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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 14, 2008 - 03:31pm PT
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Looking at getting a new Mt bike. My Kona Explosif is circa 1990. A few folks are telling me that I ought to be looking at a 29er. Any of you have experience with em?
Prod.
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BV
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Sep 14, 2008 - 03:56pm PT
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The 29'er is designed to roll over obstables much easier than a standard 26. However with this you have a much higher bottom bracket height thus making you feel like you are seated much higher than a standard 26in mtn bike.
If you find yourself doing a lot of cross country and looking for a great bike to climb some hills on a 29 might be for you. Marin bikes is making a 29'er for a pretty reasonable price these days.
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
Castle Rock
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Sep 14, 2008 - 06:11pm PT
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Train like a gorilla, then get a Jamis fixed gear/free wheel in a 13, thats with full hydro, and you are Slick Rick. Camo paint for Ranger Dick.
BTW, whats with this "29" BS?
Is it just marketing?
It is a 700C/27 1/8 inch rim, just like the one thats on your old Scwinn Varsity, only with a wider profile to accept the tire.
Heck, the only reason we did not use this back then was that they did not make the tires, other wise, you take a ball peen hammer to beat the frame stays for clearance, and you are there.
We used to ride "650 B" bikes. that was the quickest mtn bike ever, drop bars for the pavement ride in, 650 cm knobby cyclecross tires for the off road, we used to put those regular heavy mtn bikes to shame, especially on the uphills with the light 531 frame.
Ouytside B/B on that Jamis, 700 bucks.
Geo ready for front suspension.
Rear hanger option for conversion to 9 speed with your spare parts.
Here is an old school 650B:
and wouldn't ya know it, they are coming out with 650B mtn bikes now, as we speak.
Seems some frame designers do not like designing around this wheel, so the 650B is the best of both bikes.
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Euroford
Trad climber
chicago
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Sep 14, 2008 - 07:09pm PT
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it depends on where and what your riding, and how you would like to ride it.
29ers definitely have a place for certain applications.
i'm currently in the market for one, but i have three other mountain bikes already filling other niches.
if i had just one bike, it -wouldn't- be a 29er.
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 14, 2008 - 07:21pm PT
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Hey Euro,
We ride mostly single track in N Michigan. Lots of roots, sand, steep climbs, usually between 12 and 20 miles per ride.
Everything I am reading seems to indicate that for what I do a 29er is a good choice. Also curious about hard tail vs full suspension. I have read that 29ers smooth out trails making full suspension not so necessary?
Any thoughts?
Prod.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Sep 14, 2008 - 09:10pm PT
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How you going to take the drops without a full suspension?
With finesse rather than technology.
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Euroford
Trad climber
chicago
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Sep 14, 2008 - 09:17pm PT
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prod,
a 29er may perhaps be what your looking for given what you've described.
however: when you say northern Michigan, let me ask, do you live within a weekend trip to Marquette?
if so, you need to buy yourself a dh bike and go get after it for real. both marquette mountain and benson grade are good enough to merit us making the drive from chicago several times a year.
props to mr. beard and silly handlebars there. but he'd be having way more fun on a actually bike built for that.
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 14, 2008 - 09:22pm PT
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I'm in Charlevoix about 1 hour north of Traverse City. Marquette is about 3.5 hours. We're actually heading up there next weekend.
What is a DH?
Duh edit. Down hill... That is a bit too specialized for me. Mostly we like trail riding.
Prod.
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Euroford
Trad climber
chicago
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Sep 14, 2008 - 09:24pm PT
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downhill. coincidentally, marquette mountain's last weekend running the lifts is next weekend. a couple of my buddies are heading up. i'd be along but have opted on moab and climbing instead.
brief sampling of the marquette bike seen. check out the vids. stupid fun stuff!
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 14, 2008 - 09:26pm PT
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DO you guys drive to Marquette via Wisconsin or Michigan?
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Euroford
Trad climber
chicago
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Sep 14, 2008 - 09:29pm PT
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Wisconsin is a good bit shorter for us. though i have family in midland mi, so i have gone up through there as well.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Sep 14, 2008 - 09:35pm PT
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'Good buddy of mine is deep into this stuff; 'owns a piece of Yeti bikes and upgrades frequently.
He says the big wheels are not sufficiently maneuverable for technical riding.
-Sometimes feedback for these choices depend on what sort of devotee you are talking to...
I'd ride one if I had access; but that choice is based on a mellower application.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Sep 14, 2008 - 09:44pm PT
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Today in San Francisco, I became immersed in a gaggle (50+ individuals, mostly in groups of about a dozen) of Unicyclists with a difference, not a usual sf deal... The wheel diameter was huge, I estimated 40", maybe it was a meter. I looked down at my own 27" mtn bike wheel and felt almost inadequate.
"Not a club, but a bunch of us from all over 'the Bay™' get together for this ride about once a month." I heard one of them tell another two-wheeler.
Anyone got the beta on that??
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
Castle Rock
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Sep 14, 2008 - 10:03pm PT
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You can haul ass on those new unicycles, road bikers get passed by this one freak out here.
No brakes!
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Sep 14, 2008 - 10:32pm PT
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props to mr. beard and silly handlebars there. but he'd be having way more fun on a actually bike built for that.
Hahahahahah that's really funny. That's a good one.
Jeff Jones having more fun on a long-travel riser-bar double squishy? That's like saying Bacher would have more fun climbing with a rope.
Wake up and smell the titanium. Big suspension little-wheel bikes are soooooo 2005.
As for you upper midwesters - shouldn't you start thinking about getting a Pugsley so you can ride to the quarry to get your icicles on?
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Euroford
Trad climber
chicago
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Sep 14, 2008 - 10:53pm PT
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i did just get some snow tires (on the car) for the weekend commute to the quarry. can't wait for the ice to to start forming up!
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Sep 15, 2008 - 03:05pm PT
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29er's are pretty popular with the single speeders around here. They do roll over bumps a bit smoother but a lot of these guys are running rigid forks.For real technical riding they are not as maneuverable and they do take more effort to get up to speed. I just built up a new bike and decided to stick with 26" for now. A close friend of mine went the other route and got a Fisher 29er but then he rides a cyclocross bike on many rides.
There is nothing like a new bike to get you psyched!
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Sep 15, 2008 - 03:35pm PT
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Interesting, Jaybro, about the unicycle group. Was probably this ride:
SF Bay Area Big Wheel Rides Sept 13-14
http://tinyurl.com/67egas
36" wheels, they say!
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Sep 15, 2008 - 03:53pm PT
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I wouldn't call the 4' drop in the pic a big drop, by any means. Of course you can ride off of that on a hardtail. When I'm riding, I do it all the time. Hucking off of something with a *real* drop on a hardtail is entirely a different story.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Sep 15, 2008 - 03:53pm PT
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Depends on what kind of riding you're doing. I wouldn't get 29s for twisty technical riding. Too hard to get up to speed.
As for Jeff Jones, big whoop that he is skilled enough to take drops on a non-suspended bike. The street BMX guys do it all the time. I used to do it back in the 80's before suspension. Interesting looking bike designs on his website, but suspension does help for most of us in many situations. I'd be very surprised no matter what his skills are if he could keep up with me on my 6" travel trail bike on a long, rocky, bouncy downhill.
Plus it seems like he is kind of selective on what technology he likes. He seems to be just fine with disc brakes, which are heavier and more complicated than cantilevers.
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