Time marker of the 29" Movement, May 26th 2005

[Cloxxki]

Most of the 2005 models were already announced since we last did this 3 months ago. (http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=80615)

Still, the Movement hasn't been standing still.

29" bike sales seem mostly limited to supply, rather than demand. Surly hasn't had Karate Monkey's in stock for much longer than a week over the past months. Surely, they could sell multifold were they able to get them in quick enough.
The Fisher Rig apprears to be a great selling success. They even upped the MRSP to $1100! Some smaller sizes still sitting on shop floors, L's and XL's hard to get. Bigger sizes selling out so quickly is getting more and more standard for 29" frames and bikes, perhaps mainstream brands should add an XXL to their regular line-ups, surely some of those XL are going to riders that would take a larger bike if they could find one?



The Niner website is now up and running, first product expected to go with brown Santa within the next month. Intersting kit options are offered, to get the first batch of frames out on the trails asap.



Amazing news from Lenz Sport. Inspired by the good experiences of riders with the heavy-duty WTB ExiWolf 2.3, a new breed of 29"ers is emerging.
Pictures and ride reports have reached us, of their new model "Behemoth", a 29x5" (or more) rear wheel travel frame, designed for a 130+mm fork, which White Brother will be making. First customers will be riding there 5+5 or even 6+6" bikes before the end of the summer. Coolest thing, if you've just gthered cash for a new bike. The Behemoth will probably open the eyes of the world all by itself, being better than most long travel bikes when it coming to climbing, as well as going down. It's wont be a pig either, the Leviathan already was a suer lightweight with muscle, this one continues on that theme, scaled up a bit.
Some of the big White Brothers forks were already sold to NBA players, apparantly about to take delivery of custom 29" bikes. That promised to give the big wheels some welcome promotion.



More on White Brothers : their 2006 models will be sold with their version of a stable platform design, to minimize unwanted frok movement under pedaling. No details at all, but great new nevertheless. We could have a 1600g fork, stiffer than a Reba, with plusher travel and no need for fiddling a lockout-knob, racey! Upgrades for existing BW forks will be possible to some degree. Don't call them about it before it's all official, let them work!



After long uncertaintly and mixed reports, the supposed 29" version of the Ti Sibex fork is confirmed by a disappointed buyet to be only 430mm long, just like the 26" version. ONly the canti studs are moved up to work with 700c rims. Nothing for those of us with properly designed suspension corrected frames, unfortunately.



Ventana is selling their heavy-duty 4" travel frame, the El Capitan. Availbale in 23" as well, a great option for superclydes.



Van Dessel Sports announced the return of the Buzz Bomb hardtail, as well as a new 4" race full-suspension. Edwin van Dessel showed the spectators at Sea Otter that a 29" FS will not keep a good rider from winning a race.



Persisting rumours that Fisher will be ditching the Sugar 29"ers for 2006. Just when they seem to be gaining in popularity. Knowing Fisher, that promises quite a bit for it successor. The Sugar has alrady had a great carreer, first bringing big XC wins in 26", and now meaning so much for so many 29" riders around the globe.



Specialized recently first acknowledged existence of the 29x2.0 Fast Trak tire mold. They're even giving 20 sets away to MTBR postcard race winners. In the next month or so, first extensive ride reports should hit this forum from the USA and Europe. No certainty whether they'll put the tire in production though, they never really liked the idea, and the best thing to change their mind is probably huge demand, a chance of returned investment.
This tire won't be super-large volume, actually the first 29x2.0 named tire i know. It might beat the Bontrager AcX's weight though (566g for one I got), and a great racer, as the 26" version is the Specialized team's favorite.



The first long-awaited proto's for a Kenda Karma 29x2.2 exist, but no ride reports so far. The Karma is scheduled to hit the warehouses middly of July. This promises to be a wide, light and fast tire.



Kona looks to be ready to come with a 29" Unit, to be called "Package". Sliding dropouts like he Unit, a couple proto's doing their tours over the USA to gather feedback, are colored pink.



On-One has a 29" Inbred currently in production, first sales in 3-4 months probably. Sliding dropouts, 18" and 20" sizes, DN6 steel as usual. They may even offer budget singlespeed bikes around it, for as little as 450 Great Britain Pounds, or even less. Fingers crossed!



Soma is also in production with their Juice, a (partially?) Reynolds 631 frame with low standover and a geometry somewhere between the Karate Monkey and Genesis. Indentical BB height and horizontal dropouts like on the KM, though. A nice option that will probably end up close to a pound lighter than the KM, while offering more standover and compliance, at a fair price (frame $450 or so?)



Nobody seems to have used them for 29" yet, but in Europe the Rigida CSS rim (580g claimed) is gaining in popularity for high-trekking bikes. Ceramic-like coating, possibly even better.


Last but no least, recent passionate 29" convert Scott Cropper has focussed his web-engineering skills and energy to open the doors of non-commerical www.twentyniner.net. Not the first, but definately the best web-community dedicated to 29"ers. Scott's work is by long not done, but it's already looking great.

Please feel free to correct and amend to this. Questions please in seperate thread to keep this one on-topic. I or other mods may be taking mistakes and typo's out and adding links or pics in after I first click Submit.

[toddre]

They stepped up with the very racy Dos Niner

[edit Cloxxki] : did I miss that in the linked other time market thingy?[/edit Cloxxki]

[tamjam]

Originally Posted by Cloxxki

29" bike sales seem mostly limited to supply, rather than demand.

So true. After convincing a 6"5" co-worker to check out a 29er instead of buying the 26er dually his LBS was pushing, he ordered an XL Paragon. This was back in March/April and was told 2 weeks by the LBS (who was probably told that by GF). Then two more weeks, and another two weeks, etc. and now it's the end of May. Last weekend the shop told him that if it doesn't come in the next two weeks, he's SOL and will have to wait for the 2006 models, because GF is sold out and finished producing their 2005 inventory. So if anyone knows of an XL Paragon for sale, PM me!!

[the_eleven]

Ventana El Cap is in production, as well.

[joyride1x1]

Originally Posted by Cloxxki

The first long-awaited proto's for a Kenda Karma 29x2.2 exist, but we're still waiting for ride reports or expected production dates. This tire doesn't come easily, it's been annouced and cancelled before, so fingers crossed, it promises to be wide, fast and light...

My email and response from Kenda. Very fast response I might add. Also, I'm not connected to kenda just love their tires.

First off, I love your tires. I found the perfect combo for my riding
preferences. Karma 2.2 on the back and a Cortez 2.4 on the front. I ride
rigid SS with roots rocks, reggae in Virginia, Maryland, PA, WVA. I
stick with what works and this combo works. The problem is that I'm
buying a 29" MTB and I'm out of luck using my perfered tire setup.
I've heard rumors of a fatty 29" Karma. That would be grand. I just want
to express my support for any 29" developement. Keep up the good work.

ride on,
B

---------------------------------------------

response...

Thanks for the email! We always love to hear the combinations that
people are using out there! The rumors are correct. We have a 29" Karma
that is being produced right now. We expect a shipment of them to arrive
around the middle of July.

Please let me know if you have any other questions regarding this tire!

Thanks,

Bicycle Sales / Customer Service
Kenda U.S.A.

[~martini~]

Reportedly, Fisher(the 06 preview is coming up soon I think) will be shipping '06 bikes soon. I suspect there really won't be any significant changes other than color. None of thier 3 warehouses have ANY of the 29"ers in stock. It'll be interesting to see what'll be happening. I'm going to try to tag along and go to the showing if I can.

[Bigwheel]

Why skip over WTB and their introduction of the Exi(lent) Wolf? Afterall they were the first company to even want to believe in the concept and still are leading the way. Thanks again Mark!!!!

[Cloxxki]

Wasn't the ExiWolf in the other thingy yet? It's only 3 months ago, but I have a bad sense of time lately, this week, today, eh...
I should've mentioned it was "big" enough to inspire creative minds to finally build bigger bikes yes.