Do I need a 26” wheeled bike in my garage?
I’ve just sold a 26” FS frame because it wasn’t getting any use – I love my rigid Inbred 29er and use it for everything from canal paths to rocky Peak descents. I had planned to use the kit off the FS frame to make up a steel hard tail. Something like a Cotic Soul perhaps with Fox 120 fork and general trail kit. I really like the ride of the inbred so figured a 26” steel frame would be fun but I’m thinking my real motivation for doing this would be to use a box of 26” kit I’ve got.
So, as per title really. Have you got rid of 26ers totally from your quiver and regretted it for any reason?

No.

Next!

Yes.
No!

No.

+1

Mind you I’m pretty talentless on any flavour of bike so the so called handling differences mean nothing to me…

Liking these answers. Straight to the point.

I saw my first 29er up at laggan at the weekend, they look odd!

All 26″ now gone (apart from my old commuter, kept for sentimental reasons).

29er FS (ace at the Dyfi on Sunday), HT, SS and Drop barred Fargo. All ace and simply don’t feel right on 26″ bikes now.

My only change of wheel size now will be when some mad cottage industry bike builder makes an affordable 36″ bike so i can scratch the itch to play with one…..

Nobody who’s actually bought a 29er would admit to it being shite…

Nobody who’s actually bought a 29er would admit to it being shite…

anyone who’s bought more than one 29er and got rid of all their 26ers obviously doesnt think theyre shite.

Nobody who’s actually bought a 29er would admit to it being shite…

I bought a 2nd one purely to make people think I didn’t think they were shite

Well, I’ll buck the trend.

I have a 29er Scott Scale and love it for the racing and local riding I do and tbh can’t see where I’d want to race a 26er hardtail again. but, I prefer my 26″ fully for when I go to the trail centres or a bit of messing about, they’re just a bit more fun for me. the traits of the 29er for racing, ie. stable, smooth etc just don’t exite me when I get to go and thrash about.

had 10 or so various 29r bikes.
still got one…………..sometimes on certain tracks a a 26” wheeled fs bike would be nice.

Nobody who’s actually bought a 29er would admit to it being shite

The last 26er I had was shite hence the decision to try a 29er. For some reason I now own two big wheeled freak bikes and I’m keen to see what the new Boardman 29er is like when it is released.

Seeing as they’re clown bikes, if you own more than one would you have to refer to them as a ‘troupe’? And possibly bedeck your garage like the inside of a big top so they feel at home?

i have bought a couple of 29r’s that were shyte.
both were gary fisher’s.

Seeing as they’re clown bikes, if you own more than one would you have to refer to them as a ‘troupe’? And possibly bedeck your garage like the inside of a big top so they feel at home?

Ahh STW, the home of reasoned and well informed debate…

Ton – what was wrong with the Gary Fishers? Only asking as I fancy a paragon.

[Seeing as they’re clown bikes, if you own more than one would you have to refer to them as a ‘troupe’? And possibly bedeck your garage like the inside of a big top so they feel at home? ]
And the riders should wear top hats and sport waxed moustaches??

I have one bike and went 33% 29er. Didn’t like the ovalised wheels so went back to 100% 26er

Big Dave – In true STW fashion I am casting aspersions on a subject I know absolutely nowt about at all. Think of me as the outraged Tory MP railing against the BBC. What do you mean have I actually WATCHED the programme in question?! I don’t need to watch the programme to be outraged. ITS A DISGRACE!!!!! 😀

In reality I really fancy trying a 29er

No more little wheeled bike for me any more! 😆
Only 29er’s! 😆
Geared and S/S rigid!

Went from a 20” FS to a rigid 29″. Never had a 26″, but don’t regret the choice of wheel size or absence of gears. My next bike will have front suspension, large wheels and an Alfine hub. I don’t race.

I’ve got two bikes with grown up wheels now, a Rohloff and a single speed.
Can’t think of any reason why I’d want to go back to training wheels.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/has-anyone-gone-back-to-26-from-29

Ton, I bought a brand new Gary Fisher Rig frame.
I broke it in less than 7 months.

I’ve played on 29ers but don’t own one. I think the main difference is chuckability (when we’re talking performance). Ask yourself honestly if you chuck bikes enough or stay planted. Planted is great on a 29er, really fast (eventually) but chuck it & snap it. As always – horses for courses.

the problem with the gary fisher 29r’s is that they are too long in the top tube, and also too low.
good for racing i suppose, but not very good for trail riding.
also, the bontrager mustang wheelsets are made from paper doilies.

bontrager mustang wheelsets are made from paper doilies.

rims are fine, hubs were tosh

Ton, I bought a brand new Gary Fisher Rig frame.
I broke it in less than 7 months.

musy have been purple or black then as the newer ones are very robustly built

did you warranty it?

It was a white one which I bought off a friend who got it as a warranty replacement for a purple one.
It cracked around the seat tube just above the top tube.

Just ordered a nicolai 29er.

I’ll tell you what it’s like in 5 months

suits me fine on a 29er. the niner mcr ive got is a great ride. nice OO’s tk46!

you should have got your friend to take it back again,

the one I have looks like a EBB Paragon of the current design, very big tubes, bigger EBB, internal headset, root beer anodised finish. warranty for a purple one

still got 1 ikkle wheeled bike, which a full bouncer.I may replace the epiphany with either another salsa, or an ellsworth evolve

or

then I will be 100% big wheel and have a great collection of fugly bikes 😀

I think that this is purely preference. I’ve done the 29er thing and not done well with it, just didn’t fit my style, at the same time there are alot of people who love them and will no longer ride anything else…but if you’ve got the kit, then I don’t see why you couldn’t use it…it’s nice to have a quiver with both in them, spesh if one’s a soul.

[Quote]ust ordered a nicolai 29er. I’ll tell you what it’s like in 5 months[/quote]

Lookin forward to seeing that!

Tazzy, What do you thick of that Salsa Big Mama frame on the Ebay thing?

yeh I’m keeping an eye on it but it’s a wee bit lardy for my liking 😕

Tang, please don’t massage TK46’s ego anymore regarding his helium filled, attention seeking trail mincing clown bikes. 😀

29er fan here. Mine might well have been the odd looking one at Laggan, was there on saturday.
I quite enjoy freaking people out by riding fast on stuff which isn’t smooth tracks, think some folk genuinely believe that is all 29ers are for really.

Chainslapp,

Get back on Bike Radar! You need more hits on that dull looking 29er thing you’ve posted! 😆

You’re still there then, I thought you had gone to sleep. 🙄

I’ve only ever ridden a 29er once which was an Ellsworth Evolve with Stans 29er wheels and Specialized Fast Trak 29 tires

was very surprised how capable it was in the mud at the Forest of Dean, considering the ‘bald’ Fast Trak tires (which I always used on my 26″ for dirt jumping and pump tracks)

would be keen to try another 29er soon??

I am currently riding a Specialized Crosstrail as a commuting bike (700c multi-use hydrid) and once I dump the shitty Suntour pogo-stick fork for a proper air sprung, oil damped fork…

I am going to stick some big volume knobbly cyclocross tires on there and see what its like off-road (its been customised with Thomson / Pro WTB / Shimano SLX / Sram X-9 kit already)