My 29er rant

[TitusTi]

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}

 

 

 

I agree with you about as much as I can, it's getting really annoying now and I do mean really annoying! I think it has to do with the influx of the stinky roadies into Mtb? A double ring 29'er is essentially just a road bike with wider tyres?

[vanniri]

we get mocked, we get told we have circus bikes.

 

I could never manage to word the feeling I get when I see a 29er - no I have one!

[Mr. G]

I agree with you about as much as I can, it's getting really annoying now and I do mean really annoying! I think it has to do with the influx of the stinky roadies into Mtb? A double ring 29'er is essentially just a road bike with wider tyres?

 

I hate to burst your ignorant and short sighted view, but all mountain biking started with modified roady technology, you roadie haters are getting quite boring now-Stop !

P.S 29 ers are Great!

[leeu52]

1. Ride it yourself, then make a personal call.

2. I did, I made a personal decision.

3. I respect your decision..... especially if it is the same as mine

4. No I not saying.

5. No pictures haha!

[JohnnyReggae]

You guys carry on about the 29'er .... A buddy of mine has ridden the single tracks in Tokai on a 36'er ... single wheel nogal ...

[Wolweseun]

Something I noticed at Attakwas was I saw more people pushing 29ers up steep clims than 26" but I think this may possibly be more a 10 speed issue and not having my granny gear which I really treasured on that event

 

And no that crazy fool Dangle was way ahead of me, so I did not see him ride up on a single speed t0 disprove my theory

Edited January 22, 2011 by SL-C

[zonker]

Point is a pro will win on anything, yes the first 3 places on the Attakwas was 29ers but they would have done just as good on 26" duals. Pro's ride what they are given from the factory and what needs to be marketed.

 

absolutely agree with this.pro's are huge marketing tools for the bike companies and thats why they use them.who actually gives a dam what you ride anyway,as long as you are having FUN which is why we all started riding in the first place.isnt it?

[Stevief]

absolutely agree with this.pro's are huge marketing tools for the bike companies and thats why they use them.who actually gives a dam what you ride anyway,as long as you are having FUN which is why we all started riding in the first place.isnt it?

I ride to win i hate riding but i love winning . I havent won anything yet but im going to get the bestest 293er out there and surely now i can win. My luck as i get a 29er they will bring out 31ers

[Tubeless]

OP, can you afford a X5 and a carbon 29er?

[jawn]

Guilty. I'm testing a 29er this weekend. I have never really had the 'luxury' of riding a hardtail, but all i can say is that it feels super fast! Rode Eden and Gspot in Stellenbosch so far!

(almost the same feeling those blue bracelets would give me if I bought into that.)

[my_intense]

Ventana makes a 27.5er as well as a hybrid 26rear/29front...me..I'm have too much money sunk in my 26er and certainly don't feel inadequate. Mountain bikes seem to be becoming like laptops and cellphones, gotta keep upgrading to stay on trend.

Edited January 22, 2011 by my_intense

[sputnik-f1]

Here in England the same debate rages. But 29'ers have reached their popularity max here and are still considered a 'niche' bike and not the next big thing or must have. Reason for this is largely down to our terrain (talking bout xc race courses here), i.e lots of tight twisty singletrack and short sharp climbs which apparently don't suit large wheels?

I can see though why 29ers are becoming popular in the USA and RSA with marathon races and wide open spaces the norm.

 

Bit off topic now, but the OP's attitude reminds me a bit of when I was a student back in 1990 (ish) and I went to see the Rolling Stones's Voodoo Lounge Concert @ Ellis Park. At some point during the concert I stopped looking at the stage and focused on the crowd in front of me (we were right at the back due to getting to the concert late after getting a bit lost in Joburg). Every single person in front of me was wearing a pair of blue denims!! I mean you could just see this sea of thousands and thousands of arses in jeans (fat, thin and everything in between ) dancing to the music. I just there and then decided that I didn't wanna be a sheep and consequently did not wear a pair of jeans for the next 3 or 4 years!!!

 

What I am saying here is that it is a bit silly not to like 29'ers just because you are put off by the sheepish attraction some yuppies in your area are showing towards them.

 

Anyway, I am wearing (and loving) jeans again but still ride a 26er

[Wyatt Earp]

Hey Sputnik it was nice to meet you

[FBSP]

The 29er is the new FS of MTB-ing, remember when those where introduced, everybody thought they were the solution to all ones MTB worries, but soon that faded, even amoungst all the talk (only by FS riders that the rear shock can completely lock out whilst climbing...whatever), but don't worry it will soon wear off and all normality will be returned and people will laugh about all the fuss that is being made in 2010/11 about a wheel dimension that has been around since 1982 on MTBs, go figure. It's a fad, a craze, like ding bats and chappies. Soon a new category will be announced and 29ers and 26ers will race seperately in different classes at events. Then, all the "yuppies"(and Burry) will race in one cat and all the purists in the other. That is just the way of the world and the way it turns...the real sad thing is that the "yuppy" who annoyed you initially actually chose to buy an X5! Now that is a strange phenomenon...

[agentorenge]

Lots of areas that 29er are better, lots of areas 26er are better. The guys that think they are going to start selling a 27,5"just dont understand standards and the marketing it requires. Not to mention proliferation of components, finding spares blah blah blah.

 

No matter if it is strapped to you porsche or your hyundai, if it is a unicycle, a Single Speed; a Rohloff or a 29er as long as you are peddaling something you are already a winner!

[MildlyWild]

Hmm... so CS goes 10sec quicker up the hill and down on the 29er. But then his HR stats shows him averaging 2bpm higher going up and 1bpm going down on the 29er...

Riding harder will usually make you go faster - well it works for me.