29ers persuade me

[faddyvictor]

C'mon then guys sell me the pros n cons of a 29er

[Bearbonesnorm]

Here's my story.

Rode 26" wheels for 14 years ... also 24" wheels for DH on occasion.
On a whim bought a Diamondback 29er cheap.
Hated the bloody thing ... I very rarely crash but could happily fall off the DB every ride
Although I didn't get on with the above bike I could see / feel the difference in how big wheels roll over stuff.
Bought a Carver 69er which I loved, rode it everywhere both SS and geared - bigger wheel on the front was great.
Decided to try 29ers again so bought an Inbred frame. It transpired that On-One had actually got the geo / sizing spot on*.
Bought another 29er and sold the Carver.
Sold 3 26" wheeled bkes.
Bought a third 29er.
Sold 2 more 26" wheeled bikes.
Now only ride a 26" wheeled bike for coaching duties.

*IMO

[faddyvictor]

Cheers Stu, i'm tempted to give one a try but not sure I would have the heart to sell anything

[Bearbonesnorm]

Very cheap way to sample the 29" delights ... although sizes may not suit.

http://www.fieldandtrek.com/bigfoot-29e ... ike-932241

[FLV]

26ers for years. Full suspension, long travel, medium travel. Hardtail 26er for bikepacking did for me for a long time.

A mate in the industry was telling me for a while how great 29ers were.
I did maths and science to prove (more or less) that the percentage gain over a range of bumps were negligible.
Then he 'lent' me one. I loved it. Sold everything else, and now am totally not interested in anything else. I feels faster, feels like it climbs better, just feels better. Dont know if it is actually better or faster, but it feels it.

Dont know if that helps, but i think i'm advising trying one...

[Blackhound]

For bikepacking they are betterer.

[composite]

Bigger wheels for rigging your tarp over gives you a bit more headroom.

[ScotRoutes]

For bikepacking they are betterer.

Unless you have wee legs and can't get a decent sized bag to fit between saddle and rubber

I just make it with the El Mariachi but anything with rear suspension would be a no-no, as would a 29+

[Blackhound]

True Scotroutes. Been looking at an El Mariachi and decided against partly due to small triangle for frame bag.

[Zoglug]

So, out of pure curiosity, i currently have an On One 456, if i was to purchase an Inbred 29er, what else would i need to replace? Would it simply be wheels and fork? Or is there other things id need to consider?

[Blackhound]

That should be ok. You might decide that you need a bigger cassette as gearing slightly harder due to bigger wheels. Just change it when current one worn out. And maybe a new stem should position need tweaking.

Possibly front mech and seat post if different sizes to current frame but other than that should be ok.

[Ray Young]

I fitted a 36 tooth cassette to mine but think I could have coped with the 34 tooth I already had. Tyres. Possibly brake cables.

[Zoglug]

Hmm, looking to be an expensive option! Think ill stick with the 456 for now, and sink the spare money into a cx bike I reckon!

Cheers everyone!

[Bearbonesnorm]

If you're swapping a 456 frame for a 29" Inbred you'll need:

Wheels - Superstar for £130pr
Tyres - On-One Conti's for £30pr
Forks - Carbon rigids can be had S/H for £60 - £80ish

That's all

[Ian]

Nearly everyone on here has one, how much more evidence do you need?

[Zoglug]

If you're swapping a 456 frame for a 29" Inbred you'll need:

Wheels - Superstar for £130pr
Tyres - On-One Conti's for £30pr
Forks - Carbon rigids can be had S/H for £60 - £80ish

That's all

Hmm......very interesting! Whether or not i get on with rigids is a completely different matter

[jameso]

Loaded bikes don't accelerate as fast and once up to speed carrying the increased momentum well makes the most of what energy you have, add to that the benefits of smoother-rolling over bumps (even more efficiency gains on a loaded bike than unloaded) and I can't see a good reason not to use 29" wheels on a bikepacker.

[gairym]

My two pennies worth.....

I love my 29er (Cotic 'Solaris') for bikepacking and it's replaced by 26er (Cotic 'Soul') for all bikepacking duties.

Luckily my frame-bag switched straight over and everything else fits and so I was good to go.

It just feels less work than the 26" equivalent (and my two bikes are almost identical other than the wheel size) and I find I'm less tired at the end of the day.

What are you waiting for....?

[faddyvictor]

My two pennies worth.....

I love my 29er (Cotic 'Solaris') for bikepacking and it's replaced by 26er (Cotic 'Soul') for all bikepacking duties.

Luckily my frame-bag switched straight over and everything else fits and so I was good to go.

It just feels less work than the 26" equivalent (and my two bikes are almost identical other than the wheel size) and I find I'm less tired at the end of the day.

What are you waiting for....?

Nothing now, I guess I now have the enjoyable process of deciding what to buy :)

[RayKickButts]

I'm a total 29 convert.

All id ever ridden was full suss 26" and on a whim i'm still not sure why i bought a KTM 29 sport Ultra hard tail a good spec'd bike at a reasonable price and my LBS did me a deal

Now i was never a great climber on my FS and was normally to be found plodding at the back of the pack puffing away like a steam train on crack!

I'm a big lad 6ft 2" and now around 17 stone, so the size of the large frame i went for suits me the only mod i have done is to add on extra wide bars.

Now the 29er has been a revelation and has improved my climbing ability no end i'm getting up stuff that i'd have never got up before and loving the hills.... i'm still near the rear end and still puffing like a good un but actually enjoying the climbs and able to get out and do a good days ride

I've ridden the 29er on all my rides bar DH centres and it can handle everything the old FS could do ..... i'm now saving for a full suss 29er

That extra 3" makes difference ..... as all the ladies will tell you ;-)

[Zoglug]

With On One/Planet X giving a further 15% off frames, i am seriously tempted to pick up an Inbred 29er frame :D I can pick up a 'slot drop out' for little over £100, is there anything i should be wary of? I have no intention to ride it single speed, but to pick up a vertical drop out frame it will be £127.50.

[Cheeky Monkey]

Unless you're going to ride single speed or a hub gear I wouldn't bother with a slot and would get traditional vertical. You can get a slot (or horizontal drop-out) frame to work with gears but it adds a faff factor that (IMO) outweighs the extra £27.50 to buy one with the "right" drop outs.

Each to their own mind 8-)

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've got 2 29" Inbreds ... one of each dropout type.

The slot dropout frames have tapered washers that stop the wheel slipping forwards without resorting to a chain tug. They do work BUT you do need quite a bit of force on the QR to make sure they work ... which might be the reason my rear QR snapped attempting the HT last year

It's no harder to set up that a vertical dropout frame but getting the wheel in and out can be a little fiddly until you get the hang of it.

I got mine to suit a very specific set-up but I bought a vertical dropout frame when I wanted to build a new bike for guiding duties ... make of that what you will