I rode Noble Canyon in the Laguna Mountains east of San Diego a couple weeks ago. Before starting down I talked with a guy who had just come up on a 29er hard tail. I then rode the lower 2/3rds of the trail down with another guy on 29er hard tail. They both have FS 26 bikes but both also said the 29er wheels provide the equivalent feel of 3 or 4 inches rear suspension travel.

The hard tail 29 had no problems at all with the drops and very tight switch backs. He was a much better rider than I and was able to really blast thru the technical rock sections, e.g Stairway to Hell and Extra Credit.

I was riding a Trance X2 FS 26er that works well on the steep and tight sections of Noble Canyon. I also ride an older StumpJumper MX2 hard tail with a full 2.5" of front end suspension. I like the StumpJumper in the tight single track I ride in the Pacific NW but love the Trance in most of the SoCal riding I do.

I do not like the weight of my Trance on long uphills and am considering a much lighter 29 hard tail for rides where I don't need the rear suspension. I am 65 years old and have badly abused my body in my 30+ years of mountain bike riding. I've broken wrists, legs, dislocated shoulders and collarbones - my poor old body really appreciated the shock absorbing qualities of my Trance. Three hours on the Stumpjumper really hurts - the same ride on the Trance leaves me wishing for more.

I don't normally do big jumps, park rides, and don't really enjoy very technical rock gardens but can ride them. I am just a fast long distance XC rider who is technically competent in most stuff. I really enjoy long single track climbs and fast flowy descents.

So for those who ride 26 FS bikes AND 29 hard tails - Do you feel like the 29" wheels do provide a good degree of comfort and control on smaller drops, easy rock gardens, and fast babyhead tracks?

Do those bigger wheels soak up a lot of the shock and jarring while riding rocky technical stuff?

I DO NOT want to debate 26-vs-29 - I want to know how much additional comfort an aluminum 29 hardtail offers compared to my older 26 hard tail.