Originally Posted by ZeCanon
al.canoe, you've obviously never ridden a 29er. yes, they don't accelerate as quickly, but they also do not decelerate (is that a word?) as much when going over bumps. They are more comfortable and roll exceptionally well compared to 26" wheels. For most riding, they are really nice to have, and are NOT slower.
Correct, never ridden one. I have to decelerate for turns, rock gardens etc. Momentem to keep rolling is not an issue for me, but acceleration even up steep climbs on the technical sections is what I care about. I would speculate that on the rough straight stuff, my low presure 26" tires already do very well in that reguard. Light weight/lower inertia wheels/tires are more fun.
One could even argue that a 40 lb bike has less tendancy to decelerate than a 17 lb bike. I'll take the 17 as would most folks.
I didn't bite for the All- Mountain hype either; not to disparage those who like that kind of bike. Too heavy and "springy" for me. Three inch fork travel is fine.
Al