[Closed] First proper ride on a 29er

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apologies for rubbish phone pic.

Welcome!

I think I might have to try out this 29er lark people are on about and really find out what it's like.

What size frame is that Sambob?

How tall are you ?

I too had my inaugural wagon wheeler ride this afternoon on my new [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/new-bike-29er-alert ]Chumba HX2[/url].

It was just round the local woods for a couple of hours, coming from a Cove Handjob built up with the same level of kit I was wondering what it would be like.

I was impressed, none of the "29'ers struggle in twisty single track" "29'ers take longer to get up to speed" things happened, it rode ve nicely indeed, accelerated quickly, handled well, turned in sharply, felt very balanced & composed blah blah blah..

Basically it rode like a bike 😀 It also felt as compliant as the Cove over roots etc.

I did think there was more grip from the bike over roots & through muddy sections, despite being on more all rounder type tyres than the Mud X's I'd ride on my Cove at this time of year.

Over all, very happy indeed

That's not mine by the way, that's the new demo Tallboy at 18 bikes. It's a large, and fitted my leggy 6ft 1 frame perfectly. Nice length to it, without feeling stretched. I think it had a 70mm stem on it, but i'm not sure. The other Matt has built an awesome carbon Tallboy, stupid light for a full sus 29er.

My flash 29 er accelerates like a rocket and changes direction like a demented bee. Traction is great on steep climbs even with dodgy looking tyres. It is more difficult to manual and wheelie, and is awkward to jump. Then again it's the first racy bike I've had after years on a slacked out Stiffee. Probably just needs a bit of change of technique.

I'm not surprised that Tallboy had front end left with riser bars and the stem not inverted...

29ers are cool though.

looks nicely proportioned, not every 29er needs the stem inverted, they tend to be designed better these days not just a "big 26" with associated geom like when they first came out

Agreed, it looks like a normal bike, just a bigger version. It's probably at the top of the list for my next bike, definitely looking at a full sus 29er anyway. If i lived somewhere like the Rockies, I'd get something like a Niner WFO 9, but nothing in the UK really warrants it. The Tallboy would be fantastic downhill at 120 on the front. I'll have to ask Matt how he gets on with it. Something else i noticed was how well it seemed to cover ground, even on the roads. Just got on with it and i arrived at sections earlier than i thought i would. I need one of these bikes 🙁

That's lucky then :). I guess all the racey types I know with inverted stems must all ride badly designed, old, bikes...

It does have a diddy little head tube though I suppose.

GB

I guess all the racey types I know with inverted stems must all ride badly designed, old, bikes...

or they need a bike that fits properly

What, like a 26" one 😉

Glad you liked the bike Sam and hope you feel better soon.

The stem and bar arrangement on the demo Tallboy is to give a decent range of adjustment for a variety of customers. Hence having a stem with rise, a couple of spacers and the low rise bars.

I'm very much looking forward to getting out on mine tomorrow for its first ride

29ers look lovely with a flipped stem and all racey, otherwise they are just big wheeled trundle machines for fat baps 😉

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Lovely

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gopping

case closed m'lud

What, like a 26" one

indeed 😀

flipped stems are as bad as risers with bar ends, just get a bike that fits!

Cheers Matt, let me know how it goes. Not that you don't already know the answer 😉

Tazzy that niner look lovely, got mine coming on Monday after taking advantage of CRC's half price deal on them last week, can't bloomin wait 🙂

Tazzymtb, WTF is up with the bar ends on that lower bike?

Trying to get my head around these 29'ers
Just wonder what 5 inch travel bike would be like.

Just seems to me, every time they make a 29'er they put a shorter
travel fork on them.

Trying to get my head around these 29'ers
Just wonder what 5 inch travel bike would be like.

I've recently started riding a 4.5" 29er, and so far it just feels like a faster rolling, more forgiving, but slightly heavier equivalent of a 5" trail bike. I don't have my stem flipped, but I probably would if I my frame was smaller. I think it looks the nuts too. 😀

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I'd get something like a Niner WFO 9, but nothing in the UK really warrants it.

I recon bikes on demo days always feel like how you expected them to feel before you get on them & that your first impressions aside from those that are preconceived are more about the contact points and the setup (pressures etc) than they are about the frame subtleties. And I'd lump the 29er vs 26" into the frame subtleties bag on that score.

BikeLab tell me that their Scott spark 29er demo arrives just before Xmas and its mine for a day, first stop Wales !

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2 of my flip stem 29ers, just to make rocketdog have an attack of the vapours 😀

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Mine went for its maiden voyage yesterday too after demoing the one at Bothy Bikes. I agree with everything you said except that I haven't had the front end wander. This is no surprise given that I ride a 456 Summer Season most of the time so I'm really used to keeping the front end down. All the things that you associate with 29ers according to reports anyway, like being sluggish off the mark, cumbersome in tight stuff and hard to throw around are all wrong! It does maintain speed in the rough much better also. One thing I did have was a few pedal strikes on roots and rocks which was a complete shock so I'll be checking my shock pressure. Great bike.

My mistake Hugor, I read the rear hub spacing options as travel options. A 150mm WFO would be pretty much unstoppable though. The rocky mountain 29er looks good too. I NEED to find a way to get one of these bikes.

Nice one Devs, looks fast. To be honest, the front end wander was only there if i looked for it, and it was on a 1/5 road climb, so i'm not fussed. I didn't really get a chance to do any steep off road climbs on it, but on the off road climbs I did get it was superb.

How tall are you Sambob? If you're tall, not too heavy and know anyone handy with a welder, you can have my Mark 1 RIP9 with RP23 for £150 posted. It really needs a sleeve putting in the seat tube, or a gusset adding all the way down (google cracked RIP9), but a cheap project bike to get a feel for big wheel bounciness.

My Tallboy has 95-120 forks on it. I have a 70mm flat stem and 750mm low rise bars. I only set it to 95 on super steep or long sustained climbs and then have no trouble with the front lifting.

I'm toying with the idea of putting the new Fox 34 110-140 forks on but it would be an expensive experiment. I'm thinking that 110 may well be ideal most of the time with 140 potentially be great for the long descents but am just a bit worried about making the wrong decision.

I've also just ordered some 2.35 Hans Dampf tyres to try. Yes, they'll no doubt slow me down a bit but I ride for fun, not to race and fancy trying some really grippy tyres.

I've also just ordered some 2.35 Hans Dampf tyres to try

Where from?

You have no chance at all of getting a hans dampf in the back of it. It's much much bigger than 2.25 schwalbes. I couldn't get it in the back of my cove hummer it rubbed the frame. Great front tyre though. You will be shocked how big it is, it's up there with a 2.5 inch big earl.

Edit if they are same as 26 inch ones

I get them from Bike-Discount.de in Germany. I've ordered from there and had stuff sent to the UK before no problem but there is postage to pay (still cheap though) but my wife is German and she's going over there next week so they're being delivered free to her mother's.

The tallboy has good clearance at the back but if it won't fit I might have one for sale. If you drop me an email I can let you know and would be happy to sell one if it won't fit.

This is want Santa Cruz say "We never like to make promises here, as tire dimensions vary so much, but pretty much any 2.35" tire will work. The WTB 2.55 Weirwolf LT fits with plenty of room. We designed the frame with significant tire and mud clearance- the front derailleur cage is actually the thing that keeps you from putting super mondo tires on there."

E-mail on way..

Be interested to hear. I have a sc blur ltc and I reckon it would be a squeeze in there. I suppose if there is same clearance on tall boy it may work. If there is its a great tyre, stil bitter I couldn't run the pair on the hummer to be honest.

I'll update when they arrive. It'll be just over a week as I think it's a week today that my wife will be returning with them and it'll probably be a few days before I fit them. I'm currently running Nobby Nics so if it won't fit on the rear I'll leave a Nobby Nic on the back which should still be a good combination.

I have had my head deliberately in the sand on 29ers, I suspect when santacruz bring out a 120 or 130 rear travel bike to be run up to 140mm forks I will be forced to take a look.

The current tallboy is approved to run 140 forks hence why I'm considering the talas 110-140 option but I must admit that if/when they launch a Tallboy LT as rumoured/wanted I might be tempted to change frames depending what the net cost would be after selling my forks and frame. Some people in the US are running 140s on theirs but I wouldn't want non Talas 140s as I do find myself dropping mine down quite frequently although I also run low rise bars (flat stem) and a fair few spacers as I like to be sat a bit more upright.

I suspect when santacruz bring out a 120 or 130 rear travel bike to be run up to 140mm forks I will be forced to take a look.

Have a look at the Kona Satori and the Niner WFO too.

And the Ibis 29er is due out soon too. I have emailed SC about their view on using the 110-140 fork on the current Tallboy so I might go for that then possibly change frame in future as I would have all the bits to just swap over anyway but there's also a good chance I'll stick with what I have. If I was starting again now I'd probably hang on a bit as there are a lot of options around already and about to come out. When I bought mine it was a choice between the RIP 9 and the Tallboy for me and it was a tough choice. I just fancied a carbon frame in the end and got one at a good price.

I got a Niner EMD frame and dt swiss carbon rigid forks last month from the lbs cheap second hand as soon as i get from Greenland im gonna build it up my first 29er a few of my mates have been getting at me for the last year or so to try it and after using my mates swift i can see reason for it where we live (Suffolk) so cant wait its gonna be light and 1x9

Never tried a full suss 29er, but my xcaliber has blown me away tbh..

Sorry to resurrect this thread but Dan 1502 did the Hans Dampf 2.35 fit in the rear of the Tallboy?

I just ordered some; may have been a mistake, please tell me it fitted. The Ikons on it at the moment are 'interesting' at the moment in the mud, very capable but off camber mud in October isn't really for them!

For what its worth, I run a 2.4 Racing Ralph in the back of my SIR.9. Fits fine.

looks nicely proportioned, not every 29er needs the stem inverted, they tend to be designed better these days not just a "big 26" with associated geom like when they first came out

my 29 fits nicely with a flipped slammed stem, and I have 15mm rise in the bars anyway

my 26 has 15mm of spacers, a skyward pointing stem and riser bars

what makes the 26 'better'?

I've got a Niner MCR as well definitely more room than the Tallboy- it's going to be be tight if they turn out to be a big 2.35.., plan B is move them to the MCR

2 of my flip stem 29ers, just to make rocketdog have an attack of the vapours

play nice now

a 29er with a stem the right way round earlier
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