I bought a 26" bike because it had better suspension, frame, groupset, brakes, ligher wheels than any 29er in my price range. All the 29ers I looked at weighed a good 2-5lbs more, had alloy frames, entry level group, worse suspension,

I didn't realize the wheel size made such a massive difference. This whole MTB thing seems to be more of an equipment sport where the guy with the best bike wins...