Hi guys,

First trip to Wales coming up and wondering which bike to take.

Options are a 29er HT w/ 100mm forks or 26er FS w/ 140r 160f?

Quite fancy taking the 29er as it’s new, but will I die?

Riding Coed y Brenin, Llandegla and Penmancho black and red trails.

Piece of p1$$ no problem. They’re just trails and that.

Have fun.

It is a bike. I think you might be OK.

My mate started riding last year, bought himself a Boardman team HT and then within 3 weeks had ridden Llandegla and CYB’s Beast.

He fell off once, but lived.

Full suss 100%… more fun.

this is what I figured (29er HT would be fine) but my mates are suggesting a full sus is the way forward, not really that fussed which one I take and realise either way it’s unlikely I’ll die, just hoping for some impartial STW advice!

Brechfa was amazing on a hardtail. Afan is basically huge pile of dumped loose rocks rather than actual trails, so not so much fun there.

I’d probably just take the fs so long as you can ride it up hill ok. I did those centres on my old Bullit and it was really fun despite it having boxxers on it which made the climbs a bit of a slog 🙂

hardtail, it will give them something to talk about and watch disappear into the distance on the climbs 🙂

You’ll be fine. I just spent a weekend at Afan/CwmCarn on my Swift with 100mm forks and it was more than capable.

I ride both on all my local welsh trails as well as trail centres

Prefer FS though just because I’m 40 and my back hurts after a day on the HT 😆

Its all rideable enough on a hardtail, but faster and less brutal on a full suss. Good fun on a hardtail trying to keep up with proficient full-suss riders. But knackering!

yep fine………..enjoy but you will be drawn to full suss eventually tis the future you know

Your HT 29er will be ok on all those trails, I do them on a rigid 29er.

The HT will come in handy for the welsh climbs but the full sus will be fun on the downs.

Yes you will die, probably after riding some Welsh trails on a hardtail 29er. My guess is it will be a long time after the riding possibly sometime in old age.

Fairly convinced I will be dead sometime after riding Glentress, Golspie, Balblair, Fort William red down hill and Skye a couple of weeks ago. Again hopefully not until after my useful riding life is over and done with.

You will be fine. Ignore your friends (they are probably jealous of your right sized wheels) they clearly don’t know very much.

So in conclusion – you will die. Probably not as a direct result of the decision to take the 29er to Wales.

take both it is then!

You seem to be confused.

You’re riding bikes for fun, yes? So take the bike that’s most fun! Easy. Don’t worry about “fastest”.

This doesn’t need to be anything to do with the trails you’re riding. The 29er’s fun cos it’s new. If it’s fun to ride the new bike, take that and have fun?

Yes. You might be killed by a crazed Welshman, who could go on to take your shiney new bike from your cold, dead body.

You’ll be rite on the HT, a 100mm 29’er FS would be bestest though

If your worried about being held back by the bike, dont be! I’ve done all of wales on my rigid 26, as above- take whats most fun!