What should I do?
 

I brought a giant talon 29er 1 (https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb...1/19251/77364/) two weeks ago, but am not sure whether i should return it and get a 27.5 mtb form giant instead. The reason for my question is that many other forums on the internet say 29ers are only good for XC and are hard to corner on stuff like trails, whereas 27.5 are alot better in general. What should I do 1-return the 29er for a 27.5 or 2-keep the 29er and just use it.

Ride your bike.

If you can't ride the 29er on a trail, you won't be any better on a 27.5

You've got a real nice bike with the Talon; if go with the 27.5 size being better than 29er; that wheel size is just as obsolete as 29er's are; 27.5+ is where it's at for 2016 - as #FrozenK says - Ride your bike

Thanks guys I should just man up and ride my bike I guess.

It ain't the bike It's the engine :P

Think of wheel size as a fit thing first, I'm 5' 11" with a 32" Inseam and I do better on a 27.5"
I had a 29er and it was great but the smaller, lighter wheels of the 27.5 Is what helped me the most.

Your ultimate solution, Is N+1,

N= the number of bikes you currently own .
As for the +1, use caution,,, I am at 3, If I go for the +1 my wife may make me sleep In the Garage :P

To be more specific: make sure N+1<S-1, where S is the number of bikes that causes significant other to take action to rearrange your living arrangement. :)

For people that aren't used to 29" it takes a bit of perseverance. If you just commute and do a couple of trails a week
29" maybe the way to go. If your a all mountain guy maybe a 27.5" would be more appropriate.

Let us wax nostalgic about the road not taken.

Naaaa... Screw that. Love the one you'r with! No regrets. Don't pick fly poop out of pepper. Find out what those big hoops can really do.

No, this is dumb. 29rs are fine and have some advantages unless a) you need a really small frame or b) you need long travel out your rear suspension (6 inches or more)
But for the vast majority of people 29rs work great for all kinds of trails. Anybody who says that 29rs are for commuters and casual trail riders doesn't really know what they are talking about.

Modern 29er's are better than 29er's of a few years back, they have learned how to shorten the chain stays to make them more 'Playful' maneuverable in tight corners, leanerd what Geo works best for this or that kind of riding.

Take two equal bikes, same company same model like the Trek remedy in 27.5 and 29".. They will have slightly different geometry and handle completely different.
Now look at the wheels, both are the same make but the 29er will be heavier because its bigger,, and if its not built better it will flex more.
Forget the tire , this balances out pretty close as the 29er tire can have less aggressive treads because of a larger contact patch, and are often only 100 grams or so heavier for a given model of both sizes...

It's the bike's geo and wheel set that counts,, a real rough example,,
Two wheel sets one 29er and one 27.5 both costing $600, the 29er set will weigh more and most likely flex more.

Now,, Two sets,,the 27.5 is that $600 set,, compared now to a $900 29er wheel set....

I bet you just canceled out the weight and the flex Issue..

As for the 27.5 accelerating faster,,well that's a roll out thing,, google that one.



Howz zat for some pretty guuud Bhulll Hockey :P


FYI,,after three seasons on my hard tail 29er I moved to a 27.5 full squish,,, On my very first ride out on the new and very unfamiliar bike I set personal records on EVERY section on EVERY single track trail I regularly ride,,PER STRAVA..

On my 15 mile loop :P

Why ? Simply because I did not have the 'Engines' to spin up the big hoops as well..

This would most likely be reversed If I only rode open flowy or X country type trails but my trails run from mild open to tight and twisty with all kinds of steep punchy climbs..

If Its your first bike, buy the one that looks cool and ride it to death, then buy the bike that helps you where YOU need it the most.....

You need to stop reading and ride. Seriously. The difference in weight of a 650b Stans Arch EX wheelset and a 29r Stans Arch EX wheelset is exactly 100 grams which, according to you is insignificant. And if either of them is flexy to you, you need to lose weight. And a 29r will not have a larger contact patch. The size (square inches) is determined by the pressure you run and how much you weigh. The shape is different on the larger wheel, but they are the same size.

As for harder to accelerate, it isn't about rollout is about having more mass further away from the center. It's physics. Look it up in a book. Now, the larger wheels will also carry more momentum and roll over roots better. Again, physics.

I've been riding 29rs for almost ten years now. From tight and twisty with punchy climbs to rough descents. On rooty trails 29rs make a big difference, if the trails are rocky (square edged rocks) the difference is less noticeable. And the more suspension travel you add the less the wheel size makes a difference. But for a hardtail? There is a reason 29rs took over that market as soon as there was a decent fork available (I. E. When Rock Shox started making the Reba 29)