The most succesful enduro race bike of all time is a 29er. The best of the crop- your enduros, five 29s, mega 290s, trailfoxes, remedies and the like- are outright weapons. (no doubt others too but these are the ones I’ve tried and could recommend to check out)

I’m kind of a knobber, but… It’s not the “rolling over things easier” that makes it work for me, not in the way people think, with individual rocks or roots or whatever. But over a stage, it all adds up to less fatigue and more composure which means going faster at the end.

kimbers – Member

The only -ve about 29ers is that they are not so great at jumping

If getting lots of air is what makes it fun for you,

This was me. Might still be me but i wont know for a few weeks.

I’ve seen a few promo videos of guys hitting jumps on big wheelers and they do seem to suck a bit off the height/distance and look a bit more difficult to throw about in the air. That and the fear of the wheels exploding of course. Rest assured i’ll be testing the jumping abilities for myself.

Euro – Member

I’ve seen a few promo videos of guys hitting jumps on big wheelers and they do seem to suck a bit off the height/distance and look a bit more difficult to throw about in the air. That and the fear of the wheels exploding of course. Rest assured i’ll be testing the jumping abilities for myself

I’ve noticed that but always thought they were holding back for the sake of the kittens 8)

Last time I was at BPW we had 26, 250 and 29 with travel from 120 to 160 and a bike age range of 5 years.

The best riders were the fastest, everyone had fun

My Process 111 is constantly trying to get me to jump off things, it’s probably the best balanced bike in the air (and on the ground) I’ve owned.

I’ve been riding a enduro 29 for the last few months, it’s been my first 29er and has totally sold me on them. Maybe not as fun but it’s much quicker. I need to get around to selling it now my larger replacement is here.

Cheers for all the replies, certainly made for interesting reading. I think my question of will a short travel, short and steep 29er from 3-4 years ago be DH capable because of its larger wheels, can be answered with a no.

So for that sort of price, I’m thinking I might be better off with a long slack hardtail, of any wheelsize. If I take the plunge and dig deep into my pockets, I’d probably go 160mm, in which case it would be a case of try a 650b and a 29er. The problem being that any 160mm on my price range comea in a box from Deutschland! 8)

😆

My Commencal Meta AM29 was a modern type geometry and absolutely demolished trails, you didn’t worry about line, or rocks, it just carved through them.

You spout so much rubbish on here

Why thank you. I didn’t see a single 29er in 3 weeks in Chamonix and Verbier last year and that included xc-ers riding up the hill. Now thats not scientific of course as maybe there where bikes there I didn’t see but Insaw plenty of other riders. I’ll be off again soon amd I’ll keep an eye out.

If 29ers where good on steep fast trails we’d see more of them at UCi DH.

As for guides / tour operators etc often get free / heavily discounted bikes so what they are riding is irrelevant to me.

My Commencal Meta AM29 was a modern type geometry and absolutely demolished trails, you didn’t worry about line, or rocks, it just carved through them.

I do wonder whats the point of that though ? I rode my hardtail mostly in Surrey Hills to make the trails more interesting/difficult as my Covert FS did the same, made the trails I liked too easy

OP I don’t think anyone posted this, worth a watch for a variety of reasons 8)

[video]https://youtu.be/_ssBGbD1ucU[/video]

same for me… stayed two times in chamonix last year and didnt see
any 29er on the trails..

zero g had a few in the shop so…

If 29ers where good on steep fast trails we’d see more of them at UCi DH.

But we do see them in Enduro, they are also progressing from the XC world where they started to the more mainstream. Sorting out wheel stiffness means there is more choice.

Well my Deutschland 29er was ace at Alpe d’ Huez last week. Most people didn’t realise it was 29inch until lined up against the smaller wheeled bikes. Once I got my head around the switchbacks it was awesome. Really wouldn’t swap it for anything else. 160mm up front 140mm rear. I genuinely fell in love with it all over again it was brilliant fun.

My 5 29 is an absolute weapon and better than any other bike I’ve had when it gets steep and rough. It’s like an excited puppy pulling at the lead.

Why thank you. I didn’t see a single 29er in 3 weeks in Chamonix and Verbier last year and that included xc-ers riding up the hill. Now thats not scientific of course as maybe there where bikes there I didn’t see but Insaw plenty of other riders. I’ll be off again soon amd I’ll keep an eye out.

I bet you did, they’re not that easy to tell apart from 27.5 bikes – which incidentally do not feel identical to 26 bikes but somewhere in between 26 and 29 (what a surprise!)

If 29ers where good on steep fast trails we’d see more of them at UCi DH

There are two limitations with 29 for downhill – getting low enough handlebar height and getting low enough saddle height or short enough chainstay length. Both of those are due to the packaging of 200mm+ of suspension and a larger wheel. Also it is more expensive to make a bigger wheel strong and light, so it’s less accessible and that in turn means there are almost no dual ply 29 tyres.

As soon as you shorter the travel to <160mm the packaging gets much easier, hence the rising popularity of both trail and enduro 29ers, especially when racing the bigger steeper rougher courses on the EWS etc.

FYI my bikes have 16″, 20″, 26″ and 27.5″ wheels, I don’t even own a 29″! It isn’t rocket science to realise what’s good about them though…

jambalaya – If 29ers where good on steep fast trails we’d see more of them at UCi DH.

As for guides / tour operators etc often get free / heavily discounted bikes so what they are riding is irrelevant to me.

So people who are paid and get free stuff to race DH would use 29ers if they were any good but people who are paid and get free stuff to guide using 29ers are irrelevant / biased?

Does not compute.

Greetings! I ride an older Lenz Lunchbox set up with 5″ of travel. I’ve ridden it on the gnarliest trails around (including bonafide downhill trails) and I can safely say that my own skill level is certainly the limiting factor rather than the bike. Not as good for jump lines, but for technical rocky trails with drops I wouldn’t consider riding anything else.

greigb- I’ve actually given some thought to selling the frame to upgrade to the newest iteration., IF you’ve any interest drop me a line. Good luck with your search!

29ers are so rubbish in the steep and rough that Trek just replaced their Slash long travel 26 and then 27.5 bike with this:

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/trek-slash-29-first-look-2016.html

Good to see a bike that seems to be rider-inspired rather than marketing led (aside from all the silly acronyms & shit).

When I first got a FS 29er a couple of years ago I predicted a resurgence in the wheel size for gnarly riding as geometry got sorted out.

Sometimes it’s hard being so right.

Chiefgrooveguru, that there Trek Slash 29 is a beauty …straight on the “want” list 😉

That Trek is going to be hilariously expensive. A borderline 5 figure bike.

And I expect in reality no faster for the Average Joe racer.

That Trek is going to be hilariously expensive. A borderline 5 figure bike.

And I expect in reality no faster for the Average Joe racer.
I’m sure like every bike manufacturer they will release a range over a lot of prices… nothing will really make the “average Joe” racer much quicker unless they are on a heap of a bike but if it makes somebody smile then job well done.

If it kicks off more pointless wheelsize arguments then it’s in trouble

I need that Trek. Looks like exactly what happens when you take your awesome 29er trailbike, win All The Enduro World Serieses with it, and then apply the lessons from that, really. 29 Ain’t Dead 😆

Hob Nob – Member

That Trek is going to be hilariously expensive. A borderline 5 figure bike.

The carbon Remedy 29 was RRP £5500, the 9.8 looks a pretty similar beast. Obviously we’ve ****ed the pound since then and no telling what that’ll do to prices by the time it arrives…

And it’s a bit too short, but it’s the thought that counts, eh?

Too short? 1219mm long and 445mm of reach for the 18.5 isn’t short. Without looking up all the numbers, that’s going to make it one of the biggest mass market bikes out there surely, if not the biggest? Shorter than a Pole or Geometron, longer than a Mega 290, quite a bit bigger than a trailfox (which isn’t too short)

chakaping – And it’s a bit too short, but it’s the thought that counts, eh?

You’re starting to sound like me.

Northwind – Too short? 1219mm long and 445mm of reach for the 18.5 isn’t short.

The way I look at it is, 460mm is the longest seat tube I can get away with if running a 125 reverb. I’d like my reach to be at the very least 450mm

445mm reach isn’t exactly pushing the boundaries for a large. That’s most mediums these days.

Seems like an odd bike to me, but hey, i’m happy on my medium sized wheels. I don’t go any slower than the big ones I tried 🙂

You’re starting to sound like me.

Well I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I’d need the 16.5in to get the saddle low enough – which only offers a reach of 430mm in low position.

I like 460mm reach.

Therefore, too short.

🙂

PS. Looks like a Trek.

chakaping – Member

Well I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I’d need the 16.5in to get the saddle low enough – which only offers a reach of 430mm in low position. I like 460mm reach.

Nobody outwith the niches is ever going to put 460mm of reach on a small frame imo. (I’m making a slight assumption here that this is an XS, S, M, L. Partly because they signed Katy Winton, so they need a teeny tiny frame. Nobody understands Trek sizing though, I’m not even completely sure what size my Remedy is)

It’s a fair point though, seat tubes need to be getting shorter for dropper posts… I thought the 170mm reverb would put an end to the dark age of Stupid Seattube Masts.

I think the 18.5 is the large.

Similar reach and seat tube proportions to YT bikes actually. I’m sure plenty will be happy on these but they’re playing it a bit safe IMO.

It’s hard to tell with Trek tbh but 20.5 isn’t usually their ideal of an XL. The Slash 27.5 was 15.5, 17.5, 18.5, 19.5, 21.5 and the Remedy 29 was 15.5, 17.5, 19, 21, 23 (or 15.5in, 16.5, 18, 20 and 22, depending on how they measured it. And I think there’s one year where they called the 4th size a 19.5, just to make things clearer…)

They don’t really do the S/M/L thing so much I think but for me that 18.5 would be the one for me and I’m basically an IS Medium- 5’10, appropriate arms and legs that start in the middle and go all the way down to the ground.

I didn’t see a single 29er in 3 weeks in Chamonix and Verbier last year and that included xc-ers riding up the hill. Now thats not scientific of course as maybe there where bikes there I didn’t see but Insaw plenty of other riders. I’ll be off again soon amd I’ll keep an eye out./I]

Maybe not, but come up to the Tweed Valley (where the OP rides) and there are loads of them, and the boys/girls that ride them are amongst the quickest here.

Could also be that those in the Alps are behind the times?

Could also be that those in the Alps are behind the times?

Full of fat brits going slow;y 😉

Need to make some tape measures that make reach/TT a magic number

Jumps, steep, rough, seems like 29 is just fine for some

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/bryn-atkinson-29er-video-2016.html

The Slash shares many of the same frame features as the recently announced Remedy 29.5 and Fuel EX, including the Straight Shot downtube and the Knock Block system, which relies on a stop chip located on the top tube that works with a keyed headset top cap to prevents the fork from turning too far

No x-ups, I’m out.

I was in verbier on a orange five29 this time last year. Love it, though at 6’4″ is the first bike I’ve had that fits me properly. Had a stunning ride on ityesterday eve, one of those ones where everything falls into place, and that makes you wonder if you are secretly actually a riding god and you hadnt noticed. I’m still kinda beaming from that.

That new Trek looks amazing in the flesh…

Tracey Moseley seems to “do alright” in the steep and rough stuff… 😆

Commencal meta 29er owner here and I’ll pretty much just agree- the overall design of the bike is going to be far more important than the wheel size.

Personally I would really like the new cotic rocket max. Not really enough difference to justify it though!