Originally Posted by
fuzz2050
I'm not so fast to claim conspiracy here. While the rim is the same diameter, the width of a road rim is a fraction of a standard 29er rim. You would be hard pressed to fit a 29er tire on a road rim. The tires are also worlds apart, and the tubes vary dramatically in width. In fact the only part that's close to interchangeable is the spoke length.
Although I suppose there is a trend for wider road rims...maybe you're on to something
The robotic wheelbuilding systems are where I think the big bike companies would benefit, if that helps clarify it. But whatever their reasons, when I compare equivalent 26" and 29" bikes, I prefer 26" and that's what I'm going to buy. I'm not their pawn.