erm..... can someone please explain the whole 29er thing to me? Please.

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erm..... can someone please explain the whole 29er thing to me? Please.

56 posts & 40 voices | Started 1 year ago by binners | Latest reply from ourmaninthenorth

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Sam - Member

the very limited availability of suitable tyres (which came from a pre-phones Nokia in Finland IIRC).

That'd be Nokian - they still make tyres. In any case, they never really got to a full 2.0" wide and for that reason were never really seen as (or ridden as) mountain bikes. Personally, when I bought my first disc equipped mountain bike about 15 years ago it didn't take me long to build some 700c road wheels, or much longer than that to put on cross tyres. From there it was only a matter of time.

Why? It's something you should really try and see for yourself.

Posted 1 year ago #
clubber - Member

Taller people ride bigger bikes. Why shouldn't that be extended to the wheels? It means you can get the BB shell lower than the axles and lower the C.O.G. too.

Sorry, but I think that's just not right at all. The CoG of a 29er is higher because the wheels are taller - the rider is basically in the same place as are the cranks. everything else is a bit higher. And as to dropping the BB shell below the axles, so what? Taller riders don't suit 29ers better than other riders, except maybe really small people for whom you have to compromise the geometry, etc to shoehorn it all in (though admittedly this can work for some people depending on their preferences).

My thoughts on my 29er as someone who doesn't believe most of the stupid hype - 29ers in general are just bikes - better at some things, worse at others.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/singular-swift-29er-and-suntour-epicon-rld-29er-fork-reviews

Posted 1 year ago #
BigDummy - Member

I don't want to get into making sweeping generalisations, but Saturday's fun at HtN was the first time I had ridden my 29er Karate Monkey hard and for ages. It was spectacularly comfortable and tolerably quick. I came off after (admittedly only) 10 laps without significant discomfort going on anywhere about my person. That and the fact that it went pretty handily and I didn't fall off at any point will do me to be going on with.

Quite like the looks of the big wheels too.

Posted 1 year ago #
convert - Member

I've got a 29 hardtail that I'm really liking for easier off road stuff. It's like it's the offspring of a pretty little 26" hard tail that had a one off lustful night with a cyclo cross bike cad who said he would love her in the morning. Most of the time it looks like every other mountain bike but every now and again you look at it at the wrong angle and get a glimpse of the crosser in the glint of it's eye. Rides a bit like that too.

Can't see I'd switch my 26" FS, designed for rougher stuff, to 29 inches.

Posted 1 year ago #
rOcKeTdOg - Member

I'm 6ft 2 and the bigger wheels seem in proportion, i have more 26" wheeled bikes than 29" but the smaller wheeled ones never get ridden these days therefore I deduce 29ers suit me more. I like them, who needs more reason than that to own one?

Posted 1 year ago #
nixon_fiend - Member

29ers, great in a straight line

I have to say though .. they are very quick once up to speed. Feel a bit weird in proper techy stuff though.

I just wish there was a size in between 29" and 26" .. to retain sharper handling .. but still get the benefits of a bigger wheel. Ho hum.

Posted 1 year ago #
thomthumb - Member

it's so when you need a new wheel 10 days before 24:12, it's a huge panic and you need to build a new wheel rather than just borrow one from your other bike.

now where is that spoke key!!

Posted 1 year ago #
coogan - Member

They make sense to me if your a tall bloke, makes everything look in proportion. I'm a wee fella and will stick with 26" wheels, as another wee fella I saw today on a 29er looked utterly ridiculous. But hey, he seemed happy enough. Just looked comical.

Posted 1 year ago #
rOcKeTdOg - Member

29ers, great in a straight line

Depends on which one you've ridden, mine seems no worse than my 26ers

Posted 1 year ago #
cynic-al - Member

Coogan sure that wasn't a reflection of you on a 26er?

Posted 1 year ago #
Andy R - Member

nixon_fiend - Member

I just wish there was a size in between 29" and 26" .. to retain sharper handling .. but still get the benefits of a bigger wheel. Ho hum.

There is - 650B.

Posted 1 year ago #
ton - Member

29rs are shyte........fact.

Posted 1 year ago #
drofluf - Member

Rode a 29er for the first time last week, it just felt better, rolled more easily over the bumps and definitely faster. Nothing empirical though, just my gut feel.

Posted 1 year ago #
nickc - Member

Quite like the looks of the big wheels too

The opposite reason is why I don't like them, they just look wrong. Which I'm totally happy is a ridiculous reason, but there you go.

Posted 1 year ago #
coogan - Member

So mean Al, so mean. After me driving you everywhere last weekend. Cut me deep.

Posted 1 year ago #
yossarian - Member

29ers are the faster/better/bigger/cooler/nicher and just plain everthinger that w hatever was the last faster/better/bigger/cooler/nicher thing.

if you haven't got one yet just accept that this time you've missed out on the bandwagon.

Posted 1 year ago #
clubber - Member

32ers are where it's at.

Then 36ers.

Posted 1 year ago #
rootes1 - Member

Quite like the looks of the big wheels too

The opposite reason is why I don't like them, they just look wrong. Which I'm totally happy is a ridiculous reason, but there you go.

this is where frame size has an effect... big frames suit the big wheels whereas small frames my the 29er wheels look mad

Posted 1 year ago #
rootes1 - Member

i'm the same size now as back in the day..

think my 21" 29er swift looks better as it is more in proportion

than my old 22" with 26" wheels Dale

ps someone unkindly taped a gate hinge to the headtube of this bike once.... and I could climb through the frame lol

sloping TT and other changes help, but fundamentally the 29er looks better as a package - also unlike the dale it has not snapped or been stolen yet - but doubt that is down to the wheel size

Posted 1 year ago #
TooTall - Member

No. I won't. If you've not got it, try riding them. If you still don't get it, fair enough. However, riding a bike tends to be the real test of a bike.

Or the STW Test Ride, being 'looking at a picture on the internet, sucking your teeth and slagging it to kingdom come' - which may not really be as effective.

Posted 1 year ago #
ourmaninthenorth - Member

Having seen BD's Surly close up at the weekend, and miketually's (loaner) Ragley, I have concluded that irrespective of my short stature, these bikes look just the thing.

Of course, with junior North imminent, there'll be no more bikes for me. Ever.

Posted 1 year ago #

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