I can confirm that JJ takes it far,far seriouslier than me,and that I always let him ‘win’ because no one can stand to watch him blub.
oh,and he does something he calls ‘hill reps’ or somesuch.

Taz,I only stay behind you to give you a sense of superiority that you need …..

and I’ve been poorly,an that.yes,that’s it,poorly an that.

partyboy – Member

29er’s – are they measurably better?

Yes, 3″

Errmmmm – its only really one inch is it not?

You still seasick keef? 😉

Errmmmm – its only really one inch is it not?

Errmmmmm no

keef you stay behind me to look at my bottom!

no stu,I’ve recovered from my near death experience,thank you

I think Ringo poisoned me….

With manfat?

Taz,I was gonna say that,but I knew you’d get all excited !

Ah – just checked on sheldon brown – got confused cos 27″ wheels are bigger than 29re

Just confusing.

26 x 1.00 through 2.3 559 mm Most Mountain bikes, cruisers, etc. except:

29 inch 622 mm This is a marketing term for wide 622 mm (“700c”) tires.

27 x anything 630 mm Older road bikes

Ringo couldn’t get it up to produce ‘manfat’ the amount he drinks.

27″ the new 29er ?

He told me you spiked him with a viagra.

nonsense,he’d need two.

I feel more comfortable on a 29er, ergo I ride better. And for some strange reason I cannot stand riding with bouncy forks on it though.

Go figure.

come on stu.. be fair….Grum posts negative comments on lots of threads , not just ones about 29ers

Only the ones full of nichewhores and their ‘hilarious’ zany banter. 😐

So no, it’s not been measured but why not? I keep hearing about all the benefits of big wheels but no one has thought ‘I know, I make Trek bikes (used purely as an example) I’ll get two almost identical bikes, bar the wheel size, line them up on a ramp and see if the ‘slower acceleration’ (no peddling – we’ll assume gravity is a real world constant) is offset by the fact it should go further for a given speed due to low AoA / contact patch shape etc’ that to me would be the first real world test. Something I’d like to know if the big benefit of a new wheel size is worth spending £3000 for a new bike – just to ‘see if I like it’
I know that they can be as fast XC, the pro’s prove that however, the pro’s ride what they are told to ride and if I was trying to get Jo Bloggs to trade to yet another new bike, I’d not put my advertising into showing they were fast on the old style….
This comes across a little anti 29er, but Its not supposed to be, it’s that if I’m being told something, I want to know it’s not bobbins.
MTG, I like your idea. It’s totally possible yet not done. Bit of a shame really.
To all those who say ‘I don’t care, it’s about the feel, yes you’re right as well. But I really like the my current bike -Anthem X1 yet the latest single track test said the Anthem 29er was 10% more. So i guess my question is more what?

oh dear,banter on an mtb forum,what’s the world coming too,stop it right now,do you hear ?

Sefton wrote:

“better at what????

climbing?
technical ability?
speed?
cornering?
long distance?
jumps?

I would think the best people to ask are seasoned racers that are completely in tune with there bikes every detail/set-up

As with any bike – a advantage in one area is compromise in the hands of another man.

I think we need to be asking what we want from a bike first and then ask the question would 29″ wheels be an advantage?”

Spot on. Best ive read on here in months!

This is what i did for myself and like ive said in the past,having owned 20″ 24″ 26″ and 29″ wheeled bikes.. i found,for the type of riding,places i ride and the speed that i generally ride at.. the 29er was not the happy medium.I want a wheel thats fairly tough for its size.It needs to climb well at slower speeds (please dont go into detail on how a bigger wheel will climb up a hill easier at slow revolutions than a 26 of the same girth/build – It sucks! end of!)

Like Sefton has just pointed out,look at your riding style,the terrain and what you want out of a bike before buying into something and find out that its not quite as good as 26inch in so many areas.. only to find out that for you,its only helping you out over 5% of your favourite ride.

If you have a regular loop that involves a 3 mile climb,real techy hair pinned descent lasting 1 mile,finishing up with 400 yards of swoopy singletrack.. then forget it.Regardless of weight/fitness. Stick with a 26 inch wheeled bike.

Yes, the 29er will do all of that but for the burly rider that ploughs up the 3 mile climb at under 4mph,hammers down the tech trail with 26 inch wheels that he knows will last a few years of the same treatment without failing under the first little mistake,getting all pringled.. only to enjoy the final 400 yards sitting IN a nice 29er? Nah,honestly.. its once you feel how in control you are of smaller wheels (20 and 24) that you realise that 26 is a great happy medium. Remember,i described the above with a hefty rider in mind with nowhere near enough fitness to fire him up a crazy climb over 8,10,12?mph,spinning those wheels up and never having to basicially accelerate them from standing starts on the techy sections is great.. for whippets.

The majority of folk dont have that fitness and more than likely,arent built like that on here so have a good think about where you ride,what you are like as a rider etc first.

To all those who say ‘I don’t care, it’s about the feel, yes you’re right as well. But I really like the my current bike -Anthem X1 yet the latest single track test said the Anthem 29er was 10% more. So i guess my question is more what?

Did the review not say what it was supposed to be 10% more of? 😕

oh dear,banter on an mtb forum,what’s the world coming too,stop it right now,do you hear ?

I imagine it must be hilarious if you have the mental capacity of a 10 year old. ‘You’re gay, hurhurhur’ – genius. Some conversations should stay in the pub, if they have to happen at all.

It’s totally possible yet not done. Bit of a shame really.

It has been lots of times.
The realistic answer is that its very course specific so any study only really applies to the style of track its being tested on.
I noticed heaps of women in the worlds were on 29ers on what was regarded as a very technical course.

So if you find these “nichewhores” so un funny why do you keep reading their posts?

Does it remind you of your life where people around you are having a bit of banter with their mates and you feel unable to join in.
Or is it just that you’re a ****. 😆

So if you find these “nichewhores” so un funny why do you keep reading their posts?

*searches for killfile plugin thread*

Building a robot and data logging one bike next to another around a certain track is all very well but it will never replicate riding styles and mistakes.

The kind of mistakes only Jedi can iron out of us! ;O)

Building a robot and data logging one bike next to another around a certain track is all very well but it will never replicate riding styles and mistakes.

If you want a pro direct comparison shootout take it from one of the worlds best XC racers.
See diary entry 21/1/2011

Is that human enough for you?

grum.

You’ll be doing us all a favour. 8)

Yeah. Agreed that It’s all to do with feel and personal style, I’m really not having a go at the 29ers, and I think my bikes right for me. It was just a general ‘they are better’ comment in STW mag that made me think really? How so exactly?
When I race boats, if someone tells me a new sail shape is better, it’ll get tried in every possible condition, sailed against the original until there is clear understanding that overall there is
A) performance advantage
B) performance disadvantage
C) no change
If C, by all means get because it’s a nice colour, but don’t say it’s 10% better!

Ok, we know that a 29er will role better, but does it overcome how much slower it is to get up to speed? I really don’t know. I don’t even know if the answer will mean anything to me, whether it’ll change what I next buy, but I now want to find out. The joy of sitting around with a knackered shoulder, unable to ride…!

Edit Hugor – very interesting. That’s like actual data, only from a bloke who’s paid to sell Specialised 29ers… Ok utterly cynical I know, but isn’t that just worth wondering about?

have you ever seen a 6ft4” 21 stone bloke, who is top heavy, perched on a 26” wheeled bike?

that is the reason 29r’s are loads and loads better……… 8)

Arghhh! No,because he`s HUMAN! No two rides are the same.

Edit Hugor – very interesting. That’s like actual data, only from a bloke who’s paid to sell Specialised 29ers… Ok utterly cynical I know, but isn’t that just worth wondering about?

No this is his personal diary/blog not a specialised bike site.
I think it represents his honest opinion not marketing BS.

Yeah,and lets see the 21 stone rider get down the techy trail with one complete bike having hammered a set of 29er wheels over all the rocks.

Walking home with a broken bike AINT quicker than getting home in one piece on a 26er ;op

but wait! It IS possible.By over building the bike to bring it in line with the strength and stiffness of its 26 inch wheeled wee brother.Job done.

But wait!

How shit can a bike feel to ride with rims,tyres,frame material weighing all that extra over the 26inch versions?! For the lardy folk, i recon it would be more fun sitting at home watching mtb dvd`s ;OP

I wouldnt doubt his honest opinion but he`s a whippet! He will fly on either.Strap 80kgs to his back/bike and tell him to get back to us!

‘I’m gay,and so’s my wife’ oh,er hang on…..

@ Martinxyz, but the laws of physics don’t change. Just because a rider feels it’s better / energy saving etc doesn’t make it so.
However, I’m not talking about a total all round measurability.. Just whether the principle advantage overcomes the principle drawback. Suerly someone has done the test -and I’m looking at the mags – we’ve all done the freewheeling test with our new tyres, when we want to see whether our new super xc’s are actually faster than our mates dirt big nobs and it’s just a version of that surely?

Edit: martinxyz, misunderstood you. Think I agree based on your last few posts. Carry on!

Nice editing tazz. 😆

You gone back in again. 😉

Agree but these pros are about as close to a computer in terms of their precision as you can get.
They do 10 laps of a course and their times hardly change at all.
Therefore I respect their opinion and measured times.
In the end I don’t care cause I don’t race. I ride my 29er cause I like it more, thats all.

I ride my 29er cause I like it more

Nuff said.

Oh gawd…it’s chucking out time at the zoo 🙄

Which is a good thing. Only I’m a bit strapped for cash and I want to know that I was getting the benefits without the drawbacks and don’t want to spend £3k to find out!