29er last night on supercycling

[Brian Fantana]

I do think that a 29er is very well suited to a race like the Epic, and I also believe that for the professional rider it could be advantageous to ride a 29er depending on riding style etc. But I also believe that a good 26" full suspension can be a race winning bike as the Fluckiger brothers showed on Sunday.

 

What I just find amazing is the number of fun riders who dish out serious money on a brand new 29er, while they struggle to finish some marathons? Doesn't make sense to me.

 

The phrase:"Monkey see, Monkey do." comes to mind.

[JohnnyReggae]

What I just find amazing is the number of fun riders who dish out serious money on a brand new 29er, while they struggle to finish some marathons? Doesn't make sense to me.

Is this not true in general though ? Some people spend copious amounts of cash on a bike but are simple weekend warriors... not that being a weekend warrior is a bad thing ... it's just the amount of cash spent vs the actual gain.

[NotSoBigBen]

The cost/level of bike a rider rides is in no way related to his ability to ride it and that goes for all disciplines ..... pretty much like you know when you say how the heck does Hugh Hefner end up with all them blonde lovelies .....

[rouxtjie]

The cost/level of bike a rider rides is in no way related to his ability to ride it and that goes for all disciplines ..... pretty much like you know when you say how the heck does Hugh Hefner end up with all them blonde lovelies .....

He has got a 29'er

[Palaeodom]

i think of it this way:

 

on a vehicle: Speed-

a 13inch car wheel(mag) will accelerate the vehicle faster than a 17inch wheel.

(which is why F1 uses 13inch wheels )

 

however, the 17inch wheel gives higher top-end!

 

The Conclusion: 29er is good for cross-country mountain biking..rolls better, BUT is more difficult to climb with, and more difficult to steer thru tight singletrack!

 

+1

 

As a light and short rider, my advantage comes in acceleration and climbs. At the moment i'd much rather be able to put my toe down and really feel the acceleration of a light 26HT. My machine still suprises me when i decide to go, it gets up to speed seriously quickly. To me its much more fun getting up to speed and developing the skils to hold it through tighter technical stuff than the ability to sustain a greater average speed over greater distances. Obviously this won't win many races...but i don't really care.

[HowellingWulf]

He has got a 29'er

 

Well played ol'chap!!!

[MoreTrails]

Ah, keeping up with the Jones is how it goes in in cycling now-a-days.

 

Sure there are pro's and con's of both size bikes. There are pro's and con's of spending serious and not so serious cash on a bike for your weekend mission or your next Epic. What however needs to be pointed out (which reverts back to the heading topic) is the fact the De-cock & Mighty Moose don't actually know what they are talking about half the time. They get there facts and figures wrong above MTB events and riders, sometimes are unable to get a riders name right, and generally seem to have their own opinion at heart.

 

Sure, have an opinion - it makes you human. But please for the love of clean chain lube and titanium bolts, don't advise the general public on national television if you don;t know what you are talking about....

 

My 2c - flame on!

[Brian Fantana]

Is this not true in general though ? Some people spend copious amounts of cash on a bike but are simple weekend warriors... not that being a weekend warrior is a bad thing ... it's just the amount of cash spent vs the actual gain.

 

 

I agree, you see it in every sport.

 

I also agree with Big Ben, the amount of money spent is not related to the ability of the rider, and I don't have a problem with people who spend huge amounts on gear, because it is their money and they can do as they please with it.

 

What I just find amazing is how many people think that a 29er will answer their problems.

 

Fact is, you still need to train your technical skills and fitness in order to achieve success.

[Zula]

I am so bored of this 26 vs 29 debate.

 

Its like petrol vs diesel debate. Yes 29ers are quicker, but not by that much that every1 must now go and buy a 29er. For the average bloke its gonna save you 5 mins over 100k's, is that really worth it? Personally Im a petrolhead and couldnt care about the small savings of a diesel because I love the sound of an engine screaming. Same way was I love the ride, look and feel of my morewood zula.

 

If you are a pro then you have no choice because the other guys do have an advantage over you so you would be a fool not to.

 

There will come a time when I buy a 29er but for the time being Im more than happy just to be out riding. People with 29ers make it as if you cant even ride a 26er anymore.

 

Remember why you ride peeps, to get out in the fresh air, to keep healthy and to have fun. You can do both just as well on a 26 or a 29 inch bike. LikeI said though, if you a pro you need to go 29er.

[MtbCpt]

From Sauser's site:

 

Specialized Epic 29er vs 26er

 

The big wheels made me go faster, both up and downhill!

 

The most recognizable performance point has been, how much more energy I saved towards the end of my runs, and as a result of this I was faster in both ways. I stayed focussed, sharp and had more energy left. At the beginning of the uphill run the 29er felt more like a big fish in the water. Never thought I am going to beat the 26er time, because the 26er felt so light and explosive. It took off like a race horse, but calmed down after mid way, and had to concentrate more.

 

After I have beaten the 26er uphill time with the big wheels I thought I am going make a even bigger time difference in the downhill. But I made two, three bigger mistakes at the beginning, plus the dh run is shorter, so when the real advantage of the big wheels came into play, I was already at the finish line.

 

In theory the big wheels have a different angle to tackle the obstacles and roll better over it, plus I definitely have the feeling that you ride „inside“ the bike due the big wheels. I think this are the key points which made me go faster on our rough testing track.

 

I have also tested both bikes on a super steep, long rocky uphill, with two walking sections. The 29er made me climb more of it, because I had better balance and grip and control.

 

I am totally convinced to race the Epic 29er for rocky, tough marathon races such as the Cape-Epic, or Roc d‘Azur.

For Cross-Country races with all the sprinting and accelerating out off the saddle, I will choose my Epic 26er. Because it is a little bit stiffer and lighter.

Cross Country is such a racing specific discipline where every gram counts, plus the tracks normally are not as rocky as the trail I was testing on. But for general public, the big wheels are absolutely the way to go. You will get a totally new riding experience, which is comfortable, fast and smooth.

 

(a great video of our testing day to follow soon!)

 

 

Facts and figures of our testing day:

 

26er in Uphill

Time: 19.21

Heart Rate Max: 168 Average: 162

 

29er in Uphill

Time: 19.10

Hear Rate: Max: 171 Average: 164

 

26er in Downhill

time: 15.02

Hear Rate: Max: 165 Average: 156

 

29er in Downhill

Time: 14.50

Heart Rate: Max: 167 Average: 157

 

Weight:

26er 9.1kg / 29er 9.8kg (standard setups)

 

Tires:

26er Renegade 1.9 / 29er Renegade 1.95

 

Tire pressure:

front & rear 27psi

 

Shock Pressure:

26er fork 50psi, shock 150psi / 29er fork 60psi bottom and 90psi top, shock 150psi

 

Track:

5km singe trail, 220m elevation difference, rocky, rooty, sandy, smooth, tight and fast corners

[AndreZA]

 

26er in Uphill

Time: 19.21

Heart Rate Max: 168 Average: 162

 

29er in Uphill

Time: 19.10

Hear Rate: Max: 171 Average: 164

 

26er in Downhill

time: 15.02

Hear Rate: Max: 165 Average: 156

 

29er in Downhill

Time: 14.50

Heart Rate: Max: 167 Average: 157

 

 

He says he saves energy when riding the big wheels and is faster but why is his HR higher. Doesn't that mean more effort?

[JohnnyReggae]

I agree, you see it in every sport.

 

I also agree with Big Ben, the amount of money spent is not related to the ability of the rider, and I don't have a problem with people who spend huge amounts on gear, because it is their money and they can do as they please with it.

 

What I just find amazing is how many people think that a 29er will answer their problems.

 

Fact is, you still need to train your technical skills and fitness in order to achieve success.

I agree totally. I initially bought a 29'er mountain uni thinking that it was the next best thing and that I was going to rock it. Truth was that I found it a fair amount harder to ride for starters. Using the same crank length as on my 24" (at the time) made uphill *hard* and downhill *scary*. The lower profile/narrower tyre on the 29'er is so much twitcher than the 24" or 26" which made taking drops and hitting roots much harder to control. In the end I was not having as much fun on the 29'er as I was on my 24" and 26".

 

So now I ride my 26" almost all the time, and the 29'er gathers dust. Thankfully for me my high-end 29'er only cost me a portion of what a decent entry level MTB costs

 

Having said that though a riding buddy of mine rocks the 29'er down all the serious DH tracks in Tokai, taking huge drops and doing more with the 29'er than I am doing with my 26". But then again he also rode his 36" down most of the single track in Tokai.

Edited April 6, 2011 by JohnnyReggae

[shova1]

For me, when I first heard about 29er's it just made sense, but my concern was potential weight penalty & spares availabilty if the 29er was going to be a niche market only - it won't be a small niche market & this baby weighs less than my 26 FS...

After much deliberation, due to being only 1.65m tall, I finally bought a Spez Stumpjumper Comp 29 HT. All I can say is wow! I just want to ride it all the time now. Simply put - it works for me. The longest ride I've had so far is 4 hours & can confirm a 26 FS is easier on the body. For mid to back of the pack marathoners, I would still recommend 26 FS over 29 HT.

Whatever bike you have, just ride & enjoy!

[manbearpig]

He says he saves energy when riding the big wheels and is faster but why is his HR higher. Doesn't that mean more effort?

Kriek...kriek...kriek....

[mark ellis]

same as the Epic commentry, 29er this, 29er that... blah blah blah.

 

I have both, but never needed an entire weeks worth of racing commentry to make my mind up

[CAAD4]

OK I'll do it. TOPIC CLOSED!