Interesting 26 v 29 comparison over the same course with timings

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Interesting 26 v 29 comparison over the same course with timings

36 posts & 25 voices | Started 1 year ago by The Swedish Chef | Latest reply from Sam

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The Swedish Chef - Member

Emil Lindgren of Rabobank and 8th at the world XC last year has posted this:

"Woke up this morning feeling that the schedualed 4*4 rowing was not going to happen. The mtb course behind the house is ready to rock and so am I.
I decided to give it a go on the bike instead. 4 times 2 laps on both 26 and 29 bike.

I have been riding both bikes whole winter and I can swap bike without feeling discomfort.

Below are a few numbers:

1st, 5,23
26 bike

2nd, 5,22
29 bike

3rd, 5,23
26 bike

4th, 5,16
26 bike with tubular tires

No scientific results but it shows something.

My feeling is that the 29 has great traction both up, down and cornering. The 26 is easier to handle over jumps and tight corners.

I will continue my testing and give you more numbers along the journey.

For you wondering which bike I will use, I say both but guess mostly 26."

Interesting to see that tubs make so much difference!

I'll be riding the same course at the weekend so I can throw up some times to compare and "normal fit" rider to a pro over the same course.

Posted 1 year ago #
weeksy - Member

2 laps on each ? them numbers are wrong then you have 3x26 and 1x29

Posted 1 year ago #
Rickos - Member

I couldn't care less about timings. Which is more fun to ride? I suspect the 26 inch.

Posted 1 year ago #
njee20 - Member

I was thinking that. I'd guess the 29er is with the tubs. Which is interesting. Need another clincher vs tub now!

Posted 1 year ago #
wrecker - Member

1st, 5,23
26 bike

2nd, 5,22
29 bike

3rd, 5,23
26 bike

4th, 5,16
26 bike with tubular tires

No scientific results but it shows something.

What exactly? tubular tyres are great?

Posted 1 year ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

I couldn't care less about timings. Which is more fun to ride? I suspect the 26 inch.

I'd have said the same, untill I bought a 29er.

OK I won't take the Swift for a day down the dirtjumps (OK, I probably will at some point when I CBA pedaling the BMX 3 miles), but for singletrack I'd rate it as a better bike than the otherwise comparble Sanderson Life I've got which is currently going to waste (and is equaly unlikely to go dirtjumpting).

Posted 1 year ago #
The Swedish Chef - Member

I would guess that tubs work on that particular course as its tight and the lower pressures you would run would result in more speed being carried around and out of corners.

Posted 1 year ago #
clubber - Member

Assuming that the 4th should be 29er, all it shows is that there's basically no difference between them for that course/conditions/etc.

You'd need a lot more results to really show anything that'd show a trend.

Posted 1 year ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

Whats the advantage of tubs over tubeless? Is it just the ability to make lighter rims and tyres?

Posted 1 year ago #
whatnobeer - Member

Get the Mythbusters on it! They can do properly controlled, balanced and analysed experiments for us and package it all into a 45 minute entertainment show and settle the argument once an for all.

Posted 1 year ago #
rootes1 - Member

What exactly? tubular tyres are great?

That he had warmed up and honed his lines on the trail?

Posted 1 year ago #
PJM1974 - Member

I'm a little skeptical of these, I did a similar test last summer riding both of my bikes on an alternating basis four times over the same loop, whilst I tried out a new playlist on my Ipod.

Despite there being a 30mm difference in suspension travel and a whopping 5lb difference in weight, there was about thirty seconds real difference over eight miles. The conclusions I reached were as follows:

1) I was knackered
2) Tyre rolling resistance plays a large part
3) Kate Bush's early material was really quite good

Posted 1 year ago #
clubber - Member

Those are more like it PJM - proper scientific results that stand scrutiny and cannot be denied

Posted 1 year ago #
lostboysaint - Member

Those are more like it PJM - proper scientific results that stand scrutiny and cannot be denied

Although he must have been properly knackered due to some very heavy rolling tyres if he thinks Kate Bush's early work was any good.

Posted 1 year ago #
bigsi - Member

Can't believe no ones offered to make the tea or pass the hob nobs around yet

Posted 1 year ago #
PJM1974 - Member

Those were the best conclusions I could reach. Both a 160mm and a 130mm bike can be fun, the suspension feedback in the big bike made it accelerate faster than the wallowy mid travel bike. But it was swings and roundabouts really. I certainly enjoyed riding both bikes but for different reasons.

BTW, did you know that "Wuthering Heights" was written after la Bush saw an early BBC adaptation? She hadn't read Bronte before she penned the song.

I make no apology for my music taste. The contents of my Ipod were ecclectic at best, featuring Bowie, Daft Punk, Nirvana and The Prodigy amongst others.

What's more shameful, prog rock or big wheels?

Posted 1 year ago #
GregMay - Member

Get the Mythbusters on it! They can do properly controlled, balanced and analysed experiments for us and package it all into a 45 minute entertainment show and settle the argument once an for all.

What? Do something once and make a result out of it...about as unscientific as you can get. Its entertaining yes, it's not scientific. next you'll be using Wikipedia as a source.

Posted 1 year ago #
hels - Member

"not very scientific" well yes indeed.

"shows something" yes, that he can ride a lap of a very short course he knows well with impressively consistent lap times, when you take the 5 million other variables into consideration.

OK, I know it's not 5 million but as proper experimental method has no home here why stick to proper maths ?

How stupid are people anyway that they really think sponsored riders will say anything other than "I won that race cos of these fantastic new tires you can now buy retail" ?

Thats the real question posed by this report.

Posted 1 year ago #
njee20 - Member

Whats the advantage of tubs over tubeless? Is it just the ability to make lighter rims and tyres?

Not even managed that really unless you look at silly silly expensive rims, and tyres are still generally heavier.

The theory is certainly more grip, I remain unconvinced, but would like to try some!

Posted 1 year ago #
transapp - Member

I'm still wondering why no-one actually done an experiment on this.

+ For 29er is better able to roll over terrain

- For 29er is slower accelaration

So a ramp down to a roughish trail, 26 and 29 bike, same tyres (something like Bontrager Mud x as available in both) with the same rider, wearing the same clothes on something like a Giant Anthem with the same hubs on it.

See if the additional acceleration (I suspect there's actually no difference) will be outweighed by the longer distance it'll roll (I suspect there's actually no difference). The one that gets the furthest is the winner. Simple!
I'd do this if I had access to a 29er Anthem, but I don't, so I can't.
Of course, this isn't looking at the abilities through the twisty bits, but at least one point would be laid to rest!

Posted 1 year ago #
Bazz - Member

What's more shameful, prog rock or big wheels?

Prog rock by a country mile

Posted 1 year ago #
hock - Member

3) Kate Bush's early material was really quite good

+1
totally agree!

Posted 1 year ago #
cynic-al - Member

No scientific results but it shows something.

Erm...no it doesn't, it's one or the other I'm afraid.

Posted 1 year ago #
soobalias - Member

prog rock and big wheels have their place

i believe it was termed movember.

Posted 1 year ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

I'm still wondering why no-one actually done an experiment on this.

MBR did it when 29'ers first started appearing, they rolled into a sandy bit of trail IIRC.

I can't remember the result though, i think it was that the 29er rolled better (went further) but the handling wasn't great (this was a long while ago before stuff like 29er specific forks came about.

Posted 1 year ago #
reggiegasket - Member

The Kick Inside is one of top5 Sunday albums

Posted 1 year ago #
lostboysaint - Member

prog rock and big wheels have their place

i believe it was termed movember.

Posted 1 year ago #
transapp - Member

I'd love to see that article, I wonder if they did rolling distance from a set speed, or if it was from a set amount of energy input.

Posted 1 year ago #
leggyblonde - Member

what a load of crap

Posted 1 year ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

I'd love to see that article, I wonder if they did rolling distance from a set speed, or if it was from a set amount of energy input.

It was just a slope to a sandy straight bit. So a fixed energy input, I guess if you fixed the speed the 29er would have been even better as it would have more energy stored in the wheels?

They also did laps of a track but cant remember the outcome of that test.

Posted 1 year ago #
njee20 - Member

Why have we also not repeated this with hardtail and FS, then we can settle that debate. Ditto Shimano/SRAM, SPDs/flats etc etc.

Horses for courses innit.

Posted 1 year ago #
igm - Member

If I recall that article the 26er actually went further - they reckoned because the smaller wheels rotated faster for a the speed the bike got up to and the combination of the rotational momentum and the forward momentum took the 26er further. Or perhaps it accelerated more on the down slope. Or something. All I can remember is that the answer was not what you would expect.

Posted 1 year ago #
PJM1974 - Member

Why have we also not repeated this with hardtail and FS, then we can settle that debate. Ditto Shimano/SRAM, SPDs/flats etc etc.

Because I'll be knackered innit! An eight mile loop on my new hardtail, then my big bike and then my xc bike and then repeat, perhaps in the opposite direction...that's *counts* forty eight miles!

And who knows what prog rock horrors I might encounter on my travels.

Posted 1 year ago #
jameso - Member

Dunno about prog rock but I do like a bit of prog house on my 29er rides these days. When I was on the 26" it was more old-school rock.

So maybe Prog-rock is the ideal inbetween music for inbetween 650B wheels.

My musical preferences say that my 29er flows better and is more about the longer-term experience, the 26" was a blast for short periods but more stop-starty.

Almost makes sense.

Posted 1 year ago #
bigdugsbaws - Member

Its a fact that big wheels are faster, thats why all the chavs try and cram 20" rims on their corsas

Posted 1 year ago #

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