29inc wheels

[MintSauce]

 

Some of the claims made by 29" lobbysists provoke serious thought:

1.  They claim the larger wheels "roll better through / over obstacles".

2.  They also claim that bigger 29" wheels re bigger "and therefore make better contact with the ground' date=' and so deliver better traction".

 

If one does some basic trig calculations, these claims are not really substantive. The extra height that 29" diameter wheel offers over a 26" wheel when going over a 150 mm obstacle amounts to a few millimetres...rather improve your handling skills. The extra tyre surface of a 29" wheel versus a 26" is also negligible...rather get your tyres and tyre pressure right.

 

Most of the claims around 29" wheels are technically very thin, aimed at a market hungry to throw money at anything new. A bit like the perceived advantages of Lefty forks over conventional forks which hold 98% of the market...come on.

[/quote']

 

My point is not that the whole 29" idea in a

crap concept' date=' but I seriously doubt the global MTB market will swing

from 26" to 29" in the near future. It certainly holds merit for big

fellows like TitusTi above, no argument here. But one unfortunate

by-product of today's marketing is that it often distorts the real

facts, and makes people believe in anything. Similarly, there are

consumers who need convincing that their purchases are absolutley the

best, in order to avoid buyer's remorse. The tiny technical benefits in

a 29" bike are nowhere near as grand as marketing makes out.  Sift out

the real stuff from 75% of what's written in bike mags and spoken by

bike fundi's, find what works for you, and save yourself a sack-full of

cash. [/quote']

 

 

A rather short-sighted argument in certain respects. If you improve your handling skills and perfect the setup on your wheels/tyres then you can, as stated, in certain instances make up for what you would've gained if you'd switched to a 29er....well then why not improve your handling skills & setup anyway AND switch to a 29er...?

 

I get the impression that you haven't ridden a 29er. I could be wrong and I'm not saying you will definitely be converted, but keep in mind that a lot has to be said for seat-of-the-pants feel. Most often a scientific or mathematical calculation won't accurately express what you experience when you throw a leg over.

 

The proof is indeed in the custard.

 

 

 

[JohnnyReggae]

For a different perspective on the 29'er..... I usually ride with a 24" (MUni) with a 3" wide tyre which is just a beast and is so stable. I bought myself a 29'er running a ExiWolf 2.3" a while back and the difference for me is unbelievable. The 29'er rolls so easily over everything. Over roots and rocks that I normally have to watch and take very deliberatly, the 29'er just eats up. The 29'er is also more nimble than the 24", but that is probably because the 29'er weights around 2kg's less than the 24" (thinner tyre and aliminium frame).

 

The 29'er however is not up to the more technical trails with bigger drops that the 24" can handle. I put this down in part to the 29'er itself with the width of the tyre and not having the torque to brake as effectively (unless you run it with a brake, and mine is currently broken), and also partly down to my skill level. The 29'er is just a little more scary when it comes to doing more technical terrain, and when you look over a drop and you're a little higher up there is always a little more fear

 

[levett]

For me it's 'horses for courses' - on flat terain, the 29er has advantages in 'gearing' for standard 44, 32, 22 cranks and a 11-34 rear cassette.

 

A 26" x 2 1/2" has a rolling circumference of around 2,110mm (22 & 34 = 1.37m per crank revolution, 44 & 11 = 8.44m per crank revolution)

 

A 29" x 2.4" has a rolling circumference of around 2,330mm (22 & 34 = 1.51m per crank revolution, 44 & 11 = 9.32m per crank revolution)

 

So a 29er might not be low enough geared for climbing, but will be better an the flat stuff (in reallity, a 29er is like having a 30 or 31 maximum sprocket on the rear, rather than a 32 or 34).

[TitusTi]

Levett, what you say is 100% accurate, how that translates into the real world is that on a 29'er the granny ring now becomes a useful gear, whereas on my previous 26'ers I never used it.