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help with picking 29er

2K views 25 replies 7 participants last post by  moefosho 
#1 · (Edited)
I love my Specialized Stumpjumper, but I have to ride the concrete trail with my better half. I am looking for a 29er (efficiency) that is a good trail bike but can be efficient on road. Is there such a bike?
 
#3 ·
second the comment on a second wheelset or at least a second set of tires

with a street tire you will be much faster on the road

even a dirt race tire like the continental race king will fly on the road compared to stock tires

really comes down to what you can spend.

if you can only afford tires something like a raceking would be the way to go

if you can get a second set of wheels get real street tires
 
#4 ·
good info on the second set of wheels.



Thanks for the reply. I will check into the extra set of wheels. Regarding a 29er, I am looking at entry level Specialized, Trek and Cannonball or others, just what I have looked at so far. They all seem to be about the same price with similar features. My only other thought is frame quality and stiffness. Any thoughts on what else I should look at in choosing a replacement for the Stumpjumper?
 
#5 ·
if you had a stumpjumper this is going to be a real downgrade going to the hard rock class. if you ride trails, upgrade parts or generally enjoy cycling you should save up for a real entry level bike like an airborne seeker for $929. this bike has the best components of that price by a long shot. if you went big name a trek xcaliber 8 would be bottom entry point.

the hardrock and other $400-500 dollar bikes are more designed for someone who doesn;t want to spend a lot, doesn't care that the bike weighs as much as a small child and doesn't off road very much if at all.

if you haven't looked at airborne bikes they would be worth googling. you just get a lot of value in their build components vs other brands. even their guardian at $500 is light years better than a hardrock of the same price.
 
#6 ·
IMO, you're not going to gain much by going 29er over just putting some slicks on your bike.

If you're considering a second bike or a second wheelset, hop on a couple road bikes before you commit. You can get a serviceable one used for about $300. It'll already have wheels and tires. :)
 
#9 ·
I have the XCal and I love it. I have made about $200 in upgrades but it has been great on the trails. I tried riding it on the road and it did not perform well, but it's not designed for that. I thought about buying a new set of wheel/tires to change but decided to get a dedicated street machine. I opted for a used Jamis Coda Comp.
 
#14 ·
I have to confess to having two mountain bikes I maintain in off-road trim myself.

But how many do you need?

My 'B' bike lives at work full-time now, and I use it for lunch rides a couple times a month. I can't say I ever ride the shiny new FS and say, "Man, I wish I was riding my old hardtail with the worn out fork."

Set up your new bike for mountain biking, no compromise. Stick some road slicks on your old bike. Keep your knobbies so you can turn it back into a mountain bike if your new one's in the shop but otherwise, don't look back.

Happy shopping! :)
 
#12 ·
Hybrid frame (some at least) can handle trails from a strength aspect, but they normally have tire clearance issues if you want a wider tire (anything over 1.8"). Get the bike that's built for the worst conditions you want to ride in. In this case, a dedicated mountainbike. You should be able to find a used 29er wheelset and throw on some narrow tires for under $100. Brand new, with rims/tires/cassette/rotor, you should be able to get a second wheelset for under $150-200. Of course, you could just get a second wheelset for your stumpjumper for even less.

If you want to try something crazy, fat bike with a set of road wheels for it.
Framed Minnesota 2.0 Fat Bike Silver/Red 2014
 
#16 ·
I think one of the OP's issue with the stumpy will be the gear ratios don't lend itself to the highser speeds with road riding. Not a huge problem though. a couple new chainrings will do wonders. The harder part is finding a 48+ tooth chainring that uses the 104mm crankset spacing.
 
#19 ·
I would just goto Performance Bikes and purchase a set of Forte Gotham street tires for the Stumpjumper for like $35 a set and set your sites on a new trail bike. Doesn't even have to be new since you can find some pretty good deals on PinkBike or Craigslist.

If you're checking out the Airborne Seeker and thats a bike that is within your budget, then I would definitely look into the Airborne Goblin for a couple hundred more. You're getting a Reba fork instead of a Recon. That alone would cover the price difference, but you're also adding X7 components with Elixir 7 brakes compared to X5 and Elixir 1s on the Seeker.
 
#20 ·
So you're pretty much stuck with 26" rims. Do a little clicking around before you decide what tire width to choose. There are arguments for everything from a .9" to a 2.1".

You may or may not find you want to raise your gear ratios. If you're considering a whole new set of rings, price a crank too.

Pics? People post lots of boring new bikes, but nice old ones don't get a ton of play in this forum.
 
#22 ·
Nice.

If you do decide to raise your gearing, make sure to do your homework and get rings with the right bolt count and bolt circle diameter.

There's no technical reason you couldn't substitute a newer crank, but I think it would be a little sad to put something anachronistic on that bike. So I might spend a little more sticking with a more period-correct chainring set. They're still manufactured and available.
 
#25 ·
Hey you guys, just wanted you to know I got a Scott Scale 29er ht. Lighter than what I have. Fox air up front with remote lockout which I like since I didn't want any bunny hop when peddling. Will see if I regret not getting a 650, but after trying many bikes, fs, ht, 650 and 29, this one fit me the best, so that's what I went with.
 
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