I was 6'4" when i got that bike, I know how ya feel.
29" Is is for real??
- Thread starter jdog
- Start date
I was 6'4" when i got that bike, I know how ya feel.
elzoller
El Guac-Oh
:hmmm: I have been on my 29er for the last 2 months...today was my first "real" ride since before xmas, 16 miles at Ringwood. Conditions were excellent, by the way. I was dead by the time I finished the ride. During my first rides I felt too high, like the bike was too big for me (I think I'm like 5'7:hmmm
. I flipped the stem and BINGO, what a difference, I feel more in an attack position, I feel pretty much the same than in my 26er. But leg wise I think I felt better on the 26er SS than on the 29er SS. I had 32x21 on the 26er and I have 33x22 on the 29er, so I have no clue if they are equivalent or am I running a higher gear on the 29er For me, I feel that it takes a little bit more LEG to push the bigger wheels, but once you get them going they do roll over obstacles better and you don't get hung up between rocks and logs. So just keep the damn wheels rolling! What's FAKING me up is the full rigid :drooling:...I still have to get used to that...it beats the crap out of my hands and arms. Perhaps, I should just ride Allaire with it
. I flipped the stem and BINGO, what a difference, I feel more in an attack position, I feel pretty much the same than in my 26er. But leg wise I think I felt better on the 26er SS than on the 29er SS. I had 32x21 on the 26er and I have 33x22 on the 29er, so I have no clue if they are equivalent or am I running a higher gear on the 29er For me, I feel that it takes a little bit more LEG to push the bigger wheels, but once you get them going they do roll over obstacles better and you don't get hung up between rocks and logs. So just keep the damn wheels rolling! What's FAKING me up is the full rigid :drooling:...I still have to get used to that...it beats the crap out of my hands and arms. Perhaps, I should just ride Allaire with it 
At least you didn't smash (and destroy) your helmet into a tree while starring at the ground on a climb.
I hit so hard that I fell to the ground with some serious doubt if I was getting up. This was the scariest crash I can remember.
I know that I am in for a world of hurt when I get out of bed in the AM.
:hmmm: I have been on my 29er for the last 2 months...today was my first "real" ride since before xmas, 16 miles at Ringwood. Conditions were excellent, by the way. I was dead by the time I finished the ride. During my first rides I felt too high, like the bike was too big for me (I think I'm like 5'7:hmmm
try a Rotor q-ring. It is a different world. Promise.
walter
Fourth Party
Start drinking right now, and don't stop
ChrisG
Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
You are running quite a bit bigger gear on the 29er: 32x21 on the 26 is 39.5", 33x22 on the 29 is 42.8".But leg wise I think I felt better on the 26er SS than on the 29er SS. I had 32x21 on the 26er and I have 33x22 on the 29er, so I have no clue if they are equivalent or am I running a higher gear on the 29er
You'll spin that gear out as soon as you leave the parking lot at Allaire.
Though you should still come down and check it out anyway.
olegbabich
Well-Known Member
I think 29’s are for real. My SS is on the way. I will not abandon my full suspension 26, but I think more people will ride 29 if bike manufacturers develop frames that are specific to 29 and not just old 26 frames that have big wheels put on them.
i think each has a place but it's highly unlikely that i will ride a 26" on an XC/AM ride again.
elzoller
El Guac-Oh
You are running quite a bit bigger gear on the 29er: 32x21 on the 26 is 39.5", 33x22 on the 29 is 42.8".
You'll spin that gear out as soon as you leave the parking lot at Allaire.
Though you should still come down and check it out anyway.
WTF!! No wonder!! Damn!!!I've been to Allaire but not since 2005 and I didn't have a SS then.
I should re-visit soon, but I would need a guide (hint) as I have no clue with the trails there.
are you joking about the 20"? Or are you talking about some obscure 20" mtb creation? bmx will always be 20"
I'm new to mtb, but I think I'll be on a 26" for awhile. If the 650b thing catches on, that may be an option.
I have seen alot of the ss rigid 29ers out and about and I can definitely see the merit, but it's not for me. I kinda see it as the brakeless bmx thing. Some love it, some hate it, alot try it and go back, but it will always be there in some form of popularity.
I've been to Allaire but not since 2005 and I didn't have a SS then.
I should re-visit soon, but I would need a guide (hint) as I have no clue with the trails there.
Just say the word, guarantee you will get a guide from this board.
29ers are no good for short people who ride rocky trails. Might work fine on smooth and fast trails, but trying to wheelie over a log on a bike with 18"+ chainstays when you're not so tall is a recipe for poor handling.
Can you find nutcases on MTBR who will put up with all the drawbacks of 29ers for a 5'2" rider? Of course. Will the average rider that size enjoy riding one? No.
I'm starting my fourth year riding a 29er XC bike, and even for me at 6-4 I don't love the long chainstays. They're worth the additional traction, decreased rolling resistance, and all the other nice benefits for someone my height. I will not ever go back to riding 26er XC bikes.
However, I have no plans of getting rid of my 26er freeride bike. Big wheels suck for freeride and anything involving jumps...
Can you find nutcases on MTBR who will put up with all the drawbacks of 29ers for a 5'2" rider? Of course. Will the average rider that size enjoy riding one? No.
I'm starting my fourth year riding a 29er XC bike, and even for me at 6-4 I don't love the long chainstays. They're worth the additional traction, decreased rolling resistance, and all the other nice benefits for someone my height. I will not ever go back to riding 26er XC bikes.
However, I have no plans of getting rid of my 26er freeride bike. Big wheels suck for freeride and anything involving jumps...
I dig my 29er,When i saw Gary riding one years ago(before there were so many around) i said it was going to be fad no ones going to fall for them,well im eating those words now, totally hooked on my 29er sold my 26'' f/s to ride a hardtail. I feel more comfy on my mary then any other bike i had, weird? if you havent tryed one see if you can demo one and make your own mind up, i dont think youll be disappointed. ( as far as short peps go im only 5' 6'' with a 29'' inseam and i feel fine on rocky tech trails)
( as far as short peps go im only 5' 6'' with a 29'' inseam and i feel fine on rocky tech trails)
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anrothar
entirely thrilled
i agree on the not so great for short people in tech bit, but 18"+ chaintsays?? they make 29er hardtails with cs as short as 16.5". most are in the 17.5" range i think.
I think he was talking about full sus 29ers.. The Jet 9 will have 17.7" chainstays for example.
As for the poll results.. They are just about what I thought they would be. Most folks still need time on one to make the leap. It is a big (sorry)change for most folks to handle. We have 2 (soon to be 3) 29er demos that are always out getting ridden. These bikes make a believer out of most folks. (i have had a few people say that they wanted to buy THAT demo since it was so great) I could talk about 29 till I am blue but without trail time it is a big push. The other thing that comes up is that most folks are convinced that they need full suspension. Most of the guys I ride with who have 29ers were on 26" dual sus bikes before. We have adjusted and we are loving life on such light bikes again.
To speak to the full sus crowd, I would note that I just heard that HARO will have a Dual Sus bike ready to ship this summer w/29" wheels. I have high hopes for them but it could be a pig.
The Kalmyk
Well-Known Member
For me its 29er all the way and Ill never switch back....
bobkennelly
Member
Hope your feeling better today, last time I hit a tree it was at chimney rock and I dislocated my shoulder..not good.
Yes, I was. Just speaking from my experience with the 18" stays on my Spider 29er fully. The other effect that makes them hard to manual and therefore harder to pop through technical terrain is the bottom bracket drop. 29ers have considerably more drop from the axle height to bb height, meaning your starting point for that pivot around the rear axle to pop up the front is lower and takes more work. Not a huge issue if you're tall- I can throw my weight wherever it needs to be fairly easily- but for someone on the much shorter side, there's absolutely no denying that it is more work. Maybe it's worth the trade-off to those folks, but I think once the 29er boil cools into a simmer, we'll settle into a "wheel size to match bike size" as you mentioned.
I've ridden with women who had a very difficult time managing the standover, high front, and wheel weight of a 26er. If you're 5-2 and weigh 100 lbs, an extra 200-300 grams in wheel weight for the 29er does really matter, and the bb drop would make it that much harder to cross logs and whatnot.
As for the guys going from suspension back to hardtails, bikes move in cycles- we're always looking for the next thing to make riding a little better, a little different. In another year or two when the big-wheel-new-bike euphoria wears off, a lot of those guys will start talking about how their backs hurt and how the hardtail "beats them up," and they'll look for a 29er fully. You can see it all over MTBR with the 29er early adopters...