Firstly if you don't care to read the rest or its boring (I really understand it
) But,
could you define "small people" I am 183cm with 85cm inseam. would I have the saddle at least the same height with bars?
I find my current XC bike handles very good in XC trails but I tried to make it a little more trail capable and easy to manual on some more demanding descends. After some trial and error period, I added a couple of cm in AC going from 80mm travel to 100mm , shorten a little bit the stem with 0 rise, wider bars ..
and with 2cm space under the stem I also have my saddle lower than before but still a bit upper the bars and I am truly satisfied. I can lower the bars even more for more accuracy, and even more proper power tranfer but that's the sweet spot for me and the local trails that an XC bike can handle with my skills. Throw a pro on it and it could handle more but that's not the case.
With the saddle over the bars you can pedal in more efficient way and put more force to the ground that I general like,
but
with 140mm FS 29er wouldn't care about that. I didn't care about all these 100ish FS 29ers that are in the market because when I demoed a couple I didn't feel that I would try different trails that I already run with my HT.
If I am to loose the simplicity of ht and the efficiency of it's pedaling I would do it for a totally different riding style and for a bike that allows me to try something else.
Not for a just another 100ish fs XC wannabe AM or vice versa that do all things but nothing good ( that's my view don't like neutral, do it all, boring bikes)
That's one reason that I m interesting in this EG concept. Designing an 29er with more than 120mm travel is a challenge.
From AM bike I would expect lower the saddle from bars for the known reasons and just because its 29er at least the same height. Judging from mine I think there is room to be done with 140mm and still could handles fine, at least up to 180-185cm riders.
Maybe a slacker STA than usual and curved seat tube angle (?) could help (?) and let the 29er longish cs and wheelbase do the rest in climbing (?)
Btw,
Maybe the EG29er are deceiving but did I notice the CG a little more forward than it could be for such kind of bike?
Finally as I can see it
Most 29ers hates the word "rise" in bars and stem.