Originally Posted by
zjrog
I thought that too. I rode one a couple weeks ago, though just near the bike shop, pavement only. Despite weighing more than my 29er, it was easier to pedal than I expected, and soaked up the bumps and imperfections in the road. I want one.
But this has my curiosity up. My fork on my 29er can accommodate wider than the 2.25 and 2.35 rubber I use. The rear might get a 2.5 in there. Just curious how the 29er would fare with wider rubber. Bike is a 2010 or so Performance Access XCL 9r.
Yep, they feel pretty much like a normal mountain bike once you're rolling, albeit one with tons of traction and a monster truck, roll over anything footprint. They take a little more body english to lean into corners but it's an easy adjustment. Preserving momentum is very helpful. The wheels and tires have a lot of rolling mass and if you have to slow and accelerate a lot you'll feel that. But if you can stay on top of your gear and let it roll, they can be surprisingly fast. And slowly tractoring up a steep rooty, sandy climb with all that traction is a hoot! When I got my first fatty in the fall of 2011 they were still pretty rare and I let a LOT of people take it for a spin. If I'd charged a dollar a ride, I probably could've paid for the thing. I don't recall anyone getting off it without a big grin. They're just fun!