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Does size really matter?

17K views 102 replies 66 participants last post by  luthermc315 
#1 ·
Anybody out there still think that 26" wheels are still the way to go for just plain fun?
 
#98 ·
I just moved back to a full squish 26" a week ago.

The reason i went a 29er to start with is i was basically having to re-learn how to ride anyways, so i had a blast monster trucking everything on my hardtail 29er. As i got faster and faster and started riding steeper terrain, i realized i really needed to get onto a full suspension if i wanted to get any faster. after trying a few 29er full sus demos and 6" travel AM 26ers i cam full circle.

Reasons i switched back, is the trails in my area are fast, rough, tight and can be very technical.

Things i do miss about the 29er,
- i never got stuck in all the holes at the bottoms of steeps and short fast rolling humps.
- monster trucking everything
- how fast it rolls with only a little grade

If i lived somewhere ells i may very well have stuck with the 29er though.

Right bike, right rider, right trails. It all matters, tire size, geometry, bike fitting and sizing and colour (red ones go faster).


and if i ever get tired of the 26er, i know i can switch over to a 650 wheelset. lol
 
#6 ·
Why is it that the guys that believe size doesn't matter always have smaller ones?:skep:

BTW, on a serious note, I hear plenty of guys that have 26" bikes out on the trails say their next bike will be a 29er but I have never heard a guy on a 29er say he wants a 26er.
I wonder why that is?:thumbsup:
 
#12 ·
BTW, on a serious note, I hear plenty of guys that have 26" bikes out on the trails say their next bike will be a 29er but I have never heard a guy on a 29er say he wants a 26er.
I wonder why that is?:thumbsup:
Because the hype currently says you have to have a 29" or even better a 650b to be cool so it would show signs of individual thought to publicly wish for a 26" and that's just too scary for most.

By the way, as long as 29" bikes generally costs 10-15% more than their similarly spec'ed 26" counterparts, I'd say 26" are more fun as they allow for more after ride brew.
 
#16 ·
29-26

After Outerbike I will never own a 29 again, I rode a dozen high end bikes and kept going back to 26's. Its the only bike that made me laugh out loud while riding..Now I will say that the 29 would have worked better on some of the rocky trails where the 26 beat me up,,but I would still go 26 hands down.. My only issue with 26 is that HT's seem to have a much shorter wheelbase than FS so if you want stability you have to pay more and get a FS
 
#92 ·
After Outerbike I will never own a 29 again, I rode a dozen high end bikes and kept going back to 26's. Its the only bike that made me laugh out loud while riding.
I drove away from Outerbike with virtually the same feeling as you did. I rode as many 29ers as I could get my hands on, and nothing that I experienced justified the wholesale shift in the industry from the 26" to 29" chassis.

Clearly, market demand is fueling the shift, but I think many 29er buyers are being sold a bill of goods. The larger wheel doesn't have any special magical properties that makes it faster or consume less watts, for racing or otherwise. It's just another type of bike with its own set of traits, and each of those bikes ride differently from one another.

I owned and raced an Epic 29er this year and happily sold it at the end of the season with much relief. Hopefully its new owner feels faster or more stable or better able to roll over big rocks. I'll be on my new 24lb 26" full suspension bike, not missing the wagon wheels in the least.
 
#20 ·
I'm happy with my 26"

My 26" custom steel hardtail is all I need. Sometimes I ride my 26" FS but the only thing that holds me back is my ability and age, not my wheel size.

Never use your equipment as an excuse amigo.

Buy what you want but don't expect miracles just because you buy the latest and greatest. A crappy rider will still be a crappy regardless of what they bring to the trail and a great rider will still put us to shame no matter what they ride.
 
#23 · (Edited)
I really enjoy riding my old crusty cro-molly butted steel hardtail, with numerous dings and dents, from the last Century that has had rear disc boss welded/brazed on and have all components replaced multiple times (still on the 2nd headset, a King).

if this bike got stolen, i'd build up another steel 26er HT and gladly spend the $3~$4K to do so.

I'm not curious about 29er....unless Mark Wier or other Downieville DH racers start winning on 29ers. I want wheelsets that are light yet strong enough for jumps -- so yes: wheel size , selection, and strength does matter somewhat. Even on a 26er HT I damage rear wheels and get pinch flats if not using tubeless. My guess is that many 29er are not riding the rough rocky descends, but I really do not know.

I am curious about a real light (steel or ti') cyclo-cross road bike to "taste" some cross races.
 
#32 ·
My guess is that many 29er are not riding the rough rocky descends, but I really do not know.
Yes - you really do not know.

I've ridden my 29ers at Northstar (lift served DH) and anywhere you can ride smaller wheels. The only real problem is that there is still a lack of heavy duty tires and longer travel forks for 29ers if you want to do downhill or freeride. Currently there is no problem at all with 29ers as all mountain or trail bikes - there are plenty of bikes in that category and plenty of us ripping it up on the most gnarly rocky downhills out there. If anything, that is where big wheels shine.
 
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