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29ers dead?
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
First round of 2012 XC World Champs won on 650B wheels. Latest fad? Best compromise between 26 and 29" hoops? Are 29ers dead? Already?
Discuss.
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I made the call a month ago
http://ctmbc.net/node/33950#comment-107092
The commentator on the last world cup round thought that we would end up with 26 on small frames, 650's on mediums and 29'ers on large frames.
I'm still waiting on my 29er!!!!!!!!!! Give me chance to ride the thing before you poison my mind and have me believe it's inferior and i need to buy a new bike otherwise my racing competitors will ride rings around me!!!
26" for small frames? 650s for medium? 29ers for large?
Don't think so.
26" for those who have them. 29ers for those who have them. (Or have them on order.) 650s for those still deciding!
Have a read of the latest Mountain Biking Action magazine. (Good publication actually. Well worth the trouble.) They do a real-world comparison of all three sizes.
I made a compromise with a 26 rear and 29 front
And how's that working for you, mate?
Always cycling uphill, I mean?
Would've tried it the other way around, myself.
Weren't they called 69ers?
Yes, its a 69er
Bike Photo
just after finishing the build.
Managed to get my bike into a photo in the Blue Mountains Gazette
No, it has zero effect to feel like your riding up hill.
Its my 2002 yukon I have been converting, the handle bar height was to low with the 26 on the front and I wanted it similar in height to my Trance which feels so comfortable for me. I did think about a different stem and hadle bar but thought this would have to bigger impact on steering and balance, I thought about bigger forks but this would be to exspensive for my budget, so I went with a 29er front setup instead.
It now feels great, has a better roll, better head angle and and the handle bar height is now ideal.
As for the opening topic, I dont believe 29ers are dead. People like choice and personal preference, 29ers are here to stay!
I watched the race, his team manager was co-commentator (Thomas Frischknecht), according to him he liked the 29'er best but couldn't get his position right on the 29'er bike because he's a short arse, 650B was next best thing.
I haven't kept up on new gear in years, so if it's not too boring for everyone, where does 650 fit in? I seem to remember that size being used on small framed road and TT bikes. Are they really making these as mtb rims or just the road rims built on a disc wheel?
I've only just started enjoying my big wheels & they're dead already!!
I guess I'll just have to ride around (fast) being a fad victim!!!
Where does it fit in?
It's a slightly bigger wheel that still fits in most standard stuff made for 26". That means the marketeers can still convince you you need a new bike but the manufacturer doesn't need to do 2 different sizes of the exact same forks and frames...
There are clearly significant benefits to manufacturers if they can offer a "big" (650m/27.5") option for standard frames and componentry and not have to worry about producing a 29" version of everything. However, if there is enough demand for 29" stuff, it will be there in some form. Maybe less in the mainstream areas and more in the niche, but we'll see.
I agree with the view that rider size is a reasonable indicator of appropriate wheel / frame size. At 6'7", I've never felt more comfortable on a bike than on a 29er. However, given that the industry seems to primarily cater for height-challenged folk, 29ers may become as hard to find as the XXXL bike jersey or size 50 euro bike shoes......
The jump from 26 to 29 is quite big. I reckon the 650B wheels are the best of both worlds and not a compromise. Personally never been a fan of 29ers. They look a bit awkward to me. Obviously a lot of riders love them and thats fine - I was just stirring by saying the fad is dead.
650B would have the low weight, strength and manoeuverability of 26 with the rollability of a 29er.
I agree with GAZZA.
I'm in the process of searching for a new bike, and now I will need to either just go out and buy current models, or wait for another 12 months and buy a 650b.
I've ridden 29er's and they don't quite feel right for my 5'7" frame, so same problem as Schurter, not being able to sit right with the 29er geometry. This looks like it will be the best option for me. I'm hoping Specialized bring out 650b carbon dually with the Brain at the back pretty soon. I just don't want to spend another 12 months riding an overweight bike
The co commentator, Rob Warner is well over 6ft high and mentioned that he couldn't believe that everyone wasn't riding 29ers that they were so fast. I know several tall riders who absolutely love their 29ers.
It's also worth remembering that the early MTBs were made out of leftover parts sourced elsewhere (Schwinn Paperboys etc.) It wasn't really a science of rigorous testing rather than availability of existing parts that determined a 26" wheel size and we all got used to it.
A little bit like your keyboard, QWERTY keyboards are a hangover from the old days of jammed typewriter keys but how many of you are using a DVORAK that is supposedly faster and more comfortable? (but it's slower up hills).
try and keep up. 36ers is where it is at these days
http://mtobikes.com/black-sheep-bikes-zamer-36er...
I've been doing some research with the intent of converting my new frame (Santa Cruz Superlight) to 650b. That's a nice difference with 650b compared to 29er in that you can often convert your existing bike rather than buying a whole new toy. For me all that's required is new wheels and a different fork and you end up with one like the picture below.
I don't think the 650b thing is driven by marketing departments in the bike companies despite our cynicism, if they wanted a fad to hand off then 29ers are still driving lots of new sales. I hope it's driven by the fact that it's a technically better solution without some of the compromises that 29ers can bring in. I guess we will see once they start hitting the ground
The 26 v 29 debate was something I had to decide upon recently after getting back into mountain biking after a few years off the bike. I narrowed my decision down to a Specialized Camber Comp 29er and a Cannondale RZ One Twenty One 26er.
The Cannondale was the better bike on paper, and having read lots of good stuff about them (and also really wanting one for years!) I was expecting to like it more than the Specialized. The Specialized looked a bit weird with its 29 inch wheels and odd geometry and I was sceptical about the need to jump up to the larger wheel size. It’s just more speed to fall off with right?!
Anyway, the proof is in the riding so I arranged to test ride both and to my surprise, the Specialized felt like a better bike, felt more together and was more fun to ride. I know the riding experience isn’t all down to the wheels and there are plenty of other parts on a bike but I walked away with a bigger grin on my face from the 29er and that’s what it’s all about I guess, whether it’s a fad or not. I bought the Camber in the end and I love it.
Nino could have ridden anything and would have won that race. Any XC bike is going to be amazing when it weighs 9.2kg with carbon tubulars and Dugast tyres.
The first WC win on a 29er was less than a year ago with Kulhavy (who is about 195cm), and he dominated the rest of the season. His bike looks great, especially in contrast to Willow Koerber's massive compromise setup.
Lets maybe wait a while and see what happens before declaring the 29er dead.
Blasphemy!
Because absolutely everyone scraped their 26er and bought a 29er when they became the in thing. Like the 26, they will always be there, so not dead.
Blasphemy! no such thing,i first rode a 650b at a 24 hr in brisbane in 2008, the then On One distributor had them there on the inbred frames, damn good ride, he even allowed you to fit the 650b wheels to your frame and it is by far the best option, the problem was they were released around the same time as the silly 29ers were getting popular so they were never going far from that, for me they rock, great in tight stuff and will roll over most things like those double ended penny farthings lol
Isnt the top of the line scott scale 7.5kg ?
Arguably, the biggest difference you can make to bikes performance in a race is tyres - you can choose rolling resistance, grip, puncture resistance, pressure, bag size etc . One of the big downers for 29ers is the lack of choice of both rim options and tyre options.
the case for a 650b is going to be far far worse for quite some time
just bikes. 650 for some, 29 for others and the rest will ride 26.
Yes Frishnick (Sp?) said Ninos bike weighed 7.4kg
Here is a link to the race to watch for those that missed it.
http://live.redbull.tv/events/33/ucistop1-xc2/#
arghhh! i just bought a 29er on all the hype! im screwed now!! lol
As I ride quite a bit on the road ATM the big wheels are superb. On the track its fantastic for XC-style riding, climbing and getting over large objects. As mentioned parts options arn't great for 650b, whereas for 29er it is sufficient (for me) and improving.
If it was just for trails i think a 650b would suit my riding and height more. The front end weight is noticable on my 29er, though once I reduce its weight a bit (lighter wheels/tyres tubeless/fork) it'll be much more capable
Instead of 29er vs 26er, its now 29er vs 650b vs 26er!! arghhhh!!!! Will it ever end??!! just quietly id say no. Its all personal preference + opinions, and thats whats gives us food for thought!
I love having a choice, the more the better:)
I found it interesting that one of my Mont team mates pulled his fastest lap as his last lap by something like 10 minutes, on a relatively heavy 4" travel 26er, even with dropping the chain a couple of times due to FD issues (as I understand it). His normal ride is a light carbon 4" travel 29er with some nice wheels.
I have to say it's got me rethinking whether my next bike purchase is going to be a 29er after all.
That said, the Mont course was quite smooth, and tight and twisty in places, the former negating one of the advantages of the big hoops (don't drop into holes as much) and playing to the advantage of the smaller hoops (quicker direction change).
So, as others have already called it, I think which bike is best will be course-specific to some extent.
Like Hawkeye said - at the Mont, there were plenty of very fast people on 29ers and 26ers. I chose to ride my 29er, it was far more forgiving for when i wandered off line and it gave me extra confidence that if i buggered anything up, the big wheels would just roll over the obsticle (which it did on all occasions except for one...ouch). If i had taken my lightweight 26" dually, i may have been quicker, maybe. On that track, in those conditions, maybe.
If i wanted to get perdantic, and had it all my way, i could have done my first day lap on the 26er - nice and fresh, plenty of light to see obsticles and pick a fast smooth line. My night laps i could do on my 29er - a bit more fatigued, less light/vision, more accident prone - better suited to the 29er. Once the sun was up - maybe belt out another lap on the 26er - the lightweight wheels make it easier for my concrete legs to get up those hills..
But what would be the point? For me, a minute here and a minute there may take my rank from 200 to 190... yes "pancakes" we would still finish behind you... : ) Maybe i could justify it by thinking im pushing to the limit for my team mates - to give them the chance to do "one more lap".
Either way - i'd get off the bike and be soooo stoked, that ive just had an awesome ride - on the 29er, on the 26er, or in a wheel barrow.
Let's not forget that the second fastest lap of the event (by only 7seconds) was on a 29er! I rode my 29er, had to work out a few things on the first lap but once I did, it was a rocket. A little slower into some of the tighter corners but then super fast (for me!) out. The main thing I enjoyed was not having to be affected so much by all the rocks and roots. You could pick a nice line through a section and if there were rocks and roots it just ate them up. I am sure that if I chose to take my 26er I would have had an equal amount of fun and posted similar lap times but ridden a little differently.
This debate, although it raises some interesting points, is somewhat futile!
Cannondale lent me a Carbon Flash 29er for the weekend and although I'd never ridden it before my first lap ( and that was the first lap for our team ) all I can say is it went like a rocket on the firetrails, I never noticed any problem with cornering and it was quick enough over the bumpy stuff untill I started to get tired halfway through the race.
To be honest, I don't think the course at the mont had any super tight bends, not like some of the state xc courses anyway. So I never felt like I was riding a compromising bike. The only conclusion I came out with was that a light 29er is very quick and my fat old ass can't take hardtails for more than 3 or 4 hrs in one day!