I currently own a spesh rockhopper 2009 which im looking to sell and go for a 29er
I do a bit of XC/ trails/ singletrack riding.
Is this a wise move?

Been looking at the kona big kahuna 2013 model for your information.

Before looking at 29ers i was interested in the kona cadabra/ spesh stumpjumper fsr 140mm model but thinking about the future of 29 and dont want my next bike choice to be the wrong one if this makes sense as its a lot of money.

Any ideas for me?

Just ride one, it’s the only way to tell.

I like them and even short people seem to like them now 😉
Suck it and see.

I find it great for fast singletrack stuff, not so much the tight, slow twisty singletrack.

I ride a Cube ti (Elite Hpt) 26er and bought a 29er (Cube Reaction GTC 29) this year.

The 29er is very fast once up to speed (slower to accelerate), smoother over the bumps, more stable feeling but…not as exciting as the 26.

As above, it will come down to personal preference. Ride one first if you can.

Define exciting . It would be “more exciting” to ride in wet mud with cantilever brakes and slick tyres but most people wouldn’t choose to do it .
As has been said try one , IMO they are better in almost every department .

Love your answers.
I need to get down to a center i feel would be my best way.
ANyone know of a center that has kona, spesh and trek test bikes. Love to make a day of it.

I have a 26″ C456 and a rigid scandal 29er – both 16″.

I have set them up very different to make it easier to choose which one I want to take out depending on what we have planned but I do love the 29er. Because it’s rigid I ride things a bit slower/carefully so enjoy trails I would just blast down at full speed on the 456. But the big wheels mean that bumpy stuff is not punishing and rocky climbs are definitely easier.

Neither is “better” – both are fun for their own reasons. But the key thing is the 29er doesn’t feel like a barge and is perfectly capable on tight stuff and I really enjoy riding with no suspension and the 29″ wheels definitely help make that more enjoyable.

slower to accelerate

People say this, but I think it’s a bit of a red herring. Does it have heavier wheels?

My 29er feels quicker to accelerate than my 26er did….but that’s cos it’s got a 200g lighter wheelset with lighter tyres, tubelessed.

I will have to test ride a few i think. But i may go for a stumpy fsr 26 and buy a 29 hardtail frame to build.

How good are stumpy fsr at climbing with climb mode on the shocks etc.

My 29er feels quicker to accelerate than my 26er did….but that’s cos it’s got a 200g lighter wheelset with lighter tyres, tubelessed.

This

Try one and see. I’ve had one 3 weeks and dont think I ever want to ride a 26 again.

Faster and more stable

not quite as easy to chuck around stuff in tight spaces, but that’s the only negative . . .

I’m really enjoying mine . . .

what about 650b . . . ? it’s the future don’t you know . . .

Haha, 650b hmmm. Not sure theres much difference of 26 over 27.5.

ALthough saying that. It could be a happy inbetween.

not quite as easy to chuck around stuff in tight spaces,

Again, this is a bit of a common misconception. Though it has some relevance at smaller sizes.

I’m 6’4″ and any XC bike that fits me right is some sort of gate anyhow. Wheelbase on my 29er isn’t noticeable longer*, I’d have to actually measure it to tell the difference. And as for the bigger wheels changing direction slower, well see my comment on weight.

You need to compare apples to apples. Heavy 26″ wheels feel slow and dull, as do heavy 29er ones.

*Also, wheelbase isn’t everything here, both would be shorter than my DH bike and that goes round corners like nobodies business.

I built up my first 29er a few weeks ago, a cheap unbranded Chinese carbon from from eBay, full XT groupset, Fox forks and SuperStar/Stans Crest rims, tubeless.

First ride was at Glyncorwwg and absolutely loved it, fast, chuckable, smooth. Didn’t feel slow to accelerate, but a light wheelset will make a difference there.

Cheers, Rich

Haha, 650b hmmm. Not sure theres much difference of 26 over 27.5.

There’s 1.5 difference!!!! 😀

More importantly it’s the best excuse the industry has had in years for them to convince us that we should be all be riding 27.5 or 29, . . . and our 26 inch wheeled bikes should be scrapped . . .

it WILL happen, so you might as well get on board now . . .

for a given wheel weight a 29 inch wheel has around 40% more inertia than a 26’er ,and if the wheel is built with simular spec components it will be 37% less stiff . not my words the words of probably the biggers bicycle wheel maker in the world .

some people love 29’ers i happen to think they are a solution looking for a problem .

I went from a 26’er (Cove Handjob) to a 29’er (Kinesis FF29).

The 29’er is lighter (Same finishing kit, drive train & brakes), handles just as well on all the trails I ride, if not beter, climbs better, and covers the ground a whole lot quicker. It’s also more comfortable over long distance.

Make of that what you will.

some people love 29’ers i happen to think they are a solution looking for a problem .

So far I’m on average 6.25% faster on a 29er. Same groupset, new wheels, fork and frame. Same total weight because the wheels are lighter and tubeless.

It’s also more comfortable over long distance.

MUCH more comfortable.

My thoughts:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/singular-swift-29er-and-suntour-epicon-rld-29er-fork-reviews

There seems to be a lot of people with clear views on this which is good as that is what you have asked for.
It really is down to your personal preference. I love mine but I know others that have not got on with them. Like most of us on here we are unlikely to explore the full potential of any bike. Just test ride one or a few if you get the chance and you will know the answer for yourself.

It’s also more comfortable over long distance.

This +100

A lot of my riding this last month has been boring bridleway stuff, lots of foot/hoof printed surfaces that rarely see bikes which tent to polish these imperfections in the trail out over time. Tried it on a 26″ bike and felt beaten by the end of my normal 20k loop, and felt slow the whole way round. The 29er felt fast and was faster, and I feel like I could go back out for another lap.

The other 50% of my riding is normaly on tight, techy singletrack. And wilst the Swift is no Pitch it’s a dam sight better than it has any right to be on that kind of stuff. To the extent I often try out tracks on it first as it keeps them interesting at slow speeds and forces good line choices without getting bogged down like it’s 26″ predecessor. Then jumping back on the pitch and steamrollering the track!

Ohhh, and if you fancy a Singular Swift, drop me a mail, I’ve a medium in reasnoble condition, but fancy a large so will considder selling.