I have been loaned an X9 equipped alu 29 HT (Orbea). I normally ride full carbon Scott Scale 26″ with decent bits.

After seeing the number of 29ers at local races and Olympics and looking at the product lines for Trek/Spec I was thinking 29ers will be the norm soon. Anyways, thought there must be something in it given the number of riders on them.

First ride and the bike felt sluggish and generally hard work. I always seemed to push a bit gear so maybe it was quicker than I thought but just ‘felt’ slow. Bike is 24lbs. ( I have ridden it more than once)

So:
1. do they all feel like this ?
2. was expecting a bit of a wow factor but got the opposite ?
3. Would a 21/22lb 29er feel any diff.

Was looking at one for racing next year but may have changed my mind now. Anyone else experience the same ??? Will I just get used to it as a different type of bike ?

All 29ers ride identically.- FCAT!!!

the problem is likely to be you.

re-read the comprehensive marketing blurb research that Spesh and Trek have done so that you know what you are feeling.

or its just a bike.

Perhaps the bike just isn’t built very well and theres some drag in the system? Or its bad geometry.

I built a Scandal 29er a few months back and absolutely love it to pieces. Super fast, reasonably light and very comfy.

It took me two or three rides to ‘get’ it. They can feel slow, but aren’t, it’s just the extra stability meaning the bikes not being thrown off course over evey bump in the trails and it wasn’t untill I went back to my neary identical 26er that I noticed how much more hard work it was.

That and you wouldn’t ride a Demo8 and rule out 26″ bikes for XC, so don’t rule out all 29ers based on one ride. Debating any one of chainstay length, head angle or fork rake will run to several pages on here, so there are plenty of designers doing what they think is right which is completely different to other designers.

My Cube Reaction GTC SL 29 (claimed 10.3kgs) feels slow but the numbers tell a different story. It’s very fast – much faster than the equivalent 26er.

The consensus seems to be 29ers are: slower to accelerate, faster once rolling with better traction, not as quick to steer (especially over technical stuff) and more stable. However, as above, not all 29ers are the same.

Suspect you would feel a small drop in weight if it was in the wheels 😉

So you’ve swapped from a high end 26″ bike to a mid-range (at best) 29er, and are disappointed they don’t feel the same…?

It’s a different wheel size, not a miracle bike!

Cheers, maybe need a few more rides.

Njee, didnt expect them to feel the same nor was I expecting miracles, its just that I had a spark that was a bullet, a scale which despite my reservations about full sus also feels ace. I have been ‘loaned’ a bike so had no control over spec and if buying would be looking for soemthing higher. I am not wet behind the ears re marketing blurb and factored in the spec of the 29 but even taking that into account was disappointed with the ‘experience’.

Will spend some more time but was expecting answers of a) you’ll get used to it dont despair or b)they all feel similar and you may just not like it.

Just after peoples opinions…thats all 😀

Forgot to add – they also say 29ers suit taller riders. Mine felt odd at first – the riding position was more upright and the wheel seemed to be way out in front. Best of luck!

its just that I had a spark that was a bullet, a scale which despite my reservations about full sus also feels ace

Scale is a hardtail?

I meant spark. I had a scale, now have a spark. 🙂

cuberider – Member

Forgot to add – they also say 29ers suit taller riders. Mine felt odd at first – the riding position was more upright and the wheel seemed to be way out in front. Best of luck!

did 2 hour ride last night with mate on a 26 and am starting to think that I was riding quicker based on mates comments, albeit it still felt ‘sluggish’

I will give it a few more/longer rides and as I said before, was just after peoples experiences of switching.

So you’ve swapped from a high end 26″ bike to a mid-range (at best) 29er, and are disappointed they don’t feel the same…?

Well likewise, would you expect a mid-range alu 26er to feel as good as your high end carbon one?

did 2 hour ride last night with mate on a 26 and am starting to think that I was riding quicker based on mates comments, albeit it still felt ‘sluggish’

The trick is to get used to this, then ride at a speed that feels as out of controll as it did on 26″, then you’ll be going faster!

IMO 29ers feel like ~2-3″ of suspension over pretty much everything, the only place they kick you in the backside (and arms if rigid) is landing drops to flat, or if you suddenly hit something big, rather than having 3″ of suspension taking the edge off it, it suddnely feels like it’s rigid again.