29 Front 26 Rear. Yes or No?

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
There are a bunch of guys making em. I have only met one guy who has one. He digs it. Not so sure about how i feel about it tho.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
i think it might depend on the race. i lent a 26" rigid ss rider my front wheel before the jungle habitat race. he did half a lap and came back raving. had his own built up by race day and did pretty well on it. he switched back to 26 all around for the next race though. if you can do it without raising the front end too much, i think it'll be good.
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
i think it might depend on the race. i lent a 26" rigid ss rider my front wheel before the jungle habitat race. he did half a lap and came back raving. had his own built up by race day and did pretty well on it. he switched back to 26 all around for the next race though. if you can do it without raising the front end too much, i think it'll be good.
I spoke to Mike at the starting line of JH about the conversion and he seemed stoked. Interesting that he switched back. He's ridiculously fast anyway, whatever he rides.

Somewhat on topic, I've spoken to a couple of guys who ride the Trek 69er and they were universal in its praise, citing the ability to get the back wheel moving quickly in tech situations and whatnot but still having the ability to steamroll stuff with the big front wheel and the bomber Maverick fork. As is usually the case, there is no "one right answer" for everyone in this, just a variety of interesting choices.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
party up front, hang up on everything in the rear.

edit: i must admit, i'd really like to ride one for myself to be sure.
 
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hardtale70

She's Gone From Suck to Blow
Shop Keep
What Jake said.Everyone here that tried them at the Trek LM demo hated it.I have never felt any difference in acceleration so it seems useless to me.Full 29 is the way..............
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
His real question is racing on it though. Things are just different when you're going balls-out in a race, at least IMO they are. I'm not saying that you guys are right or wrong either way, just that a test ride, especially at LM of all places, isn't going to tell you much about it. Plus, these race courses aren't so super-technical that you ever need to worry about your rear wheel getting "caught up" on the course.

But then, in order to really know any bike you need to spend some serious time on it and how often does anyone get to do that before you buy?
 

hardtale70

She's Gone From Suck to Blow
Shop Keep
Geez why not have a bike for every discipline and each day of the week?? DH, DJ,XC,FR, AM,road, CX,SS,thats 56 bikes right there!!I'm talking about riders who ride every other day that can easily kill us all saying that 69 is harsh in back.It must be nice to have a "race" bike...................
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
Dont be a freak, just get a 29er

We rode at Wissahiken yesterday where 29ers seem to be the norm.

btw..

I have never seen such angry looks from hikers. Seems that there is a ton of tension there between user groups.

We were friendly, rang our bells and said hello but judging by the way hikers were jumping off the trails to avoid us they are gun-shy as hell.

The park was in good shape and we rode through some really neat sections that were covered in golden yellow leaves.

neat-o

J-
 

Wazu

New Member
This is my only bike so it really matters what I do. I like the 69 idea "on paper" more than a full 29er. Lots of good things about a large front wheel but I'm curious about the steering. (I know that turning a large gyro sideways is harder than turning a small gyro sideways.) Also curious if my front wheel will be able to hit my shoe when I turn. As far as my rear wheel goes, I love it and have never had problems clearing obstacles. It's a 450 dollar wheel to boot. I know that I don't like the Trek 96er. It has a DH feel/ look to it. The head tube angle would bug me, especially if I had to shift my weight over the rear wheel on steep loose climbs. Those handlebars are just too high. I'm concerned with racing rigid as well. How bad is rigid on the hands and arms with a 29 inch front wheel? Better than with a rigid 26er? C'mon kids, I want input. :getsome:
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
well, i've never ridden a rigid 26" bike before, however i can comment on the 29er being rigid. personally, i don't have an issue with it. i've been riding like that for almost a year now so maybe i'm used to it? i do notice hand fatigue after 11 or 12 miles...sometime earlier...but i think that's more of a conditioning issue. the more miles you put into it, the less it'll ultimately beat you up.

the 69er concept may work real well for you though G. i'm pretty much right on the edge height wise for being able to ride the 29ers and you're a tick shorter than me so it may work. i think you'll have to test it out on the cheap first to see what you think. i'm pretty sure you know this already, but a few months back dirt rag had that article about doing the conversion. the fork will be the biggest expense and you can borrow my front wheel if need be.
 

Wazu

New Member
Thanks for the wheel offer Jake. Means a lot. I"ll tell ya what, it's hard to think about riding rigid while my hands are healing LOL. Although Dirt Rag printed the article you sited, when you actually go to a bike shop they aren't as sure about it as Dirt Rag is. My main concern is getting someone skilled enough to do it while still keeping my handlebar height unchanged after the transformation. Ordering the right length fork is paramount. I definately don't want to change the aggressive geometry of the Bianchi. The other question is...Front fork.....Steel or Carbon? :drooling:
 
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