29er vs 26

[ace184]

This is for all the mountain bikers out there. I am looking for a new bike and am leaning towards a 29er. Does anyone have one? I've read things all over the internet but was looking to get an opinion from some people i "know", lol. I am looking at the specialized rockhopper pro 29.

[Jakey]

If you ride in an area that is even remotely rocky or is infested with roots and logs, 29er all the way. There is really no comparison when riding in those condidtions.

[ace184]

There are over a dozen trails within 30 minutes of my house. One system was even awarded the IMBA epic status. The trails here are full of whoops and quite a few creek crossings.

[Jakey]

The more rocky and irregular the ground is, especially if the surface is covered with sharp-edged randomly spaced obstacles - the better a 29er works. In fact if the terrain is rough enough it finally gets to the point where a person on a 26er is expending large amounts of energy to ride over the same terrain a 29er just seems to float over.

[eschmitt4]

Ya I have a cannadale caffeine 29er and its great had it for years only complaint is the suspension is limited...but yes get one they are so much better than 26ers (unless you have a downhill bike)

[ace184]

I would love a downhill bike, but wouldnt have any use for it here. I keep watching videos of Whistler and need to go there sometime.

[deerhurst]

I ride a 26 all mountain/light free ride bike. I personally don't like 29ers because of my riding style. They are not as reactive. They do turn a little slower but they do roll. They roll much better then a 26. The people I ride with that have 29ers say they are also nicer for climbing.

IMHO, it's too much wheel to the point the strength will not be there. Then again, this is coming from the guy who can mess up a 20" rim that's 2 inches wide.

Ride a comparable bike of both wheel sizes and pick the one that feels best to you!

[ace184]

I've riden a 29er around the shop and once it gets up to speed it maintains it so much easier. There are a couple spots on the trails here where I bog badly in the roots. Which is why I was swaying towards a 29er. The shops here have cannondale and specialized. So I was trying to decide between the specialized rockhopper pro or cannondale trail sl 3. Think ill get the rockhopper because i love the rockshox and sram system. I've read that quite a few people have had a problem with the brakes on it, so I might think about changing those out.

[Jakey]

Then go with the Specialized Rockhopper Pro 29er and don't ever look back!!!!

[ace184]

I am 98% sure I will, lol. I also love how it has a remote lockout.

[djbrun]

I come from 20" bikes, and it was a little bit of a learning curve for me to go to 26" mountain bike. I road 26" for ten years and didn't think I would move to a 29er. I tried out a Trek and Giant before trying my Stumpy FSR comp 29er, I love this bike. It does climb good but not as agile as my 26" stumpy I had before it, downhills for me are fantastic on this bike. Depends on the person as well, maybe if I were a big guy I might not feel the same way.
Mine is a 20 speed set up, and the SRAM has been great so far. I do like the shifter function from Shimano better though, being able to shift from both directions is a nice feature.

[ace184]

I would love a Stumpjumper, but it is a little out of my price range, lol. The Rockhopper Pro is a little out of my range, but just barely. So think I will give up the extra money and get it.

[djbrun]

I don't think you will regret spending the extra money.

[ace184]

I dont think I will either. Like I said earlier, the only real complaints I've seen about the bike are the brakes. But that seems to be a hit and miss. So its either people being nit-picky or a legitimate problem. So I'll play it by ear and have a brake system on mind just in case.

[IvVaum]

I would love a downhill bike, but wouldnt have any use for it here. I keep watching videos of Whistler and need to go there sometime.

never seen whistler...but...i've been down silver mountain in idaho...the gondola ride is spectacular...

the firelanes in forest park portland, oregon...cheap easy thrill rides in which u can do over and over again...i've wiped out several times on those runs....

all done on a trek fuel 90 w/26in rims...i've heard people say all sorts of good stuff about 29ers...but...in my experience it's all about the individual and how he/she can control the bike...i've ridden my buddy's 29er and i can't tell the difference...other than it's a heavier bike...and u know as well as i do...that in the black diamond runs...it's all about how lite the bike is...

a hard day's ride on a heavy bike is taxing on ur body...i'd take a 26er any day...

[josh62685]

I ride a haro flightline (26) and love it. But I do hear that 29's ride so much smoother on rough terrain.



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[ace184]

never seen whistler...but...i've been down silver mountain in idaho...the gondola ride is spectacular...

the firelanes in forest park portland, oregon...cheap easy thrill rides in which u can do over and over again...i've wiped out several times on those runs....

all done on a trek fuel 90 w/26in rims...i've heard people say all sorts of good stuff about 29ers...but...in my experience it's all about the individual and how he/she can control the bike...i've ridden my buddy's 29er and i can't tell the difference...other than it's a heavier bike...and u know as well as i do...that in the black diamond runs...it's all about how lite the bike is...

a hard day's ride on a heavy bike is taxing on ur body...i'd take a 26er any day...

The Southeast doesnt have many downhill runs, lol. If I lived out west or in the Midwest, I would definately look at a lighter bike for downhill.

[ace184]

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...pro29#features

Getting it later this week. I'm excited.

[Jakey]

Very, VERY nice!!!!

[djbrun]

I noticed that this is a 20 speed as well, let me know how you like it.
Awesome! Have fun with your new bike

Since someone else started, I'll throw in a pic of my stumpy.

[ace184]

Looks nice. Im trying to decide if I want to go with the blacked out model or the shiny red one, lol.

[chevyjlewis]

i have a 26 hardtail trek and love it. dont ride it too much because of doing rc and being lazy and going to the gym for cardio instead of the trails. if i was to buy a new one i would buy a 29er just for the rocks and roots. a hardtail 29er will be my next bike when i eventually start riding again.

[ace184]

Change of plans. Instead of the pro, I am going with the comp. I am going to get it tomorrow.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...ckhoppercomp29

[djbrun]

You getting the all black or the combo color setup? Seems like pretty good reviews.

[ace184]

Im not really sure. I like both. Guess itll be whichever one is calling my name, lol. All the bad reviews ive read were only complaining about the fork and brakes......but Specialized has changed the fork to a rockshox and the brakes are now hydraulic......so it seems like they really listened to the customers.

[ace184]

Here it is. I love it.

[djbrun]

I am liking the color choice, are you a click in pedal rider? I myself am not, I have the new crank brothers 50/50 pedals and like them alot. If you go with a screw in type pedal, I have found that teflon tape works better than locktit for keeping them in place. I haven't lost one yet.

Congrats on your new ride!

[ace184]

I dont like "clicking in." I am always afraid something bad will happen if I have a hard wipeout. Those 50/50s look nice.....and they would match the bike, lol.

[PBO]

29er all the way for me

Any recommendations on good US bike stores for online purchases?

[djbrun]

Not sure on that one.

[Jakey]

I dont like "clicking in." I am always afraid something bad will happen if I have a hard wipeout. Those 50/50s look nice.....and they would match the bike, lol.

Adjust the tension settings on the pedals as loose as they can be and take time getting used to how the click-in and click-out functions work. I suggest a lot of practice over grassy areas. Once you get used to click-in pedals you will wonder how you ever rode before without them.

[ace184]

Sooooo, after nearly ripping my shin open thanks to a slick pedal, I am thinking about trying clipless pedals, lol. Its just always so damp here in the winter that it might be a good choice just to be a little more secure.

[Jakey]

Try what I noted in my last post and you will be OK with clipless pedals.

[deerhurst]

clipless is great. i ride crank bros candys. you will fall over alot when you first use them. i like to hang my feet off the pedals for balance sometimes and that cant be done while clipped in. im still learning how to bail out of them but ive only had maybe 10 rides on them and they were all DH rides so wrecking usually popped my feet out.

the starting cost can be kinda high, shoes are expensive and pedals usually start around 60 bucks.

heres my rides, the 2008 Devinci Hectik 3 and my Echo 24 Pure.

[ace184]

Are all the pedals basically the same? Is there one brand/type I should stay away from or are they all equal?

[Jakey]

Like many things, they are not all equal. As a rule of thumb, most of the Shimano off-road clipless pedals are great!

[deerhurst]

Are all the pedals basically the same? Is there one brand/type I should stay away from or are they all equal?

For flat pedals, yes, mostly. Your going to pay more for metal, replaceable pins and lighter weight. IMHO, plastic flat pedals are worthless. A decent pair of metal flats with replaceable pins are always a good investment.

For clip less, pretty much the same. I run a set of plastic crank bro candy pedals. The candys used to all be plastic but now the higher end ones are metal. SPDs are very very common. Other makers have some that have proprietary cleats so skip those. They are not as easily found as, say, shimano or crank bros cleats.

[ace184]

The only thing sold around me are crank brothers and shimano. When they say cleat included, they are talking about the spikes and not the whole shoe, right?

[deerhurst]

The only thing sold around me are crank brothers and shimano. When they say cleat included, they are talking about the spikes and not the whole shoe, right?

Both are good. The shimano SPD might be more common as they are around here. Ask the bike shop guys what everyone is running.

The cleat is a little brass thing that gets bolted to the bottom of the shoe. The crank brothers ones look like little rectangles with roundish points stick in out maybe 5 mm from the center of the center of the long area. Those are the front and back and hook under the egg beater in the middle of crank bros pedals.

The pedals usually come with a pair if cleats, spacers for the cleats for spacing between the bottom of the shoe and the pedal, and the bolts to secure the cleat to the shoe.

Shoes are a sperate purchase. You will want different shoes depending on riding style. For example, I have a set of shoes designed for more XC riding and are super stiff, I hate them but they were free. I ride downhill, all mountain and light free ride and the stiffness of the shoes makes my feet cramp on longer descents.

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