[creationrebel]

I'm in the market for a new 4" FS bike and wondering if I should consider a Capitan?

I'm 5' 6" and not sure if there will be any benefits on a 29er for me?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

CR

 

[The Squeaky Wheel]

Cytoe is about your size and is loving his medium El Rey.

If I'm not mistaken Sherwood, owner & deisnger of Ventana, is also on the small side and is a 29er convert (apologies to SG if I'm mistaken).

I'm no giant at 5'10" and am sold on the benefits of 29ers for certain applications (my go-to bike for rugged riding or drops is still a Terremoto).

I'll try to direct Cytoe to this thread for more input.

 

[mtnbiker4life]

Short People & 29ers..............

That's an insoluble combination. :thumbsup:

 

[cytoe]

Short? I'd like to think "no wasted space".

I've been riding a medium El-Rey for several weeks now. I'm about 5'7", 29" inseam. I have a 70mm stem with a One Niner flat bar which makes the cockpit feel like my 5 Spot (small, w/ 100mm stem). I have no clearance issues with the top tube. I think the Rey climbs better than the spot...and the spot is already an great climber. So far, I have been able to ride everything I have been riding the 5 spot on. The Rey does feel a less plush, but that is probably more to do w/ the Float R (regular canister). Let me know if you have any specific questions...but I really doubt you can go wrong w/ one.

 

[Ciclistagonzo]

Sherwood is 5'8" and rides a 17" El Rey, and a 17" Comandante.

 

[TIGMAN]

Being 6' 3" I'm probably not much help but I can tell you that I really enjoy riding my Capitan ( FS 29er ) ! The frame is excellent and for abit lighter weight frame I bet the El Rey w quad bearings would be super especially for lighter riders than myself ! To say it would ever replace my Witch ( Forget that idea :madmax: ) but it compliments it nicely for lighter chores ! :thumbsup: TIG.

 

[artnshel]

My wife is 5'' 7" and happy on a 29" Medium Leviathan. If I told her about the possible toe overlap issue she'd probably say, 'oh'. I don't think it's an issue.

 

[Scots]

I'm 5'6" too and I just went through the same process of trying to decide if a 29er El Rey would be the right choice or to go with a Salty. So, I rode my buddy's 29er and after much consideration I went with a Salty. The 29er felt great, handled great, climbed great, but felt really big and awkward to me on technical steep descents.

So I came up with a better solution... get an El Saltamontes for my XC / All Mountain Bike and then buy an El Padrino 29er, set it up purely for XC with a 9 speed 11/32 cassette in the rear and one 44 tooth chain ring in the front. Drop the front shifter and front deraileur to shave some weight. That's my solution... the best of both. Running a 29er on XC trails will allow me to ride a 29er without getting into any hairy descents for my short stance. And I'll ride my Salty all other times.

That's why I'm selling my Pantera, so I can get a Padrino... now that I got my Salty built up and ready to roll.

Scots

 

[mtnbiker4life]

I'm 5'6" too and I just went through the same process of trying to decide if a 29er El Rey would be the right choice or to go with a Salty. So, I rode my buddy's 29er and after much consideration I went with a Salty. The 29er felt great, handled great, climbed great, but felt really big and awkward to me on technical steep descents.

So I came up with a better solution... get an El Saltamontes for my XC / All Mountain Bike and then buy an El Padrino 29er, set it up purely for XC with a 9 speed 11/32 cassette in the rear and one 44 tooth chain ring in the front. Drop the front shifter and front deraileur to shave some weight. That's my solution... the best of both. Running a 29er on XC trails will allow me to ride a 29er without getting into any hairy descents for my short stance. And I'll ride my Salty all other times.

That's why I'm selling my Pantera, so I can get a Padrino... now that I got my Salty built up and ready to roll.

Scots

11/32 w/44 up front......got legs of steel. You must ride on flat trails......:eekster:

 

[Scots]

Yea... I'll be setting up the Padrino for mostly flat technical trails, most of the trails here in Charlotte, NC don't get over 800 foot elevation between the lowest and highest points of the trails and those gear ranges are what I have typically rode in on my Pantera (28lbs bike) So I figure if I get the Padrino and shave a little more weight by dropping the two smaller chain rings, front D and the front shifter and hopefully come in around or under a 22 pound bike... it should scald a dog on the home town flat trails. :thumbsup:

 

[artnshel]

I... buy an El Padrino 29er, set it up purely for XC with a 9 speed 11/32 cassette in the rear and one 44 tooth chain ring in the front.
Scots

My 29er has a 30t as it's largest front chainring and I rarely want for more. I can't imagine a 44t working for you. Maybe a 36t I could understand.

 

[Scots]

Well honestly I know nothing about a 29er set up... I've only rode my buddy's single speed 29er. So if there is a better configuration for a single front chain ring then I'll definitely listen. As I mentioned I typically have rode my Pantera here in charlotte in the big chain ring 44 tooth with a 11/32 9 speed cassette. I was planning to stick with a single 44 tooth chain ring in the front and a 11/32 in the rear with my 29er and even considered a 46 tooth in the front.

Does the larger 29er wheels make a difference in the chain rings I should be running? Suggestions are definitely welcomed... as I mentioned 29ers are completely new to me.

 

[Trond]

I'm 5'6" too and I just went through the same process of trying to decide if a 29er El Rey would be the right choice or to go with a Salty. So, I rode my buddy's 29er and after much consideration I went with a Salty. The 29er felt great, handled great, climbed great, but felt really big and awkward to me on technical steep descents.

So I came up with a better solution... get an El Saltamontes for my XC / All Mountain Bike and then buy an El Padrino 29er, set it up purely for XC with a 9 speed 11/32 cassette in the rear and one 44 tooth chain ring in the front. Drop the front shifter and front deraileur to shave some weight. That's my solution... the best of both. Running a 29er on XC trails will allow me to ride a 29er without getting into any hairy descents for my short stance. And I'll ride my Salty all other times.

That's why I'm selling my Pantera, so I can get a Padrino... now that I got my Salty built up and ready to roll.

Scots

That's what I've got. A four inch El Saltamontes for xc/all mountain and an El Padrino for XC/racing. I feel weak though, cause I love the Padrino so much I am seriously considering the El Rey

 

[jrm]

Or a El Rey..

I'm in the market for a new 4" FS bike and wondering if I should consider a Capitan?

I'm 5' 6" and not sure if there will be any benefits on a 29er for me?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

CR

im on a 17" Rey and really like it. The craftmanship is great, theres no toe overlap and the frame has alot of adjustability to suit you. If your in the bay area i'd let ya spin mine. You might contact ventana and see if they have an el rey in their demo fleet..

 

[The Squeaky Wheel]

11/32 w/44 up front......got legs of steel. You must ride on flat trails......:eekster:

No joke.

That's pretty stiff gearing for a niner. Keep in mind that, gear for gear, the niner feels about 2 chainring teeth harder to push due to the bigger wheels.

On my geared niner I run 22/34 chainrings with an 11-34 cassette.

On my SS 29er I run 32x22 (may switch to 32x21)

I'm live on the CO front range and do lots of climbing. No way I could cut it with 44 x 11-32

 

[Speedub.Nate]

Keep in mind that, gear for gear, the niner feels about 2 chainring teeth harder to push due to the bigger wheels.

Even worse. With the 10% difference in wheel size, 10% of that 44T chainring is 4.4 teeth, so a 39 or 40T chainring would result in equivalent gearing.

 

[TIGMAN]

That's what I've got. A four inch El Saltamontes for xc/all mountain and an El Padrino for XC/racing. I feel weak though, cause I love the Padrino so much I am seriously considering the El Rey

Okay since your already hooked ................ what color powdercoat do you think you will choose when you get the new El Rey ? TIG.