29er vs 26er Review - By a real person

[Thor Buttox]

I also tried out my new 29er this weekend... in my opinion:

 

- on flat terrain and downhill, there is no competition - the 29er is awesome.

 

- on uphills there didn't seem to be much difference, but I'm quite heavy and battle up the hills at the best of times.

 

- tight single track : the 29er was a nightmare for the first time. Not sure what the issue was but it feels like you are sitting high and far forward so it's quite an adjustment (and I'm set-up ok). Also I find it turns extremely sharply in conjunction with the slightly differnet weight distribution. Going to have to really practice my riding style and skills again!

[Trubie]

I am thinking about whether I should get 29er. Could you guys tell me how tall u are and what size/make 29er bike u got

 

187, Trek/GF Orbia - entry level stuff, 13kg's, but boy oh boy - confidence improved by 100%

[Trubie]

With the comments made on how on a 29er makes the choice of line not important, would it be fair to say that 29er's suit those who are not technically skilled riders?

 

I suck technically - BIG TIME! Only rode the 29er on the road - maybe 5 rides of 45 k's, then went off road for the first time, and raced the R42 in Nigel. (This after not having been off road since winter '10). Finished high up in the field, will give the bike the credit it deserves

[Guest Omega Man]

I'm gonna weigh in here as a complete outside. I'm a downhiller. I've never swung a leg over a 29er. This is just a viewers perspective.

 

Every single xc dude I've spoken to that has a 29er believes that it is better than his old 26er. Whether it's fact or a placebo effect I don't know. It might also be the bike companies squeezing yet more hard earned cash out of our pockets promising us that if we don't get a 9er we won't finish that 15k fun ride let alone the epic.

 

But, I've seen 3 dudes on 9ers land on their faces after the front end swops on then in a slow corner. This might be the relative lack of skill of the 3 riders but it might also be the absurdly steep head angle on the bikes that these guys were riding.

 

Just a thought.

[nochain]

Is riding a small 29er??Really a big problem?

I am thinking about getting an Mtb again and have been looking at a Hardtail 29er...Previously I had a 26 Hardtail.

 

Both Andrew and Burry are the same height as me and I think them both ride small frames?

 

For racing stage races like the sabiex, what would be better..A sub 10kg 26er or a 12kg + 29er? Want to race in my age cat as competitive as possible??

[TimW]

My 2c worth to the non-stop debate ...

 

The only (and I mean ONLY) areas I have found a lot more difficulty with the 29er is on very tight downhill switchbacks. I struggle on my 29er there, but everywhere else the response is pretty much the same or better, including climbing.

 

I actually find climbing better than on 26, but you have to change your riding style slightly -- a slightly slower cadence on a 29er seems to work better, and you have to ride smoother and concentrate on keeping your speed up so there are less accelerations (but it is easier to be smoother because the little bunmps don't slow you as much).

 

Rode karklood this weekend and there were a few technical sections which I found much much easier on the 29er ... yes it is very very much a case of helping less technically adept riders, but I cannot see why it will not help the technically proficient riders as well.

 

Rocky and very step climbs and a combinatiion of the two are way easier -- I am cruising up difficult, technical climbs which I use to struggle to get up.

 

For me, 29er is just less than 2 mins quicker over an hour -- on a route I do at least twice a week which contains a bit fo everything, fairly easy single track (12%) with some climbing and descents, jeep track up down (20%) and flat (30%), and a bit of tar flat and climbing (38%).

 

Interestingly I was reading a top British MTB magazine which was saying this weekend the small women elite racers were getting some of the best improvements by riding 29ers -- goes completely against the theory of small people do not suit 29ers.

 

But, I am convinced some course will suit 29ers and some will suit 26. In SA most of the marathon or classics I have ridden are 29er friendly and Sani, which is basically district roads and singletrack highways (becasue they are so well prepared), is going to be 29er heaven.

 

But, try it for yourself and ride what suits you, not what suits me or anybody else.

[Witkop]

Mark, I think I saw you there! Were you the guy in the white Assos?

Anyway, must agree with your review. You have to kick a bit harder when you start a steep climb but once you've got momentum you're flying.

 

Will do a bit of a write up on my new steed under buyers guide...

 

At last we have identified the problem, white assos bib shorts , on a mountain bike, no wonder the 29er feels better. Almost like a road bike...............

[Stevief]

Im getting the new 31er.....This format is about to turn the MTb world on its head apparently THEY say its the perfect wheel size for MTbikes as the 26 and 29 experiments have proved they both not ideal.

 

Specialized, Giant, Trek etc are all working hard on the new generation 2012 31ers !!!

 

word on the street is they will be launched in 6 months or so once old 29er stock is cleared.

[Thor Buttox]

But, I've seen 3 dudes on 9ers land on their faces after the front end swops on then in a slow corner. This might be the relative lack of skill of the 3 riders but it might also be the absurdly steep head angle on the bikes that these guys were riding.

 

Just a thought.

See my comment above - to me it definitely has a much higher potential to go over the front, especially if like me, you are not that skilled on the tight, downhill stuff. Luckily I have decided that selling the 26er is going to be a massive loss, so I'll use the horses for courses approach!

[Witkop]

http://www.psfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pic-A-Modern-Penny-Farthing-Bicycle.jpghttp://www.psfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pic-A-Modern-Penny-Farthing-Bicycle.jpg

[Brakkies Sport Fotos]

I saw someone say he is 2 min quicker on a 29ér (that 2min faster in a hours riding time)

 

Is that just a look at the watch, or some special timing setup?

 

or is it just the newly opened box of pronutro that morning.

 

To spend this much money on hearsy, or because the pro's ride it , is a bit doff I.M.O

 

2min on the road will make a diff, its the seeding between the D and B Argus group, and we all know, thats the world funride championship,

 

but on a mtb, were it all depends on terrain, how you feel or who you ride with.

 

GUYS, This is the oldest trick in the book for the manufacturers, Gets the debate going and SELL to the gulables.

 

There is nothing wrong with your 26"MTB.. All the world cup MTB races till today was won on a 26ers.

 

YOU STILL NEEDS TO GO OUT AND TRAIN.

Edited April 11, 2011 by popeye

[Yellow Zebra]

Im getting the new 31er.....This format is about to turn the MTb world on its head apparently THEY say its the perfect wheel size for MTbikes as the 26 and 29 experiments have proved they both not ideal.

 

Specialized, Giant, Trek etc are all working hard on the new generation 2012 31ers !!!

 

word on the street is they will be launched in 6 months or so once old 29er stock is cleared.

Stevief - I think you are mistaken? The new standard as I've heard it is 33ers, with a dropped saddle/top tube interface, which allows the rider to sit even more 'in' the frame, and of course the increase of 4 inches over a 'stock' 29er is close to the oiriginal jump in rolling size from 26" to 29"?

Unsure if you've heard about that?

 

 

 

 

 

[Brakkies Sport Fotos]

yes, and it will have campagnola blue groupset.

[The Drongo]

"thought some might find a normal persons review helpfull."

 

Thank you. I am sure you can now explain the difference between a NORMAL person and a REAL person, or are they the same THING?

 

So are we to assume (correctly) then that the AVATAR is a photo of your REAL NORMAL self out, at say Northern Farm, of an evening then?

Because NORMALLY, in the BIKING WORLD, dresses are only worn as cycling apparel by the SS (Single Speed - for TNT1) crowd.

[janneman72]

I'm one of the route masters at our LBS and the 29er guys said that they would like to challenge my friend and I on our 26ers with a 55km MTB social ride. Mine is a Cannondale FS ad my friend has a Merida FS.

 

The 4 29ers couldn't keep up with us on the climbs, downhills as well as single tracks. So it's not about the bike but it's rather about the rider.

 

I will probably buy a 29er when the technology is more mature in 5+ years time but for now I will most certainly stick with my 26er. As far as I know, due to the wheel diameter and spoke length the 29er wheels are less stiff than 26ers so you loose energy through the rims, the standard gear 29er ratio is much less on a 29er than 26er's(you can see this with the naked eye without counting the spikes) due to the bigger wheel which in actual fact with every pedal stroke you get the same distance on a 26'er as with a 29er, 29ers are less maneuverable hence the reason you don't get 29er DH bikes(I think and if so they are not very popular) and that's why people are saying that 26ers are more fun.

 

I think comparing 29ers to 26ers is like comparing apples with pears, one hubber said that the one is not better than the other, just different and designed for different purposes and that is exactly just that.

 

However, apparently the KHS 27.5er is like Albany, the best of both worlds but I cant vouch for that, never seen or ridden one.

Edited April 11, 2011 by janneman72

[Witkop]

the general idea is now to make the front wheel as big as possible, and decrease the size of the back wheel (so as to reduce weight). Some have even suggested to remove it altogether, but traditionalists insist that it does serve a purpose. THe wear on the drive chain and frame flex will be greatly reduced by removing it altogether and instead direct drive technology will allow pedals to be placed on the front hub directly. (A secret thermal-gel polyma hub has been developed to provide proper power-speed ratio to the cyclist thus totally eliminating the need for the unrully 10 speed cluster) So after a 100 years the modern bike will look like a pennyfarthing. This is simply because traditionalists cannot totally exclude the rear wheel from the design.