superdex

I'm about to start looking for a new mtb; I (stupidly) sold my trusty and faithful Stumpy last summer to someone who'd ride it much more than I. Now I'm in MTB Heaven, and I need a new rig.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a hardtail, but someone mentioned something to me today that has me curious. He said for my size (6'3") I should "definitely" go with a 29er. What's you all's take on it? Does rider size make a difference? Are forks different to handle the extra size --e.g. 29ers are a fad and in four years nobody makes shocks that fit? (are they a fad?)

Thanks for the help, I'm gonna start drooling over LBS stables this weekend....

mx_599

i don't think are a fad. i think they are growing. i am 5'4" and want to get one. i think there are about 3 forks for them. i would go with the reba for me

superdex

I found some reading: https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=117170

Guess I need to ride one and check it for myself....

FoShizzle

My take is that they are NOT better or worse....but different and may be better depending on your priorities.

Not to preach, but I will anyway, but like anything else in biking, it is sort of lame to generalize that anything is "the best" since there are so many parameters at play....like type of riding, where your ride (ie, type of terrain), etc, etc, etc....

Based on my experience, I think for a hardtail, the positives of a 29er outweigh any negatives. For a full suspension, the jury is still out for me since I have limited riding time on a FS 29er.

As far as a fad, I personally dont think so, but what do I know. As far as parts, I expect to see much more selection soon. But honestly, I think there is already plenty of great 29er stuff available.....only excpetion would be longer travel oriented stuff but I am not into that anyway.

By the way (since I saw reference to it), for forks, the most common options are:
* RockShox Reba 29er (80mm or 100mm travel)
* Maverick SC-32 (with 29er kit gives about 95mm travel I believe)
* Maverick DUC-32
* White Brothers (few options)
* Cannondale Lefty

I own a Reba 29er and have a Mav SC-32 coming on my new 29er in about a week....my friend has a Lefty which is awesome.

Cheers

DnA362

You should "definitely" add a few 29'ers to your bikes to test ride list, and see if its for you. Maybe it is, maybe not.

Alox

29'er or 26'er?

I remember back in the early 90's Bianchi released a proto-29'er - a bike frame hung with mountain components that had space for knobby 700c x 38 tires. I think it was called the "Grizzly". Anyway, the fad never really took hold back then, and the few people who bought them were left with sub-standard replacements for wheels and tires a few years later.

It was a fad then, is it a fad now? I don't know. But I think that we can all agree that the Mountain bike industry has never met a fad it could not wring a few dollars from, then abandon a few years downt he road for something more 'revolutionary'.

In support of 29'ers, I did see something on a website that promoted 29'ers for taller riders because "the larger wheels and longer wheelbases put the centre of gravity of a larger rider closer to the centre of balance of the bike (picture a line between the two wheel axles) and that this enhanced performance comapred to a bike with 26 inch wheels, where the weight of a larger rider was perched comparably higher. The 29'er offered the larger rider the opportunity to sit IN the frame (aka the cockpit) rather than 'on top' of the frame.

Marketing hype? probably, but that's a debate for another thread. The best solution is to ride a lot of different choices, and buy the one that fits you best. Me, I'm 6 foot 3, and just bought a Stumpy FSR Comp 120. And I'm happy that I've made the right choice. I might consider a 29'er someday, but I'll probably build it up as a rigid, heavy-duty tourer.

Good luck,

A.

edzo

29'ers are not the be-all, end-all, but...not a fad either. they ROCK with
the right tire...and that is a fat 2.3 (IMHO)

29'ers are not a fad. they are great at everything except weight loss,
which doesn't matter because they end up riding faster in all conditions
given side-by-side comparo's. they climb like a goat so even then, the
weight penalty is nixed by the added traction and steering control.

so glad I am that I added a 9'er to the collection
------
stolen stuff



Efficiency Study:

The Effects of Mountain Bike Wheel Size on Performance in Uphill and Cross-Country Cycling
Authors: J.T. Herr and Holden S-H. MacRae
Department of Sports Medicine, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of wheel circumference on mountain bike performance during uphill and cross-country cycling.

Conclusion: Larger circumference wheels improve mountain bike performance during climbing and cross-country riding, with no detrimental effect on cardiovascular (heart rate) or muscle function (power output).

Summary: Our major performance outcome was time to complete each trial, since race performance is determined by who completes a given distance in the shortest possible time. The average times of the 6 cyclists tested were 4% faster (17 sec) on the uphill course, and 3% (26 sec) on the XC course when riding the 29” equipped bicycle.

If one extrapolates the duration of these trials to typical ride/race times of 1.5 or 2 hours, then it is likely that significant performance differences can accrue by riding a 29” equipped bicycle.

The practical significance of the faster course completion times of the 29” vs. 26” bicycle is illustrated by the effect size statistic for time completing the course. The effect size statistic is a calculation of the magnitude of the effect, in this case, that of riding the big wheel bicycle which was faster on both the uphill and XC trial. The number on the uphill course of 0.75, and on the XC course of 0.96, indicate a large effect from riding the 29” equipped bicycle. Most statisticians will say that a number greater than 0.5 is large. Thus, the effect here of riding the big wheel is likely very large, even though the trials were of short duration.

We attribute the faster course completion times on the 29” vs. 26” bicycle to the larger wheel traveling a greater distance per pedal revolution (average power outputs were not different between bicycles), and likely to a cumulative effect of the larger wheels rolling faster and more easily over obstacles during the uphill and cross-country trials.

The improvement in performance seen during climbing and cross-country riding with the 29” equipped bicycle, occurred without any detrimental effect on cardiovascular (heart rate response) or muscle function (sustained power output) even though the 29” bicycle was heavier that the 26” bicycle.

Presented at the South West Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine Conference, Las Vegas, NV, November 2003

pathdoc

I would love to have a 29 er but at my height, 5'5" its hard to fing a frame that works. I have given up on a 29er but I think they would work out great for a taller rider.

ed 

I wish I would have gotten a 29'er when I bought my bike. I test rode a Gary Fisher X-cal a couple of months after I purchased my 26'er and LOVED it. I always thought it would be clumsy and 'huge' feeling, but it was nimble and stable all at the same time. I had no trouble getting it off the ground either.

There are several options these days when it comes to 29'ers as well. I have a soft spot for Gary Fisher because he knows that there are people out there who don't make six figures but still want to ride a nice bike.

The Gary Fisher Cobia is just under 1k, the X-caliber is around $1100-$1300 depending on where you go. There are other models that are more expensive, but given a choice I'd go with the X-caliber. It's a great bike and is spec'd well for the price.

If you have 2k or so to drop on a bike, the new Supercaliber Raceday 29 is a full suspension 29er that rivals the old Gary Fisher Sugar 293 / 292. It's supposed to be "the bomb" for XC stuff.

You mentioned the forks...Rock Shox and Marzocchi both make a good 29er fork...I'd stick with the Rockshox Reba 29. It's a peach.

Dang it!!!!!!!!!!! Why did I have to buy may 26'er dang it!!! DANG IT!!

(i still like my bike)