I have ridden a lot of bikes since, 700s, 26'ers, 29'ers. For the longest time I was a 26'er guy. I rode my 26'ers with pride, clearing everything in my path. Something was lacking though as I jump through the age hoops. I am not looking for the bike to jump anymore as I did before. I don't travel to different places, so there is no need to have a 5-6" travel dual suspension mountain bike, even though it is a LOT of fun. The 26'ers handle quickly, you can whip them around corners very quickly. When you hit the flats though you can hear the people behind you lightly breathing, gently pushing their pedals on the 29'er and passing you with half the effort I am putting in to keep my 26" wheels moving.
I rode a few 29'ers, most felt horribly out of place beneath me. Long wheel bases, slow handling, low bottom bracket heights, knocking pedals (I'm used to my tall Teocali Super which I never hit my pedals). The one 29'er I rode and felt 'right' on was a Full Carbon Breezer - $5000.. I'm not spending that for a bike with a carbon frame I may break. I have been extremely happy with my origin-8 Cross frame so I decided to try their 29'er frame out - $200 retail. 4130 Chromoly frame. Not the lightest, but very stiff (uses larger tube diameter than normal steel frames) Disc brake tabs on the chain stay instead of the seat stay. Horizontal drops ( you can make it a single speed or multi speed). I built it up with SRAM X.9 2x10 w X.7 cranks to save cost. Rockshox Reba RLT 100mm travel up front. Origin-8 suspension seat post (LIFE SAVER!), Stan's Arch wheel set with American Classic Hubs - light yet very strong and extremely smooth. I am testing out the Origin-8 Ceramic Bottom bracket ($100 retail - not $200-250 like most others).
I knew I was a good rider, technically, but I wasn't a good rider endurance wise. Apparently I was on the wrong bikes. the Origin-8 29'er over night changed my riding style and my endurance output. At Sansom Park riding all of the trail, minus Joel's Loop, I was averaging 7mph on the 26'er on 1 lap - 8 miles - I couldn't ride much more after that. Over night with the Origin-8 my distance became 16 miles and my speed over those 2 laps nonstop turned to 9.8mph - HUGE difference. The skills were always there, it just took this bike to unlock them. My racing prowess has been re awakened. I want to do every endurance race I can, even if I come in last its a personal challenge I thought I would need years to get to. all it really took was the right 29'er.
Why does the origin-8 29'er feel so much better than the other 29'ers I've ridden you ask? It has a steep head tube angle - 72 degrees. SUPER short chain stays for a 29'er 16.8-17.3in (horizontal drop out). It has a 12 inch clearance @ the bottom bracket. What does all of this mean? simple. The steep head angle and the short chain stay create a very flick-able, agile steed. But with all this agility it would be finicky right? not so. Point and shoot. Simple. the wheel base (I have a large/21" frame) on this bike is shorter than many 26'er frames with a smaller frame! So this thing really handles everything. The big wheels keep on turnin, the Ceramic bottom bracket and the smooth hubs allow for extremely efficient energy transfer. I don't feel like I'm exerting myself even when I'm going over 15mph off road. All you have to do is keep the pedals spinning and it translates into immediate forward momentum. there are sections on the trails I ride I would never plow into on a 26" hard tail, but this 29'er just eats it right up and rolls over. Roots, rocks, fallen trees, small children, Doesn't matter.
Climbing on this is amazing. the suspension seat post allows me to stay seated and just pedal right on up any obstacle, the tire rarely slips on the loose stuff. if it does it grabs very quickly.
Cornering on this bike is easy and fun. the past 8 years I have ridden tires no smaller than 2.35" wide... I'm riding 2.1 on the back and 2.0 on the front of this bike and I can lean into the corners with extreme confidence better then I ever could on the 26" tires. On the tight turns I no longer have to coast through, I can lean a bit and keep pedaling through and never lose any forward momentum.
"if this bike rides so well why are 26'ers still around?" Simple. 26" is cheaper, its established, its still a fun platform (jumping, agility, etc)
"Who is the 29'er for?" Someone who wants to stay on the ground, get some air here and there but not like on a 26". Someone who wants to have an edge against their friends or competition. If your new to riding a 29'er will enhance your skills by rolling over stuff much easier, climbing is easier, no loss of traction with the right tire choice.
All in all.. the 29'er is here to stay. it's not a fad. it is an upgrade. but like all bikes there are good ones and there are bad ones. There are ones that are good deals, there are ones that should be avoided. For me, the Origin-8 Scout 29'er is where its at. They also make a Carbon version of this frame.
Stop on by the shop if your interested in building one up - you WON'T be disappointed.
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