29er Help
 

I need help deciding what to do for my next purchase. I have narrowed my selection down to two rides. The Specialized S.J. Evo expert and Evo.

I have been doing alot of research about 29ers. I have ridden a couple around the parking lot and through some neighborhoods. I am 5' 7.5" I would ride a medium. The bike feels freaking huge and sluggish.

I have also read that the wheels are not strong on niners. I've been riding 26inch hard tails for a long time. I'm finally game to trying a niner out but with anything new I am a little worried.

Thoughts Please.

opinions on this will be like a certain part of the anatomy. Everyone will have one and they will all be different. :) I got my first 29er about 6 months ago and have no desire to go back to my 26. I just picked up a 2nd one as a backup because if I have a issue that takes time to get fixed, I don't want to go back to my 26 while waiting for parts ect. I am 5'8 clyde. It took me about 3 rides to get used to the feel, handling ect. For me it was a very different bike at first considering I had been on 26s for 15 years and I was not sure if it was for me, but I once I spent some time on it I was hooked.

As for the wheels, you can get crappy wheel sets on anything. I have found a good set of solid 29er wheels are a strong as my 26 inch.

I have a ride buddy that feels just the opposite. He has put some time in on 29er and says they just are not for him.

If you are worried, pick up a 29er on CL and ride it a bit out on the trails you like to ride, if you do your research and buy it right, you can probably resell it and get your money back or close to it. You can then sell the bike and go back to 26, or get the 29er you really want, heck you may even want to keep that bike. If you buy it new and don't like it you will most likely take a bath if you sell it right away.

Keep us posted

Ride the 26 inch SJ for comparison.

I never took the time to see if they made a 26 inch Stump jumper. I assumed they didn't anymore. It seems that most company's are getting away from 26 inch hard tails. I really like Scott's Scale 30, but after trashing one carbon bike on the trails I would rather not buy another!

I am going to take a few bikes on the trails before I make my purchase. I really like the fact the Evo is 1x10. If I go the route of the niner I will most likely build a Rock hopper SS also. Mybe even the SJ ss.

I am 5'9" and went with a 26 FS. The 29 took a little more effort to get up and going. More rotating mass. I might get one as a second bike.

I just sold my 26 ht and went the 29 route. I can't see myself ever going back. The ride is superb, and yes it takes a little more to get going, but I am a pretty stout guy and just requires a little more to muscle it around which isnt a big deal to me. i'm 6 ft and ended up going with a size small (17") on the 29er.

I was thinking you might want a size small frame for your height. I am 6'2" and I just picked up a 18" Vassago 29er frame - it has a super long top tube at over 24.2" long. That is as long if not longer than the top tubes of my LARGE frame 26" bikes.

It might be you are on a frame too big and feel too stretched out on the bike.
What is the top tube length of your current 26" bike? what is the top tube measurement of the 29ers you are looking at?

I usually pick my frames by top tube length. it makes the fit a lot more comfortable for me.

I noticed with the 29er specialized bikes, a rider seem way up high on them. Other bikes it seems the rider is more "in" the bike than "on" the bike.

check out Niner and Salsa - they have a very loyal following and make great 29er frames.

When I ride the 29er It feels monster truck! I can roll over any thing and it keeps its forward momentum yes. But I'm a technical rider. Fast accelerator, I love switch backs and tight single track. Could I change my style and learn to ride a different way sure! Do i want to? Not really.

I do feel like Specialized bikes fit big. I have tried 15's and 17's. Too short, too tall. I also don't want to invest a lot into something I will sell in a month for half the price I paid for it. I will probably just build my own 1x10 26 inch bike. I build all my bikes anyway.

Thanks for the input everybody. It has helped me make a logical decision.