this post is aimed at all my fellow 29r riders.

on very rough rocky techy trails, is your 29r as good as a 26” wheeled bike.

please answer honestly.

No, its better

My 26″ bikes are better than my 29er on steep techy stuff, but I enjoy the 29er so much that I’m happy to mince the tricker bits of a ride.

29er = better

No. Because they haven’t got 6in+ of travel, a slack head angle, socking great huge tyres and beefy rims to back it up.

EDIT
Go on, show me an ‘all mountain’ 29er….. 🙂

Depends on the 26er bike.

I don’t own a 29er, but have two 26ers… a Steel Long-forked Hardtail, and 5″ Trail Full Susser. I believe that a 29er might be better than the hardtail over rough techy ground, but I find it hard to believe it would be better or even as good as the full-susser (despite what some MTB mags journo’s might suggest).

Actually…. Honesty kicking in….. If I was riding epic distance on bridleways (thinking around Garforth, Aberford, Tempsey etc. Tony) I’d reach for my 29er. If I was doing Dalby Red/Black it would have to be my 575. That said, if Yeti did a 29er 575 equivalent then that would be my choice….. so basically what Peterpoddy says.

Interesting points from Pp and Paceman who don’t have 29ers!

In terms of like for like. Yes a 29er hardtail with say 4′ inches of travel is better than a 4 inch travel 26er. Possibly not as good as say a Spesh Pitch Pro!

I was just pointing out that despite what some journo’s were suggesting, I couldn’t believe a 29er hardtail would be better than a short travel 26er full-susser such as a ST4, Anthem-X, Flux etc.

You’re right though, I don’t own a 29er and haven’t ridden one (except my road bike :wink:).

EDIT
Go on, show me an ‘all mountain’ 29er…..

There you go. 8)

http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/norco-2011-shinobi-all-mountain-29er/

I find rocky stuff I prefer my 29er but if its tech I prefer my 26er. That said my 29er is a racey rigid bike and my other is a blue pig

Anyone compared two identical bikes in the two frame standards?

Personally, i’d love a go on a SC Tallboy.

No, mine isn’t.

i have ridden the nan bield 3 passes route 4 times in the last 4 years

bikes where
456 with pike 140mm forks
fisher fat possum with pikes
chumba hx2 29r with 140mm whites fork
ventana f/s 29r with 120mm forks

the most successfull outing was on the 456.

on steep rocky stuff int peaks my old 26″ inbred with revs and fat tyres was best
but for everything else my 29er inbred is better

Ton, get a Sultan!

Like for like 29er. No question .

You’re doing what? Riding over rough, rocky, techy trails on a push bike, you must be mad, you will end up hurting yourself. 😀

Of course 29er bikes are better over straight rocky trails. Get 45″ wheels with 4″ wide tyres and you’ll be even quicker down there. Same as a 24″ wheel will go round a corner quicker than a 26er.

Thing is, it’s all about compromise, and what matters more to you. For me, the benefits of a 26er outweigh the benefits of a 29er. For some of you, it’s the other way round. I’m sure that my bike will be quicker than yours on my local trails. I’m equally sure the opposite is the true.

What I am bored with is the evangalists on both sides of the wheel debate. If I’m brutally honest, there’s a lot of 29ers shouting from the rooftops considering what a minority they are (in this country).

I ride my bike. Stop trying to tell me yours is faster. It isn’t when/where I ride it. I’m bored of it. Put your willy away, it’s only a bike and you’re looking stupid trying to pretend it’s something better than that.

+1 for what firestarter says, rocky 29er (100mm tallboy) skims over the top better but on technical 26er (140mm prophet) is better for balance and tight turning.

Also find the 29er better on roots. 26er better on berms.

I’m rubbish at jumps and drops but I was surprised how easy getting the 29er in the air was.

That said my 29er is XL while my 26er is Large, which goes some way to explain so it is hard to compare.

There you go.

Fair enough! 🙂

Now, has anybody actually got one? 😉

for twisty techy rocky, prob the 26, but the 29’er for all the other stuff i.e. most of the stuff i ride.

i.e. most of the stuff I ride.

would be more accurate.

Niner Jet 9 by fixotic, on Flickr

I ride my bike. Stop trying to tell me yours is faster.

Well said.

If I’m brutally honest, there’s a lot of 29ers shouting from the rooftops considering what a minority they are (in this country).

And for balance there’s a fair few people who post on 29er threads with outdated anti 29er arguments having never ridden one.

Ride what ever you want no one cares. 🙂

kids, i did not want a argument.
and the post was aimed a 29r riders…………so the rest of you, **** off.

I have owned a DW Sultan and a DW 5 Spot. The only thing that made the 5 Spot faster on rough downs was the fork; Rebas just cannot hope to deal with the same as a Lyrik.

Small wheel on the back, big wheel on the front. Best of both. Or worst 😉

For me it’s the steep head angle on my Pegasus that gives me the willies on things my Blur/Fox36, or indeed my Prince Albert/Pikes would munch for breakfast. Not really comparing apples with apples, but my rather basic knowledge of frame design tells me that there’s a compromise to be made with 29ers to avoid too much trail increase over smaller wheels…and to get around that, the main method is to steepen the head angle. Also, my front wheel is a bit slack & flexy at the moment so that might have something to do with it 🙂

So what has actually been established?

Different people like different bikes for different stuff.

All mountain 26ers are better than xc 29er for riding steep rock downhill – no great surprise.

People who don’t have both are staunchly against what they don’t have.

There is some sense on Stw!! Shock horror.

The comparison between similar bikes 29 and 26 is proving to be a challenge but from another thread taller people may well prefer or find it easier to get along with bigger wheels especially on rolling or downhill type terrain.

People who came from bmx might find smaller wheels preferable. And those from the road may prefer bigger wheels.

That’s it. Buy a bike, ride, brag and evangelise as much as you like. That’s what forums are for.

IMHO 29er all the way!

I really, really liked my Niner EMD, and miss it now I have my ST4. BUT, my ST4 is rocking good 8)

I would like a 29er ‘version’ of my ST4, suits my riding. Having never ridden one, these MAY be the answer:

It would be fairer to compare a Banshee Paradox or Canfield Yelli Screamy which have slacker head angles with more trail/am orientated 26″ wheel bikes. As has been said people are comparing trail 26″ bikes with xc 29ers.

Anyway who cares all bikes are good – as Niner 😆 say ‘ Pedal damm it!’

I’d like to try a 29er when I go to my parents’. Would be a helluva bike if better than my B17 SS. Having said that I wouldn’t be surprised if it were. Scandals or Inbreds would be easiest to compare I suppose.

My Turner Sultan is better than any other bike I’ve ever owned or indeed ridden over the rough stuff.

29er rider here,. I could have kept a 26 ‘hardcore’ hartail for rocky, techy stuff like Laggan black and Torridon stuff but I didnt. I just find the 29er better everywhere. 20mm forks a must though.

Last year I built up a rigid inbred 29er and I did not get on with it at all. I replaced with a rigid 26 indeed which I love. I really struggled on steep up hills on the 29er in the granny which I ride in the middle on the 26. But the 29er had on_one wheels with massive blue groove types which weighed a ton and the 26 has much better wheels. I feel the difference in the weight of the wheels and tyres made a bigger difference than the wheel diameter.

I’ve got a 26″ Scott Scale and just been playing with the Scale 29er so kind of a like for like experiment.

So far I’m loving the 29er, didn’t think I would but it’s a lot more stable at speed, absorbs bumps better and grips like nothing else through tight singletrack. what it does lack is a bit of ‘chuckability’ to use an MBR type word, but for nearly all the riding I do that’ll do for me. I though it’d be lousy through singletrack but it’s a real rocket.

at first glance I thought those “Niner”s said “Mincer” 😆

SHORTCUT made a good point there ! i come from a bmx & road background, ride both 29er’s & 26er’s & have countless bikes ! i personally prefer 26er’s since around where i live, it’s quite hilly & lots of tight singletrack so 26er’s perform better ! in my opinion 29er’s always perform better on flat areas so it also depends on where you ride ! i personally don’t see many 29er’s at trail centers & i wonder why ? 😆