[Closed] 29 er vs 26 er - where's the math?

No maths required. The rolling resistance thing is a bit of a red herring as it is more related to tyre pressure. Simply put it is all about conservation of momentum. A larger wheel effectively flattens a bump, meaning less kinetic energy is wasted when the wheel rolls over a bump (i.e. less speed is lost), which in turn requires less energy the rider has to put in to maintain speed or in riding over bumps on a downhill. This is obviouly only of importance to those where speed over the ground is important - if you are into jumps, then suspension is far more important so you're not going to be keen to compromise suspension travel for speed over the ground - so 26ers will still rule here. The reality is can you tell the difference? I have, but it is not that great - its not transformed me from an average rider into a superstar overnight. I wonder if they have these debates over on the tractor forum?