Wyatt Earp Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 But that is the thing - the marketing gurus almost always tell you about the good stuff and when you ask about the bad stuff, they tell you that it is not a problem and it's so small it makes no differance. So if 29'ers are the be all and end all to MTB'ing, why only NOW the big hype??? Why all of a sudden is it so big???I believe it is just in the way it is marketed. Are 29'ers better? Depends. Are you? I have been beaten more times by my wife and 26ers than I have been by 29'ers! The big hype now gets back to the gullible public (sorry if I offended anyone), they have been around for yonks.Us regular guys have been riding them, we get mocked, we get told we have circus bikes.Suddenly because the Germans started accepting the wheel size and the UCI allowed the bikes to be raced, the Pro's started using them, and then BOOOOOOOOM !!!!!!!Joe public catches a wake-up, because "it only matters what the PRO'S do"The bike manufacturers see a gap in the market and with the sense of a werewolf they smell the gullibility of the general public, and then whack !!!!, the marketing begings.Why, because Joe Public opened himself up to it. I remember speaking to someone before J2C about the 29'er Epic I will be riding there, they told me that they don't see a place for it, now they are an avid supporter of 29'ers. Stop blaming the bike companies who have the senses of a werewolf, and start blaming Joe public who follows the Pro's like a lost little sheep in Japan.
Wyatt Earp Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 ok, lets rephrase. Will a 29er be a better ride than a 26er for the freedom challenge ? Cause all these comments cause doubt as to wether it will make the riding easier or not. Note: I dont say faster, I am not to worried about speed, I am saying easier.It's entirely up to you, walk a hundred metres, give a 1 metre stride and go back and walk at an 80 cm. stride at the same pace and see what gets you there first.
philip.maree Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 (edited) The big hype now gets back to the gullible public (sorry if I offended anyone), they have been around for yonks.Us regular guys have been riding them, we get mocked, we get told we have circus bikes.Suddenly because the Germans started accepting the wheel size and the UCI allowed the bikes to be raced, the Pro's started using them, and then BOOOOOOOOM !!!!!!!Joe public catches a wake-up, because "it only matters what the PRO'S do"The bike manufacturers see a gap in the market and with the sense of a werewolf they smell the gullibility of the general public, and then whack !!!!, the marketing begings.Why, because Joe Public opened himself up to it. I remember speaking to someone before J2C about the 29'er Epic I will be riding there, they told me that they don't see a place for it, now they are an avid supporter of 29'ers. Stop blaming the bike companies who have the senses of a werewolf, and start blaming Joe public who follows the Pro's like a lost little sheep in Japan. Agreed! We should listen to the pro's and all ride Carbon 26" Hardtails. Just ask Julien, Jose and Nino! If you want to ride a 29er, just ride it cause you want to. That's what I am doing. Edited January 21, 2011 by philip.maree
Airborne Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 Guess there is no better time to get my rant of my chest.. First up I really REALLY feel sorry for the early adopters on the 29-er, back in the day when they were still cool and novel and stuffs, which was like 12 months ago.. There is nothing that killed the 29er novelty vibe like countless yuppies in X5’s with a carbon 29er S-works on the back.. Maybe it is a JHB thing, but at basically every MTB training ride I’ve been on lately, there’s been a guy with a brand spanking new 29er. With red hubs (do black hubs not work on 29ers?). And a medium frame. I was keen on trying one out, I really was since I thought at 6'2 it made sence in a way. But I must have heard 5 okes telling their buddy how at the last race all the cool peeps had 29ers, now he’s also planning on getting one. And Burry rides one these days, he will also tell his buddy with a liberal dose of “insider info” tone of voice. And that it is better all round will be thrown in with a bit of “gospel” tone of voice. When “contact patch” gets mentioned I normally fake a puncture by biting a hole in my back tyre.. It makes me want to convert to a 24”. But that is just me, the oke who balances out the world with early adopters on the one side, me on the other side (cynical about every new hype), and countless mindless sheep in the middle. The okes from Powerbalance took a page out of the 29er marketing book. {Grabs flame proof jacket and eyes the clock} Thanks for the laugh
onetrackmind Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 ok, lets rephrase. Will a 29er be a better ride than a 26er for the freedom challenge ? Cause all these comments cause doubt as to wether it will make the riding easier or not. Note: I dont say faster, I am not to worried about speed, I am saying easier.One of the things Christoph Sauser said about it was that it was a little but faster, but he felt he didn't need to concentrate nearly as much on the 29er in the technical stuff. For Freedom Challenge, from what I have heard, you will appreciate every bit of help the bike can give on not taking a tumble, the more tired you get. My 2c: 29er waaaay superior.
Danger Dassie Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 I ride a 29er with 26er training wheels..... Sometimes the other way round.
Tieffels Posted January 21, 2011 Author Posted January 21, 2011 Luddite some say, maybe yes, maybe no.. What ultimatly grinds my gear is the 2 semi-related underlying core issue: People will always look at external factors for personal improvement, rather than taking a hard look at themselves. Be it powerbalance or a new wheelsize craze. If you want to improve your technical riding it is not done by getting a 29er FS. Harden the F up and go practice. Sommer on your current bike. Put in the hard yards. If you want a bike that will get you there (i.e. improving wise) faster, get a ridgid HT 26er. That will keep you honest. If you want to improve your climbing, find a washed out rocky climb, and hit that bad boy. Repeatedly (Not even sure if JHB has the hills that qualify, but have not been here long enough to really know..) Like what was said on another thread, go look at what cyclocross riders get done. Which incidentally is on 29ers, but that is besides the point… The second issue that bugs me is the deep seated fear of getting left behind in the arms race that has become MTBing (Male egotism perhaps?). This is where the doctors/lawyers/bankers come in with the X5’s. "I got one because my riding buddies have it." Maybe I’m just naïve, but I would never have though someone would spend 20-30k on a bike that they would have laughed at 12 months ago because the tide of acceptability has changed. I don’t understand it, but then I’m not in marketing. When the riding buddies then ask about how the new bike goes, you get all the standard fart in a tumble drier answers and you can just see he himself is not even close to 100% convinced. But now you have the bike and it better work, right? If the oke looked me in the eye and said “Man, it is so much fun” with that glint in the old peeper eye that only MTBing brings, I’d believe him. Hell, I think in many cases it is so. But don't try and convince me with what you read online. That just reeks to me of insecurity. But I agree with a lot of what has been said here, and I have NOTHING against 29ers, just not a people person in general I guess. Had I still been in Skelmbosh I'd already have had a GT SSR 29er.. SB - Afte my FC I'll let you know if my very dated 2008 26-er with so so parts made it. Or whether I broke and the bike was still fine..
Eldron Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 Gotta love the luddites (if I may borrow onetrackmind's phrase): If we all rode our existing bikes until science proved that the latest greatest invention was better we'd all be riding penny farthings. Plus science has not proven 26" is the best wheel size - it was chosen by availability not mathematics. All the questions being asked by the 26er supporters are as valid for both size wheels... The other ironic thing is that peolpe blame the manufacturers for "making" us buy their products by punting them in the 'papers. The truth is that if suckers like me didn't buy the stuff they would'nt produce it. The responsiblity lies more with the consumers than the manufacturers.
GF29er Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 (edited) I love riding my 26r rigid, steel single speed (GT peace) AND I love riding my 29r fisher... each is a lot of fun and each different from the other. I will never go back to having one bike... so I can enjoy both 'feelings' Tonite the 29r peace arives and I will report back which I like best after doing back to back testing Either way the first reason anyone, should ride any bike is fun, (and possibly to get from a to b ) secondary reasons could be to train so that they can have even more fun on the bike! Edited January 21, 2011 by GF29er
manbearpig Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 The 29er has definitely made me faster, not cos I own one but cos I'm training harder so that I can beat my usually faster race snake mates who have got or are getting them.
Tieffels Posted January 21, 2011 Author Posted January 21, 2011 The 29er has definitely made me faster, not cos I own one but cos I'm training harder so that I can beat my usually faster race snake mates who have got or are getting them. I have to confess the whole topic has been about luring MBP, the Oracle of all thing MTB related, into making a statement about the 29er, and so settle the matter once and for all.. And now I bask in his infinite wisdom.. PS I'm out of here, all you 26ers, enjoy the weekends riding and resist even thinking about the shortcomings of your wheels. PSS. The only fact about 29ers that I will believe is that the bigger wheels make your weekend warrior ass look smaller..
Sawdust Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 At the last local race we had 2 new 29ers and a new DS. All of them tried to convince me that their bikes were the better one. Then I realised that these bikes varied from R40K to R85K in value which I cannot afford in any case. Bottom line, new bikes are the best bikes out there!!
nathrix Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 (edited) You are all wrong Edited January 21, 2011 by nathrix™ ®
GF29er Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 PSS. The only fact about 29ers that I will believe is that the bigger wheels make your weekend warrior ass look smaller.. better keep riding my 29r then untill I have lost some more weight LOL
GoLefty Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 Very cool comparison by a pro, http://www.sauserwind.com/diary.asp , I woulk like it if one of the bikes shops get some "normal" guys to do the same sort of test. BUt I think Christoph Sauser sums it up quite well at the end. I would also like to se the finishing results of 29'ers vs 26'ers, for us "normal" people. I would say if yo uare in the market for a new bike, probably good to keep the 26'er (for cross country rides) and get a 29'er, cause it seems most guys are doing the marathon riding on the road with MTB type of thing nowadays. SAucer, isn'the the weight weenie who save 15gr on a wheel and tyre and then looses that stagerace thingy dueto punctures...? [whips out credibility manual] nope, no Sauser in there. he is a sponsored rider, he says what he sponsors pay him to say and that includes his "bog"
Wyatt Earp Posted January 21, 2011 Posted January 21, 2011 Harden the F up and go practice. Sommer on your current bike. :eek: Gulp, yes sir, will do that.
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