Overview Chat Bike Members News Women
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
  • 1 Bike vs 2 Bikes, 26er vs 29er, Warning:First World Problem content.
  • BillOddie
    Full Member

    Right then…
    I recently found a crack in my very well used Ragley Blue Pig.
    CRC were lovely and are sorting me out the full price I paid for the frame in vouchers.

    So my dilemma is this…

    I also have a 29er Karate Monkey which I’m running with rigid forks and I rather like the bigger wheels.

    Do I:

    a) Replace the Blue Pig frame, using the reasonably nice 26er specific bits I have.

    b) Get suspension forks for the Karate Monkey for the Peaks/Wales/etc and repurpose/sell the 26er bits I have.

    c) Build a new 29er “trail hardtail” 140mm forks, slack etc. Like the Blue Pig but with bigger wheels.

    Things I’m pondering…
    1) I didn’t really ride the Ragley much since I have had the Karate Monkey as the KM is better suited for my local trails (where I ride 95% of the time)…nice to have a harder hitting option though for the likes of Bike Park Wales.

    2) 1.1/8 100mm 29er fork availability seems sketchy. Best option appears to be a Reba with QR dropouts or get some X-Fusion Slides reduced down to 100mm assuming they still do them in 1.1/8in.

    3) New Trail Hardtail. 120mm and a degree or so of HA is probably mot different enough to justify the expense of a new frame, forks and rims.
    The cheap option a Ragley Bigwig seems limited to 120mm with External Headset which is needed for Taper Forks. That being said, the one that STW tested had an external Bottom Cup and 140mm fork…hmmmm.
    140mm forked options would mean something like a Chromag Rootdown which would be £500 or so for the frame. Not a cheap proposition…

    Like I said first world problems…

    Posted 9 years ago
    qwerty
    Free Member

    Definately red.

    Posted 9 years ago
    takisawa2
    Full Member

    Stooge.

    Posted 9 years ago
    Yetiman
    Free Member

    My Bigwig has 140mm forks and an external bottom cup. If you like big wheels, and you like the way the Blue Pig rides then I reckon you’d get on great with a Bigwig (my previous hardtail was a Blue Pig X).

    Posted 9 years ago
    sandwicheater
    Full Member

    No, blue.

    Posted 9 years ago
    tomaso
    Free Member

    How about the third way – 650B tweener wheels?

    Posted 9 years ago
    chakaping
    Free Member

    c) Build a new 29er “trail hardtail” 140mm forks, slack etc. Like the Blue Pig but with bigger wheels.

    This one. On One Parkwood maybe?

    Or perhaps keep an eye out for a secondhand Trek Stache.

    They have great geometry, light frames and take a 140mm fork just fine.

    And they look ace.

    Posted 9 years ago
    mboy
    Free Member

    A 140mm fork on the front of a 29er HT makes for a very tall front end. IMO it’s also pretty unnecessary.

    If you like the big wheels (and what’s not to like), I’d look at something more of an “all round” trail bike with up to a 120mm fork myself.

    Posted 9 years ago
    BillOddie
    Full Member

    Erring towards building up either a Dartmoor Primal 29 or Big Wig frame with 140mm forks. It would get used for Long Mynd, Wales (inc BPW) and The Peaks so something that will take decent bit of hammer is needed.

    120mm is too close to the 100mm the Karate Monkey can take….

    Posted 9 years ago
    jambalaya
    Free Member

    If the idea is to have a bike suited to away trips like BPW surely it would make sense for it to be a FS ? If you had only one bike it could be a HT which can take adjustable forks.

    Posted 9 years ago
    BillOddie
    Full Member

    No way would I get a Full Suss past she who wields the Rolling Pin of Fiscal responsibility.

    And I like hardtails…

    Posted 9 years ago
    stevepitch
    Free Member

    Get rid of all of it and go 650b, something bird related etc, it’s the only way to be sure

    Posted 9 years ago
    ska-49
    Free Member

    How about a Cotic Solaris with a 120mm fork and 1×10.
    Keep the KM rigid for winter and then the Cotic for nice, long days in nicer weather.

    Posted 9 years ago
    chestrockwell
    Full Member

    I’d probably sell the lot and get the 29er you really want. As you say, the 26″ didn’t get much use so that’s out and the 29″ was an option. Make the 29er the only option as it seems to be what you want.

    Mate of mine had a similar situation as he had 26″ retro, 26″ fs so built a 29″ as a single speed rigid option. Ended up using the 29″ most of the time so sold the fs to fund an Alfine system. He’s now converting it back to SS and getting a Parkwood for regular use.

    Posted 9 years ago
    BillOddie
    Full Member

    Defo not selling the Karate Monkey as I love it in it’s current configuration for my local riding.

    It would also be my go to bike for Bikepacking (once I sort the rest of my kit out) and long mixed terrain rides.

    Posted 9 years ago
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

The topic ‘1 Bike vs 2 Bikes, 26er vs 29er, Warning:First World Problem content.’ is closed to new replies.

Overview Chat Bike Members News Women