When I started biking you had a steel bike and that was it.
Then aluminium turned up for high end bikes. Gradually it became the norm and steel was left for the niche end of the market.
I feel that 29ers will soon be the norm and 26ers left for the beardies.
By 2015 everyone will be raving about how responsive the 26ers are, how their light wheels accelerate so effortlessly, how flickable and manageble they feel, how you feel connected to the trail, rather than gliding over it...I'm keeping mine, be worth a fortune on retrobike.. 🙂
No chance of 29ers being the norm, apart from the blue rinse brigade on the shop run!
the blue rinse brigade on the shop run!
That just about sums up the videos of your riding.
I've now got one of each, well I've got a 29er in component form waiting to be built up and ridden.
Time will only tell how it goes, but as generations appear to be getting taller surely sports equipment, bikes will get bigger to suit - such as a 29'er.
I think there'll be less to chose between them, steel is hardly niche, and 29ers arent supposed to 'work' for people under the average height.
Can't see them taking over in DH, 4x, DS, trials, or jumping anytime soon either.