[Closed] Death of 26ers ??

Not untul people like Peat and Pillgrim (sp.?) start using them 😀

Can't see it taking over in more technical diciplines. I dont think we'll ever see the KOD or crankworks won on flat bared, disk braked CX bikes?

or would those riders on 29ers do just as well on 26ers?

dnf. its 98% rider 2% bike as long as it works and fits properly.

they can have my 26" bikes when they prize them from my cold dead fingers etc. etc.

Seriously, this whole 29er vs 26er thing is getting annoying.

I can't see every mountain bike running 29" wheels within the next 5 years, and nor can I see it being positively received by every rider.

Reading the article, all it says is that fewer racers are using 26" hardtails, with most either using full suss xc bikes or 29ers. I imagine the advantage of a 29er in a race would depend on the course, however I think we're reached the stage where any weight penalty of a full suss is outweighed (see what I did there 😉 )by it's performance advantage.

Outside of racing, can't see people totally giving up on hardtails, although as decent full suss comes down in price, it may become less common, also can't see everyone moving to 29ers, although they may well become more common.

29ers have advantages for some stuff and disadvantages for other.

The big wheels likely kept him safe on the national course’s treacherous downhill because of a better ability to keep a rider centered and rolling over obstacles on the steeps. Another technological advantage JHK had were his prototype 400-gram tires. Slow acceleration plagues 29ers because of their heavier rotating weight, but when you minimize those penalties, as Bontrager has with its carbon wheels and prototype tires, then the penalty can be justified for the advantage.

So until everyone can get hold of carbon rims and 400g tyres for reasonable money...

Besides, it seems as much about suspension as wheel size in that article.

they be too ugly, plus i've got 30 odd sets of tyres, what the heck will i do with all them?

reading the article, it mentions the advantages of suspension, but not of 29" wheels...

edit:

because of a better ability to keep a rider centered and rolling over obstacles on the steeps

I missed this, but I'm not sure I understand what it means 🙁

Yes it does

The big wheels likely kept him safe on the national course’s treacherous downhill because of a better ability to keep a rider centered and rolling over obstacles on the steeps

My 29er wheels are only 200-250g Heavier than my 26" wheels. and the tyres are only 80g heavier.

The wheelset weighs 1706g which is pretty light for 29er wheels with CK hubs.

centered ??

Well I've gone back to 26" as have a few others in these parts. I liked mine in certain situations but it was the barge like turning that did it in the end.

Slow acceleration plagues 29ers because of their heavier rotating weight

funny how offroad we are now told of the rolling benefits of larger wheels, yet 650's are the next 'big' thing for the tarmac lovers, who have come down from 27's to 700's already.

Many people's everyday riding tends to include more jumps and drops than your average XC race course. By all accounts, 29ers are great for bashing through stuff but bigger weaker wheels are a bit of a liability when it comes to leaving the ground.

I expect a lot of the riders in that article are using what they've been given by their sponsors, and I expect Velonews is also pimping 29ers hard because it blurs the line between articles and advertorials even more then most magazines. No doubt there are plenty of "real world" riders who get on with 29ers better than 26ers but really they are still a bit of a specialist item.

As somebody who is now a committed 29er fan even I think this article is rubbish. St Colin is right in his comment (above) that this 29er vs 26er thing is becoming annoying. The different wheel sizes suit some people better than others and thats always going to be the case.

The article on Velonews also failed to take into account that 26er is the most common wheel format worldwide. 29ers are undoubtedly going to become more common but I can't see them getting to the same level of popularity as 26ers as the smaller wheel format is too well established.

I like my 29ers. 26" feels odd nowadays. Never felt like they're any harder to turn, just a bit different. Wheel weight COULD come down a bit, but Ive neevr noticed an issue there either.

Yes, it IS 98% rider and 2% bike when it gets to the top end, but it IS interesting that a lot more of the top riders are going this way.

Out of all of the riders i know here in Hobart, only 1 is using cart wheels. & Even he isn't convinced, but can't afford to change.

I don't think 26" hardtails dead by a long shot, nor are they likely to be any time soon. However it is interesting to those of us who do like/ride big wheels that a number of elite racers are now winning and doing well on them - clearly not the disadvantage many of the naysayers believe. I agree that the whole 'argument' is tedious, ride what you like and like what you ride.

Production of something is only stopped when it's obsolete. Many prefer 26" to 29" (myself included - sold my Unit 29er as I just plain prefer 26") so we'll be fine for a while yet

I reckon most people couldn't give a toss about racing, which is only a small part of what mountainbiking is all about.
Bar ends & skinny bars are good for racing, but no good for a typical ride which would involve more gnarly terrain & jumps/drops, so cart wheels would not be better for most people, as most people don't race.

Novelty value and marketing going into overdrive?

I know only 2 riders that regularly uses a 29er, and one's about ohhhh, eleventy feet tall, so it suits him. Don't know any-one else who's even tried one. I like my 26" wheeled bike, and I see no real reason to change. I don't necessarily do mountain biking on the most efficient fastest bike, but it's an all rounder that I can use from the Alps to XC, and I don't want a fleet of specific bikes to fill every niche.

26" hardtails may be out of fashion for the racing set, but that makes so little impact in my world that the article may as well have suggested that uni-cycles were being dropped...

Ride whatever size wheels you want.

I for one don't give a **** what anyone else's preference is.

But I know what suits me better.

The 29er niche will become mainstream, then there'll be a 26er 'revival' I guess, so start hording now 😉

But seriously, does anyone think that companies will lose all those sales of 26" tyres/tubes/wheels from their balance sheets when they can sell almost the same product twice by keeping two sizes of mtb wheel.....

Novelty value and marketing going into overdrive?

You've got to have a 'next great thing' haven't you and the mags will love it if they've got something new to write about. Again, there are advantages but they're massively overstated or generalised in marketing b*****ks as usual.

I just can't wait for the fascinating head to head mag tests to see which is faster zzzzzzzzzz

Surely 29" wheels make it harder to fit bikes in the car? 🙂

Ride whatever size wheels you want.

I for one don't give a **** what anyone else's preference is.

But I know what suits me better.

A Scooter?

My 29er wheels are only 200-250g Heavier than my 26" wheels. and the tyres are only 80g heavier.

So, about 2lb more then. That's a lot, especially as it's entirely on wheels, and mostly the rims and tyres at that.......

well Im never gonna be riding a 29er, Im 5'4". The front wheel is nearly chest high. They're built for those giraffe type people.

K

That's 1lb you halfwit! + a 1700g wheelset is still lighter than most peoples XC wheels.

That weight is inflated by the CK hubs, the combined Rim, tyre and spoke weight different per wheel is less than 150g.

What you loose on the ups you gain on the downs.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/07/13/why-doesnt-anyone-make-a-29er-downhill-bike/

some more interesting comments & stuff in this article on bike biz last week

I have a fully rigid mountain bike with 26" wheels. Am I passée? 🙂

just had a brief look at that article, it is written by an american for an american audience. To be fair the Americans are $hit at XC racing. Look to Europe what is being used there.

If the euro racers are on 29ers it means something, if the yanks are on 29ers it means nothing.

When I see 29ers for £70 in Asda, I'll know they've taken over.

Slow acceleration plagues 29ers because of their heavier rotating weight

But inertia becomes momentum once you've got the wheels rolling...

Exactly why they're better in some respects and worse in others...

Bar ends & skinny bars are good for racing, but no good for a typical ride which would involve more gnarly terrain & jumps/drops, so cart wheels would not be better for most people, as most people don't race

Most people? I doubt it - I'd have thought the majority of mountain bikes are sold via supermarkets and Halfords to people who use them for riding around the park and commuting, both of which are ideal for 29ers.

This is plain silly no one argues you should use a small frame for cross country racing as it lighter.

Surely different wheels will fit different riders and terrain.

Bar ends & skinny bars are good for racing, but no good for a typical ride which would involve more gnarly terrain & jumps/drops, so cart wheels would not be better for most people, as most people don't race

The MTBing done by "most people" would be fine on a 29er, even if they think they're doing gnarly stuff.

(Actually, most people MTBing are riding very tame stuff very slowly, and a 29er would work for them too.)

I don't know how much abuse 29ers can take - I'd be interested to see how bikes like the Banshee Paradox get on in the real world. However I think you are a bit out of touch with what many people are getting up to on their mountain bikes these days. There's also the random factor that comes with trying new stuff. I've never done any jumps or drops over a few feet in height, but that's quite enough to bust spokes or trash hubs on a 26" wheel if you don't get it right.

they are harder to fit in the car, i had to buy an ugly skoda roomster. so now i have a shit bike and a shit car, but there both faster than my old ones;-)

I don't like 29ers because they don't look right. Simple as that.

I thought the main advantage of two wheel sizes is that bike fit is easier if the rider is on the short or tall side...

/could be wrong.
//you know I'm not.

I'll maybe get a 29er for racing when I grow about 8", same for most folks methinks.

Oh great - an argument about nothing with added tripe being posted.

can I join in? I've never even seen a 29r 🙂

Crikey next they'll be saying I need more than 21 gears

Since racing's completely irrelevant to most mtb riders, trends in the sort of bikes racers ride are probably equally irrelevant to the bikes we're going to ride.

I own 2 29ers and a 26er and can see the advantages of both sizes. On the open flowing trails the 29er is without doubt a fair bit faster (getting scientific here!!) but as soon as you get into the tight and twisty stuff the 26er beats it hands down on the ability tturn quicker. I predict both sizes will carry on for a long time without being killed off.
Think about how many bikes are made in the world, the high end stuff (which includes 29ers as they are still fairly specilist kit)must account for a very low % figure of all bikes sold, it would be interesting to see the average price of all bikes sold in the world, I reckon it would be about £150, and most of them will have 26" wheels.

markenduro - Member

................. it would be interesting to see the average price of all bikes sold in the world, I reckon it would be about £150, and most of them will have 26" wheels.

I reckon more like £30 and 27 " wheels - think China and India - two very big populations who use old skool bikes a lot. 12 million bicycles a year in india

Just guessing tho

I am acquiring the bits to build up a rigid bike with 24" wheels and Alfine 8 speed hub gears for messing about in the woods. Will anyone speak to me if my wheels are too small.

Isnt it obvious we should all be using 650b then, a comprimise for all....

Mr Agreeable - Member

I don't know how much abuse 29ers can take - I'd be interested to see how bikes like the Banshee Paradox get on in the real world. However I think you are a bit out of touch with what many people are getting up to on their mountain bikes these days. There's also the random factor that comes with trying new stuff. I've never done any jumps or drops over a few feet in height, but that's quite enough to bust spokes or trash hubs on a 26" wheel if you don't get it right.

Is the point you're making about the frames or the wheels not being up to it, as you seem to be saying both? Only askin'

I would think both are designed with the real world in mind, and as such would stand up to the same kind of 'abuse' a 26er would. Of course you pick your weapon for the intentioned terrain

I recently test rode a 29" FS and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It really did "flow" over smaller obstacles. I was bracing my arms in preparation for the trail however this was completely uneccessary with the 29" FS as it smoothed out the trail. I'll quantify this by saying the ride was not technical in any sense of the word.

However my normal 26" (a blur LT) encourages me to try stuff beyond my ability. It is more fun chucking it around and to be honest probably what I want out of a FS.

If I was to purchase a 29" bike I'd go for a hardtail as I reckon that's were you see the greatest advantage of the bigger wheels... Worryingly I suppose that means I agree with the original article!

Keva - Member
well Im never gonna be riding a 29er, Im 5'4". The front wheel is nearly chest high. They're built for those giraffe type people.
K