to swop out another cracked downhill frame onto my existing bike and nothing fitted, rear wheel, disc mount, headset, chain guide, all had to be changed. I’m not against progressing the technology but the standards don’t mean anything. But you’re right there will always be people who will shell out for the latest thing to try and compete, but this number may start reducing.
Is 29 big enough? I remember Ben Cathro riding a 36″ back in 2009! http://dirt.mpora.com/news/ben-cathro-nz-diaries.html
fair point man yea more ‘standard’ standards would defo help. (and not just in our industry) swapping frames has always been a pain in the rear tho. and i still dont understand why we need fifty twelve different bb sizes and fitments, surly hollowtec 2 just works right?
billy your twisting my mellons man!
That photo of the santacruz taken in the subway… Isn’t that in Monmouth!?!
There’s a point worth making to all those who get frustrated with constant changing of standards.
Don’t get me wrong. it pisses me off too- it’s the same with Tractors- but the fact is if nothing evolved there would barely be a bike industry.
If there was only 1 bottom bracket system, what scope would there be for improvement?
The fact is the human race is all about evolution.
Evolve with the times. New quite often is better than old.
Even if you don’t like change.
My old Tractor is the tits. But really it’s nothing on the new clod busters out there.
Oi Jones!
.
Serious question, if you put the 29er away again, ride exclusively on the 26 for a month or so, then try your timed tests again, will the 29er still be faster?
.
I wonder how much of the great cycling debates (140/160, air/coil, single pivot/multichupathingy pivot) really come down to ‘what I ride most now is fastest because I’m used to it,’
If you spent the time to get used to the old way would the 29er suddenly fell all big and slow again?
.
More pertinently, you Dirt boys need to do a PROPER TEST! Get a Tallboy and a Blur XC, spec em the same, same forks, same tyres (size notwithstanding), bars, brakes etc. Then get everybody at dirt to ride them both multiple times down/up a few timed section and give us a big table with individual run tims, average and overall.
.
That’ll give use a proper answer, although I bet the answer’s just that faster rider go faster than slower ones.
PS, I know why we’re all ignoring the Californians.
Last time the world listened to them we all ended up on noodly horst-link based things with shite bushings that creaked all the time and fell apart half way through winter.
.
They haven’t got a clue what this thing we call ‘winter’ even is, took Santa Cruz ten years to get pivots right and even then only after they hired a Yorkshireman…
If you like a 29er then buy one, if you don’t then don’t bother and stick to a 26!! Why does everyone have such a strong opinion on it?! You don’t get these arguments over crank length or stem length after all, both of which can have a huge difference to a bike. You get what you like.
Easy answer to the problem…(even though there isn`t one..)
Get one of each…..
Sorted….
@Big_Tim You don’t? You’re clearly reading the wrong forums
Some good points here re 29ers. I have been saying the same since taking the plunge after trying out a number of 29ers, racing on a Niner this year. It took me a while to get used to the handling, but once that period was over, it has just been an exhilirating experience. I have put togther my thoughts over at Cyclistno1.co.uk which emulate the thoughts of Steven. There is a transition period, where the ‘negative’ aspects of a 29er pray on the mind, but these soon evaporate. Dialing in the right stem and bar combo is so important. Granted it may not be for everyone, but do give it a go.
I’m waiting for Jones to get kitted up in SPD pedals. That’ll be next.
Then there’s the danger he might throttle off for real on the Vin Rouge…
Is this gonna be in the next issue? I’d much rather read it there.
I like boobies and bigger is better…..
Mountain bikes have 26″ wheels.
only ridden a 29er once…at forest of dean in Feb 2011 in appalling weather conditions
spent 1 hour riding an ellsworth evolve FS 29er
very impressed..even with the semi-slick Specialized 29er tires the bike had better traction on the same muddy trails at FOD, than my Devinci with its super knobbly all-mountain 26″ tires??
the 29er also climbed like a beast and rolled like a 700c cyclocross bike on the fireroads
would like to try out a 29er in more detail, but too many bikes currently in the stable
No facts/times to back up the 29″ is faster heading..
A lap of Brechfa or Afan on equivilant bikes would make sense of it.. Be interesting to see splits times etc..
what would 29ers b like in the Alps on lift assisted stuff? I was there for 10 days in Les Deux Alps on my 26′ and it was brilliant but can’t imagine what it would be like on a 29er, is Jonesy saying they are good for everything? I can only afford 1 bike so it has to be good for all disciplines inc. Downhill
Ask Sam Hill or Steve Peat to ride a Intense 951(26er) and Intense 2951(29er) to judge which is the fastest wheel diameter to go downhill.
Totally agree with jonsey here and have been trying to promote 29ers for two years now. I was lucky enough to help out on the 2010 Bike Magazine bible test where we ran 26ers and 29ers over the same trails multiple times and everytime they were faster, both in feeling and on the clock! The arguments against 29ers are more often than not born out of ignorance and the fear of change!! True some are better than other just like in 26ers but overall the benefits are there and can be enjoyed by everyone if they just had the stones to swing their leg over a 29er.
How many Comments? Looks like I’m gonna have to twist Tam’s arm far enough that he will design me a 29 frame…
And who is Christian?
Wow you have managed to turn my fav magazine into Mountain Bike Action aka extended press releases pretending to be objective reviews….
The bottle with the message in it washed up on South African shores two years ago. Suppliers CANNOT keep up with the demand for 29ers here. One ride does not a 29er experience make, which is why this article is accurate and relevant. I’ve test-ridden more than 30 29ers in the past two years (along with a similar number of 26-inch bikes). I love the honesty of a 26-inch hardtail and the playfulness of a 26-inch 5-inch travel full suss. But if you’re after more speed and better control in most situations, the 29er truly is the new king.
It’s the apocalypse.
Jones talking about wearing SPD’s?
Whatever next? Cats and Dogs living in harmony, Billy The Web off a hardtail and on a full suss… oh, wait.
WE’RE ALL DOOOMED!
Yes, Jones wearing ballet shoes is the last straw!
Give it time and the industry, advertisers and eventually magazines will be gimping about the effectiveness and positives of the 36″ wheel. Its all about getting the £ out of your pocket.
It’s OK 26″ lovers/owners. The nichElite will move onto something else soon enough once 29″ becomes mainstream.
My vote will be full rigid klunkers, they’re gaining a lot of ground at the moment…
OMG! Jones wrote something more comprehendible than William Burroughs for once. Well done SJ.
Dear mr. jones.
I work for the industry here in california, and this has to be the most ignorant article i have ever come across.
We sell the 29ers to people that actually think is going to make them faster or better, its just a selling gimick. We had this bikes arround for about 10 years and the short comings of this contraptions have become a big issue here.
The wheels dont get bent like the 26ers. they actually colapse and many people have been seriosly injured because the wheel wont turn and you get ejected from the bike.
The few 29er DH bikes we have for sale here have fail to deliver and cost too much.
The parts wear twice as fast and people dont like that,specially brakes,tires,chains,not to mention those rings and casette.
When it comes to racing many people are going back to 26 bikes,the 29 has limitations on diferent terrains,the 26 parts can be switched to suit those races,on the 29 you are stuck with the big wheels and if you have a short track,you are done. Check EBAY US and will see how many 29 bikes are out there.
“The parts wear twice as fast and people dont like that,specially brakes,tires,chains,not to mention those rings and casette.”
Now just in that little bit there lets me know you haven’t a clue what you are on about.You wouldn’t by chance work for the US version of Halfords?
Tipping point?
But seriously;
“Other issues that need solving before go 29 – for example gearboxes”
We’ll be waiting a while then?
I thought this day would never come. I’ve been riding 29ers exclusively for 4 years now but I have never been an evangelist for them. To each their own has always been my take on it. For me though, the 29er is undeniably faster both up and down. They jump great too. It’s great to finally have some validation from someone on the gravity side of things and from the UK no doubt!
My view is that you learn the most skill on smaller wheels and then you transfer those skills to the bigger sizes. At the end of the day it’s about choice. Different wheel sizes exist for different reasons. 29′s just another way to slice thru. It’s a valid option but the end all option? Hardly. Monster trucks are fun but so are rally cars. Let’s not confuse size with skill. Could Danny Mac bunny hop flair mr jones’ rumble fish? Probably. Would he rather do it on his inspired? Probably.
SPD’s?
On both wheel sizes?
Do tell.
Charlie Brooker has taken up jogging and now this?
@ Mr Tread. Wrong audience. These are the riders and this is the terrain they are buying all those 29′ers for:
http://www.thehubsa.co.za/forum/gallery/sizes/2392-img-3929/large/
I think the SPD mention gives it away – Jones is pulling a fast one on us.
What would Jesus do?
29″ and 650b are both nothing sizes.
Everyone should switch to the ETRTO standard which is a measirement of the bead to bead diameter and tread width.
eg a 2.2 29er is 55-622. a 2.4 26″ tyre is 60-559.
Walk.
Jesus would pull the biggest skid in the world on either size wheel with original Oakley frogskins, SPD sandals on clipped in stylee….
Yeah please swap to 29″ then I can get some serious bargains on Ebay when all the mug/sheep swap over!
My neighbour Gerald Richardson runs Fordson Majors and old Massey’s whilst up the road the Gleade family have a mix of John Deere’s and Claas. They both work the same type ground, the outputs are different, but equally great people that get on fine
I think an even bigger (or possibly smaller) picture here Billy is what will the UCI do? An organisation that allows bikes with undoubted advantages compete alongside slower ones. In terms of DH if I was a rider looking for a several seconds on Gwinn, I’d be in the workshop knocking a 29 up. But then in a sport that has a ban on the types of clothes you wear well….. It all seems spectacularly inconsistent.
Took me long enough to accept that there was a world beyond 20″ wheels, AND NOW THIS?????
Maybe mountain biking does need to be killed off, get rid of all the douche bag kooks and let the hardcore regrow it with some credibility and proper sized wheels. A bit like a forest fire you know? Similar to what other sports like BMX, skateboarding and surfing have gone through.
@ Part Time.
There is no world beyond the 20in, everything else is just training for the gate!
@Jones The bigger picture is what Gerald and the Gleades will do when the Ploughmens Association push forward the National Rules regarding the use of Skims and Tailpieces on the T20 vintage plough.
Great review Jones, not cryptic at all. Variety is the spice of life, ride them all, ride them fast!
@ gdawg sorry man but you may have missed my point, surfing has grown more open minded as a result of developments across a range of styles no style of board has stopped being made and bmx is a bad example because its still fashion orientated and theres loads of kids riding break-less bmx’s with massive wide bars just because they’ve been told there cool. guys were going huge with massive bars in the 80s and then with narrow bars in the nineties and now again with wide bars. types of bike and types of rider dont halt progression they drive it.
And the bike industry makes nearly no money from the three high end niche bikes (like six grand dh rigs and all mountain bikes) they sell every year. the thousands of one grand bikes and all the 29ers and average hartails sold to the ‘kooks’ pay for the development of the bikes that we ‘hardcore’ riders enjoy.
the point is no matter how many variations of kit are dreamt up by marketing men and bought by beginners or rich old dudes with more money than sense, as long as the ‘hardcore’ still ride, bike companies will build bikes for us, as the industry is still fundamentally driven by demand, but it has to make money to support the niche markets.
And to be honest I personally (if i had infinite cash and a barn instead of a shed) would have pretty much one of every bike ever made just out of an interest in the bike as an invention and a means of having fun, like Id have a million different surfboards and cars. loving all aspects of the sport is what makes a rider committed and hardcore.
At some stage you’ve got to step back and say ‘you know what, that isn’t mountain biking’. Everyone knows a road bike is faster than an MTB over flat tarmac, that isn’t a mystery. i ride an MTB because I’m a freaking radical dude with a soul, it’s the journey not the destination, i wear baggy as shit shorts, I’m different and I’m part of a tribe that puts the middle finger up to heart rate monitors and lycra (unless it’s worn underneath for a wee bit of ball sack protection). Of course dirt are going to lap it up when bike companies are sending then tonnes of bikes to ride when most of us can’t even get the money together for £160 suspension fork. Not that I’m bitter.
Im part of tribe that has two legs and inhabits a planet called earth. This member of the tribe enjoys rding dh in baggy shorts, and cyclocross in baggy shorts, some other members of the tribe dont! and I dont dislike them for that because my tibe has evolved to a state where we dont need to war against each other because of the clothing we wear, or the bike they ride. I just think tryig to find differences between people is daft and theres no need.
Mountain biking is surely riding a bike on a mountain is it not? (although most of us in the uk are probably in reality hill bikers as theres not that many actual mountains to ride)
Riding mtb (or road or anything else regardless of wheel size) is not in anyway advancing human existence so why do we need to form tribes and fight for what we do? I see myself as a cyclist, a surfer, an enjoyer of the outdoors, a graphic designer, a mechanic, an enjoyer of the transient and fleeting nature of weather, all sorts of stuff but i dont feel threatened enough by anyone or anything that i need to stand up and fight for my identity in some way.
We are all more than the hobbies we do. I enjoy riding bikes and the empathy one can feel with a total stranger just because we both ride, why do we have to concentrate on our differences.
@billy. 29s represent the cross and that it’s gonna save mtb and take it to heaven…so..Jesus probably would say “seriously?a f’n cross? It sucked last time I was on one.” it’s the last thing he’d shred the gnar with.
I can’t take the advise of a man who used to race DH in his welly boots….
Obviously the clock doesn’t lie, and I did a similar 26 vs 29 shootout with a couple of mates about a year back with much the same conclusions as Jones. But what truly sold me on the 29er was the fun I was having on it…though at first I thought it could be due to the novelty. But it hasn’t worn off. At all. A 26er is still fun, but not fast. And a good deal of what makes riding my bike fun is going fast. BTW I´m 5’7.
The bike co’s and the mags need to realise they have a responsibility to look after this sport, the only reason the industry exists is because you and I invest our hard earned into their products. Just in the same way a government has a responsibility regarding tax payers money. The money in the big pot needs to be used wisely or we aren’t going to have a sport any more.
The question i’d like answering is why 29″, surely if the bigger diameter has all these benefits (?) why not 30″, 32″ or 36″. If bigger really is better then why fork out for a 29er when a 32er is clearly going to be better for all of the reasons why 29er is supposedly superior to 26″ and your 29er is then instantly outdated, the whole discussion is ridiculous and jonesy i’d believe more of what you wrote if we saw how tight and twisty these trails actually were, can’t imagine a 29er would rag down cresta run anything like a 26″
@Jones
I think we can look at this with my lovley science polarized glasses and take out a few arguments. The rest just becomes subjective.
to quote your article
THE ARGUMENT – AGAINST 29ers
Manoeuvrability – most arguments centre around the front centre/rear centre balance and the years of fine-tuning that 26” bikes have achieved
Acceleration – Larger rotational mass of the wheels is said to be slow in tight corners
Agility – You cannot pump and work a 29 in technical terrain like you can 26” SUBJECTIVE
Weaker wheels – a theory that smaller wheels are stronger IF YOU MADE ONE BIG WHEEL AND ONE SMALL WHEEL OUT OF THE SAME SECTION [eg EN521] THEN THE SMALLER ONE WOULD BE STRONGER. THEREFORE, WEIGHT FOR WEIGHT, A SMALLER WHEEL IS STRONGER. FACT.
Poor geometry – the designs are in their infancy. SUBJECTIVE
Limited designs – fewer companies producing limited designs SUBJECTIVE
Rider height – said to be better for taller riders SUBJECTIVE
Flow – not possible to pump terrain, flow corners especially tighter ones IT’S HARDER TO CHANGE DIRECTION ON A LARGE SPINNY THING THAN A SMALL SPINNY THING. THINK FLYWHEELS. FACT.
Fall over – said to fall over in corners due to a higher centre of gravity. THAT’S CALLED “BEING A SHIT RIDER”
Unsprung mass – more weight in the rear will make the bikes harsher. ONLY IF THEY ARE HEAVIER.
Tyres and tube weight – increased overall bike weight due to such things as the rubber content. REDUCED BIKE WEIGHT DUE TO SHORTER TRAVEL SUSPENSION…..
26” lighter and faster than ever – plus the Europeans are making some bloody good 26” trail bikes SUBJECTIVE.
Other issues that need solving before go 29 – for example gearboxes, mudguards. PLEASE.
Conspiracy theories – the USA based companies desperate to make our garages obsolete. FACT. THE YANKS ARE BAD. BIG WHEELS MAKE FATTIES LOOK SMALLER.
They look shit – people perception that bigger wheels look bad. SUBJECTIVE
The science – you cannot argue with a boffin after all. FACT.
There’s also this thing about flow over bumps and and grip.
FLOW. try driving up a pavement in:
A: a mini
B: a tractor
both at 15mph, both with the solid wheels, neither with suspension,
and you will soon realise why big whels are better for bumps than small ones. 29ers are better than 26s for this. Not much. But they are. FACT
GRIP
Given the same tyre cross section, required pressure, weight of bike and weight of rider, 29 is grippier. Loosley, just to prove the point, draw 2 circles. one 26cm, one 29cm. draw in the ground – a horivontal line. draw a line 0.5cm above this, that intersects both faces of the tyre. the distance between the intersections represents the area which I will assume increases linearly. on the 26 cirle, the ground contact area is 10.14 cm long, and on the 29 cirlce it is 10.72. So basically, roughly, and depending on tyre pressures, the 29er has 5.7% more contact area with the ground. FACT
All the problems come into this when you atart applying preferences eg I like riding wide rims and big tyres at low pressures to get more contact area. If I did this on a 29, then my rim weight would go up more than on a 26.
It’s all horses for courses. DJ 24″ DH/FR 26″ and AM/XC 29″. There’s one thing I’m happy to put my money on, no bike builder would build a 29″ DJ bike, and no one would race XC on 24″. Horses for courses…..
Onion – contact patch is equal if all else is equal (rim and tyre model/width, tyre pressure, rider weight, susp set up if applicable).
Contact patch on 29 is longer and narrower, but of equal area. Hence better cornering – more effective edges working for you.
Nice one onion except you are wrong in one of your arguments – I can actually argue with you x
@other dave
given the same tyre cross section, and compression [ie both of them squashed by 5mm] then the contact width is the same, but the contact area is longer, by a gnat’s cock, therefore the contact area is larger.
@Jones
NO YOU CAN’T!!!!!!!! MY CALCULATOR IS KING!!!
@ Other Dave,the contact patch is definitely NOT equal if all else is equal BECAUSE the contact patch is longer. The same width rim with the same width tyre on both 26″ and 29″ wheels will mean that the area in contact with the ground is the same WIDTH, not the same length – the 29er being longer, ie Onion is right, and so is Jonesy, more area in contact with the ground, ie more grip.
YEAAAAAAAAH DOWN WITH OTHERDAVE!!!!!!
“The bike co’s and the mags need to realize they have a responsibility to look after this sport”
no they don’t!. the companies and mags owe you nothing! and the sport owes you nothing! the riders and the people on the ground make the sport, when mtb was invented there were no companies, just a bunch of guys making their own stuff. they did ok without a magazine telling them what to buy, if you dont like what a mag is selling, just dont buy it! and look at the punk movement, way before big publishing houses got hold of it (and even now) there are diy zines made at home that perpetuate the scene.
two articles above this one is one of many posts about home made bikes. There are hundreds of mates races being organized all over the place every week, there are websites and blogs forming a rainbow of different opinions, so really were in a situation were the dominant companies or media outlet is just the one you choose to listen to. And throughout the history of mountain biking there are examples of people not liking what was being made or done and starting their own company, race series, or mag.
as I say before there not going to stop making 26″ rims or compatible frames. If your “tribe” is so important to you build your own bikes and your own scene and just get on with it. simples
MTB WILL NOT DIE JUST BECAUSE OF ONE NEW DESIGN DO NOT BE AFRAID!!!!
So these faster 29ers? They come with an engine right, or do you have to pedal them?
Clue is in the PSI bit – pounds per square inch….. I ride 29′ers BTW (got 4 of them) – just like clearing up the myths…
If the contact patch was longer and the same width, they’d have more rolling resistance. They don’t. But they do have better traction.
I like the name rumblefish, excellent film. I could almost buy that bike on its name alone. as for 29″ as a tall (6’2″) chap I’m interested but still not sure about the whole big wheels being strong enough. On my 26″ DH bike it needs to cope with 8ft drop offs when I weight 115kgs! can a 29″ wheel with slimmer rims really match in strength?
Surely, as far as the contact patch thing goes there are so many variables that it isnt really an argument anyone can win e.g a 26′ rim that is say 30mm wide with a 2.5″tyre will have a bigger contact patch than say a 29′rim with a 25mm width and a 2.0 tyre. and thats without even getting into rider weight, tyre pressure, tyre casings and their deflection under load etc?
Wouldn’t the feeling of extra grip be down the the larger rim having a lower rpm than a 26 over a given distance thus having the effect of gearing up the bike? similar to off road technique say when driving on ice or mud, a higher gear helps to prevent loss of traction? I duno. (prods bear with stick in a jones like manner) =)
sory judan bear i wasnt proding you with the stick your coment wasnt there when i started typing =)
So all I need is a Carbon frame combined with a 29″ wheel , 850mm handle bars , press fit BB , 142 mm hub and tapered head tube to be coolest dude in town?
““The bike co’s and the mags need to realize they have a responsibility to look after this sport”
no they don’t!. the companies and mags owe you nothing! and the sport owes you nothing! the riders and the people on the ground make the sport, when mtb was invented there were no companies, just a bunch of guys making their own stuff. they did ok without a magazine telling them what to buy, if you dont like what a mag is selling, just dont buy it!”
Way ahead of you, haven’t bought Dirt in a year and just put a new chain and cogs on my bike after the front chain ring teeth started to look like sharks teeth. Still shredding and loving it!
ok well dont worry about the magazines responsibilities then… its not persuading you what to buy why would it persuade anyone else?
Im not having a go man its just you keep invalidating your own point?
Its as simple as this most people will have a mix of 26/29 bikes in their garage and it’ll be like choosing hardtail or full suss today! I love my orange blood for its short back end and a 29er will never have the feel of that through the turns! But never say never I expect a 29er will find its way into my garage one day but at the moment I’m too busy crying to find out that a 5 figure sum of bikes is on the brink of extinction in my shed!
29 INCH WHEELS ARE CHEATING!!!!
Create a separate 29 category for racing so if you wanna ride 29 then you ride against other 29ers.
is it possible jones is in new “dating bliss” where the girl’s new and hot and does things to him he’s only read about in magazines? we all go thru it. Eventually she becomes comfortable though loyal she will lose her luster and give way to a new yet even hotter ride that will promise you so much more that you question your ideals/loyalties all over again. what was my point? so yeah..does this mean i can buy your stumpy enduro on the cheap now since she’s not gonna be any good to you anymore?
Motorbikes are faster than 29er’s and they have small wheels. Will they start making 26inch moto’s soon? Don’t answer that.
I see it like this: 29er’s look stupid, at this point in time I’d be embarrassed to ride one. If they are faster then 1) get fitter and stronger (I heard Danny Hart has a new gym…), and 2) learn to ride better. 3) Get off on smoking people on silly looking big wheeled bikes, or 4) Do whatever makes you happy and don’t give a shit either way.
Representing the dying breed.
The Last of the 26er’s. I can see a film about this…
Interesting point, what will the UCI do?
Genuine question – is a 20″ BMX faster round a track than a 24″ cruiser?
They seem to manage OK with different bike / wheel size classes.
Dave, assuming a 29″ is faster than a 26″ doesn’t mean a 32″ would be faster than a 29″. There has to come an optimum wheel size where the pros/cons of big/small wheels trade off with each other to form the perfect balance for the particular rider and trail. I neither know nor care what this size is though.
Get Danny Hart, Sam Hill and Arron Gwin winning DH events on 29ers. While you’re there get Rene Wildhaber, Nicolas Vouilloz and Remy Absalon win the Megavalance on 29ers then I’m in.
‘Till then shut up.
OK, I’ve seen the future and it’s from the past.
Let’s look at recent bike trends:
Bighit – small back wheel
Klunkerz – retro style simple bikes
29er – big wheels
fixy – no freewheel
What do you get when you put all this together?
THE PENNY FARTHING, i’m telling you it’s the next big thing.
To quote the GLC, “wheely on a penny farthing? big wheel up”
@mr b, we said that the peny farthing was due a comeback at the last shop i worked at. I love your logic, and Im right there with you man!
Where’s WAKI?
Mr Jones. If phlat albert wants to buy your 26″ Enduro that’s not gonna be any good to you anymore – can I buy the Intense SS? Ha.
OT@Jones…..mulling an alpine 160 – what size is yours? You’re 6ft 2 ish aren’t you?
juansamwell you make no sense talking about war and going off on some weird rant. I’m talking about mountain bikers standing up for themselves and taking their sport into their own hands. Sometimes you need to analise things and ask questions about these kind of directions. When Barel took off his helmet peak mountain bikers stood together and said that’s not for us. When Marzocchi brought out the 12″ monster T we said no, too much. When mbuk said dress up like cartoon characters and race slalom on unicycles we said no, f’off you benders we’re hardcore badasses.
Think I’ll stick with my Curtis Race Lite 26 coz I Love it and it shredz.
Rgards
Christian
This will be like that thread we had on Cane Creek making an angle reducer cup for 1 1/8th straight head tubes.
Loads and loads of posts but no actual outcome.
they may be faster but after reading Enrico650′s comments I’m still not convinced plus they look completely ridiculous! If they offer such a performance advantage how come none of the current crop of Pro riders aren’t demanding them for DH races?
agree with dodd4721, so many drop dead gorgeous 26′ DH/Freeride bikes out there but 29ers are never gonna look good unless you’re 6’2 or over otherwise they just look stupid.
if somebody can show me a pic of a rider on a 29′er 3′ing a 10ft drop or barspinning at the dirt jumps, or geting through a tech BMX track rythem section on the back wheel
then i MIGHT be convinced………
@ gdawg all I was saying was that mountain bikeing is just riding a bike on a mountain whatever you ride. Thousands of people view riding 29ers as mountain bikeing, thousands of others dont. nither is right or wrong, wether you like it or not, and no one can dictate to anyone else what mountain biking is or isnt.
As far as the few fairly random posts youve put up, one minuet you were saying the industry needs to look after the sport or theyl kill it, the next your saying we need to stand up and revolt and we have the power to tell industry what to do? do you see how those two views conflict? I just said I dont feel the need to fight for or defend my lifestyle as some form of tribe member against another.
Im gona stop trying to point out the shortcomings in your argument now because its not advancing the 29er debate at all. my point throughout, was A: that a range of diferent styles of bike and rider is good for the development of the sport (even if in a year or two we decide one design or another isnt for us) , and B:that we should live and let live and not criticize others for their choice of bike, or the industries choice to make that bike.
Just get on with riding what you want to ride and let others do the same. And dont be scared their not going to stop making 26″ wheeled bikes
Done!
I’m 6’4 and bought a 29 GT hardtail last year just to piss about on. I took it to Afan once and was blown away by how fast it you could ride it.
It rolled soooo easily and was generally very smooth over the rough stuff.
BUT it was so lame when airbourne it totally ruined riding. 29 inch wheels do not like leaving terrafirma, they feel like coke near Westbrooks nose.
As a ‘trail’ bike then great, but if you actually like to leave the ground once in a while don’t even bother….
Sorry Mr Jones but you must have been tripping when you felt ‘Stability in the air’.
maybe they should make 27″ wheels?
I’m in agreement with Dan here. I did give 29s an honest go for awhile. I went as far as to sell my 26 frame and wheels to do so. About 6-8mos of really trying to enjoy it. I grew up on bmx so jumping is just part of the ride. I do not know what Jones is talking about when he says they jump well. By no means am I a pro but I’m not a total hack either. By the same logic that the larger diameter can roll it can’t be easier to “throw” than a smaller diameter ball can it? It was like throwing a 3 meter sail out into the wind. One last thing, why is it that 29er nation always comes at everyone like a cult carrying a keg of koolaid? Actually, even 650b makes more sense to me to try than to ever reconsider 29s again. If you roll up you gotta ride out..so whatever lifts your skirt I guess
@MrB
I have just ordered a Nicolai Ac29er with a pinion gearbox. Solving all your problems in one fell swoop
Ian, good for you, I hope you enjoy it. The gearbox thing was meant to be a bit of a joke. I love the idea of gearboxes almost as much as I love Nicolai.
On another note, Enrico650 is right about the wear, bigger wheels mean drivetrains and brakes have to do more work to achieve the same end effect so they will wear more quickly.
Mr B should work at Halfords
I like bikes, they are good, bouncy ones are best, 29ers are bouncy, so i think they are good
i like pie and chips too, but thats a different topic
Hey wobble, you know anything about moments? force x distance?
Mr B, a 26 downhill bike will use its parts faster as well, because its heavier,etc, blah blah, it’s all in context and your clutching at straws although in theory you are right, the differences are negligible and that’s not considering rider ability.We are talking about 3″ perhaps in your world it would make a big difference?
The difference is about 9%, not a big difference I agree, but not insignificant either.
I’m not in any way telling you not to buy a 29er, it’s something I’m considering hence my interest in this thread.
I just wanted to discuss my thoughts on the subject, is that so wrong you need to try and insult me and Halfords?
Ok, I re-did my sums. Lets assume you have the same cassette on both bikes but have a smaller chainring on the 29er to achieve the same overall ratio. In this case you’d have about 11.5% more tension in the chain to achieve the same drive.
I’m on my third
Suggest you visit this forum. 29er devotees galore.
http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/
Jamis do a Dakar 650 that uses a 27.5′ wheel, maybe this would be a good compromise for taller riders?
29′rs are gay as fuck
Makes sense the “boat” is slow to arrive in the UK full of 29″ers. Isn’t everyone still waiting for a few boatloads of dentists to arrive in the UK so you all can smile without offending the rest of us?
Wolfgang, you’ll be the one needing a dentist for f-ckin’ offending me.
On the racing front… If 29 inch wheels are so much faster as a few people keep saying, then they need to be in a different category at races, as its an unfair advantage. Mountain Bikes have 26″ wheels, therefore Mountain Bike Races, of all categories, should only allow 26″ wheels.
I dont particularly care if they are faster by a few seconds. I’m happy with my bike being my bike. I’m not going to go down to the trails or the bmx track, then the woods on a 29′er. I’m fed up of the industry changing standards every year, be it bottom brackets, rear hub widths, headsets etc. Its a fecking ball ache and makes no difference to 99.9% of the population. What makes me go faster is manning up and touching the brakes less, no a 4% increased stiffness in by rear triangle.
What a load of balls.
BMX racing (like MTB, is controlled by the UCI) has different classes for 20″ and 24″ wheeled bikes. Stands to reason that 26″ and 29″ should have different classes for racing.
They corner like shit!look like shit and shit for any under 6 foot just an mbuk fad get over it
Marketing genius boys! 29er you have to buy a new frame, new brake rotors, new forks, new wheels, new tubes, new tires(with zero selection). next year: peanut butter filled polymer frame! – garronteed! to go faster.
Physics test for ya mates: hold a 26″ wheel by the axles with your hands, spin the wheel, now tilt the wheel side ways, hard to do. Now do the same with a 29er wheel much harder to do. Centrifugal forces are larger for the 29er wheel, no wonder the bikes won’t corner, you can’t get them to lean over when the wheels are spinning.
29er………..this one needs to go to Davey Jones locker!!
NO, No,……next year we need them to make 28-15/64″ wheels…… those are the ones! these will get you to 8.2 seconds Jonesy
Steve on video talking about the above subject.: http://vimeo.com/33665282
I don’t like it when mummy and daddy fight.
This is the article that I’ve been waiting for… Can’t agree more, I’ve been dabbling with 29er since February, and bottom line, it’s different. Try it, get used to it, and it is faster, and more fun. If it helps, I’m 5’8″ (if I stand up really straight) and I think that the benefits are real for riders of all sizes.
Good article. Seems like (for once) the North American market is slightly ahead of the UK this time. Since 2009, 29ers here have gone from an interesting niche to must-have mainstream item.
Now the race is on to create good-quality, affordable 29ers that can appeal to first-timers in the sport or to more advanced riders who might want to throw a leg over one to see what this 29er thing is all about.
Since our company doesn’t have a presence in the UK and only sells consumer-direct anyway, this is just for information’s sake. Hope it helps.
Tried a spesh epic then a camber all I can say is GRIP!!!! Still love my 26″ blood and 5 but certainly not a hater of 29 a different experience but 2 wheels are fun!
I’m sick to death of the 29er being shoved in my face. If they’re so much damn better than why does the “IT’S A 29ER!!” phrase seemingly come out as bolded, italicized, in caps, and topped off with an exclamation mark?
I’ve had little experience, but the times I have ridden a 29er I felt like I was a midget sitting between two monster truck tires. This might be due to my inexperience with 29ers, admittedly.
You know my biggest complaint? It has nothing to do with ride quality. It’s the fact that 29ers look bloody terrible. They make a bike a look like a caricature of itself. Now 27.5s, those make a lot of damn sense.
Mark my words. 29ers will never be adopted like 26ers are. The wave of the future are 27.5s, not 29s.
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