[Closed] Anybody tried a 29er and gone back to 26"?

Nope, I had a Niner EMD nicked, took an Orange ST4 as insurance replacement, then bust that and did not have the cash to buy bigger wheels and forks again...so still on 26" steel Sanderson.
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But I do miss the 29er - the *slight* lack of nippyness is outweighed by my lack of skill in nipping around anyway. But the smoother rolling ride I do miss, and the way it 'fit'.
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So if I ever have the cash again to buy from new, it would be a comfortable 29er HT or short travel 29er FS.

I like my Niner for certain things but wouldn't be without a 26er. Find the Niner great for endurance events, long days out or non-technical trails but it doesn't have the same instant, lightning quick handling as my steel 26er HT or FS.

Would love to try a 29er FS but I can't see not having something quick and agile as well. Plus I think most 29ers will have a steeper head angle.

eeerrr...........about 3 times. my ventana would have suited you Dave 😉

2 29ers and a 26er here. All of them rock.

I didn't get on with my 29er at all and have now sold it. It was a nice build - Gary Fisher G2 frame, Hope hoops/Crest wheels, Reba race fork and a mix of XTR/SLX drive with Easton bars/stem. I'm 6' tall, so 29er's should work fine for me.

I got it for long rides on the Downs where I link roads and bridleways with byways and cheeky stuff through the woods. In practice, I couldn't get up the really steep hills that I got up on the 26er, it was really ponderous through the woods, and it was slow on the roads - I think because the aero resistance of the big wheels and tyres. It was like hitting a wall at around 26km/h and on the flat I couldn't get it to go any faster.

I did back to back tests with my 2002 Stumpy hardtail 26er. Very similar spec - 100mm fork, same gears and brakes, nice wheels etc. The Stumpy was about half a kilo lighter, but over the same route its was consistently 2-3km/h faster and did this with a 5% lower heartrate average. I rode both bikes over the course 3 times in similar conditions and the numbers were always the same. However the numbers are only part of the story. The Stumpy was just so much more fun as well! And for even more fun, but a bit less speed, I love my 26er Soul.

So now I'm back on my 10 year old 26er which is better for me in every way. The 29er bits are sold apart from the wheels which are now on my CX bike.

I'm not saying 29er are rubbish, but they are not better for everybody in every situation and they really didn't work for me.

Try it and sell the stuff on if you dont get on with it I say.

A 29er will be a project for me next year I reckon.

sort of.

I did have a 26" hardtail, a 26" s/speed and a 26" FS

I tried a 29er hardtail and was hooked, so i bought one in place of the hardtail. Bought on the benefits of lower rolling resistance and all that, the s/speed was next to go. But I kept the FS and kept going back to it. It wasn't that the 29er didn't do all i wanted but there was something about how fast handling the 26er was that I loved. So when the time came to replace the FS, I got another 26er FS, and I'm glad I did.

I think rumours of the end of 26ers are premature. At least, *I* hope they are.

Borrowed a friends Spesh 29er for a month, deciding if that was gonna go for one. Great for XC, much smoother than a 26, but just didn't feel I could chuck it about as much as a 26. Ended up with a new 26, but if I were going for an XC bike, it'd def be a 29er.

Since I've got about 2 grand's worth of 26er wheels and tyres, a 29er'd need to be downright amazing to tempt me to change. I've tried a couple, none have been amazing.

Certainly looks like it's true when you go in the LBS - 75% of stock seem to be 29ers. I ordered my next bike today (cube reaction HT pro) and the bloke selling did his level best to get me to have a 29er - is there a hidden agenda to do away with 26ers?

[i]dons tin foil hat[/i]

my ventana would have suited you Dave

really? only if you gave me a leg up onto it 😆

i have a scandal mk1 29er weighing 24lbs and a yeti asr7 at 34lbs........i like my scandal but not sure as it is slower on tech climbs than the yeti not as flickable but on a 5 mile climb mainly road almost 5 mins quicker.....as borisabove bought it to link things, gisburn is boring in places now and bloody harder in others....i have a rocky moutain element 29er awaiting building up and an 26 anthem to get a final comparison.

29er for me more stable in places but my yeti makes me smile and feel right.......horses for courses

My 29 works better for day to day mixed rides where there is lots of dull / Tarmac
Buy every time I ride the 26 in the woods it just seems more fun bit over a whole ride the 29 is quicker

Not bought one, but I spent a few months with a 29er HT while the shop took an age to sort out a few warranty issues with my 26" FS. I didn't really get the 29er thing I'm afraid. To me it just felt like a short travel HT, which is basically what it was. It was no faster on any of the loops that I usually ride. Maybe a bit smoother on chattery surfaces, but a bit harder to move about in the more technical stuff as well. I was certainly very glad to get my 26" bike back.

Of course it wasn't really a fair comparison. A HT and FS are different beasts and I'd like to try a decent 29er FS with Trail geometry one day, but when I'm riding my 26" bike I'm rarely thinking "gosh I wish these wheels were a bit heavier and less strong" 🙂

I know of one guy who is a sponsored rider and he gave his 29er back and went back to a 26er, the main reason was it was not as much fun to ride

As for speed over his favorite loop there was nothing in it between the 2 each one had its benefits in different parts of the loop but the "29er was not fun"

on the same score I do know riders who are chuffed to bits with there 29ers

no turning back for me , im absolutely lovin the 29 experience and getting back on the 26 is starting to feel strange. im going to split my last 26 now and going to look towards a spesh camber to compliment my 29er hardtail. Although it genuinely brings a lump to my throat i can only see the future as 29 and 650b

I demoed a few, but nothing floated my boat.
Bought the SB66 sight unseen & couldn't be happier.

I went 29er and loved it.
Sold/selling all my 26'' bikes to just have a 29er stable.
Nothing wrong with 26'' wheels but it just dosen't suit me.
There is no way i'll go back to 26'' wheels, with updated geometry and more component choice it's a no brainer for me.

had a singular swift, couldn't find a trail within 50 miles of home that would justify it, if I was riding seven staines type stuff every weekend I'd have another one

It think it very much depends on how and where you ride.

Personally I found my 29er Fisher ht with its 100mm forks to be the quickest and most fun hardtail I have ever owned. Better than my mmmbop with 140mm forks. Faster and more fun through the woods, and up and down.

Riding on the South Downs most of the time though so it is not the most technical, steepest or rockiest of places. And my DH and air skills are not the greatest.

I think you have to try it before you know. We are all different.
I am now breaking and selling my 26er FS to fund a new 29er FS so I am hooked.

I love my 29er and wouldn't be without one now if i could help it, but just a thought here, why not get some cheaper wheels if your just trying it out? I know the Crests/Hope combo is the standard STW answer to xc wheels and it is an outsstanding wheelset, it is almost £300 as well, you can get a 29er wheelset for about £100, won't be as light but you'll still be able see if you like 29ers or not, and if you don't you'll still be able to flog them in the classifieds for £80.

merlin has (or had, haven't checked recently) stans on deore hubs for about £125.

I flicked back and forth for a while now have just 29er , I've found on trail center and technical rides a 26" is better but for natural trails out in the hills the 29er is smoother and faster , so I've got rid of my 26" wheels as it suits my prefered riding style. Tho I can see its not for everyone

One thing I'd advise against is trying it out on budget wheels as it makes a big difference in the ride and is essentially the thing you are testing out. I've had a 29er with budget wheels and it was nothing like my current lighter rimmed ones

I'd agree with firestarter on the wheels. The original set on the Fisher were ok but heavy. Built up a lightweight set of Crests and it transformed the ride, especially climbing and accelerating.

I love my 29er and wouldn't be without one now if i could help it, but just a thought here, why not get some cheaper wheels if your just trying it out? I know the Crests/Hope combo is the standard STW answer to xc wheels and it is an outsstanding wheelset, it is almost £300 as well, you can get a 29er wheelset for about £100, won't be as light but you'll still be able see if you like 29ers or not, and if you don't you'll still be able to flog them in the classifieds for £80.

merlin has (or had, haven't checked recently) stans on deore hubs for about £125.

I have given that a load of thought Bazz and theotherjohnv, but I had the same thoughts as firestarter and kevinPP.

That is to give a true and fair comparison then carrying what would be close to 1.5lbs of extra wheel weight may make a big difference to the findings.

I still haven't pressed 'buy' 🙄

My 29 works better for day to day mixed rides where there is lots of dull / Tarmac
Buy every time I ride the 26 in the woods it just seems more fun bit over a whole ride the 29 is quicker

I like my Niner for certain things but wouldn't be without a 26er. Find the Niner great for endurance events, long days out or non-technical trails

After many years of being a big-wheel sceptic I now ride a light short travel 29er full-susser and have found the exact opposite to the above. On smoother trails i've found there's little or no advantage on the 29er, but on rock gardens, roots and more technical steep ups and downs the 29er is faster, smoother and far more stable. Overall the energy needed to ride all day on the 29er also seems to be less than on a 26er.

It took me a lot of consideration, and two full days of demo riding back to back with my previous bike (Yeti 575), and some other top-end 26ers to come to the decision and make the not insignificant investment needed. It also took a period of adjustment in my riding style, but I wouldn't go back.

I don't think all 29ers are sorted yet, a bit like 26ers were a decade ago, there are still some out there that haven't ironed out the geometry issues etc. They're definitely not going to be for everyone, but making a decision on what 29ers are like based on one bike you've tried is a very narrow minded, particularly when it's judged against your 26er which has evolved with you for years to reach a set-up and ride you love. I think you really need to compare like for like to get a true picture, i.e. if you usually ride a top-end 26er then there's little benefit in comparing it with a budget 29er or vice-versa. What the OP said is also true...

That is to give a true and fair comparison then carrying what would be close to 1.5lbs of extra wheel weight may make a big difference to the findings.

I can't recommend enough the benefits of arranging or finding a suitable demo day if you want to reduce the risk of wasting money making the wrong decision.

Do they do 29ers in your size Dave?(vortex) 😉

Hubs and stuff don't matter much, but don't scrimp on the rims / wheel build / tyres etc. Careful shopping can give big savings in rotating mass (Crests etc). Must admit I never got round to running tubeless - started with the Schwalbe ultralight tubes as a stopgap but with 2 punctures in 18 months never bothered with anything else.

You are welcome to pop over and try my latest 29er (can shove in a shorter seatpost). I've not ridden the 26er for years so it would be interesting if I took that out for a spin at the same time. I'm planning on a couple of hours this weekend sometime around family etc if you are about / allowed out to play. Just be aware my frame geo will be a bit nippier than the Unit.....

Light rim and tyre are the key I think but I would say that I've a rohloff out back 😉

Good point Gents about the rim and tyre as opposed to the whole wheel.

Thanks for the offer Mike, i may take you up on it but I think yours may be a bit big for me.

and yip the unit is a 16" just like my existing 26" wheel unit, but as you know I have very short legs so the real thing that's at the back of my mind (apart from losing a load of dosh) is the lowest bar height I can achieve relative to the saddle height.

and yip the unit is a 16" just like my existing 26" wheel unit, but as you know I have very short legs so the real thing that's at the back of my mind (apart from losing a load of dosh) is the lowest bar height I can achieve relative to the saddle height.

hence the short head tubes on newer 29er frames to overcome this.

I had a unit 29er, heavy bike, even with stans crest wheels (10spd) and light weight tyres.
Here's my take on it.

As a single speed complete bike, stock build, it's actually great, the best single speed format I've tried outside of my fixie. It actually climbs really well, comes out at a reasonable weight (full rigid) and with or without suspension forks (i ran rebas) it was amazing off road on descents, tight, techy, bumpy, rooty stuff.

On the road, yuck, horrible, tiring, boring, slow, nasty.

Stand over was very tight for me, little short on the reach, but over all a good enough fit. sold it on.

That was my first experience with 29ers, I've since tried more and purchased a Tallboy. I had the wheel base slammed in as short as possible on the unit, the tallboy is longer but boy it's a better pedalling experience. Tried a Highball alu + carbon (actually preferred the alu) loved the super light, all 29er's, all similar wheel base, all preferred with 120mm forks.

Yeti Bigtop - great off road, just like the unit on road, felt like i was dragging a car tyre behind me.
Trek Superfly, amazing handling, love the steering kind of addictive quality, twitchy, really nice.
Niner air 9c + air9, not a patch on the Santa C options.

From the above you'll find there's a similar connection between chain stay length and ride quality. Maybe, but there's probably more to it than that.

To conclude, if you're running the unit as a single speed, i think you'll be rather pleased. Try extending the sliders (wheel base) and see if it improves on distance and road riding. I think it's a very good bike in retrospect, but not 100% right for me. My second bit of advice is this, really try to ride the bike (any bike) first, before buying it. If it has cheap heavy 29er wheels, great, that's better, if it still rides well with cheap wheels, it will fly with great wheels. Don't think that you need the great wheels (tyres / tubes) to transform a sluggish ride, it will only enhance what's there already.

Good bikes climb well regardless of weight.
Good bikes pedal well (if the geometry is good / fit for the purpose you have in mind).
Good bikes are worth the price asked. (Though not all are expensive to start with).

Still love my 26er yeti fs, might struggle to decide between a totally sorted long travel 26er hardtail and comparative 29er. For a single speed hard tail though, hands down the 29er format wins - don't forget to adjust your gearing ratio.

Push the button.

cheers binno, yip I intend to run it Single speed and fully rigid (just like my 26" Unit)

Your right about standover, 30" with a 27.5" inside leg measurement could make for some gonad/TT clashes 😯

It was like hitting a wall at around 26km/h and on the flat I couldn't get it to go any faster.

Hi Dave

You would easily fit my original frame from sleepless - it was very small and fits Alison with a shorter stem (she also has short legs and needs low bars). Unfortunately it is currently in rebuild phase to become her new ss so just a frame and fork at the moment. Would be interesting to try back to back against the Unit - once you've bought those spangly wheels 🙂

My latest frame is quite compact but might still be a little tall / long for you. The only pics I've got are at the link below (it now has paint):-

http://loslobos06.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/finish-finish-finish-paint-paint-paint.html

All my 26ers are up the attic and I took that ^ bike to the Alps - does that answer your original question?

I'm 100% 29er and I'm unlikely to go back,

A few years back I had a inbred 29er My old man similar build to me took out for a couple of rides, hated it and bought the 26" version which has now served him well for a few years.

I will urge everyone to just try one. But you should ride the bike that feels right for you.

For a single speed hard tail though, hands down the 29er format wins -

This was what I thought when I first got a 29er Inbred. My Scandal is now the XC/touring/utility bike of choice - almost like a hybrid 😉
I have a Blue Pig for mucking about and trail centres.

cheers for the offer Mike, but the frame is already here hopefully, I'll have a think about the wheels.

What's with the double chainstay?

Anyone notice a lot of the world cup xc riders are still racing and winning on 26ers?

Double chainstay - so I can use 2 skinny little 1/2" tubes instead of bits of plate or crimping the poop out of a normal chainstay 🙂 And it gives a very solid / tidy attachment for the dropout and disc mount.

Gear ratio and chain stretch allowing, the chainstays adjust right down to 16" measured along the stay (i.e. very very short for a 29er). So it is tricky to package 2.35" tyres, chainstays, chainring, mud room and a regular width bb into the same space (plus can't run a front mech). Hence most manufacturers go for longer stays and a steeper head angle as the easy option. Or longer stays and a slacker head angle like Trek (giving a huge wheelbase).

Dave, you know you're welcome to borrow the epic any time, and the giant is now built up too (though its only been for a spin round the guild wheel so far) if you'd like to try that out, even tho I now you'll hate the narrow bars! Hope you had a good ride this evening, I'm not at all jealous to be missing the pub either 🙁

Oh dear this thread isn't helping my current debate in my head for my next project. I was about to invest in an El Guapo but decided to wait for the 29er version but now I am not sure if it will be the right thing to do. I've never ridden a 29er in anger but have never felt held back with a 26er either even though I'm fairly tall (6'2) and I am pretty good in technical stuff. A demo ride is practically impossible given my location. Ho hum! 😕

MidlandTrailquestsGraham - Member
It was like hitting a wall at around 26km/h and on the flat I couldn't get it to go any faster.

I think you'll find that's the rider, not the bike. My 29er regularly exceeds 26km/h.

I note the smiley, but if on the same bit of road, I can get my 26er up to around 32km/h with the same heartrate, how is the 26er not better?

I've made the move to 29er this year.

First I bought a Cotic Solaris and used is as to replace a Ti 456 I was running ss before. This was done to see what all the hype was about. I liked the ride, notice some enhancement of flow on the trail and, oddly, how well it climbed. It was also stable, composed and coped with technical sections very nicely. I didn't notice any sluggishness in technical sections of tight woodsy singletrack.

What clinched it for me after riding it exclusively for a few months was returning to my 26er FS. It was a 5spot which is a completely sorted trail bike, but it just felt like it caught up on every tiny little bump, and after a while of trying, I just couldn't get past this. I replaced it with a turner sultan and its early days, with tweaking still to do, but I'm already sure I made the right decision.

I've made the move to 29er this year.

First I bought a Cotic Solaris and used is as to replace a Ti 456 I was running ss before. This was done to see what all the hype was about. I liked the ride, notice some enhancement of flow on the trail and, oddly, how well it climbed. It was also stable, composed and coped with technical sections very nicely. I didn't notice any sluggishness in technical sections of tight woodsy singletrack.

What clinched it for me after riding it exclusively for a few months was returning to my 26er FS. It was a 5spot which is a completely sorted trail bike, but it just felt like it caught up on every tiny little bump, and after a while of trying, I just couldn't get past this. I replaced it with a turner sultan and its early days, with tweaking still to do and although it does require slightly more body english and turning in a little earlier, its not something I won't be able to adapt to like any new bike, and I'm already sure I made the right decision.

Demoed a Solaris extensively (thanks Cy!). I found it blisteringly quick downhill, fast on the road/smooth climbs, and in certain circumstances outhandled anything else I've ever ridden.

But it just wasn't playful enough. It didn't need much input from me other than "point and hang on" to go really fast and I found it all a bit sterile compared to my Soda or my BFe, both of which I actually have to work at to make them go quick.

I also struggled with the sheer length of it in tight technical situations.

I've not written off ever owning a 29er, but it's not an itch I feel a desperate need to scratch whilst the Soda is intact. If I ever break that, I may think again...

Scienceofficer - how are the chainstays on the sultan? You always hear about how long they are. What size are you riding? I'm considering selling my xl dw 5 spot and getting a sultan. Any noticeable difference in flex from the back end?

I had a whyte 829 training bike and a whyte 29c race bike, the latter had full xtr group etc I rode/raced these for this year but now I'm back on a 26" I much prefer 26". oil beck doesn't seem to have a problem winning national elite xc races on a 26"

Yep I tried a Bandit 29er, thought it was pants, I'm not even going to look at a Covert 29er even though every one seems to be going mental for it, it's just wrong, 29ers are wrong The End.

Anyone waiting for one I think they're in by the way, oh and what's wrong with you? 😉

Not owned a 26" bike for personal use in over 10 years... I wouldn't give up mountain biking if I had to go back, but I'd consider it...

I switched to a 29er six months ago and ended up selling my beloved ASR 5C as it wasnt getting any use at all. I could not see myself going back to a 26er. A 29er (Cannondale Flash) is simply better in every department.

Its a large. I'm 6ft. I don't seem to have noticed the stays being long, but then I'm a middling rider in terms of cockpit set up. I think that it's more important at the extremes of cockpit setup - clink from here for example runs a short cockpit and always climbs standing up and as a result he's pretty fixated on short chainstays For getting the back wheel under him.

Compared to my old Horst link 5spot, the wheelbase in only about half and inch longer, and I rode that for six and a half years without complaint. Interestingly, it's suspension action is more compliant than the DW 5spot, feeling similar to my older HL version, but without the squat under power. To make room for the rear travel, the rear sub-frame is missing the seat stay brace that the 5spot has, and this added flexibility is perhaps what makes it feel more compliant. I've noticed that the shock linkages and chainstays are beefier though, probably to add stiffness back into the system.

I've ridden bikes with long and short stays over the years and its not something I seem to be particularly sensitive to, perhaps because I'm a 'ride the fork' kind of rider, so lead from the front and drag the rear round more than some others perhaps.

It's clearly a big bike. Bigger than the comparable size 5 spot althought its cockpit dimensions are pretty much the same. Despite this, I've actually brought the saddle forwards 10mm to shorten the cockpit and make it a little easier to move about on the bike. This is a direct reflection of it needing more input, as I talked about above.

It's not a bike that will make trail centres fun - it will flatten them. Although I will doubtless take it to a few to see how it goes, I expect I'll take the Solaris more frequently to trail centres. I didn't buy it for trail centres though. I bought it as my 'big days in the hills' bike and for this, although its a bit heavier than I would like at 29.5lbs,, it's pretty much perfect.
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Yes, & went straight back to 29er.

What amazes me is how many folk decide a 29er is not for them on the basis of a quick car park spin, or a few rides on a hastily built old entry level 29er HT.

For me is started with an Inbred. It was a great introduction & opened my mind to try something better, so I went for a SIR.9. Its just lovely. I built up my mates Ventana El-Ciclon over the summer. Managed two rides & missed my Niner for every second of them.

OP...if your near the middlelands I have some spare 29" wheels & tyres you can loan to try this big wheel mullarkey.

Cheers S.O., cracking info

Spent a weekend testing a Tallboy, I can see why it appeals to people, but 29" is not for me. Seems far too grown up.

After much deliberation I went and bought a Cotic Rocket, fantastic fun. It's like riding a BMX, in comparison.

takisawa2 cheers for the offer but your a bit far away.

jo_h, you missed a [b]VERY[/b] wet and cold ride, maybe a night ride round Kentmere was not such a good idea given the weather. It turned out ok though. The Pie,chips and beer at the watermill afterwards was as usual superb. not to mention the sticky toffee pudding. 😉

Cheers for the offer of the test ride, may take you up on the Giant just to see what it's like.

Hope your 'girl flu' gets better soon.

There is certainly a split as far as opinions go on this subject/thread, thats for sure.

Yeah me,constantly & then back again.Rode the Anthem 29er Tuesday but will be riding a 26" wheeled one today,Saturday I'll ride something else, maybe the SS.. Could never see myself riding just one type of bike,I'd get bored to death & probably stop riding...

Variety is the spice of life....

What amazes me is how many folk decide a 29er is not for them on the basis of a quick car park spin, or a few rides on a hastily built old entry level 29er HT.

Agree with this...

...although I also ride with one guy who has decided a 29er is definitely for him based on a 5min spin on my 29er. It works both ways.

As with all mountain bikes, some are more fun to ride than others, and some just feel 'right' for certain people. Basing your opinion on one experience of one bike is never rational.

It could well be 26 v 650 v 29 debate by next Xmas anyway, although I doubt all three can survive in the long term.

Personally I can't see myself getting a 650b, i'll be sticking with my 29er and my 26er (partly built but will rise again soon) 😀

As he said ^^^ ... variety is the spice of life.

I note the smiley, but if on the same bit of road, I can get my 26er up to around 32km/h with the same heartrate, how is the 26er not better?

It could well be 26 v 650 v 29 debate by next Xmas anyway

I don't see it as any kind of vs anyway. Its just another choice, in the same way that we can chose different travel forks, or FS or hard tail.

Well the frame arrived and it's very nice. and a bit lighter then I expected at 5.3lbs.

Ordered the wheels as they had a special offer on at Wiggle (as they always do 🙄 ) so they should be here in a day or so. Might still go for the Merlin wheels to try out first.

The Wiggles ones are OK for 365 days as a return, as long as I don't use them.

Just need to try and source a Black 29er Salsa Cromoto fork now of which nobody seems to have stock at the moment.

It could well be 26 v 650 v 29 debate by next Xmas anyway

I don't see it as any kind of vs anyway. Its just another choice, in the same way that we can chose different travel forks, or FS or hard tail.

Completely agree with you ScienceOfficer. Unfortunately I don't think many riders out there agree with us though based on some views in the forum.

yes......done it twice infact. 29er is defo more fun but for racing i do prefer 26" (i'm about 5'9 in height), i'm planning to try 27.5" this year though! 😉

i'm planning to try 27.5" this year though!

another option for the 26" Kona that I have been thinking about

choices,choices choices. aarrgghhh 🙄

I love my 29er (Singular Swift). I also still love my 26" bikes and the idea of restricting myself to one size is horrible to me. I have several bikes and one of the things I love is how they're different. I like the slight extra bmx-ness my 26ers have. I also like the confidence that my 29er gives which makes me do sillier things on it. I wouldn't want to give up either of those things.

ymmv but I don't get narrowing choices unless you either have to (because you only have one bike for example) or because you're racing (in which case speed is all)