paisan

If you read my posts you will see that I'm also not advocating one wheel size over the other. I just feel the OP should purchase the wheel size that best suits his needs based on actual experience by riders in his area vs anecdotal evidence of some people on the internet who undoubtedly have different skills and ride different terrain. Plus what good is saving $100(I think thats the price diff quoted by another poster) if the OP would get a better riding experience on the bike with the other wheel size? Like I said earlier Clifton is riding some of the same trails in the same area so his advice is a good start, but he should still visit some shops and get the whole 26 vs 29 sorted out before he starts zeroing in on brands and specific models. Both of the brands he posted offer bikes in both wheel sizes for almost the same price ranges so I'm sure he can still find a good bargain regardless of wheel size.

Mr. Beanz

Got to agree with this, $100 in the bike world amounts to a post ride meal.

mcrow

Granted, $100 to most people here may not be much but when it is 10%+ of the value of a bike it should be considered.

paisan

I agree but remember that's $100 that could possibly make a difference in enjoyment spread out over the life of the bike. I'll give a specific example. There is 1 very tight twisty trail here that 26" wheel are without question a better choice. We had a customer who primarily rides this trail buy a 29" because all of his freinds had them and recommended it. The 2 guys at the shop who are mountain bikers tried explaining that he would probably be better with the 26". (I am specifically referring to the Santa Cruz Blur vs Tallboy) When I saw him last I asked how the new bike was and he responded "I wish I had taken the guys advice and gotten the Blur". His skills at some point will catch up and he will eventually be able to clear the climbs and switchbacks that hes having major difficulty with but until then he is suffering from buyers remorse.

Mr. Beanz

I dunno, I think it's more understanding the bike and the benefits. When I bought my lemond, I had a choice of an identical frame with 105/Tigara or for $100 more I could get the 105/Ultegra combo.

The bike was only $1050 and I'm glad I did. the components have been flawless. Worth more than $100 imo. Believe me, I am a budget shopper just a much a the next guy. Not one of "My" bikes has cost more than $1050. Plus I do find great deals on parts to build my own. Heck, I have found Deep V's as cheap as $25 and 9 speed Dura Ace rear derailleurs for $64.

But you are correct, I did consider the $100 and was smart enough to know it was worth it.

mcrow

Sure, as with anything the buyer needs to weight the advantages vs disadvantages of any purchase. There are certainly advantages for a 29er it's just a matter of how much the buyer values those advantages VS their cost.

mcrow

Exactly my point. To you the $100 was worth it.

paisan

Again I agree with you. But until he talks to people that ride and have experience enough on his local trails to tell him what is the better wheel size for those trails neither he nor us really know what the advantages are, if any, to compare vs the cost. That was my point all along.

CliftonGK1

The trails around here are quite varied, and it all depends on what you want to ride that day. If I feel like a go-fast-XC-romp, I'll stiffen up the back end and head to the Thrilla, or maybe a lap or two on Bootcamp at Duthie Hill. If I need a technical slow root-filled slog with lots of tight turns and narrow tree gaps, I'm heading to Paradise Valley to ride Red Alder or Two Trees. Flowy freeride with big jumps means I'm going back to Duthie, but long Enduro climbs and rocky bomber downhills bring me to Tiger Mountain Summit.

IMO, a 26er is the best all-arounder for the area. If you can afford a full suspension with f/r lockout, that's the most versatile. A 29er may limit you down the line if you find that you enjoy some of the more wheel-brutalizing aspects of the sport. But a 26er will slow you down should you settle into XC and Endurance racing/riding.

I like my Comp EVO because I find it to be a good balance. Light enough to do some 24hr racing, strong enough for Enduro, stiff enough for XC, but slack enough for stable downhilling. I won't be *awesome* at any, but it's a nice jack-of-all-trades. I think the Rockhopper is closest to that in the shop, and if OP is willing to go a little over range, the Fantom DS Trail is a full suspension that might make for a bit more of a comfortable all-arounder for the local trails.

magohn

Hi Guys,
I just got back from the LBS and after the comments here I couldnt bring myself to go with the LBS bikes. First of all, they only had ONE bike in "close to" my size (this is a BIG store) and it was a Felt Nine at 19", entry-level at $500 out the door. It had suntour components on it and just looked cheap and weak. The front chainrings resembled tin and to me it looked like a throwaway bike. Then I spotted a Specialized Carve, very similar components to the BD bike (Rock Shox, Disc Brakes, SRAM) except for the price - $1600 out the door . As that price wasnt going, to fly the salesperson (nice guy, but all over the place) asked me if I had a problem with riding a womans MTB bike - with that I politely left

I was doubly frustrated because I really didnt get a sizing. The available bikes weren't "exactly my size" - Im 6'0", hardly unusual.

Anyways, I respect the opinions of all of you, especially, sstorkel, chiesaac and Beanz and Im going the BD route. Good point by Beanz, I can always switch out the frame -worse case scenario. The only question now is which bike and what size.

BD seems to have a lot of "out of stocks" but i see these hardtail choices:

29er and SRAM - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...antom29_x5.htm

29er and Shimano (limited sizes left) - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...9_comp_xii.htm

26er and SRAM (I like this one) - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/..._trail_xii.htm

26er and SRAM - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/htx7.htm

29er and SRAM ( only 21" in stock) - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...antom29_x7.htm

26er and SRAM - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...om_comp_xi.htm

Probably a few others on the BD site too.

Any opinions on any one of these bikes would be much appreciated. I feel you guys already saved me a bunch of $ by helping to arm me with possible options and very valid points.

Thanks!

mcrow

The SRAM one you like looks pretty good, the X9/7 components are nice and has a good fork.

magohn

Thanks - Im really swaying towards this bike in silver and a 20" frame. The BD sizing chart states = "20.5 inch fits up to 6'2 (standover clearance = 32")" - Im 6'0".

Looks like a lot of bike for $799 (no tax and free shipping)

Mr. Beanz

I'm 6'1 and ride my Trek 8000 very comnfortably. I do think if I had gone any bigger, it would have been too big for actual off road riding. Pretty sure off roaders like the frame a little on the small side to protect the jewels and better handling.

IMO, I think the 20 inch is too big for you, but that is just me.

paisan

Because BD does a full assembly before shipping there's a good chance that the brake lines have been bled but if not it might be a good idea to get an avid bleed kit and read up how to do it before the bike arrives.

paisan

Mega if youre unsure of what size you could try this calculator

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...LCULATOR_INTRO

It's not as exact as getting a measurement at a shop but if you pay attention to the measurements as you're taking them you can get pretty close and certainly close enough to determine what size frame you'll need.

sstorkel

Low-end Tektro hydraulic brakes. Low-end fork. 100mm travel is decent for a 29er. Component mix seems reasonable. Better crankset and BB than the one below?

Same low-end brakes and fork as above.

Low-end 100mm fork would be a deal-breaker for me. In my area, you'd want 120+mm of travel if you're planning to ride trails. Pretty nice component mix, though. Avid Elixir brakes are (supposedly) a step up from Avid Juicy. X7 and X9 shifters and derailleurs are nice. FSA crank and BB are decent.

If you can live with 100mm of travel, the fork is a bit better than some of the other bikes. Doesn't say which hydraulic brakes are included.

This seems to be the best-equipped 29er in the list. Rock Shox Recon fork, Avid Elixir brakes, X7 10-speed drivetrain.

This is my favorite 26er. The adjustable-travel fork will make the bike a bit more versatile. I tend to prefer the ergonomics and shifting of SRAM components, but the Shimano drive-train on this bike is good. Ritchey bars, stem, seatpost and headset replace some of the generic stuff that's featured on other bikes. This is the only bike where I bothered to look at the geometry. Either the numbers are wrong or the frames run a bit smaller than the Specialized bikes you were considering; the horizontal top tube lengths seem a bit small on the larger frames...

sstorkel

Most hydraulic brakes come pre-bled from the manufacturer. I wouldn't touch them unless there seems to be a problem...

paisan

I'd say close to one quarter of the bikes I build require the brakes to be bled. That runs the gamut of bike and brake manufacturers and price points so it's not just certain companies or just the cheap bikes.

Edit: I removed the word 'daily" because I'm referring to the bikes I build that have Hydro Brakes and there are days when I won't build a Hydro braked bike.

magohn

Thanks all, esp sstorkel - great breakdown! Im a total newb to MTBs and so I appreciate the advice.

I pulled the trigger on the following:

26er and Shimano - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...om_comp_xi.htm

I measured my inseam, trawled the net for sizing info and came to the conclusion that between the two available sizes close to matching my height, 20in and 22in, the 20 in is the closest. 22 in would be way too big. BD states - "20.5 inch fits up to 6'2 (standover clearance = 32")" as this is a 20" Im assuming that puts the ideal height around 6'1". Im 6'0" and as reported, BD frames seem to be on the slightly smaller size. The LBS recommended a 19" and this 20" looks very close.

So Im thrilled - I went for the black version as the yellow was a little too bold for my liking.

Im also very comfortable with bleeding hydraulic brakes. If you want a real challenge, try bleeding the 4 wheels on a 1976 MGB - now thats fun.

Thanks again all - Im so happy I asked you guys. Pics to follow on arrival

cyccommute 

I have lots and lots of quality time on the wheels used for 29ers (ETRO 622mm). They are called road bikes. They have their failings, the main ones being weaker wheels and higher gearing. Not something that you really want in off-road conditions. Especially not something you want if you are new to off-road riding and are learning how to ride a mountain bike.

paisan

There's only a few things I dislike more than bleeding bike brakes so I'll have to take a pass on the '76 MGB. Like I said straight from the factory there's a chance the cables are too long and they haven't been bled properly. Since BD is doing the assembly there's a good chance this has all been sorted out for you. However, if I was you I would still make sure you have the kit ready or know a shop that carries one in stock just in case. Nothing would be worse to open the box, get excited, make all of your adjustments and then your lever goes to the bar and you find out that all the local shops dont keep an avid kit in stock or ran out.

magohn

Makes sense paisan - sounds like the earliest the bike will arrive is next Friday so I have plenty of time (and a little budget left over) to hunt a bleed kit down. Thank you.

I think I have to look into pedals as the supplied pedals aren't the best. However, when I bought my beloved, $2500 Roubaix it came with no pedals so Im not complaining.

paisan

So you're saying that because you have ridden a road bike you can attest to the pro's/con's of a 29" mountain bike on the trail? You're willing to help spend the OP's money without having any actual experience on a 29" MTB on a trail? All I'm saying is that if you are going to draw a line in the sand and say X is better than Y(as you did), you ought to have at least ridden X and Y enough to be able to make that comparison(which you haven't).

Alot of people have only ridden one or the other and what I find interesting is that it is this group that has the most vocal opinion about it. When you talk to the people that have actual riding experience on both you hear a different story. Sure there are people who have tried both and hate one or the other but for the most part you will hear them say that each has it's place depending on the terrain.

It really does remind me of the old Full Suspension vs Hardtail debate of the 90's.

Bethany

My son has a Rockhopper 29er. The parts suck big time. I had to replace the fork to a "real" one and he kept breaking the bottom bracket parts. For as much as I paid for the bike you'd think it would have come better built. I didn't know at the time I paid for an entry level mountain bike. Not a Specialized fan after this as he needs a whole new crankset after the last trail and he can't even shift the bike. No, he doesn't abuse the bike or treat it like crap. It just doesn't hold up.

29er or 26er is personal preference. I've ridden both and each have their uses. I have a 29er and hubby has a 26er.

cyccommute 

Yep. That's exactly what I'm saying. I'll add that I've built wheels and know a good deal about wheel strength. I also know more then a little about gearing. I also happen to know some stuff about things like physics and momentum. And I happen to have nearly 30 years of mountain bike experience.

Now take that knowledge and put it in one place and I can make a good argument for why 29ers aren't as magical as some would have you believe. The wheels are weaker and more flexible. The wheels are heavier. The bikes are heavier (larger frame = more weight). The bikes are geared higher which makes climbing harder. Standover can be an issue and standover should never be an issue in mountain biking. The center of gravity is higher which can cause issues with handling. Yea, they might roll over trails obstacles a little easier but I've never had a problem with a 26" wheel rolling over trail obstacles. And if the bike is heavier, harder to get up the hill, harder to bail off of when you have to get off in a hurry, harder to control because of center of gravity/flexy wheel issue, being able to roll over trail obstacles more easily is rather secondary.

Now one question you have to ask is why do all the gravity bike...you know the ones that are made for going strictly downhill...use 26" wheels if 29ers are so much better at rolling over obstacles?

Frankly, the full suspension vs hardtail debate in the 1990s was fully justified. Full suspension bikes of that era sucked horribly and, if you bought one, you were likely the beta tester. Personally, I'd rather be paid to be a test pilot than pay my own money for to test bad ideas and bad designs. I waited to buy my first dualy until 2005 and regretted the purchase the entire time I owned the bike. I had the rear shock "Pushed", I pumped it up to stupid pressures, I changed my saddle position, etc and never could make the thing stop inch worming down the trail. A total waste of $3000! The only thing that stopped the inch worming was to change the frame.