if so how do you find them better than 26 or not? i assume not so easy to manual and bunny hop etc
I'm 5'8" and riding a 16" Inbred 29er.
Not my main bike - really built it up for winter riding and, given the last weeks' weather, very glad I did. I figured when there's loads of snow, the big wheels might make it less of a chore to just go a batter out a few miles on fire roads and foot paths if I can't get onto any interesting single track.
It's certainly not as playful as my 26" bikes, not as easy to pop the front wheel up or hop about as you suspect, but overall it's surprisingly agile.
The big wheels do roll well as people suggest. Lot's of folk reckon it's like having 60-80mm of suspension... well, it's not as comfy as that, you still feel the bumps, but it does roll over stuff as easy as a big with a bit of bounce does if you know what I mean. Basically, it takes a big ish bump to stop it.
I've ridden the whole of Innerleithen XC route on it, my local trail, and it didn't stop my hitting anything including jumps and drops. I wouldn't have it as my main bike for riding technical trails on, but overall I do like barrelling along on it and reckon it's gong to be a good ride for the next few months.
[code][url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/5212379402_1b4da4aaca.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/spakman/5212379402/ ]Potter at Innerleithen[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/spakman/ ]Spakman[/url], on Flickr[/code]