[Whafe]

Have gad the AC 29er for a good while now..... Have put in loads of riding hours on this bike....

Each and every ride this bike still makes me grin hard.... Yep, I love my FR, TFR etc... But have to say for an all round bike, the AC 29er wins hands down for me....

I cant for sure hit the jumps I hit on the FR, but I can hit a good number on the AC 29er, especially jumps to a transition....

The SRAM XX has worked absolutely perfectly... I copped a fair bit of stick from people for going with XX... Stuff like the cassette will get clogged with mud, chain will not last etc etc.... The cassette clears mud etc far better than an XO cassette, the chain ha taken a beating.... I have not treated this groupset like a straight XC racer. So I am more than happy...

All in all, I am gob smacked that a few more of you in the UK have not jumped on an AC 29er, and am not just poking sh!t, mean it seriously, a good many of you are far better at writing ride reviews than me, so I will not attempt to write a review...

But all in all, the bike climbs like a goat, rips single track, shreads going down hil and is magic in the air and is light enough to ride all day on some epic rides, along with built burly enough to take a bit of a beating....

My rant over.........

 

[Whafe]

You Nicolai peeps are too scared of the Helius AC 29er, harden up peeps, go taste this beast...

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

i fancy an AC in 26" version. wagon wheels are still not my thing. i like the quicker turn in and lower inertia of 26" [momentarily, until it takes a proper equal foot-hold].

 

[ozzybmx]

Get with the times mate ! Even Oz is beating yous to it .

The US is sold on 29's .... i have turned my whole riding group into 29ers and there some of them shouting louder than me now.

Until you ride a 29 inch bike - dont even argue .... im still faster on the down's .... and miles faster on the up's .

Im was going to jump on the AC29 .... but not while this DW link 429 is riding so good .

The sad thing about it is i HATE hydroformed alu tubes and swore i would newer have another one ..... but if something happened this bike , i would buy another immediately :thumbsup:

Watching carefully as i really want an AC29 too

 

[NICK-O-LAI]

Looks all nice Whafe, even in Tango orange, but have just taken delivery of an AC in old fashioned small wheeled flavour. Haven't ridden a 29''er to be honest (my old dear's shopping bike from back in the day probably doesn't count), so don't know what I'm missing. And all my Nicolai's ride good so if it ain't broke......

 

[Whafe]

TLR, I hear you, but dont agree.... It comes down I guess to spending some time on one, not a quick 10 min test ride... With your engineering head on your shoulders am sure you better than most could pick up the vast improvement over 26ers...

Nick, agree if it aint broke, but when the time comes for a new frame, I suggest you look seriously at a 29er...

Ozzy, the Pivot 429 is a great bike, they rip and rip fast..... You will como around to the AC 29er.... If I go again, it will be an AM 29er, built more burly with a 140mm fork, then will be all sorted...

 

[CRAZY FRED]

Now this is what I'm waiting for....:thumbsup: Whafe so glad to hear your thoughts and opinions about your AC 29er and 29er as a whole...And I was already convinced......29ers rock.....CF.

 

[Whafe]

Hear you CF, I would build a 29er AM now, but still am unsure about the forks taking a beating as yet, forks are a coming though....

Yeah, I love my 29ers.... Unusual just how slow respectfully it seems the Europeans are....

 

[CRAZY FRED]

Hear you CF, I would build a 29er AM now, but still am unsure about the forks taking a beating as yet, forks are a coming though....

Yeah, I love my 29ers.... Unusual just how slow respectfully it seems the Europeans are....

2011 RS Reba 140TA (tapered ST).....End of story..........CF.

 

[ozzybmx]

The only thing i would be worried about would be the bike lenght , you could end up with my HT's lenght ...WETCAT geometry, long and low ...very nice for trail ripping , but absolute sh1t in the air .

 

[Whafe]

Hear you on that Ozzy, got to keep those chainstays as short as possible. The chainstays would have to be lengthened slightly to get more travel, starts to make the whole full length seat tube an issue I would suggest.... AM sure it could be done....

I would not expect huge travel in the rear though, I could cope with a fraction more and a stronger frame etc and would be good to go...

 

[norcosam]

My mate has just built a Bike with XX on it,first ride tomorrow,Had a quick blast on it today around where he lives,Thing i noticed the most was front shifting was very fast,rear felt similar to X0

 

[Whafe]

My mate has just built a Bike with XX on it,first ride tomorrow,Had a quick blast on it today around where he lives,Thing i noticed the most was front shifting was very fast,rear felt similar to X0

Yeah, exactly the same thing I noticed first up, was the speed of the front shifting, it is in fact far quicker than XO, plus you can be fully on the gas pretty much and the change is awesome.... It is if I could say, only so so slightly slower than a HammerS...

When you get some decent time on one, the rear changes rock also... be keen to hear your mate likes it.... I bet he will feel odd and not go into the small front ring, it just messes with you, because normally riding you dont go much into the small ring....

 

[Aquaholic]

Orange stoke!

 

[norcosam]

Thats a great photo,Not sure how he can pedal it.

 

[bighit2005]

Thats a great photo,Not sure how he can pedal it.

Well for starters he can at least clip into the pedal....:thumbsup: Great photo for sure.....

 

[Whafe]

Yeah, agree, was no way I was pedaling that one..... Never claimed the Meatball on the first attempt... Got her in the end though....

 

[ozzybmx]

Where's that pic taken Whafe ? Looks like oz minus the nice "meatballs" :thumbsup:

 

[Whafe]

Where's that pic taken Whafe ? Looks like oz minus the nice "meatballs" :thumbsup:

Hi ya Ozzy, not Oz, is an area just outside of San Diego, Ca... Awesome riding spot, if you love chunk.. There is some mind blowing chunk to play on...

 

[ozzybmx]

Sweet Pic , looks a great place ! The terrain looks very similar but we dont have hardly any chunk here.