if standover height is compromised by wheel/fork height, then 29rs are suited to taller folk.
Depends on the bike, that Trek has a tiny headtube,which presumably isn’t possible with steel or conventional aluminium tubes.
or folk whose riding doesnt warrant any standover clearance perhaps
Maybe, depends on your view of standover clearance, it’s a bit like a helmet, you’re better riding without a helemt on a bike designed to ride well, but you prefer the helmet and standover clarence when things go wrong.
Personaly, I don’t see the point of massive stanover clearence if it comprimises the rest of the bike (i.e. I wouldnt run 26″ wheels just to get standover) , it only bugs me on the swift as it’s rigid but doesnt gain the stanover that a rigid specific frame would have.
If I was riding trailcentres every weekend then I’d have another one but on the twistier, muddier, natural stuff we have locally my swift felt crap
I do the opposite, I ride my Swift on the local singletrack and take the Pitch for trail centers, one mans meat etc…..
Are there XC racers still riding 26 inch wheel bikes and do they win races?
Theres an interview in one of the mags with an XC racer (Oli in ST maybe), where he states he sees no advantage in 29ers or FS bikes, he also coincidentlay rides for a company that doesn’t make a 29er of FS bike.