All the discussion about whether 26er or 29er is best seems to come from 26er riders. 29er riders seem to have made up their minds.
I was just wondering though…
Assuming everyone who rides a 29er started on a 26er, has anyone tried it, regretted it, and gone back ?

Not me. I bought a 29er, then bought another one.

Currently on one 29er and 2 26ers. 29 getting more use. 26 getting less use, thinking about another 29er and dropping the superlight.

I still have one 26er.

Just for oldtimes sake. 8)

No going back for me.

I have. 29er big, gangly, unmanouvrable.

26er, nippy, cool.

Anna B – Member

I have. 29er big, gangly, unmanouvrable.

You bourght the wrong 29er. 😉

The slowest handling bike I have is my one remaining 26er.

Er yes…I dropped the whole Clown Bike façade years ago after owning 4 of the things.

The entire “It just rolls over stuff better” is bullsh1t. Kind of works if you’re running rigid, but when you have bouncy forks having 29″ wheels means nothing, or it didn’t to me anyhow. I’m sure there will be hundreds of 29er riders itching to reply and disprove the fact, but if they’re brutally honest, I bet the majority of them couldn’t tell the difference if they were blindfolded.

I prefer my rigid SS 29er to my rigid SS 26er.

But how much of that is down to it being a much nicer frame (Singular Swift vs Inbred) with much nicer parts (lighter wheels, nicer cranks, etc) ?

Sort of.

When I got back into mtb I got a 29er and still have a 29er Scandal. Last year I got a 456 to see what all the gnarr and skillz stuff was all about. I must admit I really enjoy mucking about on jumps and drops and even with sus forks on the Scandal it doesn’t do it like the 456. But then it wouldn’t would it? It was comfy for the K100 and it’s useful on holiday if I can’t decide which bike I want because it will do everything, even pretend vaguely to be a road bike if I change the tyres.

I would be interested to try one of the newer geometry 29ers or the more (what do they call it again) AM type rather than XC. Then again, I’ve got two bikes and enjoy the change so why bother?

Sort of, i had a 29er scandal and a 26er soul, i consolidated all the best bits onto one bike and chose to keep the soul frame.

Probably get a another 29er one day though, for me both wheel sizes have roughly equal disadvantages and advantages..

I like the 29er for when it’s fast but like to jump back on to one of the 26ers when it’s narrow & twisty for the fun of it.
I’m not a small lad at 6’2″ but find the 26ers have that BMX chuckability I recall from my youth…
Variety is the spice of life? (or so I told the wifes’ sister) 😆

Had a rigid 29er for a few years
Sold went to 120mm steel hardtail for a few years
sold and went to 100mm full susser for 6 months
sold and went to rigid 29er, had for 9 months and still love it.

Keep thinking of front suspension but not sure I need it for my riding.

Rigid 29er does roll smoother, otherwise I think suspension on 29er you just need less of, i.e. 80mm on a 29er a bit like 100-120 on a 26er, maybe eaiser to keep in a smooth XC cruise (greater momentum in the wheels?), but ever so slightly more work on techy climbs, though again the larger wheels help over rooty, steppy type stuff.

Yes I went back as did virtually all the riders I ride with. Some have kept their 29ers of course.
I guess then it must depend where you ride, my patch is fairly tame, but that is made up for by the vast amount of ‘cut’ trails we have. Plus it’s very dense forest as well.
The ‘chuckability’ of 26″ just has it for us, but we’ll all concede that 29ers are great for long rides fast or slow i.e 24’s and I miss the off camber traction. Though for me having one MTB that will take me from short circuit XC to forays onto downhill courses then I have to vote for the 26er.
I did have a 69er in an attempt to mediate?
Also if you’re a weight weenie on a budget and don’t want to go fully rigid the 26er has it again.
I suppose basically there’s nothing I miss not having a 29er is that fair enough?

tried 2, went back. might have kept one but the differences weren’t great and I don’t have the space.

Tried 29 er but found my 26 SS wiv 100mm is exactly the right bike for the variety of riding that I do

Got a 29er SS having gone from 26er SS, as well as having the full bouncer with gears.

Love the 29er, but still on the look out for a 26er frame so I can build up another 26er rigid SS HT

singlespeedstu – Member
Anna B – Member
I have. 29er big, gangly, unmanouvrable.
You bourght the wrong 29er.
The slowest handling bike I have is my one remaining 26er.
POSTED 17 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Isn’t that a convenient truth 🙄

went from an old cromo forked on one 26″ ss to a new carbon forked ss 29″er.

worst thing i ever did. i tried, really tried to love the 29 but after a yr couldn’t and sold it.

back to a ss 26 and fs 26 and i’m happy once more 6″1′ BTW

sorry chunky you’ve lost me there.

Just stating a fact. My 26er is a lot slower handling than any of my 29ers.

4 big and 2 little wheeled bikes. They all have their place. Mostly the garage.

I think it’s only fair to remember that there’s more to bikes than wheel size.

A 29er Surly Karate Monkey is one of the worst mountain bikes I’ve ever ridden.

A 29er Singular Swift is one of the best mountain bikes I’ve ever ridden.

My slack-angled 26″ wheeled mucking about bike handles much slower than my steep angled 26″ XC bike did.

My slack-angled 26″ wheeled mucking about bike handles much slower faster than my steep angled 26″ XC bike did tandem.

😆

There’s more to it than head angles you know. 😉

Aidan – Member

I think it’s only fair to remember that there’s more to bikes than wheel size.

A 29er Surly Karate Monkey is one of the worst mountain bikes I’ve ever ridden.
Go fetch Ton, go fetch Ton 😯

singlespeedstu – Smiley noted but I think in that case, head angle was the major factor. I could be wrong, but the point remains that two bikes with identical suspension travel and wheel size handle in utterly different ways.

I’m not going to conclude that 26″ bikes are inappropriate for XC just because my jumpy bike is inappropriate for XC.

i went to bed a 9pm, but felt my ears burning…………….
tut tut aiden………. 😉

LOL, let me correct that my Karate Monkey was one of the worst mountain bikes I‘ve ever ridden.

Glad you like yours 🙂

Hey MODs, close this thread quick… it’s at 26 posts!

Oh Sh1t, I’ve made it 27.

Still not found a good reason to try 29er, though they look interesting. Must make perfect sense for tall folk.

Never left 26″ers after watching the freak show that is 29er riders !!! and the fact that I am only 5ft 5″ tall has nothing to do with my choice of dam fine danny horses 8)

Aidan.

i know exactly what you were saying.

i was just messing about and highlighting how daft the whole 26ers handle faster that 29ers thing is.

😀