One thing that is a seachange type sign of err-change 
is when you start to see cheap catalogue style bikes being offered in 29er sizes,
and thats what I seem to notice more and more kids on these days.
Bike Forum
[closed]
2010 the year 29er's go mainstream
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Posted 2 years ago #
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any bike, 26er or 29er, suits a type of riding. there is a choice in what you buy eg. for 29er hardtails you can go for gary fisher superfly or a banshee paradox and everything in between. if people like to pigeonhole them, i'm happy to let them do that.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Yeah. 29ers will be getting bigger. I have been selling 29ers for about three years now and we sell more 29er parts each month.
If you are tall they are logical and work.
The majority of my riding buddies are on 29ers. They are generally the older and/or taller guys. I guess the age thing is about enjoying the flow rather than wanting to huck.We have two demo 29ers in our shop. A niner SIR9 ss rigid. And a salsa dos 1x9 soft tail. You gotta try these bikes before you can believe in their magic flow powers.
Posted 2 years ago # -
And those are two of the best flowing 29ers out there, esp set up that way
Posted 2 years ago # -
Out of interest, why should they work better for tall people? The only obvious benefit is that if you're tall then there's fewer problems trying to shoehorn the larger wheels into a frame with the same contact points while avoiding toe-overlap and very bendy seat tubes and so on.
The fit (contact points) should be the same relative position-wise and I'm being told that wheelbase is barely any longer (though I'd actually like it if they had longer chainstays).
Or do you mean that they just look more in proportion on large frames which clearly they do?
Or is it that your centre of mass is nearer the axle line (which is higher off the ground than on a 26" bike). Not really sure what effect that would actually have since your 'pivot' point when leaning the bike is the ground, not the axles.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Presumably one of the advantages of a 29er is you need less suspension ?
Therefore why were'nt they invented in the early 90's when bike manufacturers were struggling to decent light suspension. This would have seemed like a easy solution then ?
Or is it just that MTBers were smaller then ? Is this something to do with people getting taller ?
Posted 2 years ago # -
clubber - stop feigning interest! If you want to try them, come on over and try my bikes.
The bigger wheels mean that there is more of a drop from the wheel axle line to the BB than on a 26" bike, which keeps the BB and therefore the pedals the same height as a 26" bike. It makes me, as a tall bloke, feel more like I'm sitting in the bike than perched on top of it - so more my size.
Think of it as your little one getting a first bike - wee wheels to start, up to 16" wheels, perhaps 20", then possibly the big jump up to 26". These increase with size - so doing the same for taller people is the next logical step. You're easily taller than 95% of the people on the planet, so a bigger (IMHO) makes sense.
Posted 2 years ago # -
My Jones is much easier to manual and wheelie than my 26er.....
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've got a 29er and I love it. I'm tall and as Charlie the Bikemonger said
They are generally the older and/or taller guys. I guess the age thing is about enjoying the flow rather than wanting to huck.
Also I find that I can run lower pressures in the tyres and this seems to improve the grip, but I am in no way an expert. And I think my bike looks beautiful, Gary Fisher X-Cal (Red, very red)
Posted 2 years ago # -
TooTall - not feigning - like I said, I'm still looking for one I like. Would gladly try yours but TBH getting out currently is hit and miss so actually organising a ride at a fixed time is somewhat impractical hence why I'm hoping to get some more goes at SSEC where there's likely to be lots about.
Anyway, I don't really agree with your analogy about kids bikes - kids bikes need small wheels as they just can't fit bigger ones in without all sorts of issues with wheelbase, foot clearance, handlebar height and so on.
For those of us blessed enough to be tall enough that we can ride bikes with either 26 or 29" wheels with no real compromise made I'm not sure that 29 is inherently better for us - only a different choice. I kind of know what you mean about the feeling of sitting 'in the bike' more on a 29er but I'm not sure that actually is better - it certainly didn't feel better to me just different - why do you think it's better? just the feel? If so, it seems reasonable enough to say that some people will like that while others won't.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Oh no, not another 29er thread...
For the record I love my 29er, and yes it is a rigid single speed but mainly because it suits me and the sort of riding I do (and no I don't have a beard or feel that gears are pointless). I wouldn't want to go back to riding a 26 incher as I never felt comfortable on my last one (I always felt perched on top of it even though I'm only 6'1"). 29ers aren't for everybody, just as full sussers with 6 inches of travel at each end aren't to everyones taste.
Can't we all just accept that different people like different bikes? The main thing is we're all out there riding. I don't actually think 29ers will be the next best thing as the 26inch wheel format is the most popular wheel format on the planet. Its gonna take quite a marketing push for 29ers to take over the number one spot...
Posted 2 years ago # -
it;s a fashion thing,, we are all fashion pandas some way or another, some people like mainstream others like swiming upstream ,, ( should have been fashion pikes)
one of the bikes I once involved with made the front cover of a mag as "best bike ever?" and that was only in prototype form but it was a marmite bike, and as it didnt fit into the percieved mould of what mountain bikes should look like it just faded away ,
and thats the point ( at last) it's down to peoples choices you cant just say 26 good 29 crap there are good and bad bikes in both camps , and I still think mountain biking is 80% rider 20% bike
Posted 2 years ago # -
29ers are sh1te end of !Anyone with half an ounce of sense can tell that just by looking a them......
& I should know because I've got one that I ride most of the time....
Posted 2 years ago # -
RichPenny - Member
I am only 5'8" though, is it just a myth that they're better suited to larger riders?
STOP PRESS - YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE TALL TO RIDE 29ERS
Sorry to shout, but I've been looking in on this thread but not getting involved until now.
I'm 5'8" and I've only one 26er now for nipping out with the dog locally.
I've three 29ers - 1 x SS rigid, 1 x geared rigid (meduim frame) and 1 x FS (17" frame)
They are perfect for what I want, they make up for my lack of skill as the wheels fly over stuff better than 26ers.
There is no toe overlap and I won't be going back to 26ers in the foreseeable future
Posted 2 years ago # -
Well, to be fair he wrote something about them rolling better, and no one has disagreed. Then he wrote about them suiting certain types of riding, and no one has disagreed (apart from maybe Maverick Boy). If these opinions are wrong, perhaps it would be useful to say why? For example, I found the bit about getting air interesting. I would guess that in general they'd be harder to manual, but unless people detail their experiences I couldn't be corrected.
Then he wrote about them being a bit niche still, and thus expensive, and harder to get bits for. And how that wouldn't really suit him. I think only Ti29er's had a decent go at looking at that point. And it's a valid point, no?
Rich, I just stated (and I'm sticking with it) that it's more about the rider than the bike. 29ers are inherently going to be a bit longer (like for like) and the wheels will have slightly more gyroscopic effect (like for like) than a 26" wheeled Mountain Bike. They will also have (like for like) slightly longer chainstays which will make them a bit harder to manual and wheelie than a 26" wheeled MTB. But people need to witness what a bike is capable of under a rider with enough skill to do it justice (not me I hasten to add) before commenting on whether or not it's any good or not for a certain purpose. Steve Peat on a rigid 29er would still beat me down a DH run even if he lent me his Worlds Winning V10!
cookeeaa makes a valid point about the cost being a prohibitor to the masses trying out 29er wheeled bikes. You can't get away from that sadly though at the moment because of course it is still a relatively small market. I was lucky enough to buy a very cheap 2nd hand GF Rig to give big wheels a go, but not everybody is so lucky obviously. To dismiss his comments as foolhardy just because he doesn't have any experience of riding a 29er is somewhat silly, after all not long ago there were no 29ers on the market, so everyone was a 26" wheeled stalwart and needed convincing to try this new fad!
Going back though, I think the point of 29ers from a marketing point of view is that the wheels roll better once up to speed, certainly over bumpier terrain, and whilst the handling is probably slightly slower than an equivalent 26" wheeled MTB the benefits will appeal to a certain type of person more so than another. HOWEVER... The differences are small... It is probably akin to comparing a full suspension bike with 100mm of travel both ends (lets call this the 26" wheeled bike) with a bike with 130mm of travel both ends (lets call this the 29er). They're both capable of riding the same terrain, it's just that one is probably going to be a bit heavier but also a bit more comfortable (the 29er) whilst the other is going to be a little lighter and faster handling (the 26" wheeled bike)... The differences are small though!
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've been watching this for a while and thought I would add my thoughts.
We sell lots of 29ers to all types/sizes of people. In fact the size we regularly sell out of 1st is 15", so the arguement you have to be tall is not a very good one. I'll go along with the "if you're tall they'll fit better" one. At 6'4" my twenty niners are the best fitting bikes I have ridden in 24 years of mountain biking. (I've just realised that puts me in the tall and older catagory of charlie the bikemonger!)
The key is to try one on a proper ride and ride with an open mind. I get very very few people who come back from a testride and hate them.
We have no trouble selling 29ers to average person off the street looking for a 1st mountain bike. Most don't spot the wheel size in the 1st place until we point it out.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm tall and young. See, it's not just tall old people that buy them.
GB
Posted 2 years ago # -
chevin, can i assume from chevincycles? nice to see a shop geared up to sell 29ers aswell as 26ers. i still think it will be some time before other shops follow suit though.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Posted 2 years ago #
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29ers seem to suit SS too.
Discuss.(I think my next bike will be SS, if I'm strong enough, something the Ti29er is helping with as I'm more pro-active & out of the saddle with this bike than any other HT I've owned. Which is but one, a Pace RC301. I'm actually growing calf muscles for once in my life - at the age of 46!)
Posted 2 years ago # -
Chevin - Member
...Most don't spot the wheel size in the 1st place until we point it out.
Speaks volumes...?
When I'm out on the trail I have to point that factor out too.
Posted 2 years ago # -
No, that speaks diameters. *boom-tish*
IGMCPosted 2 years ago # -
If you are short on £$£.
Cheap 29ersPosted 2 years ago # -
Interesting thread this...
There seems to be a lot of niggle between 26" and 29" riders, and I'm not sure why. Surely it's just about getting out and riding, regardless of what you ride. I was lucky enough to take a spin out with the guys from Sussex MTB just after Christmas, and to my mind part of the attraction of cycling with other folk is the diversity of the machinery used. In fact, I liked the look of the 29ers that were being ridden so much that I picked up a brand new GT Peace 9er in rasta colours for £250....!
Posted 2 years ago # -
The niggle comes from being told our expensive bikes & forks are suddenly obsolete
How long can MTBing handle having 2 wheel standards though?
Posted 2 years ago # -
How long can MTBing handle having 2 wheel standards though?
two standards i think you will find there is 24 26 and 29
i remeber when cannondale came with 24 rear and 26 front,,and my ss runs 24 front and 26 rear
so dont forget about us 24ers! or my 64er whyte preston
Posted 2 years ago # -
Cheers all for turning what could have been dull into an informative thread. Johnclimber, was it you I saw on the Boxing Day ride at Alfreds Tower? Should have asked for a go really. I fully agree that riding is much more about the rider, but it's nice to have a hobby where so many options are available
Posted 2 years ago # -
It's regrettable that some of the magazines seem to have been very negative in the past. But even that's changing even amongst the more staunch no-sayers journos.
Regrettably, that has translated into some non-journos' opinions, but certainty in 2009, there's a very real and visible sea-change as the 29er bikes are brought to the market.
I have both, for different riding styles / locations.
Viva La Difference!Now - what's next I wonder?
Posted 2 years ago # -
29er and SS?
29ers slightly negate the need for suspension. So if you are In a zen Mindset of less is more you are also more likely to consider losing the gears as well as sus.
Early adopters: some folk are curious and like to try new things. Ten years ago they tried ss, three years ago they tried 29ers and maybe 20 years ago they tried acid. Point being if you open your mind to one gear you are more likely to consider 29ers.
Flow and roll: 29ers carry momentum and roll better therefore they are slightly easier to ss in some trail situations than a 26er.
Single speed geared fixed big wheels small wheels hard tail soft tail rear sus rigid drop bar flat bar riser bar - it's all the same and it's all messing about on bikes.
Posted 2 years ago # -
So who is going to get a 32 or 36er?
Posted 2 years ago #
Topic Closed
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