29 incher - all hype?

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Trail Beater

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by Trail Beater »

Ok fair enough.
I don't record lap times,because well,I'm on a trail that has 60+ miles of track which can take you anywhere with one turn.
I think they are OK for the all out speed trails.
Other than that ?
The cumbersome wheel size (IMO) would restrict a lot of things and toe overlap must surely come into play.
But I'm glad you are getting on with yours 8)
MikeDee
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Joined: 11 Dec 2014, 8:36pm

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by MikeDee »

I don't know if 29ers are faster than 26ers (I've seen tests that go either way), but they ride more comfortably, as the larger diameter tire more easily rolls over bumps.
firedfromthecircus
Posts: 310
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 7:50pm

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by firedfromthecircus »

flash wrote:I may look daft, but as long as I'm happy, so what....


Spot on.

Most of the naysayers haven't ridden a 29er long enough to form an educated opinion. If you have done so and didn't like it, fair enough. The last part of the above quote can stand for you too.
flash
Posts: 588
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 11:34am

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by flash »

I actually like my Fat bikes more, now there's another can of worms.........
firedfromthecircus
Posts: 310
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 7:50pm

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by firedfromthecircus »

Let's not go there. :lol:
Trail Beater

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by Trail Beater »

Doing Loch Humphrey today,and there are a few serious looking dudes on 29ers usually.
If they can get past this 42 yr old(which they have never...ever),then I will concede the 29er is better :roll: :lol:
firedfromthecircus
Posts: 310
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 7:50pm

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by firedfromthecircus »

Trail Beater wrote:Doing Loch Humphrey today,and there are a few serious looking dudes on 29ers usually.
If they can get past this 42 yr old(which they have never...ever),then I will concede the 29er is better :roll: :lol:


Let's not conflate rider skill or fitness with improved bicycle performance. :lol:

Just because you are a better rider than someone else on a better bike does not mean their bike isn't better! :P
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Cunobelin
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Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by Cunobelin »

hamster wrote:A lot also depends on your height - if you are over 6' then there will be few compromises on frame sizing. I'm 5'7" and on a road bike I get tyre overlap on 700c - a 29er MTB will be worse or have some odd geometry to get the wheels to fit.


A 29" wheel is 622 mm
700c is 622 mm

They are the same size!

It is a very clever marketing of a size of wheel that has been around for years

al_yrpal wrote:26 to 29 is quite a big step. Bigger wheels roll easier especially over potholes and imperfections.

Al



I can remember the arguments about how mountain bikes needed 26" wheels when they were first introduced - now the argument is for the larger size that was dismissed back then
Trail Beater

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by Trail Beater »

firedfromthecircus wrote:
Trail Beater wrote:Doing Loch Humphrey today,and there are a few serious looking dudes on 29ers usually.
If they can get past this 42 yr old(which they have never...ever),then I will concede the 29er is better :roll: :lol:


Let's not conflate rider skill or fitness with improved bicycle performance. :lol:

Just because you are a better rider than someone else on a better bike does not mean their bike isn't better! :P


A very good few points actually :D
I saw one solitary biker up there today,and lo and behold a 29er!!
Verdict :26er 10 points
29er 10 points
Really,both have different qualities where they excel
The guy(Peter) had stopped off for a drink,so we decided to ride together.
On the straights he pulled away a lot,but when it got tight on the corners I was right back on him.
My steering was a lot sharper and tighter,so pulling away from the corners was a breeze.
But as soon as there was anything straighter he was back on my tail in no time.
Conditions varied from grassy to rocky to gravel and mud.
I noticed on the rocky stuff my line had to change a lot(meandering),but Peter could take a more direct approach.
So that's it really,both have benefits.
He was a very good MTBer btw.
I think you are right in that a lot different factors have to be taken into consideration though.
Rider skill,fitness,bike,bike set up and even tyre choice.
But the main factors on wheelsize were evident by my own observation.
If I had a clone riding a 29er,it would be a photo finish at the end :D
firedfromthecircus
Posts: 310
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 7:50pm

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by firedfromthecircus »

Cunobelin wrote:
A 29" wheel is 622 mm
700c is 622 mm

They are the same size!



The rims are the same size but the overall diameter including tyres is much bigger on a 29er.

Trail Beater wrote:If I had a clone riding a 29er,it would be a photo finish at the end :D


Nah, I think 29er you would edge it. :wink:
Other than that it's a very good summary.
My first ride on a 29er the first thing I noticed was the extra effort to get rolling. The second thing I noticed was when I nearly went off the trail at the first fast corner! :shock: This was a section of trail I knew very well and had ridden it the day before on my 26er. It very quickly became apparent that more steering input is required. Them big wheel keep on rolling, and in a straight line too! But you can adjust for that and put in the extra input without any great loss overall. Yes a 26er will always be more flickable, but it is a rare bit of trail where a good rider can't turn just as well on a 29er if they are used to it. Not forgetting the extra grip from the longer contact patch.
But the final word comes down to that line, them big wheels keep on rolling. So any trail that isn't velodrome smooth the advantage is with the 29er. On fast bumpy trails the big wheels float over more. On slower more technical trails the big wheels are less likely to stall. I recommend you try one. :D
Trail Beater

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by Trail Beater »

firedfromthecircus wrote:

But the final word comes down to that line, them big wheels keep on rolling. So any trail that isn't velodrome smooth the advantage is with the 29er. On fast bumpy trails the big wheels float over more. On slower more technical trails the big wheels are less likely to stall. I recommend you try one. :D


We will beg to differ on the slower more technical trails part,as the 26er kills the 29er on the tighter stuff.
It was evident yesterday when the fella had to slam on the anchors on anything that resembled an S bend,whereas I just ploughed through on any line(straightened the bend basically).His line had to be tighter to the inside,so to avoid crashing basically.What I mean by that is,his arc is bigger than mine.So to allow for the wider turn,he was tight every time.
But yes,the line over the bumpier stuff was a lot straighter than mine,but not "as the crow flies" straight.
But enough to gain a good bit of yardage though.
I have made big noises about the 29ers recently,as I was not seeing the benefits of them.
Yesterday I met the guy Peter,who to me,knew what he was doing on a bike .More Skilled as I have saw these days.
Maybe being a bit too analytical about it all ,but I felt yesterday was an ideal time to put it to the test.
I call "scissors scissors" :lol:
hamster
Posts: 4131
Joined: 2 Feb 2007, 12:42pm

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by hamster »

Cunobelin wrote:
hamster wrote:A lot also depends on your height - if you are over 6' then there will be few compromises on frame sizing. I'm 5'7" and on a road bike I get tyre overlap on 700c - a 29er MTB will be worse or have some odd geometry to get the wheels to fit.


A 29" wheel is 622 mm
700c is 622 mm

They are the same size!

It is a very clever marketing of a size of wheel that has been around for years


They are the same size rim...add a 2.5" tyre and it's much, much larger than a road 700c. If you look at the radius then a 26" with 2" is the same size as 700c 23mm.

The problem is that you can end up with a long reach to avoid tyre overlap. As a result you may need a long top tube or extremely shallow head angle.
drossall
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Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 10:01pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by drossall »

I don't really care. My Specialized FSR is about 16 years old and they all came with 26" wheels then. I'm not going to replace it just to get bigger wheels :D
Trail Beater

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by Trail Beater »

drossall wrote:I don't really care. My Specialized FSR is about 16 years old and they all came with 26" wheels then. I'm not going to replace it just to get bigger wheels :D

And still kickin' ass I imagine ? :D
drossall
Posts: 6115
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Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: 29 incher - all hype?

Post by drossall »

I still think it's a good bike.

It could do with a rider upgrade though.
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