[2tallrid3r]

Briefly flipped through Mountain Bike Action (might have just been Mountain Bike mag?) last night at the grocery store and saw a very comprehensive article on 26 vs 29 bikes that may have actually been written from an objective perspective (if there is such a thing). Didn't have time to read through it, so I wondered if there were any subscribers on here who read the article and could give a summary... basically I am curious to find out WHO WON?

 

[wyatt79m]

29er

 

[rockcrusher]

probably the rider that enjoyed themselves the most, which is always seemingly the hardest thing to quantify and it was MBA.

 

[Guest]

It depended on the trails you ride. The safe, but logical, conclusion to the article. It commented that 29ers have come along way with lighter wheels, more tire selections, and shorter chainstays, however.

 

[AZ]

Don't they run the same lame shootout once or twice a year ?

 

[Vermont29er]

Must be more 29 advertisers in MBA now

 

[david8613]

Must be more 29 advertisers in MBA now

haha isnt that with every mag now!?!

 

[2tallrid3r]

thanks for the responses... most magazine shootouts end up with a lame, soft-footed answer so as not to offend their subscribers, but the little bit I read seemed pretty objective and said some good things about 29'er climbing prowess, sure-footedness, etc. Probably all comes down to rider preference, enjoyment and style in the long run.

 

[9erfreak]

For me, the 29er seems to suit my riding style quite well. That is why I sold my 26" rigid setup and purchased one; and why my next bike will be a FS 29er.

 

[Varaxis]

I gave up reading MBA a long while ago.

 

[chillie]

I gave up reading MBA a long while ago.

I'm with you on this one.Stopped reading MBA a long time ago.They are too scared to actually give an opinion in case they loose advertising.If you going to have shootouts/comparisons between bikes don't beat around the bush.Give us the winner and don't be scared to to actually give an opinion.

 

[umarth]

Give us the winner and don't be scared to to actually give an opinion.

Which is why the forums are so damned fun. The 29er sees tons of action and has for a long time. Clearly, 29ers are a viable, functional wheelsize that is here to stay.

 

[UrgentUnguent]

The only mags I read anymore are Dirt Rag and it's sister pub Bicycle Times.

 

[tmccrohon]

very good article

It was very fair and objective. They went to great lengths to keep it fair. The bikes were both cannondale hardtails from the same line, only one was 26, the other 29. The specs were almost identical. They clearly and honestly laid out the pros and cons of both platforms. The nice thing about the article was that they CLEARLY stated which bike they liked better, no wishy washy nonsense to please the advertisers. The testers chose the 29er as the better bike. They even said it wasn't even close. They did take off points for slower steering response and acceleration, which is fair. They felt the slightly slower steering response and acceleration were not enough of a downside to chose a 26er over it. I really enjoyed the article and i passed it along to my gf and she made the decision to purchase a niner rip 9 partly because of this article. Tons of reviews and research went into her decision as well. It didnt hurt that I have been on a 29er for years and she saw an immediate improvement in my riding since switching.

 

[jpc111]

Good Article

I agree it was fair and objective.