Hi
I've been riding a (cheap) hard tail 29er over winter. Only locally nothing to extreme.
Had a rare mid week day off yesterday and took my 26er to gisburn.
I found I couldn't find any flow or confidence and seemed to catch and stall on every root and rock.
Before riding a 29er I used to be ok at trail centres on my 26 and thoroughly enjoy it.
Anyone else experienced this or have any suggestions on how to cure it?
Do I have to ween myself back on to a 26 via 27.5?
I took my Blur round Laggan last week. First time out on it for around a year after riding a 29er and a fatbike. I was pish - mostly on the little rocky climbs. As you say, I just seemed to keep stalling it. I'm just glad there was no one to see me! I reckon I'd re-learn in time but I did wonder how much was me and how much the bike.
Ah ha. So 29er's make you lazy and de-skill you... 😉
I went for a quick blast on my 26er fs yesterday after riding my 29er ht since buying it last August.
I couldn't believe how many times I seemed to have taken, what felt like at least, the wrong line.
Still enjoyed it though. It is all bikes, so all fun to me!
This is exactly my experience.
26ers just feel like the wrong tool for the job these days. Fortunately I've traded up both my bikes to 29er now.
I couldn't go back to a 26er HT, just hangs up too easily on rocky trails.
No problems going from 29er HT to 26er FS though - it definitely changes direction easier on fast but technical trails.
Love having the contrast though.
I think this is a matter of the way the body has learnt responses, and it is difficult to adjust back, especially if you only ride one type of bike/wheel most of the time.
I don't think this means that one bike is better than the other, but that you have become conditioned to one type. When you go back to a 26er, you're purhaps either riding it like a 29er, or expecting it to behave like one.
I ride a 26er, but had my first proper go on a 29er last weekend, back to back on the same trail as the 26er. I found the 29er very comfortable, smooth, and grippy and can see how my riding would change to match these characteristics. It also seemed much slower to turn, it caught me out initially. If I only rode that for a long period, I would get used to riding in a way to maximise that bikes characteristics. Because i can maximise the ride on my 26er, I was still faster and enjoyed it more. But it made me quite open minded about different wheelsizes, and gave me the impression that it was less about absolute performance differences, and more about personal preference.
What it did prove though, is that riding lots of different types of bikes and wheel sizes, makes you a better rider. Being an evangelist of just one type will not.
^^
I have to agree chakaping I've 29er HT and 26 AM and very happy with them both BUT my next FS/AM will be a 29er 🙂
...it was less about absolute performance differences, and more about personal preference...
this 1000%
Probably requires a 29erectomy.
I love my 29er and my 26er. If use both you can get the best out of both.
Ditto all of the above experiences, both bikes 29er now and loving it.
I like big wheels and I cannot lie.
Yep, easy - go ride some tight natural single track 🙂
Yep, easy - go ride some tight natural single track
I did that on my 29er Superfly and set a new PB on the Strava segment
i rode some nice local singletrack and was nowhere near my best, if 29r's are the best thing since sliced bread/naked ladies on the internet then I'm doing the biking world a favour by not riding one and unleasing my full potential on them.
I did that on my 29er Superfly and set a new PB on the Strava segment
Awesome.
Awesome.
Yes I am
I have a rigid 29er and a 140mm slack 26er hardtail.
Very different. Both awesome! Need different riding styles to get the best out of them. You have to float a 26er more rather than just trying to roll over stuff, if that makes sense.
I did something similar. Had a Zesty 914 when they first came out with EI, and as a bit of a project I built a 29hardtail. I found it much more comfortable to ride, and found myself wanting to take it out, rather than the zesty. When I did take the zesty, it was such a drag on hills, and hard work on the going, I decided to bite the bullet, and sell it.
I am now an official 29er, having bought a better carbon hard tail, had a spesh epic over the winter, but just sold it, and have a carbine 29 on the way.
Had a spin on a friends new 26er the other week, and it felt like a bmx bike !!
Glad it's not just me.
Think I either need to spend more quality time on the 26 fs or bite the bullet and buy a fully bouncy 29er
Literally spent the whole 'lap' feeling like I was going to go over the bars.
There's something comforting about being able to see so much wheel in front of you.
Must admit that 26" feels tiny now after riding my 29er for a while. Rode across Barden Moor for the first time on my 29er the other week and really noticed how smooth it was over a section that's usually a pain in the bum on a 26". Doesn't feel any worse on twisty single track either, feels the same. Still isn't as playful as 26" though.
But it made me quite open minded about different wheelsizes, and gave me the impression that it was less about absolute performance differences, and more about personal preference.
Nail hit firmly, squarely, on the head with a bloody great big hammer!
Couldn't have put it better myself.
I find 29er suit my riding style than smaller wheels, many people don't. There's good and bad 29ers though, the same as there are with other wheel sizes. Makes me laugh when people with huge prejudices and no real experience of 29ers say they're all rubbish as they're so slow to turn and they're terrible on technical stuff. Have had people say that to me on a ride before later on passing them like they were standing still on my "rubbish 29er".
Happy to accept that plenty of people still prefer 26" though, I can see how/why/where it works and who it would work for better than a 29er.
I own 29" & 29+, also a 700x cx bike along with 3 fatbikes these days for my local xc trails and coast riding and not riding any front suspension bikes now. However if i was to by a bike for trail centre riding like my nearest at Glentress and Inners i would not hesitate to buy a 26" bike with a suss fork. Why?, speed on tight trails and jumping-I will grab my coat now and leave before those who have their heads buried in the magazines and fatbike owners who believe their fatbikes are better at trail centres (which they are not) object! 😆 
coastkid - I didn't expect to hear that on this thread but I totally get it - feel it! 😀