Greg Minnaar's answer to the 29er/26 debate

[N0madADV]

www.bikeparks.co.za filmed our latest show in Karkloof yesterday and invited multiple world downhill champion Greg Minnaar to come film with us.

 

Greg and i got talking about the latest obsession around 29ers, i found this interesting coming from a guy that clearly knows what makes a bike good. His view is that a 26er is a better allround bike and he cant understand this craze around 29ers.

 

So just for fun he brought a Cyclocross bike 27" for the review road everything on the trail. This included 4 meter gap jumps, berms, rockgardens, bridges and drop offs.

 

I did not start this thread to open the nauseating 26er/29er debate but to say one thing:

Watching Greg ride things on his Cyclocross bike which i could not ride on my 150mm trail bike made me realize ITS NOT ABOUT THE BIKE

 

Keep watching www.bikeparks.co.za for the video its going to blow you away.

[Iron]

ITS NOT ABOUT THE BIKE

 

 

 

 

Amen !!

[N0madADV]

For those of you that dont know what i cyclocross bike is

Edited November 22, 2011 by macros77

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Skills, bro. Skills

[MTB_Roadie]

www.bikeparks.co.za filmed our latest show in Karkloof yesterday and invited multiple world downhill champion Greg Minnaar to come film with us.

 

Greg and i got talking about the latest obsession around 29ers, i found this interesting coming from a guy that clearly knows what makes a bike good. His view is that a 26er is a better allround bike and he cant understand this craze around 29ers.

 

So just for fun he brought a Cyclocross bike 27" for the review road everything on the trail. This included 4 meter gap jumps, berms, rockgardens, bridges and drop offs.

 

I did not start this thread to open the nauseating 26er/29er debate but to say one thing:

Watching Greg ride things on his Cyclocross bike which i could not ride on my 150mm trail bike made me realize ITS NOT ABOUT THE BIKE

 

Keep watching www.bikeparks.co.za for the video its going to blow you away.

 

....Valentino Rossi will still kick my ass on a 250cc motogp bike even if I use the 1000cc.....clearly Greg has some skills and being able to race in tough conditions he can use it on anything with wheels... Get about 10 normal average people and time them on 26ers and 29ers....then you will get your answer...

 

Basically Greg proved a roadie with the right skills can kick a mtbikers ass....

Edited November 22, 2011 by MTB_Roadie

[mtbDobby]

I think you need to take it from whence it comes - he is a down hill racer - there is a big difference between downhill,xc,marathon riding. He clearly is a great rider butask Burry and CHristof there opinions. Its horses for courses

[dre]

What would one do with a cyclocross bike? Why?

[N0madADV]

Once again you guys are missing the point. ITS NOT ABOUT THE BIKE.

 

BTW if you have ever ridden with Greg you will know he is an allround good mountain biker with top end of the field finishes in Sani2C

[N0madADV]

What would one do with a cyclocross bike? Why?

 

They race these bike in the USA and Europe in winter:

Cyclo-cross (sometimes cyclocross, CX, CCX, cyclo-X or 'cross') is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is September–January), and consists of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5 km or 1.5–2 mile) course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike whilst navigating the obstruction and remount.[1][2] Races for senior categories are generally between 30 minutes and an hour long, with the distance varying depending on the ground conditions. The sport is strongest in the traditional road cycling countries such as Belgium (and Flanders in particular), France and the Netherlands.

Cyclo-cross has some obvious parallels with mountain bike racing, cross-country cycling and criterium racing. Many of the best cyclo-cross riders cross train in other cycling disciplines. However, cyclo-cross has reached such a size and popularity that some racers are specialists, and many never race anything but cyclo-cross races[citation needed]. Cyclo-cross bicycles are similar to racing bicycles: lightweight, with narrow tires and drop handlebars. However, they also share characteristics with mountain bicycles in that they utilize knobby tread tires for traction, and cantilever style brakes for clearance needed due to muddy conditions. They have to be lightweight because competitors need to carry their bicycle to overcome barriers or slopes too steep to climb in the saddle. The sight of competitors struggling up a muddy slope with bicycles on their shoulders is the classic image of the sport, although unridable sections are generally a very small fraction of the race distance.

Compared with other forms of cycle racing, tactics are fairly straightforward, and the emphasis is on the rider's aerobic endurance and bike-handling skills. Drafting, where cyclists form a line with the lead cyclist pedaling harder while reducing the wind resistance for other riders, is of much less importance than in road racing where average speeds are much higher than in cyclo-cross.

A cyclo-cross rider is allowed to change bicycles and receive mechanical assistance during a race. While the rider is on the course gumming up one bicycle with mud, his or her pit crew can work quickly to clean, repair and oil the spares. Having a mechanic in the "pits" is more common for professional cyclo-cross racers. The average cyclo-cross racer might have a family member or friend holding their spare bike.

[The Worm]

Once again you guys are missing the point. ITS NOT ABOUT THE BIKE.

 

BTW if you have ever ridden with Greg you will know he is an allround good mountain biker with top end of the field finishes in Sani2C

 

Then why doesn't Greg use his cyclocross bike at the Downhill Worldcup races? Yes, talent makes a big difference, but the bike also makes a difference.

[nigelhicks]

Where is the "like" button ... hahaha classic. Trust Greg! we need a pic of him hitting the gap to compare with this one of Tomac at the inaugural World Champs XC in Durango

 

http://twowheeledworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/John-Tomac-at-1990-Worlds-web.jpg

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tmCXlTvwjkY/TTw9ZSGgopI/AAAAAAAACAQ/cJY5ktjCxxc/s1600/johnny_drop_jump.jpg

[Danger Dassie]

Horses for courses. As much as it may not be about the bike, it also pays to not underestimate riding the right bike for your riding.

If it weren't so much about the bike, then he would race a cyclocross bike instead of a carbon big travel DH rig.

Not to say ones better than the other, but anyone rides whatever is a good fit for them, so to an extent it is about the bike.

[N0madADV]

Where is the "like" button ... hahaha classic. Trust Greg! we need a pic of him hitting the gap to compare with this one of Tomac at the inaugural World Champs XC in Durango

 

http://twowheeledworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/John-Tomac-at-1990-Worlds-web.jpg

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tmCXlTvwjkY/TTw9ZSGgopI/AAAAAAAACAQ/cJY5ktjCxxc/s1600/johnny_drop_jump.jpg

 

Dude the video will come but take it from me Greg was about 10X higher in the air than Tomac who i have lots of respect for!

[grumpy]

www.bikeparks.co.za filmed our latest show in Karkloof yesterday and invited multiple world downhill champion Greg Minnaar to come film with us.

 

Greg and i got talking about the latest obsession around 29ers, i found this interesting coming from a guy that clearly knows what makes a bike good. His view is that a 26er is a better allround bike and he cant understand this craze around 29ers.

 

So just for fun he brought a Cyclocross bike 27" for the review road everything on the trail. This included 4 meter gap jumps, berms, rockgardens, bridges and drop offs.

 

I did not start this thread to open the nauseating 26er/29er debate but to say one thing:

Watching Greg ride things on his Cyclocross bike which i could not ride on my 150mm trail bike made me realize ITS NOT ABOUT THE BIKE

 

Keep watching www.bikeparks.co.za for the video its going to blow you away.

 

Eishh

Now the 29ers will go after Greg Minaar, bro you have opened a can of worms here, don't you know that the only thing bigger than a 29inch wheel is the owners sensitivity on the subject...

[mtbDobby]

with a topic heading off "Greg Minnaar's answer to the 29er/26 debate"....clealry the implications are there that its about the bike?

[N0madADV]

Once again ITS NOT ABOUT THE BIKE. If people spent the same time riding bikes as debating stupid things like wheel size they would see a massive improvement in riding (notice i am not saying anything about 29 or 26 being better)