Do you ride a 26er?

[raptor-22]

There were the two ladies who managed to come in last on day 2.

There was a small number of specialized trail bikes.

There was a bloke on a white merida with the fork fitted the wrong way around

There was a chap on a beautiful scalpel. Quite eye catching with the red derailleur cable.

There was also an old cube.

 

That's all I remember

[Edition 507]

?? Please explain this efficiency

The efficiency is very simple, a bigger wheel rolls better or easier over bumps, so with the same effort you get a better result or you get the same result with less effort, hence 'efficiency'.

My enlightenment on the subject came about some years ago while riding a multi-day stage race with my partner, him being of very similar size and weight to myself. I noticed that he was considerably faster than me when free wheeling down district roads. If I was not in his slip, as one does on road bikes, he would simply leave me in his dust and 'disappear' away from me down the hill. So I think that either my brakes are binding or my partner is getting fat. I check the brakes and the wheels are spinning freely, so obviously it must be my partner who is getting fat. I proceed to ask my partner "Hey Terry, have you put on weight?". By the way, if your partner is your wife then don't ever ask this question. Terry's reply is "No, I have actually lost a few kilos, why do you ask?". So I tell him about being left behind on the downhills and I can't understand why. His answer was simple "I am on a 29 inch and you are on a 26 inch".

I encourage all sceptics, flat earth society members and denialists to conduct similar experiments yourselves, as the results are quite staggering.

[Edition 507]

26 is quite a bit smarter than 29

Thank God they are both black;-)

[raptor-22]

Shouldn't you have typed # 450 in comic sans?

[gummibear]

The efficiency is very simple, a bigger wheel rolls better or easier over bumps, so with the same effort you get a better result or you get the same result with less effort, hence 'efficiency'.

My enlightenment on the subject came about some years ago while riding a multi-day stage race with my partner, him being of very similar size and weight to myself. I noticed that he was considerably faster than me when free wheeling down district roads. If I was not in his slip, as one does on road bikes, he would simply leave me in his dust and 'disappear' away from me down the hill. So I think that either my brakes are binding or my partner is getting fat. I check the brakes and the wheels are spinning freely, so obviously it must be my partner who is getting fat. I proceed to ask my partner "Hey Terry, have you put on weight?". By the way, if your partner is your wife then don't ever ask this question. Terry's reply is "No, I have actually lost a few kilos, why do you ask?". So I tell him about being left behind on the downhills and I can't understand why. His answer was simple "I am on a 29 inch and you are on a 26 inch".

I encourage all sceptics, flat earth society members and denialists to conduct similar experiments yourselves, as the results are quite staggering.

 

Rolls faster because this is what it's made for.Fast rolling stage races on gravel roads isn't mountain biking.....it's gravel grinding  

 

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10453971/p5pb10453971.jpg

 

http://mbaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ACE2015_STG03_NM_bishop1000withlogo.jpg

 

http://endurohub.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Ariane-Kleinhans-at-2013-ISUZU-Ride-The-Rock-MTB-Race.jpg

 

 

This is mountain biking and where 26ers are happy  

 

http://www.undiscoveredalps.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/singletrackwoodssky12.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

[Hairy]

The efficiency is very simple, a bigger wheel rolls better or easier over bumps, so with the same effort you get a better result or you get the same result with less effort, hence 'efficiency'.

My enlightenment on the subject came about some years ago while riding a multi-day stage race with my partner, him being of very similar size and weight to myself. I noticed that he was considerably faster than me when free wheeling down district roads. If I was not in his slip, as one does on road bikes, he would simply leave me in his dust and 'disappear' away from me down the hill. So I think that either my brakes are binding or my partner is getting fat. I check the brakes and the wheels are spinning freely, so obviously it must be my partner who is getting fat. I proceed to ask my partner "Hey Terry, have you put on weight?". By the way, if your partner is your wife then don't ever ask this question. Terry's reply is "No, I have actually lost a few kilos, why do you ask?". So I tell him about being left behind on the downhills and I can't understand why. His answer was simple "I am on a 29 inch and you are on a 26 inch".

I encourage all sceptics, flat earth society members and denialists to conduct similar experiments yourselves, as the results are quite staggering.

Hell man, why did you not say so to start with.......here all along we thought you were referring to mountain biking and trail riding, not gravel grinding road bikes.

 

Managed to get a few chirps in on the ride, one of them on via the blue haired announcers mic at the water point saying the following "I am surprised to see so many 29'ers entering and riding a actual mountain bike race".

[SwissVan]

The efficiency is very simple, a bigger wheel rolls better or easier over bumps, so with the same effort you get a better result or you get the same result with less effort, hence 'efficiency'.

My enlightenment on the subject came about some years ago while riding a multi-day stage race with my partner, him being of very similar size and weight to myself. I noticed that he was considerably faster than me when free wheeling down district roads. If I was not in his slip, as one does on road bikes, he would simply leave me in his dust and 'disappear' away from me down the hill. So I think that either my brakes are binding or my partner is getting fat. I check the brakes and the wheels are spinning freely, so obviously it must be my partner who is getting fat. I proceed to ask my partner "Hey Terry, have you put on weight?". By the way, if your partner is your wife then don't ever ask this question. Terry's reply is "No, I have actually lost a few kilos, why do you ask?". So I tell him about being left behind on the downhills and I can't understand why. His answer was simple "I am on a 29 inch and you are on a 26 inch".

I encourage all sceptics, flat earth society members and denialists to conduct similar experiments yourselves, as the results are quite staggering.

 

Being a living and breathing sceptic on 26" wheels i can indeed confirm this phenomena  when riding with some 29ers

 

However i feel better by believing:

a. They are just slightly fitter than me, yes i know fitness does not apply when free wheeling, but really   if you interested in performance then you shouldn't be free wheeling anyway.

b. Enjoy the challenge / benefits (increased training effort) of trying to keep up and the pleasure of waiting for them after those inevitable challenging tight sections.  

 

Where's the fun in just being able to roll over everything, shoulda bought a steam roller instead

[raptor-22]

I've not noticed this phenomena of the 29er rolling faster on downhill district gravel roads..

 

maybe its because I don't ride district gravel roads but on the odd occasion I have the 29ers have not rolled away.

Maybe that's cos the 650b is the one true wheel size but even on my 26er this feeling of loss never occurred.

 

even the "scientist" said "there's no statistical difference between the wheel sizes."

 

and then I see what fun loving people 26er riders are and I want a 26er again.

[Plentipotential]

I do but I need to get a 29er. I'm told it's like cheating. 

[SwissVan]

 

This is mountain biking and where 26ers are happy  

 

http://www.undiscoveredalps.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/singletrackwoodssky12.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some more 26"... note the 29" behind on the outside line heading for trouble 

 

[popcorn_skollie]

The efficiency is very simple, a bigger wheel rolls better or easier over bumps, so with the same effort you get a better result or you get the same result with less effort, hence 'efficiency'.

My enlightenment on the subject came about some years ago while riding a multi-day stage race with my partner, him being of very similar size and weight to myself. I noticed that he was considerably faster than me when free wheeling down district roads. If I was not in his slip, as one does on road bikes, he would simply leave me in his dust and 'disappear' away from me down the hill. So I think that either my brakes are binding or my partner is getting fat. I check the brakes and the wheels are spinning freely, so obviously it must be my partner who is getting fat. I proceed to ask my partner "Hey Terry, have you put on weight?". By the way, if your partner is your wife then don't ever ask this question. Terry's reply is "No, I have actually lost a few kilos, why do you ask?". So I tell him about being left behind on the downhills and I can't understand why. His answer was simple "I am on a 29 inch and you are on a 26 inch".

I encourage all sceptics, flat earth society members and denialists to conduct similar experiments yourselves, as the results are quite staggering.

 

All this time I thought you were just trolling. But you're actually serious.

 

You sound like the kind of guy who invests in exclusive timeshare opportunities and innovative product solutions from Verimark.

[remfactor]

Yes, I do too!!!......

[Headshot]

All this time I thought you were just trolling. But you're actually serious.

 

You sound like the kind of guy who invests in exclusive timeshare opportunities and innovative product solutions from Verimark.

Listen buddy I just bought a Leaf Gobbler Pro - its like a 29er-  It sucks really well :-)

[Headshot]

The fact of the matter is that people enduro the hell out of 29ers as well - Ask Tracy Moseley and a few others. On my ill fated Trans Savoie experience in August I rode a bit with a Saffer on an enduro 29er. I was on the 26er version and our bikes had similar set ups - Carbon frames,1x and Pikes up front. Now there were a few variables - I am older than him, I was carrying a couple of injuries and I was a bit sick and he was definitely fitter than me. It was interesting to see how I caught him up on the tighter more tech sections of trail and how he pulled away again when things got straighter and smoother.

 

This proves very little but it was hard not to start wondering how much his large hoops had to do with this...

[droo]

All this time I thought you were just trolling. But you're actually serious.

 

You sound like the kind of guy who invests in exclusive timeshare opportunities and innovative product solutions from Verimark.

 

Apply ice to burned area...

 

And wipe coffee from screen

[V12man]

All this time I thought you were just trolling. But you're actually serious.

 

You sound like the kind of guy who invests in exclusive timeshare opportunities and innovative product solutions from Verimark.

Having known the carbonboy since he was 13.... (yup that is a LONG time) I can assure you that the speed he was "rolling" down that hill was not normal.... and neither invests in timeshare or verimark products.... and he may well be trolling.... and you fed him....

 

Lets just say the boy can ride a bike.... for an old f..er anyway.... not many on the hub will keep up.

 

The 29er's do roll faster, but they for sure have more traction in the turns - the footprint is a bit bigger and you can run pretty soft tires - so once you figure out how to turn the bike, they are quick in singletrack too - they just don't have quite the same feel - they turn when you turn them - unlike a 26" which turns when you think about turning....

 

Neither is better or worse - they are bikes - tools.... and CB does have a 26" somewhere... as do I - rode it yesterday...