This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"? - Bike Forum

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

thisisnotaspoon — Wed, 29 May 2013 10:15:16 +0000

I was actually quite surprised by how noticable the difference was. I don't think it was the best 29'er bike in the world and the wheels were pretty heavy, which would explain the feel so it wasn't just down the wheel size I'm sure.

You'll also be quite supprised to hear the maths doesn't add up. The slower rotation (it's rotating 10% slower at any given speed) of a 29er wheel cancels out the increaced diameter. The increaded weight is relavent,

26"x2.35 Hans Dampf is 760g
29"x2.35 is 850g

So that's 90g (plus 40-50g for the rim). But one thing to note is that you can potentialy drop a tyre (width) size when going up wheel size and maintain the same contact patch size and cushioning/suspension/whatever, a 29er 2.25 (a 2.1 would be closer to 10% smaller, but I don't want accusing of bias) NN is 650g, saving 100g/wheel! So the maths/physics doesn't suppourt the idea that 29ers would accelerate slower.

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

simons_nicolai-uk — Wed, 29 May 2013 09:37:42 +0000

No, they feel different and you can tell that straight away. What is much harder to tell (without a much longer test) is whether one is better than the other.

Absolutely - very quick to feel 'different', some time to adapt, much more difficult to assess 'better' as better in one area normally means worse in another.

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

ddmonkey — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:19:30 +0000

And that sums it up brilliantly for me - it seems that advent of the bigger wheels is going to reduce the choice in the all-rounder category of bike that many of us like to ride for fun, particularly in larger frame sizes. I'm so glad I managed to get my bike when I did. I don't mind what size wheel people choose to ride I am a fan of the choice of wheel sizes, but a bit like religion I have my own preference and I don't want anybody else's preference forced upon me.

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

Anonymous — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:09:34 +0000

If you are riding for fun what bike wins races in the hands of a professional rider has no bearing on what is going to be the most fun ride for a recreational rider. The most fun bike I own will never win any races on the Enduro circuit (26in 66deg HA Hardtail) but it is such a blast to ride. At the moment I ride it more than any of my other bikes.

If someone wins an XC race, a DH race or an Enduro race on a different bike that doesn't mean it's going to be fun for me to ride that bike. The pros can make anything work for one thing and in any sport the fastest most aggressive tool in the hands of the pros is not necessarily what is best for the masses.

On the 29er thing. I've done direct comparison on 26" Stumpjumper Evo and 29" Stumpjumper Evo. For me the 26" bike is hands down the more fun bike to ride (subjective I know). I didn't time any runs so it could well be that the 29" was faster, but the winning bike is the one that left me with a bigger smile at the bottom of the trail. A friend feels that 29ers are fun for him and that's his choice.

What I don't like is companies taking the decision out of my hands. It looks like many companies are not going to make 26" AM and Enduro bikes for 2014 and this is something that I find pretty bad. We the customer should be able to choose, not be told what we want.

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

khani — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:51:07 +0000

http://i.imgur.com/pQgwx.gif

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

rOcKeTdOg — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:27:01 +0000

It's amazing how sensitive/aggressive the 29er evangelists are. It seems to get them very upset if you don't immediately spaff over every single 29er

nothing compared to a 26" rider desperately defending their wheel size.

You do realize that we are winding you up don't you? It's becoming a bit too easy though.

Really, no one cares what size wheel you ride, ride for fun, not for fashion

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

wobbliscott — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:23:16 +0000

Where I struggle with this is why is there a debate at all. Many alternative options live happily side by side in harmony in cycling. Take frames. You can get alloy, carbon, steel, even bamboo. I don't hear any arguments trying to polo rise everyone to frame materials. They each have their own pro's and cons. I really don't see how wheels need be any different. I've had 26ers and 29er and like them both and personally think the pro's and cons touted around at each are much over hyped and in some cases are academic and simply not noticeable in the real world, or just simply BS. Lets end this madness now. Each to their own and lets get on with it.

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

JCL — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:16:13 +0000

For people who want to win, 15th & 16th isn't really competitive.

Wasn't it you telling us how 29er's were going to rule the EWS?

LOL! Tell that to the World Champion DH riders and guys like Adam Craig who were behind them.

I didn't say they would win. Just maybe surprise a few people on 29" trail bikes.

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

ddmonkey — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:52:23 +0000

Sherry I agree - the combination of really short chainstays but long wheelbase seems to make for a super stable but fun and manouverable bike - there are not many bikes quite like it. My bike has a 48" wheelbase, much longer for example than the Orange 223 I used to have despite the chainstays being way longer on the 223. And yet it is the easiest bike to get around Alpine switch backs I've had, its magic. I considered the Forward Geo Mondraker before buying the enduro, its the only thing quite like it I could find without going the custom Nicolai route and that was too expensive for what was still an experiment for me at that point. Now I know it works. I don't know for sure but would 29'er wheels kill the fun feeling that the bike retains despite its size, I don't know.

Re: This wheel size thing - no more XL Specialized Enduro in 26"?

aracer — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:40:30 +0000

29ers coming nowhere in a race proves nothing - 29ers winning a race proves everything.

Point proven then. I wish I'd paid more attention to what Tracy was riding when I've seen her recently, as it appears the bike she won on isn't yet for sale and has been getting lots of press - I suspect I might have got the scoop if I'd been paying attention - all I noticed is that she's been riding a 29er.

BTW I'm almost as far from a 29er evangelist as you can get - I don't even own a bike with 29" (or 650b) wheels.

And maybe its all in my head but every bike I get on feels different to every other one to me - I'm amazed people can go from a 26" bike to a 29" bike and not feel a difference immediately, cos they are different!

In just the same way one 26er is different to another. You can probably notice the difference in geometry and even the difference a slightly heavier wheel makes to steering, but if you can actually notice the difference in acceleration due to the larger wheels then you're not human. Far more likely that you're noticing differences in tyres and contact points which are far more significant to bike performance and feel.