29ers Explain the real world benefits

I have stand over height issues.

Most 29ers are too big but this one actually has top tube clearance.

I am now torn wether to try one or not over the 27.5 equivalent.

Oh goody

29ers are wrong, fact.

Try one.

They’re dirty (well mine is because I never clean it in case it causes the magic not to work) but you might just like it that way.

Speed.

They’re like MTBs with bigger wheels.

My #enduro hybrid is pretty awesome tbh. It’s not just because it’s a hybrid- it’d be almost as good if it had mountain bike wheels, or that weird new thing that’s not in the middle.

Everyone says “rolls over things easier” and maybe it does but I’ve basically never ridden a single feature and thought “that felt like I rolled over it easier because of the big wheels” (*). But what did happen was I found I’d arrive at the bottom of a long trail or stage feeling far less tired, and less tired means faster and safer and generally having mroe fun. And tbf I really don’t feel much downside, I have a Remedy 29 and it corners like a bastard, jumps better than I do… Modern bikes are bigger, longer, wider, slacker and more stable so I don’t really get why people go “I want to be slacker and have more reach” then go “I want smaller wheels because they’re less stable and effective”.

(* this does happen with the fatbike, mind, it’s like cheating in big slow rock gardens)

ime, you’ll have to fight of hordes of lovely girls with a stick if you ride a 29er……

(a pretty girl pictured on seeing me riding a 29er earlier)

😆

Power of awsumz is increased exponentially, both manliness and virility are also increased, not to mention the ability to spot an exquisite craft ale at 20 paces.

They also tend to win stuff when piloted by talented persons.

Well I at least can offer some anecdotal evidence here. This evening I rode my 29er hardtail while two friends rode their 27.5 enduro mince machines.

Now granted, we all set off at the same time and we all arrived back at the same time.

However, this is my photo from the ride.

This is my friends photo from the exact same ride.

27.5: bringing trails to life since 2012.

I was riding my 29er yesterday and I found someone’s lost dog.

Obviously the main advantage is you’ll feel less of a tool than if you buy tiny wheels that’ll be obsolete in 2yrs time.

you pedal less for more speed.

I find they’re safer as I’ve hardly ever gone flying over the handbars since I got a 29er compared to when I was on 26 inch wheels

Proportionatly they look right at my height, for the you? Please probably not 😉

If you usually have stand over issues I presume you are short, stick with 26/27.5. There’s a reason companies like Trek go for a smaller wheelsize on frames below 16″

If you’ve got stand over issues then yes 27.5 is the next best thing!

In an attempt to offer an actual answer to the question…

You know how everything just feels better when you actually put some thought into your tyre pressure?

That’s how 29ers feel, imho.

Right, OK, I’m off to kill some kittens, I know the rules.

They are awesome to the power of 12.

I am now torn wether to try one or not over the 27.5 equivalent.

What are you actually scared of? Its not like crack….
They are bikes there are some good ones and some not so good ones.

The real world benefit is they roll better. How much they roll better and how much you would notice is the question.
The real world negative. You have a bigger wheel to move around.

All anecdotal but when I had BMX’s (20 & 24″) I used to go out and ride the same loops I ride on my MTB. The 20 was awful and needed constant pedalling to maintain any speed, the 24 better, the 26 MTB better still.
All bikes were rigid single speed

If you can try a 27.5 and a 29 back to back then try them and you can then buy the one you like best (for whatever reason which may be nothing to do with how they roll)

For me it’s that the bb is comparatively lower than the wheel axle which gives far more stability and confidence

I rode a stumpjumer 29er, one of the current ones, and it fitted well. I appreciate that I’m not you and have different fit requirement, but what struck me was how low the bars were. Those bikes have short head tubes to keep the front low, which can be more of an issue on a 29er than stand over.

The current stumpjumer has the same front triangle for the 650 and 29er versions and different travel forks to keep the fit similar.

and different travel forks to keep the fit similar.

More to do with bigger wheels need less travel for the same feel

They’re bigger wheels not a lifestyle choice or religion.

They roll over stuff better.
They take more effort to get up to speed.
They hold their speed better.
Given the same components they may flex a bit more all things being equal. I haven’t found this to be an issue really at 100kg+ kitted up.

IMHO they are the best wheel size for hardtails and a “flat out going fast” bike that you can still pedal up stuff. Trek seem to agree with me.

For a full suspension bike that you’re not worried about racing but you want it to be fun in a whippy poppy kind of a way, then 650B wheels would then maybe worth consideration.

I fall off less often on my 29er – fact.

More to do with bigger wheels need less travel for the same feel

There is more to it than that! The head tubes on the 2 versions are different lengths, so I’m simply talking nonsense. Oops, that is the last time I believe what I’m told in a bike shop…

If you usually have stand over issues I presume you are short, stick with 26/27.5. There’s a reason companies like Trek go for a smaller wheelsize on frames below 16″

I’m 5-9 on a bad day but 5-10 if I don’t slump

problem is my little legs are 29″ long I fit on a medium MTB nut have no room

The dropped top tube on the Cambers still has an inch of clearance even on big wheels and the 650b on a bit more. Something I dont have on my current bike

Ta for all the input …..@LAT thats what im looking at FSR and Cambers at Evans.

Faster, roll better, climb out of ruts better and in general let you get away with more things that would’ve ended in tears on a 26er. Downsides are that they can be a bit cumbersome on tight nadgery stuff.

I’m just over 5ft 8″ and have no standover issues on a medium Trans am 29. Never found standover that much of a deal-breaker though. On the plus side I went bald at 18, stayed that way until last year, now at 39 I have luxurious hair. Why, you may ask? Because that’s when I bought a 29er. Curing male pattern baldness is one of the little known benefits of wagon wheels!

rOcKeTdOg – Member

If you usually have stand over issues I presume you are short, stick with 26/27.5. There’s a reason companies like Trek go for a smaller wheelsize on frames below 16″

TBH standover is a matter of design rather than practicality- you can easily build a compact 29er frame, the wheels are at the ends not in the middle. And these days with longer reach and wheelbase, toe overlap shouldn’t be either. All it really needs is a compact front triangle and there’s nothing about 29ers that really prevents that. (it’s a little bit fiddlier for front tyre clearance on compression and for rear wheel travelwith some suspension designs).

Here is a big hoofin 29er in size small:

Standover for miles there- I have a medium myself but it’s still got a compact front triangle. The Slash 29er comes in what’s either an extra-small, or a small small, I think possibly because they’ve signed a midget to their race team

To me, the whole ‘roll better’ is a bit misleading in real actual riding terms – Its more that it rolls different, not necessarily better. Yes, I get that the larger diameter attacks bumps at a better angle for rolling over them, and that the larger wheel carries a bit more momentum to help spin over it blah blah blah blah…

but …

I don’t feel that a 26″ wheel would have suffered worse over the same bumps. A 26″ would just react and twitch over the bumps that little bit quicker.

I reckon its more like the difference between a comfy cruising car (29″) an a nipper sporty hatchback (26″). Both will drive along the roads in different manners but neither necessarily is better than the other as they both manage to do the same job.

Like all things to do with kit, they won’t make up for lack of talent, but will mostly enhance what talent you have, to do roll over things better meaning you can hit things with more confidence. Thay’re more stable, definately much better when things get muddy and claggy, they might be slower turning (I don’t think so but that’s just me), but for most people they turn more than well enough. I think they are a better option for the keen amateur for sure, even if they might take a bit of getting used to. If you’re in the top 5 percent then you might want something a bit more tuned and suited to whatever style of riding you’re in the top 5 percent of. But I think for the average, or even above average joe bloggs there are no downsides, just upsides.

They have more grip on my experience, as well as rolling overt stuff better. I also quite like that you can run a shorter travel fork as it makes a hardtail better balanced IMO.

Buy a bike not a wheel size

Give them a test and see which one you prefer. I’ve had crap bikes in all wheel sizes

I have recently been converted. 5′ 9″ on a medium Scott Scale. Not going to lie, was a bit of a sceptic. Have a 27.5 bike which I love and several 26″ bikes I love. I bought one becaise I wanted a hard tail. It was funny because on the first ride I didn’t really have that ‘I am riding a 29er’ feeling. In fact, I didn’t really notice much difference. It seems to climb better but it’s an XC orientated bike so it should climb better than my trail bike. I’ve had it for a few months and I do love it. Where I seem to notice the positive difference is on the long flatter bits (roads and longer straight trails) where I wind it up and fly. If I had known what I know now (before I bought my full suss 27.5) I definitely would have bought an Orange Segment when I was looking for a new full suss.

I don’t feel that a 26″ wheel would have suffered worse over the same bumps. A 26″ would just react and twitch over the bumps that little bit quicker.

Utter tosh.

I don’t feel that a 26″ wheel would have suffered worse over the same bumps. A 26″ would just react and twitch over the bumps that little bit quicker.

Bollox , have you actually ridden a 29er or are you just guessing ?

I don’t feel that a 26″ wheel would have suffered worse over the same bumps. A 26″ would just react and twitch over the bumps that little bit quicker.

Yeah, that’s wrong. I have the 29″ version of a bike I had in 26″ and the wagon wheeler glides over the exact same terrain the 26″ got bogged down on. It’s also miles quicker and smoother. It doesn’t like getting air as much but 95% of the time I prefer it.