29ers and confidence

Kittens at the ready folks 🙂

I’ve read a few times that having that big 29er wheel out in front can boosts confidence. However, I’ve noticed that on those rare occasions when I’m actually riding confidently I’m looking far enough down the trail that I’m not aware of my front wheel. I’m just wondering whether other 29er riders have noticed this confidence boost.

I don’t think I could handle the boost in confidence, going from 26 to 29.

I think the next step up for me is 27.5

I see no front wheel? But yea, they are a bit of a beginners boat, any crew older than mid to late teens is probably better off in something bigger.

do you mean 29r XC HT’s with silly steep head angles compared to a slack 26″ DH bike or a slack 29r enduro bike compared to a 26″ steep XC race bike?

I add what I am about to add from a personal perspective of what works for me ….

Last weekend I rode a route around Long Mynd. Its an annual ride that Ive ridden for the last three years.

This year I rode the route on a 26” wheeled bike, the last two years were 29ers.

Two observations …..

1) I felt more confident riding the 29ers from the perspective of rolling and technical “bits”. I found that I was much more aware of what I was doing on the 26” wheeled bike and more conscious of my decisions.

I found (and find) that less work goes into my riding of 29ers and (for me) its more enjoyable than the same ride on a 26”.

2) Despite having more gears and suspension on my 26” bike the 29er was faster. I appreciate that this is hugely subjective so I will just park that now 😆

29er rigid bike with a 72deg HA is as confidence inspiring as a 26er Hardtail (140mm fork) with a 65deg head angle.

This Tuesday was my first ride for 4 months on my Titus FTMc, having exclusively ridden my Fireline 29er in that time.
The difference going from 29er back to 26 was more noticeable than when I went the other way. The 29er is definitely more stable and less twitchy.

I feel a bit more confident on the 29er, not loads but it is noticeable.

The main benefit I get now from owning a 29er is that I can walk on water

The head angle is the critical thing. I’ve a steep HA xc hardtail 29er which is pretty scary on the steep stuff. switching to a slack enduro bike is confidence inspiring

I think I ride more confidently on my rigid 29er now than I did on my old Meta 5 (26″). It’s not that I’m aware of the bigger wheels, it’s just you get a bigger contact patch and thus more grip. Also, it rolls faster over stuff.

I’m normally a bit shy with girls, but I found that riding a 29er the first time I met the present Mrs MTG helped give me the confidence to overcome that shyness.

You are looking far enough down the trail that you are not aware of your front wheel 😕

Forget wheel size dilemmas and get your eyes tested asap.

Two observations …..

1) I felt more confident riding the 29ers from the perspective of rolling and technical “bits”. I found that I was much more aware of what I was doing on the 26” wheeled bike and more conscious of my decisions.

I found (and find) that less work goes into my riding of 29ers and (for me) its more enjoyable than the same ride on a 26”.

2) Despite having more gears and suspension on my 26” bike the 29er was faster.

26ers for people who like to ride bikes.
29ers for people who like to go places by bicycle quickly and easily.

I ride my rigid bike with a 26 front or a 29 front and I definitely feel more confident with the bigger wheel. This may be in part due to a change in head angle but there is a psychological element of believing that the bigger wheel is less likely to stop rolling and see me going over the bars.

My 29er is just a great riding bike. Confidence inspiring? Definitely.

I feel much more confident on a 29er, which I had switched years ago.

I put it down to the way my weight is balanced compared to the pivot point of the front axle. Being a bit taller than average I guess how a 29er feels to me is how someone of around 5’8″ feels on a 26er.

Kittens grow into cats and cats kill birds, shit in my garden and dig up my plants. More of these threads please!

daveh – Member

26ers for people who like to ride bikes.
29ers for people who like to go places by bicycle quickly and easily.

I will rise to this and say that I actually “like”/enjoy my riding more now that I am (mainly) riding 29ers.

Euro – Member
Kittens grow into cats and cats kill birds, shit in my garden and dig up my plants. More of these threads please!

Do live near me? I’d apologies but I love my cats & my 29er, and prefer they (the cats!) poo in other ppl’s gardens than my own (they do use mine BTW) but don’t really feel apologetic for eithers behaviour.
The few 29er’s I tested before buying my current (29er) bike made me feel more confident. I was happier riding off camber lines and just generally rolling over crap that would have halted (or slowed) my 26er. I didn’t/don’t think my 26er bikes are rubbish, but get more out of riding now I have a bike that suits me a 29er.

I have two pieces of string – one is 5mm diameter, the other is 7mm in diameter. Which one is longer?

I have two pieces of string – one is 5mm diameter, the other is 7mm in diameter. Which one is longer?

Assuming you had the same volume of material to make each piece of string, the 5mm 😉

I was happier riding off camber lines and just generally rolling over crap that would have halted (or slowed) my 26er

I was looking at a video made by Trek the other day and they summarized the debate by saying that bigger wheels were better for folk who liked to roll over stuff and smaller wheels were better for those who preferred to jump over stuff.

I definitely feel more confident on a 29er. However, I only ride 29ers now, and am a better rider now than I was when I had 26ers, so I don’t think the 29er is a contributing factor.

However, I do also feel faster on the 29er, although the 29er is lighter with quicker tyres than the 26ers I had.

Hmm….

BB drop is part of it. For the same fore-aft weight distribution and BB height, it’s a bit harder to endo a 29er than a smaller wheel bike due to the higher front axle relative to your c of g, and the ‘roll-over’ effect works with it. It’s something I do notice on really steep stuff.

edid to add after reading RP’s comment on the Trek vid – it follows that if it’s less endo-prone it may well be less easy to hop the same bike, but I think it’s within technique and good frame design to overcome much of that. But probably not all.

Shhhhh don’t come round here with your well reasoned sensible posts!

bigger wheels were better for folk who liked to roll over stuff and smaller wheels were better for those who preferred to jump over stuff.

TBH I didn’t mean it like that, more about the ability to roll over trail obstacles that would just bring a 26 to a sudden and complete halt but on the other hand it does complete summarise my type of (lacking skills) riding.

I have two pieces of string – one is 5mm diameter, the other is 7mm in diameter. Which one is longer?

Surely 7mm dia string is rope

The last time I rode a 29er the confidence boost lasted long after I’d finished on the trails and got me into a lot of trouble. I got a drink in the face and had to scarper before the cage fighter boyfriend came back from the toilets. Now I can’t go back to that pub again.

As others have said, I’ll probably try 650B next when I need a confidence boost as 29 inches is just too much for me.

With great confidence comes great responsibility.

29 = bolt on skill for inferior riders?

i mean its not like we struggled with 26″ for how many years, however i may be biased as havent actually riden any of these new 29er specific trails?

bigger wheels were better for folk who liked to roll over stuff and smaller wheels were better for those who preferred to jump over stuff.

Just for once a big manufacturer says something sensible.
And on that bombshell……………………..

A 69er gives you confidence up front but your rear end still gets the willies

If your looking at your front wheel your looking in the wrong place. Confidence comes with fitness and practice. Look to the exit and everything will follow.

bigger wheels were better for folk who liked to roll over stuff and smaller wheels were better for those who preferred to jump over stuff.

Just for once a big manufacturer says something sensible.
More of another generalisation really. Rigid or short-travel hardtails are also easier to jump and hop but I’m not sure that has much relevance to trail riding.

I’m a total wuss in the air and prefer my 29er on the ground… maybe there’s something in that 26 for jumping over idea?…

riden any of these new 29er specific trails?

They’re a bit behind schedule on building the Enduro trails at the moment, but planning permission has been granted for 29ers.

Rigid or short-travel hardtails are also easier to jump and hop but I’m not sure that has much relevance to trail riding

It’s plenty relevant down here with all the fallen trees.

How’s the arm healing anyway Mr Pig? Are you up for a run out any time? I have a Sam the Splint and triangular bandage in my camel bak just in case!

I’m very much still getting to know my Titus Fireline. But gone from chalk to cheese. My last bike was a Santa Cruz Blur LTc. What i can say so far is that i find it descends as well if not better than my SC, it struggles a bit when it gets proper rough though. Climbing the extra traction you get is staggering however, I’ve got ardents on right now and I’m riding round in mud with little to no problem. Now I’m not saying one is better than the other, not at all, but i can say that I’ve been impressed with the way my new bike rides.

the confidence inspiring thing is interesting, i don’t think the wheelsize specifically feels confidence inspiring. But i think this in combination with the titus’s geometry has led to (for me) me feeling as confident on my hardtail as i did on my 150/140mm full sus.

26ers for people who like to ride bikes.
29ers for people who like to go places by bicycle quickly and easily.

Have a badge for the most ridiculous post of the week

I have never really mastered jumping in many years of riding 26ers. I now have a 29er. There is no question that I ride better and more swiftly. I still can’t really jump.

🙂

How’s the arm healing anyway Mr Pig?

Getting there slowly, thanks, but it will be a while before I’m riding proper trails I fear. The doctors recommended waiting at least another month, but I have managed to turn the pedals on a smooth surface without it all going pear shaped, so that’s progress I guess.