For sheer speed on a typical XC marathon course, would you choose a 26″ hardtail, a short travel 26″, a 29er hardtail or a short travel 29er?

Tim
Pure Mountains

Whatever you ride and can afford!

Typical marathon course?

So lots of pedalling & not technical riding?

Well Tim from Pure Mountains, you’ve messed up the link to your website, so won’t be getting any SEO benefits!

I would say that as someone who is into “all sorts of mountain biking. Winner of solo endurance races.” then you should be advising us?! ha

An Epic or Tallboy probably.

depends on the engine.

Thanks for the responses. I’m asking because I went back to a HT recently, which I always believed to be the fastest, and my back couldn’t take it. Does a 29er HT have noticably more ‘give’?

Tim
Pure Mountains

You’re still failing at putting the advert link in your (entirely unnecessary) signature, by the way.

If you’d like to pay for an advert, however….

The fastest on paper is entirely irrelevant if you can’t actually ride it 🙄

It’ll depend entirely on the rider, but I’d say an ultra light 29er either way.

they used to say a Giant or Turner flux when 26″ bikes ruled 🙄

Who are they? I never heard that. In fact I never anyone refer to a Turner bike as fast. Sure they’re great, just not an association I’ve ever made.

In the interest of fairness, I feel I would also like to have a signature.

(nowt to do with me, just trying to be fair 🙂 )
Joey
Mountain Biking in Sierra Nevada

the flux not the 5spot 😉 5.5lb dw rear, 100mm FS bike.

Joey, that’s very good of you.

CFH
Post it notes

What can I say, I’m pretty selfless.

Joey
Today’s post is sponsored by Pot Noodle.

tkirkus – Member
Thanks for the responses. I’m asking because I went back to a HT recently, which I always believed to be the fastest, and my back couldn’t take it. Does a 29er HT have noticably more ‘give’?

Try a fatbike. Seriously.

Much more comfortable.

if your winning solo endurance races then probably the bike your on.

Seriously though, if your a fit and fast athelite who wins sh*t then to an extent it doesn’t really matter. Sure you wont win anything on a 34lb downhill bike, but anything between 18-24lbs, HT or FS and 26 or 29er, so long as it fits and you feel comfortable on will do.

Thanks for the responses. I’m asking because I went back to a HT recently, which I always believed to be the fastest, and my back couldn’t take it. Does a 29er HT have noticably more ‘give’?

Sounds to me like someone asking for help with new bike justification 😉

29er tyres: Bigger air volume for the same tyre size, so, effectively, yes – a bit more comfort.

29er frame: Nothing inherently more forgiving about a 29er frame than a 26er. However, some carbon frames around (mostly 29er) with some give engineered into the back end.

Is the backache definitely from the bumpiness though? I get backache on the HT from pushing a harder gear (the FS tends to make me spin easier gears)

Thanks again.
Haven’t won anything for a while – too old 🙂 Spot on jimification, I am trying to justify a new bike and everything seems to be pointing at a 29er. Can’t decide between a ht or a short travel fs. Ho hum.

Tim
No website link 🙂

I’m rubbish marathons but ride either an Anthem 29’er or a Kinesis FF29 HT depending on how techie it is, personally I think they’re faster for me

None of the race organisers, manufacturers or magazines seem interested in collecting or publishing race results by manufacturer.
I had a go once. http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-were-the-winning-bikes-at-bristol-bike-fest
Probably more hardtail 29ers on the podium than any other.