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mazer75

Hey guys, I was confused for a LONG time reading some of the threads around here. I think I've figured out what it means, but I'm not sure WHY it's a good (or bad, if that's your view).

So a "29er" is a bike with 29" diameter wheels. What does this gain you over a "traditional" bike with 26" wheels?

Another question I have is this: what is the advantage of a single speed "ss" bike? Is it just for training? I've noticed a lot of the 29er bikes are also single speed converted. Do these usually go together?

Thanks in advance for all answers!!! I'm just trying to learn the ropes here...

-mazer

CalEpic

Some would say guys rollin' 29" wheels are trying to overcompensate for a deficiency somewhere else

SAR_boats

There are pros and cons to 29ers

Pros:
29" wheels have a bigger footprint so they supposedly have better traction. They also are able to roll over larger obstacles. They also roll longer (have more inertia) than 26" wheels.

Cons:
29" wheels are more prone to rim damage than 26" wheels due to the fact that the diameter of the circle in relation to the supporting spokes is greater. 29ers have more inertia (gearing being the same 26" wheels accelerate faster) and braking takes more force thus more wear on your pads (disk only), 29ers have more standover height, 29" wheel weigh more.

The single speed thing is the riders preferance. Usually it has to do with simplicity, or weight or training.

There are plenty of geared 29" bikes.

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Geronimo

If you love fire roads then a 29" wheel may make sense for the reasons SAR outlined. They are weaker wheels however, so they're not suitable for aggresive riding on trails.

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Waldo

Additional cons to 29ers:

Slower handling in tight trails and sluggish acceleration due to larger rotating mass & longer wheelbase.

Limited selection and higher prices for rims, tires, forks, etc. (for now)

Toes & spokes don't play well together.


Additional pros to 29ers:

Like buttuh over small bumps & chop.

May feel better proportioned for tall riders.

Cool factor for being on the bleeding edge of equipment.

Increased vertical lines of tall wheels may provide a slimming look for the rider, allowing for more post-ride beers

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allison

If you're on a tight budget it may make more sense to get a nicer geared 29er hard tail as opposed to a cheaper, heavier full suspension for a first bike. You were looking at decent full suspension bikes in 26" size, so probably don't need to worry about that.

My bike of choice right now is the Salsa Dos Niner (29er soft tail - has about 1" of chain stay travel in the rear, or as Craig calls it, my "angry inch"). However, I have never ridden a light-weight 26" cross-country bike.

I built mine up primarily for a 44 mile endurance race I competed in last month. But, it's now become my every day bike. If I were to race XC I'd use it, even though it's a 1x9.

I have a pretty light-weight wheelset, but most guys couldn't get away with it (er, Keith could )

26 vs 29 is similar to SS vs. geared. It's personal choice.

I'd still suggest for a first mountain bike going with a reputable bike company that offers lifetime warranty on the bike, and purchasing it all built up from a good shop. No matter what you buy in the near future, in a year you'll probably want something else The coveting of bikes never ends!!

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gurp13

I know I'm barely in my "intermediate" status, but the way I see it, 29" and SS both are simply rider choice. Like hard tail versus soft, for example. Of course, they handle differently and all, as has been very well explained above. But, to me, it's a lot like innovation in any industry. If they never put out new products then they never get you to buy more. Bike manufacturers are like everyone else. They want to grow their industry so they come up with new products to buy.

Personally, I think SSers are either (a) masochists or (b) insecure people trying to prove how 'core they are. Not me, though. Give me gears. I'm secure with my manhood.

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Burner

there's some great dis-information in this thread!

CPATCRASH

Check out this forum on MTBR http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=61 and you will get more informan than you would ever want. I sold all my 26" wheeled bikes and own a 29er SS with a rigid fork and a 29er geared hard tail with a Reba on the front. I am thinking about a full squish bike again and have not ruled out a 26" weeled bike but will try a few 29er FS bikes as well. I am not that agressive of a rider anyway so don't think I am saying they do everything better than kiddie wheels. And remember opinions are like a**holes. Everybody has one!

cjwally

gurp...I like gears, but some days I don't....I think it comes down to what type of riding experience you are looking for that day....Not anything to do with manhood or something...That is my 2 cents

guero

well, yes and no. i rode my 29er s/s hardtail with 80mm of travel pretty aggressively down lynx, rock-it, t&a amongst other trails. luckily my wheels did not suffer any visible damage. i couldnt huck like i used to do on my heckler and no do on my coiler, but i was still able to ride fast and hard down the tech stuff.....it just SUCKED though getting beat up...it really did require much more concentration at times when going through the rough stuff.

bottom line for me is...i'm glad to be back to the f/s geared faction of mt. biking.

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slowSSer

from Waldo:

Slower handling in tight trails and sluggish acceleration due to larger rotating mass & longer wheelbase.

- it can be true- some of us don't notice this at all. in my experience, the only place my 26" ss feels less sluggish than the 29" ss is on the downs- but that could be due to the fact that the 26 is ti and the 29 is steel. not to mention a 8 lb difference between them.

actually, I prefer climbing on the 29er ss- the bigger wheels and momentum are a benefit.

Limited selection and higher prices for rims, tires, forks, etc. (for now)

this is becoming a bad rumor:
rims: not really a higher price- consider bontrager rims- they're the same price for some models

tires: huh? kenda, panaracer, bontrager, michelin, IRC, and others- you've got nearly as many choices these days, and if any of the offerings out there dont work for you, then I'd be amazed.

forks: i'll agree here. there is one good fork out there for squish- the RS Reba. manitou and fox are coming out with 29" forks later this year/next year.

Toes & spokes don't play well together.

we have three 29ers in our house- there is zero toe overlap between the tire and the foot on any of them. (albeit only one of them is a stock frame- the other two are custom, so I'm probably not the best to respond here)


Additional pros to 29ers:

Like buttuh over small bumps & chop.

been down meadows recently on a 29er vs. a 26er? so much better.

May feel better proportioned for tall riders.

I'm 6' and I've seen 29ers made for people down to 5' 4" w/o issue, so not entirely true.

Cool factor for being on the bleeding edge of equipment.

not so true anymore if the big companies are getting into it now (mavic, trek, the big S are just a few examples).

heck, look at the availability of decent 29 full suspension rigs- some are even reagular off the shelf production bikes! (Niner, Gary Fisher)

Increased vertical lines of tall wheels may provide a slimming look for the rider, allowing for more post-ride beers


that and riding a (potentially) heavier bike makes for more weight loss equalling more beer consumption.

waldo- sorry to just pick on you. I owe you a brew


wow- you really think that way about us?

there are other considerations:
c) tired of wrenching on gears and just want to grab a bike and go. there's way less maintenance on a ss
d) weight: building a 20 lb ss that you're not afraid to throw anything at is totally obtainable
e) sitting and spinning in granny rings up a climbs is just boring- I really enjoy getting thru climbs faster....becasue i have to keep up momentum AND it gets me to the top faster and onto whatever's next. (yes, I enjoy climbing)

and silly ones too:
f) its the cool thing to do
g) I can't count higher than 1
h) I love being spun out at 15 mph on the flats

semi serious:
i) Burn more calories, drink more beer!

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Krunk

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slowSSer

i was waiting for someone to dredge that up...

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0gravity

I do really believe this is true about the bike industry seeing both 29ers and SS as an opportunity to sell more product. It's the same in so many other industries. Why would bike companies be any different. And I think this is OK, by the way. Change and choice is good. And if it helps the bike industry, that's a good thing. Plus, hasn't the "big hit" bike thing leveled off? Something else has to come in to keep things fresh and keep us gear-whores salivating over new toys.

CPATCRASH

Hey! Who you callin a whore???

mtnbikej

I don't know about that.....I had a lot of fun riding the 29er SS down Joplin.

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OMR

I've riding bikes longer than most of you have been alive (and boy is that depressing!!!). I started out riding fully fully rigid single speeds... then three geared hub bikes, then came English racing bikes.. and finally mountain bikes (although still completely rigid, they were so cool and different). Over the years as MTBs have changed: suspension, tires, componets, etc, so has my riding style.... try going fast down Rocket on a fully rigid bike vs a FS wonder... no comparison! ... also hurts more when you fall!!!

(I digress)...

Anyway, point being that bikes continue to evolve and that it's fun to have various kinds of bikes... like having lots of different toys. Each one has a purpose.

I have 3 26" FS bikes I love to ride: one for XC and one for plush (you can never have too much suspension!) and one is a classic (Mantis ProFloater).I have one 29er: a Curtlo SS with an ActionTec fork that I have fallen in love with too. Yet I love to ride them all. As pointed out so aptly above, each has certain performance characteristics but the only way you can truly evaluate how each one feels to you is to ride the diferent models. The great thing about MTBing is that riders are usually eager to share. I let people ride my Curtlo 29er all the time as there is a lot of interest in the larger wheels.

I'd suggest finding someone about your size that has a 29er and go for a ride (longer than just riding it around on the street ot parking lot). You know what the 26er feels like already. Now evaluate what type of riding you like to do and choose the one that fits that the best... oh heck, get both and have twice as much fun!

Gee, I can hardly wait for that 36er... or whatever the next thing is.

Good luck...

OMR

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FoShizzle

only advantage is that 29ers are ten-fold gheyer

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