Discussion
Are 29ers the future??? Having just sold my Whyte 46 I'm now in the market for a new bike but don't know wether or not to stick to a 26" wheel or take the leap to 29". looking at spending around the 2500 to 3000 mark. Deciding between a Specialized Epic Expert Evo (26" wheel) or a Giant Anthem X 29er. I mainly ride the 7 Stanes trailcentre's as well as Dalby, Hamsterley and the local woods at Chopwell. Anyone have any views they would like to share before i take the plunge???
How tall are you?
I've a chromo 29er and an ally 26" er both HT. I find the 29er gives a smoother ride and rides over stuff much better and has a lot mote grip.
But its a lot less chuckable and nimble and harder work to get going in the first place.
If your 6ft+ then it may be a good option.
I've a chromo 29er and an ally 26" er both HT. I find the 29er gives a smoother ride and rides over stuff much better and has a lot mote grip.
But its a lot less chuckable and nimble and harder work to get going in the first place.
If your 6ft+ then it may be a good option.
I've got both 26" (funnily enough a Genesis Altitude too plus an On-one 456) and 29er hardtails and agree with comments above: the 29er isn't as chuckable, but it does smother bumps better than a 26"-wheeled bike. If I've ridden my 29er for a while, the first few miles on my 26"-wheeled bike feel like I've lost any riding ability: bumps slow me down more, I just seem to carry less momentum.
Depends on your intended use for the new/replacement bike I guess. I ride at GT/Innerleithen fairly often and it's usually the Genesis/456 I take, but that's because I tend to do jumpy stuff which isn't the 29er's forte. My 29er is singlespeed though and I do occasionally ride it around the black at GT which suits it well (I find that route quite a rough surface).
Depends on your intended use for the new/replacement bike I guess. I ride at GT/Innerleithen fairly often and it's usually the Genesis/456 I take, but that's because I tend to do jumpy stuff which isn't the 29er's forte. My 29er is singlespeed though and I do occasionally ride it around the black at GT which suits it well (I find that route quite a rough surface).
29ers seem to be better for larger and stronger riders. There are a few exceptions. The few that I have ridden have felt cumbersome and the wheels are hefty but I have not done large distances (<10miles).
Are they the future? I hate to admit it but I think they are. Will I buy one?, not 'till I have too!
Hard tails are good in 29er but I yet to be convinced that FS bikes are better as a 29er, a good suspension set up irons out a lot of what a 29er wheel is good for and weight of a 29er wheel plus a FS frame makes them a hefty bit of kit. Companies like Trek are really pushing 29ers and Gary Fisher (part of trek) is now basically all 29er. With that kind of muscle behind 29ers they have to be taken seriously. I ride with a couple of guys who are good riders and have been riding at a serious level for a long time. They have switched to 29ers. Interestingly the guys who race and there are many in my local club including Sally Bigham are not taken by 29ers but their requirements are very specific and downhill guys (not popular in my area) dont seem to rate 29ers in any way.
The court is still out but I think the UK will go in the same direction as America (to an extent) and 29er sales will increase to the point where a 29er is not a thing of curiosity. I love a twisty bit of technical single track or a good trail center downhill. Not the home of a 29er.
The biggest hold on the 29er market was the lack of quality components but now forks, frames and wheels are really improving and the choice is far better. For me the problem is still spares. If I shred a tyre then I can pop into any bike shop in the land and get a tube and tyre and I have not lost a ride. On a trail, there is always someone with a 26 tube. You have a few choices with a 29er - hold loads of spares or wait for you "boutique" shop to open.
Are they the future? I hate to admit it but I think they are. Will I buy one?, not 'till I have too!
Hard tails are good in 29er but I yet to be convinced that FS bikes are better as a 29er, a good suspension set up irons out a lot of what a 29er wheel is good for and weight of a 29er wheel plus a FS frame makes them a hefty bit of kit. Companies like Trek are really pushing 29ers and Gary Fisher (part of trek) is now basically all 29er. With that kind of muscle behind 29ers they have to be taken seriously. I ride with a couple of guys who are good riders and have been riding at a serious level for a long time. They have switched to 29ers. Interestingly the guys who race and there are many in my local club including Sally Bigham are not taken by 29ers but their requirements are very specific and downhill guys (not popular in my area) dont seem to rate 29ers in any way.
The court is still out but I think the UK will go in the same direction as America (to an extent) and 29er sales will increase to the point where a 29er is not a thing of curiosity. I love a twisty bit of technical single track or a good trail center downhill. Not the home of a 29er.
The biggest hold on the 29er market was the lack of quality components but now forks, frames and wheels are really improving and the choice is far better. For me the problem is still spares. If I shred a tyre then I can pop into any bike shop in the land and get a tube and tyre and I have not lost a ride. On a trail, there is always someone with a 26 tube. You have a few choices with a 29er - hold loads of spares or wait for you "boutique" shop to open.
I don't think they're the future as 29'ers won't work for everyone, but they will continue to gain fans and market share. Personally I don't like them, having tried both hardtail and full suss versions on familiar trails, and I'm supposedly the type of rider they are suited to (well over 6ft).
HundredthIdiot said:
I have read that the popularity of 29ers is driven by the requirements of the US market, where they make sense on the bigger trails.
This.I guess it depends what you ride but I pretty only ride technical singletrack, and sometimes my little 26" feels unwieldy. A 29" would be horrible.
Gooby said:
HundredthIdiot said:
I have read that the popularity of 29ers is driven by the requirements of the US market, where they make sense on the bigger trails.
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