29er or 27.5

[Guest Smimby]

 

 

Then you want a 29er with a dropper post.

 

Haha.... Why the dropper post?

[King_Crispy]

29er. Or just put 650b wheels on your bike.

[DR ◣◢]

 

Then you want a 29er with a dropper post.

 

Ill second this.

 

Dropper post will give you a big advantage in the technical bits. Not having a saddle directly under your bum when descending or negotiating technical bits will help get your weight back and center of gravity nice and low on the bike.

 

This takes the weight of the front wheel which will not only prevent spills over the bars but also helps the wheel to roll over the terrain better.

 

29er makes very good sense on the local stage races where you encounter long stretches of dirt roads, jeep track or single track. Once you get those big wheels up to speed it just keeps rolling.

 

Personally I don't believe in the marketing speak around added tracking on climbs etc. Tyre choice, leg strength, endurance and technical ability is what makes or breaks a climb.

 

29ers are also built for short people. This "buy smaller wheels because you are short" advice no longer applies. Bike companies cater for all sizes of riders these days. Emily Batty is quite short and rides one brilliantly

 

Best advice is to do a proper ride on the various bikes you are interested in. The parking lot shock pump ride only works if you know what you want exactly. Bought my Jamis after a 15 second spin in the parking lot. I knew exactly what type of handling characteristic I was after.

 

Don't fall for the ladies specific hype either. Get the bike setup to your body type.

 

Ask as many questions as you can. There is no such thing as a stupid question. Only uninformed and lazy sales staff.

 

Good luck.

[patches]

Your wheel size should be determined more by the type of riding you want to do, not your height.

That is not what the big companies are saying.

And being tall I feel lots more comfortable on 29er

 

Lots of companies recommend 27.5 up to 6" the 29er

 

There is truth in both of these.

 

It was said that it should be determined 'more' by type of riding, 'not only' by type of riding.

 

eg. if one wants to do predominantly marathon type riding, then a bigger wheel size is favoured in general. After that look specifically at the riders size.

 

If one wants to ride DH, enduro, dirt jumps, or trials... then the smaller wheels are favoured. No matter how tall one is they should not be on a 29" trials or dirt jump bike (if such a bike even exists).

 

Companies like Liteville offer 6 different sizes on their AM bikes (XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL). Accordingly they don't offer all wheel sizes in all frame sizes.

 

XS - 24R and 26F

All other except for XXL are in 26"

XXL - 29"

 

As stated, wheel size for rider size.

 

Remember that some of these "big companies" you refer to put great investments (marketing wise) in a particular size. Often they don't offer a smaller wheeled variant for smaller riders. Giant has switched all their Trances and most of their Anthems to 27.5". Specialized has switched many of their bikes to 29" only.

 

So again, I agree with both. Select the type of riding you want to do, then look at the wheel size options available on those type of bikes and determine that according to your size.

[patches]

I am 1.9m and riding a XL 29er, I can't see myself on a 27.5... If you are short go 27.5 you won't make a mistake, but if you are as tall as I am I would consider 29er.

 

If you believe in yourself you can do anything

 

But again, it's down to riding style... and then just getting on the bike and riding it the best way you can.

 

Here's Jeff Lenosky (with Fabien Barel).

 

Jeff is 1.93m and weights around 100kg. Not a small lad... but look how he rides a 27.5"

 

 

 

and just for fun... look how he rides a 26"

 

[Danger Dassie]

The old adage of wheel size for rider height/size is largely incorrect.

 

As mentioned already, look at the riding experience you enjoy and then your size. Height is a very rough guess, have your inseam and reach measured first.

It'll give you a far better idea what to work with regarding sizing around whichever wheel size.

 

I know riders who are on an XS full suspension 29r and they're happier, due to the riding they do. The converse can also be true.

Don't worry too much about what the pros/race snakes are riding, their requirements are different to what most need.

 

There's a lot of information out there, it makes things a bit more intimidating for prospective buyers, conversely it also means you are more able to buy something off the shelf that works for you. As opposed to what was available previously. It's really difficult to actually buy a bad bike.

 

To summarise;

 

- Type of riding you enjoy

- Experience

- Sizing

- Setup

 

Should determine what you'll enjoy the most. Above all though, enjoy your ride.

[feetup]

Ride before you buy and make your own choice

[I am not SomeBloke]

 

Haha.... Why the dropper post?

 

I figure that because of how short she is and her fear of technical sections, being able to get that seat out the way will give her a lot more confidence on a 29er.

[I am not SomeBloke]

 

There is truth in both of these.

 

It was said that it should be determined 'more' by type of riding, 'not only' by type of riding.

 

eg. if one wants to do predominantly marathon type riding, then a bigger wheel size is favoured in general. After that look specifically at the riders size.

 

If one wants to ride DH, enduro, dirt jumps, or trials... then the smaller wheels are favoured. No matter how tall one is they should not be on a 29" trials or dirt jump bike (if such a bike even exists).

 

Companies like Liteville offer 6 different sizes on their AM bikes (XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL). Accordingly they don't offer all wheel sizes in all frame sizes.

 

XS - 24R and 26F

All other except for XXL are in 26"

XXL - 29"

 

As stated, wheel size for rider size.

 

Remember that some of these "big companies" you refer to put great investments (marketing wise) in a particular size. Often they don't offer a smaller wheeled variant for smaller riders. Giant has switched all their Trances and most of their Anthems to 27.5". Specialized has switched many of their bikes to 29" only.

 

So again, I agree with both. Select the type of riding you want to do, then look at the wheel size options available on those type of bikes and determine that according to your size.

 

And then there's Hylton Turvey who doesn't make sense and should be ignored.

[Guest Smimby]

 

 

I figure that because of how short she is and her fear of technical sections, being able to get that seat out the way will give her a lot more confidence on a 29er.

Where is the technical bits in Karoo to coast?

[I am not SomeBloke]

Where is the technical bits in Karoo to coast?

 

Well I assume she's not going to use the bike exclusively for Karoo to Coast.

[Ckk]

Thank you everybody for all the advice. Must say it helps a lot. Will go and test drive a 29er and feel how it moves around corners and uphills etc. i also don't think short riders can't ride 29ers , its just the media saying otherwise and the sales reps sticking to what the media says. Most routes i have done have a small amount of techinical bits but its mainly on gravel road and dirt roads, and i usually do the half marathons but aiming for marathons this year.

[Ckk]

 

 

I figure that because of how short she is and her fear of technical sections, being able to get that seat out the way will give her a lot more confidence on a 29er.

 

How much is a bike like that?

[I am not SomeBloke]

 

How much is a bike like that?

 

The dropper post is aftermarket except on very high end bikes and will set you back around R3,5k to R4k on its own.

[Thug]

I would look at either 26" or a 29". There is very little advantage in a 27.5" over 26"

 

http://www.eleven.cc/blog/2013/the-650b-placebo-effect/#.Use3FWQW2R_

[Iwan Kemp]

The old adage of wheel size for rider height/size is largely incorrect.

 

As mentioned already, look at the riding experience you enjoy and then your size. Height is a very rough guess, have your inseam and reach measured first.

It'll give you a far better idea what to work with regarding sizing around whichever wheel size.

 

I know riders who are on an XS full suspension 29r and they're happier, due to the riding they do. The converse can also be true.

Don't worry too much about what the pros/race snakes are riding, their requirements are different to what most need.

 

There's a lot of information out there, it makes things a bit more intimidating for prospective buyers, conversely it also means you are more able to buy something off the shelf that works for you. As opposed to what was available previously. It's really difficult to actually buy a bad bike.

 

To summarise;

 

- Type of riding you enjoy

- Experience

- Sizing

- Setup

 

Should determine what you'll enjoy the most. Above all though, enjoy your ride.

 

Lot of sense in here.

 

Manufacturers are trying to keep shorter riders off 29ers due to the challenge of fitiing bigger wheels in a compact frame. Downtube / front wheel posing the biggest challenge there, then standover height. To solve it they would

1. Have different tubing for smaller bikes (costly)

2. Compromise model frame design around a small's design.

 

As long as you have the correct length crank arms, enough standover clearance and correct fit, wheel size don't matter when it comes to lenght.