I think 29er is the way to go for me. Riding mainly singletrack nothing to technical but manage to getup to the lakes 4/5 times a year and then occasional trips to Wales and the peaks etc. Any thoughts anyone?

IMO for days at Wales a HT 29er is a bit.. EWWWWWW. Doesn’t mean it can’t be done, of course it can. But the FS is a bit ‘nicer’.

Running lower pressures, the HT 29er feels more like an older XC FS bike… but not quite a nice new plush FS.

I’d happily ride my Giant 29er HT over any trailcentre… but i also bought a Bionicon as i’d MORE happily ride that 🙂

If you would ride a 26HT in those locations then maybe.
The “29HT behaving like a 1 inch travel FS” talk is bollocks.
Its still a hardtail.
I would personally ride a FS anything in the places you speak of.

No Hugor, it’s actually no bollox at all.

Got one (a nice niner sir9) – it rides like a HT, not a FS. Because it is a HT not a FS!

Look at trail oriented hardtails like the Kona Honzo & Canfield Yelli Screamy etc, there are very few locations that you will be overbiked on one of them.

Edit: this “feels like FS” stuff is bollox, it feels like a bike with big wheels!

Edit: this “feels like FS” stuff is bollox, it feels like a bike with big wheels!

Agreed, although I do think a 100mm 29er FS feels as capable as a 120mm 26er, but again, that’s not that same as feeling like it actually has more travel.

Yeah, I’d get one of them.

My 29’er HT rides just like a bike with wheels on it, but I wouldn’t ride it where I’d pick my 26’er FS

you don’t say where you ride for the rest (most) of the time?

Buy it for the majority of your riding, so I’d say a hardtail. You’ll have great fun and improve your technical abilities when you get to go on trips.

p.s. agree with Gary. a 29er is more capable/easier on rougher stuff than a 26er, effectively giving you the advantage an extra 20mm or so of suspension would over a 26er.

A hardtail can ride anything a FS can, so the FS arguments never do really work or make sense, ..just youtube the downhill courses being ridden by them says enough.

But FS is about comfy arse while on saddle, so if you going to ride all day long ect then your arse might well forgive you more by buying a FS.

A hardtail can ride anything a FS can, so the FS arguments never do really work or make sense

I entered a race a month back, and was convinced it was the kind of fast and flowing course that would be ideal for my hardtail. However, I thought I’d test it out anyway, and timed myself over the course riding my hardtail and FS. To my surprise I was faster on the FS, and also felt in better control. It was nothing to do with comfort, but instead the fact that the FS had both wheels on the ground more of the time giving me traction, and I was able to power thru the rough spots in a sitting position rather than get my bum off the seat.

My hardtail is now up for sale…

I entered a race a month back, and was convinced it was the kind of fast and flowing course that would be ideal for my hardtail. However, I thought I’d test it out anyway, and timed myself over the course riding my hardtail and FS. To my surprise I was faster on the FS, and also felt in better control.

that’s fine if fast= better. for lots of people more fun = better. 😀

You forgot I said “faster and in more control”. And yes, to me that = better, and a helluva lot more fun. But, if slower and less in control is what rings your bell, then go for it…

HT 29er all that way.

Unless you can afford the new Santa Cruz Tallboy LT Carbon

hugor – Member
The “29HT behaving like a 1 inch travel FS” talk is bollocks.
Its still a hardtail.

Indeed it is. I do think on bumps up to say 3″ (eg rocks/roots) a 29er HT feels a lot like a 100mm travel 26″ FS though. Over bigger bumps then it’s unquestionably like a HT. YMMV

On smaller bumps I feel a lot less chucked around on my 29er rigid, than I used to on my Stumpy HT with 80mm forks, I’d put it down to the attack angle stuff (that seems to have died out now 🙁 ), they certainly hold speed rolling over stuff better though.

I don’t think anyone is trying to sat a HT feels like a 100mm FS, but in terms of how forgiving they are I’d say they’re about level pegging.