Well, I guess you’re going to expect this crusty old duffer to start banging on about how 26″ is the only real wheel, or how back in the day we used to ride everything on bone shakers with wheels the size of milk bottle tops;but to be honest having actually ridden a 29er I can safely say that little wheels are for kids bikes.

You wouldn’t ride a BMX in the Tour de France and to be honest, as I’m not likely to be sesioning the slope-style courses of Whistler bike park any time soon, the added fire power of longer treads seems the only way forward if you like riding a bike off tarmac.

One razz around on Giant’s finest demonstrated that this over-grown jey-boy bike was more capable, faster and more fun handling than my 130mm travel 26er full-sus. It rode like a road bike on flat stuff and descended like a motocross bike on the ruff…hmmmnnnn…

Shame I can’t afford one 😉

Well, I’m convinced. 🙄

Don’t worry, Giant are ditching the 29er in favour of 650b* anyway so if you had bought one it would be out of date!

*they bring the trail alive you know 🙂

Did it bring the trail alive ?

If so I’m having one.

I preferred the other thread where I had no idea what you were talking about.

If the trail came alive I’d run for my life to escape the earth quake/volcanic erruption/alien worm invasion…

As for 650b, what difference is 1″ going to make (ooo errr missus), it’s purely a way of selling more bikes to people who’d never by a 29er (because they are for old men/’boring’ XC riding) and who’ll become afraid of 26ers because 29ers will make them old hat…

We are all slaves of the marketing men…they’re laughing at us…

Well, I had a go on 4 different 29ers at the Bike show on Sunday and they were all shit so that’s the end of that.

As for 29er, what difference is 2″ going to make (ooo errr missus), it’s purely a way of selling more bikes

FTFY, etc.

Sorry, I’m an Englishman who grew up with Jeeves and Wooster and Not the Nine o’Clock news…what’s with all these abbreviations…

And why ‘trails?’ we have paths in the UK and lanes…

Then again, I don’t suppose many people would be drawn to shred their local ‘path centre’…

Settled?

Thanks fervourdimage – far be it from me to cast an aspertian on anyone else’s view-point, but I’m pleased you had time to take 4 twenty niners on a three hour plus full on MTB ride at the bike show to get a good feel for them in real world conditions.

Tally-ho!

Shackleton and TE Lawrence would be pround of you dsb 181…

He who thinks like an Englishman rides like an Englishman…

Thanks fervourdimage – far be it from me to cast an aspertian on anyone else’s view-point, but I’m pleased you had time to take 4 twenty niners on a three hour plus full on MTB ride at the bike show to get a good feel for them in real world conditions.

-sigh-

It rode like a road bike on flat stuff and descended like a motocross bike on the ruff

I dont think that is a good thing personally. Plus if true the suspension is setup in a very strange way indeed.

Try living with one for a few months and see how you feel about them then.

You’re cracking me up! LOL

Cheers everyone for getting so het-up about a bit of fun in the woods!

MTB is freedom and fun…if you’re sponsored and its a job feel free to let it get you hot under the collar…

Get on any bike and ride it…

Just don’t moan about it…

Chill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tut…. these people that ride the very latest and greatest 29er bike and; surprise-suprise; find it rides better than my old hammered bike that im thinking of replacing…..

well bugger me!

roverpig – Member

Try living with one for a few months and see how you feel about them then.
do they leave the toilet seat up? 😀

I had a 29er. I sold it.

The front wheel kept hitting my toes when off road and I didn’t like the ride of it one bit.

It was great on road and it became a cyclocross bike until I stripped it and sold it on.

My opinion is that 29″ inch wheels are for the road.

My opinion is that 29″ inch wheels are for the road.

My opinion is that if you had toe overlap you had the wrong bike 🙂

Get on any bike and ride it…

Just don’t moan about it…

this does seem to rather fly in the face of what you said when you started the thread?

It was great on road

Road wheel is good on the road shock!

lol

Mind you I turned for my first (and last) xc race last year (not my thing at all but some friends told me I should try it) and went away thinking – god I could almost have ridden that on my road bike, it was so flat and basic. the people blasting past me all the time looked like roadies too.

So its unsurprising I suppose that they want to use the wheels they are used to

🙁

As for 650b, what difference is 1″ going to make , it’s purely a way of selling more bikes to people who’d never by a 29er (because they are for old men/’boring’ XC riding)

I think you might be onto something here though 😉

Can we not just put a lid on all the “I rode a 29er and never looked back” and “My secret life as a 27.5 inbetweener” threads now?

Not a single one of them will change anybody’s mind one way or the other and it’s not the most revelatory reveal at this point.

26 is different to 650b which is different to 29er.

Buy which ever you want.

End.

A 29er v 26 debate? Is it 2009 again?

Although to be fair, so are Tommy Hilfiger tops 🙂

Awesome! Thanks to those of you who get irony and are open minded – shame on you those who are getting het-up about a 200 word sound bite from someone you’ve never met!

As my mechanic friend has just said to me before zipping back along the canal on his 69er, “as long as you can cobble some old rubbish from your shed together and have fun on it, that’s all that matters…”

Enjoy the ride gentleman, whatever you’re on…

the added fire power of longer treads

I like that phrase. I’ll have to try to use it myself in future.

I’ve got a 29er HT and a 26″ 140mm FS, I love them both. does that mean I should sell them both and buy a 650b?

swavis – Member
As for 650b, what difference is 1″ going to make , it’s purely a way of selling more bikes to people who’d never by a 29er (because they are for old men/’boring’ XC riding)
I think you might be onto something here though

The average age of the stw massive is? 😉

Away out for a ride on my 700×23…….

a 26 is different to a 26 at 29 is different to a 29 etc. there are no rules

Thats not me in the photo, it’s Nino’s FB fan page