So Whats Up With These 29'er Bikes?
There are certainly some benefits to the 29 inch wheels over the standard 26 inchers, less rolling friction, more comfortable ride, better obstacle rollover, and even better traction.
On the other hand, looking at the some of the other current trends in the industry, 29 inch wheels are headed in the opposite direction. They have more rotating mass, they certainly aren't lighter, they have a higher center of gravity, and designing a 29 inch bike with more than XC travel can pose some serious problems.
Furthermore, for those of us who aren't exactly tall, 29 inch bikes aren't only impractical, but they're hard to come by.
So here's the thing, 29 inch bikes may or may not be here to stay, but they deserve some credit. Questioning the norm is never really a bad idea.
Comments
If you want to learn more about the positives and negatives of 29″ bikes check out www.TwentyNineInches.com. Cool information and leaks on whats coming up in the 29er world.
The benefits far out way the supposed negatives when riding a 29er for cross country.
You mentioned some of the best benefits in ways of less rolling friction, better obstacle rollover and better traction.
The obstacle rollover is created because of the bigger wheel size which creates a greater angle of attack. Think monster trucks rolling over cars. Also, better traction is caused because there is more of the tire tread in contact with trail. This is HUGE… and personally the best part of riding 29er for me.
As far as the negatives you said…
While the 29er bikes are heavier, as stated in this article from Bontrager (http://www.bontrager.com/Workshop/Tech_Articles/Twenty_Nine_Inch_Wheels.php) the benefits far outweigh the increase in weight.
Also, 29ers do NOT have a higher center of gravity. In fact, it lowers the center of gravity. If the rider stays in the same position and the wheels get bigger, this will lower the center of gravity.
As far as 29ers only being for tall people, that’s also a myth. There are 29ers available in all adult sizes and they still provide all the same benefits.
There are a ton of manufacturers are on board… Raliegh, Redline, Gary Fisher, Salsa, Bianchi, Orbea, Kona, etc etc. 29 inch bikes are definitely here to stay. There are way to many benefits and way to many passionate riders out there riding them!
There is no doubt that 29ers are here to stay. In my opinion, they are the most relavent contribution to everyday mountain biking at any ability level.
That’s why customers visiting my store don’t see too many 26ers.
Ride what you what, I have ridin everything from Free Ride to XC, and I love my 29er. I am not here to damn the 26″ bike, becuase it still has its place in my mind. TBut there is something about a 29″ hardtail that is hard to beat. I consider it my new all mountain bike.
The debate over what wheel size is better is moot. In 1999 when the 29″ wheel was conceived via the WTB 52/47 Nanoraptor it was based on a wheel size that was 100 years old. The first folks to try and get the word out 7 years ago that it was a valid concept got mired in the industry slime which made it hard to get the point across without some resentment on both sides. Mostly the 29″ proponents got labeled as zealots and accused of saying that 29″ wheels would take over the world.
While the comparisons between wheel sizes are ongoing, at least now there are enough people out there buying 29″ wheeled bikes to make the industry pay attention and therefore more options are coming available and more shops stocking them which will allow more people to at least try the concept.
If someone tries a bike and likes it then that is the bike they should be riding based on their style of riding, terrain, affordability and even who is going to help maintain it over time. Size of wheels, color, components etc. do not the rider make.
29″ wheeled bikes are here to stay. What share of the market they end up with will be dictated by the riding populace. The bike industry has for the most part sat back and watched them develop without their support over the last 7 years but will now support them because it means sales which no industry can ignore the benefits of.
It’s only a trick of happenstance that 26″ wheel mtb ever became into existance. In the seventies, if there were fat tires and stout 700c rims, all mtbs would have had them…because that is the size wheel adult bicycles had at the time. 26″ rims and tires happened to be stout(relatively) and fat tires were available. It just took another 20 years for the rims and tires to come around to open up the 29er door.
Some of the benefits I’ve seen since switching to 29″ include (1) rolling over obstacles much more smoothly with less loss of momentum, (2) less rolling resistance, (3) greater high speed stability, (4) much greater low-speed stability, allowing me to clear rock gardens and switchbacks than I could before, (5) vastly better tracking through loose sand and snow, probably due both to the longer, narrower contact patch and to the reduced angle of attack. And for those without suspension at both wheels, ride quality improves a bit. Most people also report an improvement in traction, though I saw no real change because I had been riding exceptionally grippy tires before.
Disadvantages include (1) more weight –about 1/2 pound in the wheels/tire and 1/2 to 1 pound extra in the frame — (2)slower acceleration, (3) the need to build wheels additionally heavier to make them as strong, (4) fit issues for riders under about 5′5″, (5) a change in handling, requiring the need to relearn some skills and (6) somewhat limited selection of tires, forks and bikes: as of mid 2006, there are 18 tires available from 8 makers, 6 suspension forks from 2 makers, about 30 production hardtail models, and 8 full suspension models - with [i]four[/i] more due within the next couple of months.
Fit issues really only come up for riders under about 5′5″ or with longer than average feet. I’m 5′7″ with average feet, and have no fit issues on my 29″ers, even though both were designed with short wheelbases for quick handling. I should add that 29″ers do not inherently handle slowly, but the most widely available brand tends to be longer and slower-handling than the others, contributing to the [i]false[/i] perception that 29″ers are a handful on tight singletrack.
I don’t expect to see too many 29ers out on the trails, as they make up a relatively small market share. However, I remember a time when I only saw a couple of 29ers ever. At the last 24 hour race I did, at least half the solo singlespeed field was running 29ers. And some of the solo men were as well. 29ers aren’t meant to take over the world. They are meant to inspire it!
“…still making…” ? No, the main stream bike companies [besides Fisher] are “just now starting” to make 29″ers. The selection is better now than ever before. As with everything, there’ll be a high point in this wave before it all settles out. It’ll be fun to see how this continues to develop.