REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Owning both 29 and 26 wheeled bikes

2310 Views 27 Replies 25 Participants Last post by Drewdane, Jul 13, 2006

riptide

Discussion Starter · Jul 8, 2006

I own both 29 and 26 inch wheeled bikes(26 sugar, 29 rig) Unfortunately, suddenly after getting the 29 rig a few months ago, my once very loved sugar is beginning to stay in the garage, more than it deserves. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm not sure if its the 29 inch wheels, or SS or combination but the rig is the one I really want to ride. I used to love that sugar to death.....

I am having trouble figuring this out. Any help(or comment) is welcomed.

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carter1

· #2 · Jul 8, 2006

I'm having the same issue. My Titus X100 hasn't been ridden in over a month now, including a trip to the mountains. I'm riding my Niner Sir 9 singlespeed all the time and have no desire to ride the Titus, I'm even having thoughts of selling the Titus and having a nice custom steel geared 29er built.
c

29Colossus

· #3 · Jul 8, 2006

I just sold all my 26" bikes. 5 of them. I now have one frigid SS29er, and soon will have a One Niner SS. After that, a FS29er. Then, and only then, will the planets begin to align.

cottonball

· #4 · Jul 8, 2006

Yep

I have a super nice FS Santa Cruz that I will ride if the trails are going to be really rough and rocky but most of the time is between the road bike and Fisher RIG, Really like to try a geared 29er.

Don Juan

· #5 · Jul 8, 2006

I had the same thing, then the opposite.

At first, I found the 29ers were fun compared to my old 26ers that I was so used to. I didn't touch a 26" for a couple years.

Then one day, whilst on vacation, I was invited on a super gnarly freeride-esque group ride. I was made to borrow a friends Intense superswamper machine, and holy crap, that thing flew! It sailed along, so responsive, so quick, so maneuverable compared to my old steamrollers, I didn't touch a 29er for another year. Now, I keep a couple 29ers (ss & geared) for road-like courses, flat and smooth and not a lot of techie stuff or acceleration & deceleration, and a couple 26ers, for technical stuff or courses that have a lot more tight turns &/or slow down/speed up stuff.

The trick is not to have one bike that will do everything, but do none of it 100%, but to have many bikes, that each do something well, and use our amazing powers of reasoning to determine which bike is right for the job.

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FoShizzle

· #6 · Jul 8, 2006 (Edited)

most of the time, my money is on the fact that you are now single speeding....not that it is a 29er. When I started single speeding (not a 29er) I also did not ride my geared bikes.....and pretty much still dont. 29ers are nice single speeds but it had nothing to do with my abandoning my 26 FS geared bike.

my next bike will most likely have 26" wheels

Cloxxki

· #7 · Jul 8, 2006

I've ridden a 26"er in one gear before I got my first SS, a 29"er, and second one in that size. With 29" wheels, a totally different experience IMO.
I also own a VooDoo FS bike that I have ridden ZERO times since going 29". It's been a loooong time. Yes it was a and is a fine bike, but it would need fast rolling 2.4" tires to somewhat match the things I love about 29", and such tires won't fit too well. Also the repeated endo's have really gotten old.

SS by itself is a nice and exciting way of riding. For me, the 29" factor makes it fun, and more easily doable among gearies. Makes me feel like superman, if I manage to use use the 29" traits together with a SS-specific riding style to mask that I'm really hampered by lack of gear selection. A bit like a new girlfriend, but just as exciting every next time.

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IT3

· #8 · Jul 8, 2006

riptide said:
Any help(or comment) is welcomed.

Welp, before I "went big" I had plenty of 26"s.

My rigid redline monocog was given on "permanent loan" to a shipmate of mine headed up to Great Lakes IL for a year. (Along with the set of Nokian Extreme's on snowcat rims ;-)

My custom Titanium 26" hard-tail now hangs in the basement of one of my best buds' basement in NH on the off chance I'll get up there to visit and need something to ride.

My original custom hardtail Titaium (disc) 29"er had been converted to a rigid road'ish/cyclocross bike for commuting from the house to the Base, on the rare occasion I'm "home"

My "primary ride" is a hardtail VanDessel Buzz Bomb (disc) Single Speed....
Just wish I could find some WIDE rims and FAT tires for it ;-(

--
Sand Squid
The Undisputed (29"er) Single Speed Champion of Diego Garcia, Kuwait and Iraq.

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tl1

· #9 · Jul 8, 2006

I still thoroughly enjoy my 26" bikes

They feel like riding bmx bikes after time on the bigwheeler. I probably spend more time on the 29"er than all the others put together though.

slocaus

· #10 · Jul 8, 2006

yeSS, it iSS a diSSeaSSe, kinda like that SSilly SSingle SSpeeder SStuff.

I've had a 26" FS bike as my only mtb for some time. I bought a 26 SS bike as a commuter / errand bike. Of course I "had" to take it offroad to "see" what it was like (bad stupid dumb move - way too much fun). Two weeks later, I bought a 29er SS and that has become my primary mtb. Two weeks after that, I have a CX/road spinner SS bike on order (3, yes 3 SS bikes from a SSkeptic just one month (and 3 extra bikes) ago *sigh*).

As soon as I get some extra parts sold on eBay, I will build an Intense Spider 29er, and my 26" Intense Uzzi SLX will be sold. I'll keep the 26" Unit as a town bike, since it is unobtrusive locked up in front of the shop or a store. Damn big wheelers attract too much attention!

Being 6'3" with long armSS and legSS, a 29er juSSt fitSS better. Now if I can juSSt find a cure for thiSS SS diSSeaSSe. ISS there an SS anonymouSS? :madman:

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mward

· #11 · Jul 8, 2006

If you still have any 26" bikes after you get 29ers your penis will fall off. It's a proven fact. Get rid of em while you still can.

Rivet

· #12 · Jul 8, 2006

mward said:
If you still have any 26" bikes after you get 29ers your penis will fall off. It's a proven fact. Get rid of em while you still can.

Come on, that's not really true....is it? I do know that you will get snickered at by the cool kids at the trailhead. Kinda like showing up wearing Toughskins when everybody else has Levi's.

zyzbot

· #13 · Jul 8, 2006

riptide said:
I own both 29 and 26 inch wheeled bikes(26 sugar, 29 rig) Unfortunately, suddenly after getting the 29 rig a few months ago, my once very loved sugar is beginning to stay in the garage, more than it deserves. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm not sure if its the 29 inch wheels, or SS or combination but the rig is the one I really want to ride. I used to love that sugar to death.....

I am having trouble figuring this out. Any help(or comment) is welcomed.

Yep. My 26" wheel bikes now live in the storage shed...can't remember the last time i even thought about riding them.

Rivet

· #14 · Jul 8, 2006

zyzbot said:
Yep. My 26" wheel bikes now live in the storage shed...can't remember the last time i even thought about riding them.

What do ya got. I'm looking for a Blur LT, Intense 5.5 or a Yeti 575, give you a couple bucks if ya got one.

wg

· #15 · Jul 10, 2006

I've got 2 main bikes, a GF Rig and a Titus Switchblade. Ride 'em both. Like 'em both. Depends on mood. Both are a lot of fun and the variety makes riding the same trails entertaining. When I first got the Rig I went through the same thing. The 26er collected dust for a few months while I played with my new toy.
Just got back from a week at Lake Tahoe area with the Titus. Next time, I'll probably take the Rig or maybe both.

FoShizzle

· #16 · Jul 10, 2006

Mr. Scary said:
I just switched back to a 26" hardtail for XC racing (having spent the last year on a 29"). Why? I have to side with The Old Man that used to post here. At 5' 8", 125 lbs and utilizing a spin developed from the road, I just never came to grips with getting over the top of the gear on a 29" (and riding around on the granny isn't an option for racing). Before the flaming starts from the zealots, I ran light wheels (American Classics). I still think 29" rule for technical stuff and they maintain momentum better in the rough (like rock gardens, etc). But for racing, my weight, and power output the 26" is the better bike for me.

good input.....i look forward to getting a 26 again. i am very interested in what my perception will be after spending some time on 29ers.

cheers

ozlongboarder

· #17 · Jul 10, 2006

I fluctuate between my 29er ss and my FS26. Even though it has the inferior girly kiddie wheels..... its just hard to beat a good FS bike on some trails.

FoShizzle

· #18 · Jul 10, 2006

ozlongboarder said:
I fluctuate between my 29er ss and my FS26. Even though it has the inferior girly kiddie wheels..... its just hard to beat a good FS bike on some trails.

the theoretical 26er of which i speak would be a Ti hardtail, built as a single speed to be as light as possible

ihatemybike

· #19 · Jul 11, 2006

29er: Used for distance
26er: Used for Street/Park/North Shore type trails
20er: Used for Street/Park/Learning new tricks
16er: Used for goofing off

extrmtao

· #20 · Jul 11, 2006

full circle

I had the 292 sugar and loved it. I eventually switched to a CAKE because of my riding style and area of riding. After a year on the 26 wheels I now feel as though something is missing. . . So I am picking up my new black SS Karate Monkey this Friday. Can't wait to ride the bigguns again. :thumbsup:

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