Right guys, I have read alot of the 29er hype the pros and cons, but still not convinced.

Ride a orange crush 26er and am looking for my first full suss. If I am going 29 now is the time.

Put my bike in for a service today and got talking to a spech dealer whi recons within 3 years 26ers will be history.

so do I stay 26 and get something like a pivot 5.7 carbon or go 29 and look at a SC tallboy ltc?

Stick with the 26er you are not good enough yet for a 29er.

Give a few 29ers a ride before taking the plunge. There’s just as much variety as 26ers. TBLTC looks like a good place to start, but the Spesh Camber is excellent too and you could have one in 26″ too with the change.

Have a demo on a Full-Suss 29er, then you’ll know. A dangerous business though, I was a 26er stalwart until I demo’ed a Tallboy … 😉

You HAVE to ride a couple of them and see whether you like them for you and the riding you do.

Then you can make a more informed decision.

I dunno if i’m convinced by the whole 29er FS concept. As a HT and XC bike the 29er makes complete sense to me. (I have 2 of them) but as a full-suss, i just don’t understand it fully.

However, i’ve not actually ridden a 29er FS to see i must admit.

…and what the Spesh guy said about 26ers being dead within 3yrs is total rubbish in my opinion.

Do a demo ride or borrow a mates 29er, make your own mind up, ideally testing it on trails you normally ride.

I dunno if i’m convinced by the whole 29er FS concept.

Likewise but it turns out some of my favorite bikes are now 29er FS. Superfly 100 and Tallboy are superb and the new Whyte M-109 showed a LOT of promise too.

…and what the Spesh guy said about 26ers being dead within 3yrs is total rubbish in my opinion.

given that there are NO 26″ cambers or epics for 2013 (or Scott genius ) ,he wasn’t totally making it up .

I am in the same boat, but test road the spesh camber and stumpy in 29er and that camber was by far and away the more fun and resposive of the two. To the extent I am now at a total loss as to the next purchase, over here in NZ due to costs it hard to look away from spesh, gt, trek or giant which is a bit of a bugger

I’m in the process of building a Niner Rip9.

The 26″ wheels just feel to small. like riding a BMX or a kids bike.

I have both 26er ht and 29er monster cross ht. I keep having to convince myself that the 26er is still as much fun to ride as it feels all wrong somehow (was fine til I had the 29er)- its days are numbered. Anyone got a Swift they want to sell?

Well I’ll still be riding my 26 inch bikes in 3 years, given all the components and bikes in circulation I’d venture that 29ers will still be in the minority of mountain bikes out on the trails in the UK.

Spesh are pushing the 29er thing very hard
But 26 will not die just like that
They will all be replaced by 650b

No in all seriousness just get out and demo some

Round my way, on the group rides 29ers out number 26ers, and On some rides we get a 50% single speed turn out.

In fact geared 26ers are a minority.

But 29 is sooooo 2012, why have only 29 when you can have 31. Surly krampus 31er

But seriously, ride a few, choose the right style of bike for your riding, if a crush is your thing look for long travel hard tails, Canfield bothers make them, as do kona and no doubt others too. Last thing… Less need for rear suspension on a 29er, so try some hard tails and bouncers.

binned my 26″ FSers for one 29″ FSer.

have a look at the Nicolai Helius AC 29er if you’re in the market for the TBLTc.

29ers are just a Fad, only idiots and wannabes ride them.

i’m both an idiot and a wannabe. rocketdog FTW

…and what the Spesh guy said about 26ers being dead within 3yrs is total rubbish in my opinion.

…given that there are NO 26″ cambers or epics for 2013 (or Scott genius ) ,he wasn’t totally making it up .

NB: Other brands are available 😉

29ers make sense for some people but for shorter riders like me it just looks daft. 29″ wheels on frames smaller than 17″ just look silly IMO.

I rode 5 demos on same day over the same course – 3 29ers and 2 26ers. Helped me reach a very clear decision. No doubt in my mind but it is personal, so I would suggest you do the same.

No 26″ Trek Top Fuels next year, so that’s Scott, Spesh and Trek not only committing to 29ers but going away from 26″. Things will settle down I’m sure, but I’m not sure we’ll see 26″ regaining popularity.

You HAVE to ride a couple of them and see whether you like them for you and the riding you do.

Then you can make a more informed decision.

Based on personal experience, the above is very good advice.

FWIW, I have both 26 & 29ers hardtails and full-sussers, as I like having a range of bikes with very different characteristics. There’s just as much variety of ‘feel’ in 29ers available as there is in 26ers. I have a race derived 29er hardtail that feels sharp and darty – very similar to an 26er Anthem X. Also have a more XC/trail oriented FS 29er that feels a bit like a long slacked out 26er FS – can be a bit of a handful on tight twisties where the 29er HT just darts around ’em in a flash, but on fast flowy trails, it’s LOL fast 😀

Personally, I think the salesman was talking rubbish about 26ers disappearing within 3yrs. Maybe Spesh will phase out all of their 26er HT’s, but I can’t see ’em dropping all of their 26er FS’s. I’m guessing there’ll always be a market for 26er HT’s aswell – even if it’s just for shorta**es 😉

Had a ride of the Orange Gyro and impressed to be honest – but then I have 2 rigid 29ers so perhaps I just like 29ers.

Looks like a Five (which you’ll love or hate) and should have been called the “5:29”.

I’m a huge fan of 29ers, been riding them for 4 years and have both a HT and an FS.

But I’m 6’4 and into Xc and endurance, so it’s a no-brainer. If you are shorter and into DH, it may be different.

The other thing to say is that I think they work really well in the Peak and the dales, but even so the shops in Sheffield have been reluctant to stock them. Just back from the lakes and the shops up there still don’t seem to have many 29er bikes and even less parts – one very big shop had just one 29er tyre. This, I was told, was due to lack of demand – the steep and rocky nature of the climbs, and the amount of carrying you do on some routes (routes which I admit to avoiding), allegedly put 29ers at a disadvantage. Allegedly…

Put my bike in for a service today and got talking to a spech dealer whi recons within 3 years 26ers will be history.

So a guy with a vested interest in a company that are actively phasing out 26″ wheeled bikes from their range gives you some sales spiel to get you to buy a new bike, and you believed him? 😕

29ers have been around for a long time now, evolving and becoming better all the time. There are many good 29ers out there, HT or FS, but a bike is just a tool for a job, and there are still situations where 26″ bikes make more sense to many people. Just because Specialized, Trek and Scott etc. see fit to phase out 26″ wheels, does not mean the whole industry will necessarily do the same. After all, we are all individuals, with individual preferences and requirements.

Remember when Shimano tried for force Rapid Rise on us? XTR no longer available in normal rise… Next Gen came out, they eventually relented, and offered both types from then on. Same goes for the dual control shifters. Shimano told the world normal Rapid Fire shifters were history, but the public told Shimano they wanted the choice.

29ers will continue to grow their market share, that’s kind’ve inevitable given lots of people are 29er curious right now as the industry as thrown a lot of weight behind them. But unless short arses, DHers and people into real techy stuff where smaller wheels make sense all stop riding, then 26″ wheels will never be history…

There’s a big article on Dirt again this month on them. They have two people doing extensive timed runs of the same track between a 29er mid travel bike and a long travel 160mm bike.

I’ve only skim read the article, but the headline looks like the 29ers are coming out about 4 seconds faster on a 2.5 minute track.

Oh and the headline reads ‘be afraid, be very afraid’. It doesn’t specifically say of what, but I’m guessing it’s the truth.

it all boils down to how you ride .

if you see roots and rocks on the trail as something to use as a jump or a berm stick with a 26er

if you see them as objects of fear and try to avoid them/just roll over them try a 29er .

29ers simply arent as good as a 26er if your aggressive on a bike .

So a guy with a vested interest in a company that are actively phasing out 26″ wheeled bikes from their range gives you some sales spiel to get you to buy a new bike, and you believed him?

Never said I believed him, just never took 29 too serious. Nobody I ride with regular has one. So no first hand experience. Just an interesting point of view and I’m open to that.

I have had my orange crush for 2 years and am looking for a full suss at the mo, looking at a pivot 5.7 carbon, but am open for oppinions and new trends and just to learn.

You can still use roots or rocks as a berm or jump on a 29er if you want to. You just don’t HAVE to.

As said above the best solution is a demo to asses charicteristics and ride, you’ll know when you’ve found the right bike.

I bought a Five late last year after testing several, one of which was a Spesh Epic 29r which was a fantastic XC ride but hopeless once the trail got steep or technical. I have tried a couple of mates 29rs since then and my opinion remained, that was until a rode a mates Whyte 829HT. Fantastic trail bike and has had me thinking….

Currently in Alpe D’Huez on holiday and yesterday, on my first ride, I was taken down the DH trail into OZ… My Five was outstanding and I would not do near that on a large wheeled bike, not from what I’ve experienced so far.

That said my next bike will probably be a 650b. On paper it look like it’ll address the advantages of both.

it all boils down to how you ride .
if you see roots and rocks on the trail as something to use as a jump or a berm stick with a 26er
if you see them as objects of fear and try to avoid them/just roll over them try a 29er .
29ers simply arent as good as a 26er if your aggressive on a bike .

… or use bigger rocks and roots as jumps/berms on your 29er 😉

And as you say Ask1974, not all 29ers are the same, depends where and how you ride. I reckon some of the latest generation full-suss 29ers would be as good as your Five though in Alpe D’Huez.

I dunno if i’m convinced by the whole 29er FS concept. As a HT and XC bike the 29er makes complete sense to me. (I have 2 of them) but as a full-suss, i just don’t understand it fully.

However, i’ve not actually ridden a 29er FS to see i must admit.

+1

I rode my new Ti 29er properly for the first time yesterday having moved over from a 100mm FS race bike and a Ti 26er. Was the fastest I’ve ever been on those trails. I’m into XC and endurance stylee too so no-brainer for me.

Been big moves in 29er fork and especially wheel design in the last year or so, my 29er is lighter than my 26er hardtail. Just flies over rough stuff.

I like 29ers.

I also like 26ers.

In the Alps last week where it was a bit scary I preferred using 26 inch wheels – as I understand it for a given spoke count and rim type they’re also stronger, also IMO tyres are easier to come by. As such arguably better for ‘falling from the sky’ on.

29ers I have found to be quicker on my local trails – Peak, W Lancs Moors etc. But then I ride with my wheels on the ground, apart from in moments of error or over-entusiasm.

Can’t see any of them disappearing given there are millions of both sizes out there, but do wonder as to the wisdom of the 650b.

Still, ride em all and see which suits you. Happy shopping.

29ers simply arent as good as a 26er if your aggressive on a bike .

yep you are quite right, things like the WFO aren’t as good as 26er, some are far, far better…they wee all over it’s little wheeled victim and then have sex with it’s bedraggled trainer wheeled remains

You can still use roots or rocks as a berm or jump on a 29er if you want to. You just don’t HAVE to.

Absolutely what he said!

Full suss or not I still bunny hop over rocks and roots so just having a 29 full suss doesnt have to make any difference to this.

A full suss for me feels perfect and that I am actually sat on the bike not perched above it – at 6ft 2, a 19″ frame was the perfect size.

I would say though you cannot make this decision on 26 v 29 without testing a few to make your own mind up.

Oh yeah dont believe what you hear about 29 not be as focused, you cant be as technical etc – its just nonsense.

Whatever you do – hope you enjoy the riding 🙂

If your not convinced to buy one don’t, No one is forcing you.

I built up a 29er from a Cotic Solaris frame a couple of months ago, took it round the Monkey Trail at Cannock for the 1st time yesterday & was stunned at how it flattered an old-fart rider like me. Loads of fun, really fast (I’d say Cannock hard pack is a good surface for a 29er)

The only draw back is the length of the bike & unweildyness, The tight hairpins were a bit of a pain.

For more old fashioned mountainbiking i have found it to be great.

I’m thinking of selling my Sata Cruz Superlight 26″ – I just can’t see when I’m going to use now.

I’ve found the opposite Blurty; that the bigger wheels have less advantage on hardpack, but give a much greater advantage over rough technical sections such as rock gardens, step ups/downs etc. Not found my 29er to be unwieldy either, except in the tightest corners where most bikes are a handful.

It’s all good though whatever you’re riding in my opinion.

if you see roots and rocks on the trail as something to use as a jump or a berm stick with a 26er
if you see them as objects of fear and try to avoid them/just roll over them try a 29er .
29ers simply arent as good as a 26er if your(e) aggressive on a bike

Adds another name to the ‘needs to try a Yelli’ list. 😀