Rode against my best ever time on one of my local loops today using the Garmin. Was a full 8 and a bit minutes faster on the Highball than I was on the Whyte 19 over a 1 1/2 hour ride.

I didn’t ride any differently or really try any harder but it was obviously faster. When I look back at all of my rides on this route they were all to within 2 minutes of each other.

So there it is – 29ers are faster!

simon67
So there it is – 29ers are faster!

The XC World Cup winner/World Champ disagrees with you.

The Olympic xc winner does agree though.

Faster for crap riders like me more likely!

my bike has a 29 front and 26 rear

wherever I ride, the front almost always arrives a second or so earlier so I’m with simon67

I’m going to put a 26er wheel in the front of one of my bikes.

That way the faster rear wheel will be constantly pushing me along and I’ll no longer need to pedal. 8)

I’m going to put a 26er wheel in the front of one of my bikes.

That way the faster rear wheel will be constantly pushing me along and I’ll no longer need to pedal. 😆

I’m 4.5% faster on a 29er Ti hardtail than 26er Ti hardtail.

I’m always faster on a new bike too ;o)

I recently bought a 29er ht. And logged it on an identical route in similar conditions to my previous bike (26er f/s specialized epic) and I was faster and slower in fairly equal measures dependent on the section I was riding. Faster on long lumpy flat sections, flowy sweepy descents not too steep climbs. Slower on steeper climbs and more technical descents.
Sum total is different speeds on different sections cancelled each other out, and I am exactly the same speed for the overall course. Which begs the question, why swap? reasoning being is I have gained little or nothing in performance, but dont have a full suss race bike to look after with a specific brain shock etc. So happy with my purchase

I’m 4.5% faster on a 29er Ti hardtail than 26er Ti hardtail.

Is it 4.5% funner though?

wwaswas – Member
I’m 4.5% faster on a 29er Ti hardtail than 26er Ti hardtail.

Is it 4.5% funner though?

All joking aside……I never really want to ride a 26er again. I’m into XC racey/mile-munching type riding so maybe 29″ suits me more than most. Its quicker over bumpy ground and I’m way way faster on the downhills, including twisty Surrey Hills singletrack.

So yes much more fun, but more than that, I just Zen-out and zip along.

edit : I think frame geometry is playing a part too. I was riding a Ti456 with 100mm forks and I dont think that was an awfully good set-up, too much weight over the front, very hard work on the wrists. The 29er feels right.

So there it is – on this specific route with my riding style, in these conditions and on this day specifically for me 29ers are faster!

Yep, can’t argue with that!

my bike has a 29 front and 26 rear

wherever I ride, the front almost always arrives a second or so earlier so I’m with simon67

I also have a bike with this configuration and so have to be be careful not to ride for more than a couple of hours otherwise the bike will stretch and snap in the middle.

i like 26″ wheels.it’s just annoying that nearly all bikes are now going 29’er only. fair enough if there is a choice of either 26/29,but companies like specialized/giant e.t.c are starting to make some of their bikes 29 only 🙁

am only 5ft 5 (and a quarter 😉 damn you tall people 😆

My 29’er HT is faster than my 26’er FS when i ride it, mainly because the FS is chianed to a wall 😆

we’re not tall, we’re just not Hobbits.

Thing is, I keep hearing this debate and height and 29 v 26 and there must be something in it. But even if you arent very tall I bet you dont ride a road bike with smaller than 700mm wheels no?

I went round my local loop 8 minutes faster on the same bike. This leads me to conclude that the earth is shrinking.

mcboo i don’t have a roadbike (although i am thinking of either going for a roadbike or an anthem x2).

weeksy that was a bit above the belt (and my head). goes off mumbling angrily to myself about how i should have retorted back with a good counter quip BAH! 😉

racefaceec90 – Member
i like 26″ wheels.it’s just annoying that nearly all bikes are now going 29’er only. fair enough if there is a choice of either 26/29,but companies like specialized/giant e.t.c are starting to make some of their bikes 29 only

I have certainly been surprised to see this trend based upon what I see and hear in the UK, 29ers are still pretty rare. I have seen certain models become available only in 29er sizing. I am guessing it’s driven by broader trends particularly from the US where the average height is greater.

I think this is all way more complicated than it looks.
Like above I have ridden the same local route a number of times on my Fisher 29er HT(23lbs) and my Whyte 146 26er fs (27lbs)to try and ascertain which is faster. South Downs so nothing too rad, but some ups, downs, rooty twisty singletrack, ruts etc.
My quickest time overall was on ths FS by about a 0.2mph. But my quickest Strava segments bar 2 are on the 29er. So now I am totally confused.
The 29er ‘feels’ faster.
Both are great fun to ride.
Both are 1×10 and I run out of gears on the 26er on the long, gentle downhill bits, so would a bigger ring make it even faster than the 29er?
Would a lighter FS be quicker?
Would a 29er FS be quicker than both? Even though it would almost certainly be heavier?
Does it matter for us mere mortals?
Bloody Strava!

My 29ers are faster by about 2.5min over the Tunnel Hill Loop.

So
29er FS(Scalpel 3) = 47.5min (This is with tubed tyres)
29er HT(Radon) = 48min
26er FS(Top Fuel 9) = 49.5min
26er HT(Giant Advanced) = 50min

One of my riding buddies has just bought a 29er and I’ve gone from just been able to keep up with him, to him having to wait for me to catch up. 29ers are going to ruin some good friendships, it’s either time for me to get a 29er or find some new riding mates!

last ride before illness was on a scandal 29er
over this timed piece

Distance

2.8mi

Avg Grade

5.3%

Elev Difference

776ft

Elev Gain

797ft

Scandal 29er (2.4 tyre f 2.3 rear) 22.17
Whyte 19 (2.5 and 2.3) 26.34
Scott Spark (2.1f 2.0 r) 27.44
Yeti asr 7 (2.4 and 2.3 coil spring) 28.07

29er pretty quick for me and when i am better may consider getting one
downhill was pretty sharpish as well

I know of two sections where my 29 is definitely quicker. One is a 90’bend with a sharp uphill. On 29 I can dive into the corner and carry enough momentum to middle ring it up. On my 26 I have to more or less stop and then granny it up. Similar sort of thing on another section.
It was natural on my 29 to attack a short incline and in doing so thought why haven’t I done this before? Trying it on a 26 it doesn’t work.

I don’t know if 29ers are faster but I do know I am faster on a 29er.

I’ll be buying one soon, and not spending any more money on 26ers.

from the US where the average height is greater.

Is it?

from the US where the average height is greater.

and is it relevant?

trends particularly from the US where the average height is greater.

😆 😆 …… 🙄

It’s all those basketball players.

I recently bought a 29er ht. And logged it on an identical route in similar conditions to my previous bike (26er f/s specialized epic) and I was faster and slower in fairly equal measures dependent on the section I was riding. Faster on long lumpy flat sections, flowy sweepy descents not too steep climbs. Slower on steeper climbs and more technical descents.

If you compared like for like, i.e. 26er Epic and 29er Epic, I bet the 29er would be faster on all but the tightest twistiest trails. You’ve just compared the traits of a HT versus a short travel FS.

I’m noticeably faster on my full-suss 29er than on any mountain bike I’ve ever ridden, both uphill and particularly downhill; and that’s compared with a lot of other bikes over the years.

simon67, whereabouts are you riding, ie what sort of terrain? I have a theory that the 29 vs 26 debate largely (but not entirely) comes down to terrain.

I put something up a couple of days ago which (entirely unscientifically in good STW tradition) said the opposite of some posts above, ie the only time I have been able to keep up with a machine-like mate of mine is when he briefly had a 29er. When he went back to 26″, he just disappeared, which has put me right off them.

However, weeksy of the amusing hobbit comment above has kindly offered to lend me his 29er so I can firmly get back in my box. Will arrange to do so as soon as I can actually get myself organised for once.

Paceman (and anyone else) – What’s the weight comparison between your 26 and 29er? How much is down to weight, as I am conscious that my 29er HT is pretty light compared to my 26 FS which obviously helps.

Ononeorange, it’s at least partly down to the terrain you’re riding. On smoother trails I find there’s little advantage on my 29er FS, but as soon as it gets rockier, rooty or generally sketchier the 29er has a big advantage, both climbing and descending. It’s also much more energy-efficient on all day rides. However, on twisty / techy singletrack it takes more effort to keep up with a 26er.

Kevin, my 100mm FS 29er weighs just under 27lbs, about half a pound lighter than my previous 140mm FS 26er.

Paceman

simon67, whereabouts are you riding, ie what sort of terrain?

North downs, fairly flat. I think extra pace is on long stretches of roughish bridleway with roots and short loose climbs. Probably easier to maintain a decent pace when not being pinged about on the 19.
The only other possible explanation for the faster time is that I’ve given up booze for September!

The only other possible explanation for the faster time is that I’ve given up booze for September!

Its all about the engine, not the wheel size 😉

Frankly, unless you’re actually racing i don’t think the difference is measurable or even relevant to the vast majority of riders.

I finished the Kelder 100 twice on a 29er but got timed out last year on a 26″

QED.

Frankly, unless you’re actually racing i don’t think the difference is measurable or even relevant to the vast majority of riders.

I would have agreed with you until I got hooked on bloody Strava! Definately measurable, and annoyingly relevant.