So I went for a 29er well 2 actually a Gary fisher and an Inbred the GF is slacker always felt the front wondered a tad,the inbred is ok but a bit heavy neither felt like the fun I had before, then I thought I would try the Gravel thing a London road but to be honest it never lived up to expectation, not really good at any one thing.

So now I am thinking about buying a 26er again, I miss the quick nature of the beast the ease of getting it off ground the playfulness I just don’t seam to find with either 29″ or gravel bike.

Any one else feel something is missing ?

Yes my kitten 🙁

RIP fluffy

What riding do you do?

The mrs?

Or Mr, to keep the spirit of inclusivity

Nope my gravel bike feels different to my 26′ hardtail……..perhaps the jokes on me!! 😯

Who wants to point out that CX tyres are closer to 26″ than 29″?

Ok ignoring the obvious 13 year old replies manly single track xc ish no bike parks, just in the woods.

Most people just buy what they’re told to buy by the media and the manufacturers.

Me included, sometimes btw.
🙂

Might be the bikes you have had dude. Always thought the Inbreds my pals had were bang average and a weird geometry. One changed the Inbred for a Parkwood that was miles better. Both are now on FS 29ers.

I’m on my second 29er and would not consider a return to 26″.

As for gravel bikes. Got one, found I never used it, probably selling tomorrow.

Ebikes

29+ and a set of road wheels – I kept toying with the idea of a gravel bike but I’m really striggling to justify it with the flexibility of 29+ run fully rigid.

Surly manly trails require a grrrrrrravel bike 😉

I’ll get my coat…..

What Fisher?

Parkwood would certainly be more slack and fun then both I’m guessing.

Something like a bigwig would be more slack again but not sure that suits your general riding.

I’ve a parkwood and love it. Cheap and cheerful too.

Pinnacle Iroko would be a good shout IMHO – the base model is a nice rigid bike with playful modern geometry. However I can’t see Evans stocking many, maybe making way for 2017 stock.

Charge Cooker? Rigid and 650b+. And cheap!

To be honest though I think a lot of 29rs have moved on and you may find them a bit more enjoyable than you did five years ago.

I ride manly singletrack exclusively on my 26″ 😳

buy yourself a nice touring bike. it is what cyclists do when the grow up.

😀

I’ve just put new wheels and 25c tyres on my gravel bike and did a 50m round trip commute

It rode great – it’ll do as a winter bike cos it’ll take mudguards and if I ride it enough it’ll convince me to get a road bike for the spring

Then I’ll put a dropper and 40c tyres on tubeless and ride it more off-road – or I’ll stick it on a turbo. Just need to realign how I think of it

weenie sub-9kg rigid carbon 29er. Like a gravel bike but more fun and more options.

I rode a 26er the other day. God it was weird.

I’ve just put new wheels and 25c tyres on my gravel bike and did a 50m round trip commute

Why would you do that? You have the space for bigger rubber and it will roll just as well and be just as fast a 25’s but with way more comfort.

The Gary fisher is a Cobia 2009 I think head angle is about 69 and it always feels floopy compared to the Inbred, I found the Inbred with a narrowish bar and bar ends makes for me a far better gravel bike the london road left me feeling beaten to death off road and the 29er with skinny tires is just as quick. I think maybe I expected the gravel bike to do too much, my own fault for not realizing the limits it would have

Its playful I am missing so what am I doing wrong?

both the 29ers are mediums I am 5’9″ would a smaller frame be in order?

Without sounding all mystical the answer may not just be in wheel size/ bike type. If you really enjoyed riding ‘your’ trails on a 26′, and now don’t on different size wheel’s or different types of bikes, then buy a 26′ bike again. And preferably the same one you really enjoyed, as not all 26′ bikes are the same either. Why keep trying to make something you don’t think works, work? Particularly when you think a 26′ bike will work for you. I would rather ride what I like, rather than not enjoy riding what I think/ or am told I should.

Even though Gary Fisher/trek where ahead of the game back then, the early 29ers where terrible, a new one is so much better the geometry is better the lower or higher bb depending on style of riding, travel has changed offset forks etc…demo days will be your best bet and try a host of other bikes.

I will admit I still have fondness for the trek 69er the brown one, but my new 29er is loads of fun to ride.

Why would you do that? You have the space for bigger rubber and it will roll just as well and be just as fast a 25’s but with way more comfort.

Because I had some free 25c tyres that I wanted to play with. It’s comfortable enough on the road with the new wheels – and I can swap em out for something different if I see fit. Happy to swap these decent 25c tyres for something equally as good but wider if you know of owt tho

the GF is slacker

read that bit twice and then realised it did refer to a bicycle 8)

Luckily she does not read this forum 😳