A debate that is ongoing that these bikes are
a) waste of time, niether one thing nor t’other
B) a brilliant compromise
c)a half way house

what are real world riders experiences? Pros and cons?
Thanks

Trek 69er SS is still the best SS I’ve ridden. It’s a keeper!

Trek 69er SS is still the best SS I’ve ridden. It’s a keeper!

It’s def the best 69er ss out there

69er sensible? nah, but fun, but then that goes for all bike i reckon

Wanga 69er by rOcKeTdOgUk, on Flickr

69er by rOcKeTdOgUk, on Flickr

timbur fontmoss what make it a ‘keeper’ not many of those on stw

Ride it and find out. Looks wrong, ride really really well.

too inbetween for me. ymmv.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/69ers-poor-mans-29er-or-best-of-both

half chips half rice , MrsB loves hers 8)

For me it was a cost thing. I wanted a 29er but couldn’t afford one, so I got a new wheel for £30 and tyre for £20 that was the total cost.

Thing it also depends on the bike you have. I was on a fully rigid 26″ SS. I loved it, but the front was always a little harsh.

With the 29″ front you really can feel the difference, both in overall speed, and comfort! So much so i’m thing of running gears on the back, and using it as my main race bike.

For me, the only downside is that fact they look a little, well weird 😆 I’d go for it though!

13.11.2011 by Will – B, on Flickr

cheers, but no naysayers?
Will what frame is that? a pace?

Why not have both wheels the same size – otherwise its just a compromise in the worst possible way.

The front does what 29’ers do but your back end does what 26’ers do – trouble is they are on the same bike.

To me that does not make sence. On seperate bikes you have grounds for a rational argument.

Von – Giant XTC Composite 2005

Trimix, have you ridden one? I see what you mean, but the big front wheel means you role over items that a 26″ wheel would struggle on. On that back the acceleration is quicker than a 29″ wheel. Having said that, if I could afford a 29″ I’d have one.

abut the compromise seems quite sensible like will says. Nice frame

cheers, but no naysayers?

did you not read my linked comments?

I did clubber thansk but there seems so few negatives when you read this……..

Trek 69er (singlespeed), is one of the best HT’s I’ve ever ridden. Better handling than any 29er i’ve ridden. The rollability, grippy cornering of a 29er + the acceleration, tight back end + power transfer of a 26″ HT. Very capable, fast riding bike. But it was designed really well to be what it is

With all due respect that says that the bloke finds his Trek 69er to be a great bike, not that 69ers are any good in general 😉

Borrow one, ride it, like it, hate it, discard it. The choice is YOURS not someone elses. We’re all different.

Most people I know (I don’t know everyone) that has ridden a Trek 69er SS has really liked it. Ask Jenn at STW HQ. She rode across The US of A on hers.

Tim

Didn’t like 29″ wheel & 29″ fork on my (26″) Inbred, but did like 26″ wheel & 29″ fork. Didn’t get chance to try 69″ wheel & 26′ fork.

+1 and fwiw I’ve never heard a bad word about the trek 69er either but then its properly designed as one rather than being a bastard 26/29 parts offspring…

Why not have both wheels the same size

I think the main reason is that this can be done on a frame you already have, you just need forks, a wheel and tyre. I’ve already got suitable rigid forks so I want to give it a go. The bike in question is my winter bike and is rigid anyway so I’m hoping for a bit more comfort. I just need to find a cheap wheel and tyre to try it with. I don’t want to spend much because even if it works out I’ll want a new wheel built on my dynamo hub.

Any recommendations for a cheap wheel?

Why not have both wheels the same size

ask the 1/2 Fat riders, they’ll have a better answer i’m sure, mine is i just like how they ride and the rigid fork is just the job for winter, i don’t think there’s a performance advantage/disadvantage though.i had the parts, a 26″ bike feels weird and the 69er doesn’t.come the spring i’ll be back on a 29gnar again

I only need a cheap disk 29er front wheel and I can do this. Any deals at the moment?

£90?
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/17992/Halo_Freedom_Disc_Front_29Inch_Wheel

£60
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Shimano-Deore-M525-Front-29er-Disc-Wheel-Mavic-A317-Rim-S-S-D-B-Spokes-/390382148398?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item5ae496db2e

Mike I’d get a 2nd front wheel. I got one for £30.

Another note. On mine i’m using 26″ Pace forks, so the geometry isn’t effected that much…

CRC TN317 rim £26. Spokes from actionsports.de £17. Deore Hub. £15.??
Build away.

I tried putting a 29 front wheel on my rigid bike for the same reason as will a few years ago. Fitted in the Pace carbon forks fine and did make it a bit smoother. I dropped bars and moved saddle as best I could to keep position and bars low. However I hated it. Made a nimble, fast bike feel slow. So I sold the wheel and went back to where I was.
I am sure big wheels are great but not for me. (I am short however)

looking not for a frakenbike but properly designed frmae and it was rereading Jenn H article on the great divide that intrested me.

Vondally

If you are fairly short, we have a Carver 96er frame that isn’t currently getting much use. Mrs has a new Hardtail and I’m building her a steel 29er – so need to clear some garage space.

She really liked the 29er front wheel and rode it as her only ss for about 3 years.

It will be going pretty cheap if you want an experiment with a proper frame – the ebb came loose once (slid sideways a bit) so she ground a nice chainring groove in the rh chainstay before realising 🙂

hi mick r thanks but the rider will be 6ft and alas not me, cheers

69ers are so old-fashioned – what you want is a 27.59er.

I’ve tried 29ers, liked the way the front end rolled but didn’t like the back, felt too long and somehow cumbersome.

Tried a Travis Brown 69er (the brown one up there ^^^^^) and loved it. Best of both worlds, so got a geared bike too. They do look a bit odd but the handling, for me, is fantastic.

I’ve got a Singular Hummingbird and a Carver 96er and really enjoy them both. The Hummingbird (as a 69er with the rigid forks)is probably the best handling bike that I’ve ever ridden, which is why I’m on the lookout for another medium frame.
It’s a real gem, in my opinion.

I’ve ridden this bike for over a year now and like it. The front climbs over rocks and things nicely. Only bad thing is that you have to convert to a 29er fork and wheel which cost me about $400 US
I also added a RaceFace 46 tooth front chain ring which is 4 teeth more than the stock one and it really takes off.

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/6593901/

I own a Hummingbird, and run it mostly as a 26″ bike with 120mm Maguras on the front. I do use it fairly frequently with a 29″ front wheel and the supplied rigid fork, and it does fly like a fast thing. A couple of things; as above, you may want to get a custom-designed 69er – the Carver, Trek and Singular Hummingbird seem to do this pretty well.

The only downsides I’ve found are that the front wheel rolls far more easily over things than the rear, which can lead to the rear hooking up every now and then. However, it’s a ‘first ten minutes of the first ride’ sort of thing – once you understand it, you can militate against it.

Second thing? I had to try a few 29er tyres before I found one that suited me and the tyre on the back of my bike – a 2.1 Advantage. Bizarrely, it was Kenda Nevagal, which I never got on with as a 26″ tyre. I switch between that and a Racing Ralph. It does *feel* like you get a lot more grip out of a 29″ tyre.

Overall? First time I rode it, I overtook someone on a FS bike down Park Life on Hombury Hill. Rigid, with one gear. 😀

*edit* Oh, and Singular Sam has some large sized Hummingbirds still going, discounted to silly money.

Thanks, I’ll keep an eye out for second hand 29er wheelsets or front wheels. Although, I think my 26″ rigid fork is one of the earlier 420mm On-One forks, not the newer 440mm, so I might have to try out my non-disk 29er wheel and tyre for clearance first.