Mountain Biking - 29er opinions strictly for XC..

Nothing technical, mostly roads and XC on mostly flat terrain.. What are your opinions on a 29er for this type of riding? What are the pros and cons?

buy this one
http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike.php?bikeid=1048600&f=17

Well I have ordered(have not goting it yet) a Fisher Cobia. I wasnt to hip on it but they guys on my team say that with a bigger wheel comes less restence on the ground. It will roll better over stuff. I rode a 29er in a parking lot and a field, not much difference. It is more a racing thing i think.

some info

http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/series.asp?series=29er

buy this one
http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike.php?bikeid=1048600&f=17


Which one is that? It is a link to Trek homepage... but I don't want a hybrid.

no, you have to put in your region and if you speak english, then it pops up the trek 69er single speed race bike. probly not what your looking for?

That 69er is krazy. It seems to me that 29ers have a larger contact patch with the earth, and there for are faster. People say you can lean into the turns alot more. Also your bottom bracket is usually higer, so hitting your pedal is less of a problem. They definatly will deal with an errant log, rock or water bar better. So far as I have heard, the only drawbacks are weight and agility.

I heard that the new trek 69er went up in msrp to over 2 grand. That's a waste, don't get it. Build up a zion 29er and make it a 69er yourself!

Really looking at the Cobia by Fisher at around $600 for 2006 model.. seems like a really good deal

Where can you get a Cobia for that?

Cobia's gonna be kinda hefty for XC racing, but for just XC riding it'd be okay.

I really thought I was going to need a 29'er, but from what I've read...they're not really going to be noticeably faster than a 26'er unless you're riding two hardtails across rough stuff. The 29'er is better on rough ground, but for what you're describing...I'd still go with a 26'er. It will accelerate quicker and just feel quicker. The 29'er would be okay and kinda fun to have something different, but when it's all said and done...I'd stick with 26".

Where can you get a Cobia for that?


Clearance 2006 models

A my Cobia is not at all a hefty and sluggy bike, It was recomended to me for XC racing by a ex-NORBA champion. I would trust here.

The frame is bigger, but still is light, going to have to look for the exact. The riding is exactly the same just rolls faster.

This is all my opinion thu

29ers for xc? ftw.

Inverted forks ftw!

A my Cobia is not at all a hefty and sluggy bike, It was recomended to me for XC racing by a ex-NORBA champion. I would trust here.

The frame is bigger, but still is light, going to have to look for the exact. The riding is exactly the same just rolls faster.

This is all my opinion thu

It's all in the expectations and level of competition, I guess. Around here, the bike doesn't win the race, it's the rider. In a more competitive setting where the riders are ALL stronger and everyone is closer to each other in ability...the bike can make more of a difference. For sport class racing though...who really cares? It's just fun to go out and puke your guts out.

Hey Leo, why not weigh your Cobia for us? I'm kinda curious myself. I thought the X-Cal was a bit hefty for racing, but great for just riding. I can't imagine the Cobia to be lighter, however the opposite would not surprise me.

Really...for competitive racing, a hardtail usually weighs 22-24lbs unless you got some nice sponsors. I think the Cobia would be about 29-30.

It's funny though...I don't recall the OP even mentioning racing. Just XC riding. I think I'm the idiot that brought up racing. I'm so competitive and argumentative.


I'd buy the Cobia...that's a great price on a unique ride. It would work well for your intended purpose. You may save a little energy with a lighter 26" wheeled bike, but you'd be cooler ballin on a 29'er.

I agree with the rider wins the race. My father has a buddy that has a 05 epic with the brain fade teco stuff, sweat stuff. They are both equal riders(fat). My dad has a old shwin. The last race was a tough rooted race. I told him his friend would beat him because his bike would fly right over them with fancy equipment. My dad beat him and was quite proud of himself. Sore but he beat him!

I kind-of jumped the gun with the Cobia. I have orderd one 2 weeks ago. Still havent gottin it. My bike shop has a 18 frame (I need a 17.5). I rode that one awile because I was not too fond of the 29er tire. Changed my mind but I dont think I am too atached to them. So I dont have race experience with them. When I finally get it I will get the weight, and post some pictures.

My team leader pointed the Cobia out. She said it was the "un-noticed podium bike", while our mecanic said it was personal chose. It dose roll nicer, and the Tora shock is a beast!
This is where I got mine, and the team Im on.
http://thebikehubonline.com/itemdetails.cfm?id=875

I like my Tora too.

It's funny though...I don't recall the OP even mentioning racing. Just XC riding. I think I'm the idiot that brought up racing. I'm so competitive and argumentative.


I'd buy the Cobia...that's a great price on a unique ride. It would work well for your intended purpose. You may save a little energy with a lighter 26" wheeled bike, but you'd be cooler ballin on a 29'er.


You are right... I NEVER mentioned racing... nor do I ever plan to race.... but I am starting to think the Cobia would be a really cool acquisition especially at that price.

That 69er is krazy. It seems to me that 29ers have a larger contact patch with the earth, and there for are faster. People say you can lean into the turns alot more. Also your bottom bracket is usually higer, so hitting your pedal is less of a problem. They definatly will deal with an errant log, rock or water bar better. So far as I have heard, the only drawbacks are weight and agility.

Wrong. 29er bottom brackets are usually the same height as 26ers - the frames are designed around the bigger wheels. Depending on the design, 29ers can be very agile. The only negative I have found is slightly slower acceleration plus a little bit more weight. For me those 2 issues are more than outweighed by the benefits. But for the purpose of this thread, it really doesn't matter that much.

bike shop has a 18 frame (I need a 17.5).

Thats laughable

I tell you whats even more funny, that dumbass Trek 69ner, how can they justify 2400 dollars for something like that, I guess the overpriced underperforming fork is probably about 1200 of it.

A 69ner, any 26r 29f not that dumbass trek, shouldn't have a acceleration penalty, or at least not much of one. Seems like a good idea best of both worlds deal.

The whole idea is momentum and while I haven't rode one yet I think that you will see this format of bike become popular with trail riders who are sick of the direction that mountain biking has been going, glutenous big hit gimmick bikes.

Nothing technical, mostly roads and XC on mostly flat terrain.. What are your opinions on a 29er for this type of riding? What are the pros and cons?

A 29er should probably work fine for your purpose but it would depend on a lot of factors. If you're vertically challenged a 29er probably isn't ideal.

Some will say a 29er feels slower than a smaller wheeled bike and... well... they're probably right. Heavy wheels feel slow end of story, so if you really like the quick acceleration characteristics of a 26 inch MTB with lightweight wheels you'll probably dislike a 29er out of the box.

Others will say a 29er will handle like a truck in single track. That may be true for some but is not accurate when talking about all 29ers. HTA, BB height and chain-stay length will all make a difference in how a particular frame will handle.

Your best bet is to try a few different bikes out and see what works best for you. If you never plan on racing and just want something to tool around on I'd think pretty much anything would work for you as long as it fit. I'd personally recommend taking a serious look at single speed 29ers...