Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Think he needs bigger wheels?

3K views 30 replies 20 participants last post by  bigwheelboy_490 
#1 ·
Good lord, I don't know if I have ever seen a pro racer make a 26'er look like a kids bike more the Tree Farm. While I am sitting on the fence on the 29'er thing I can still easily see how a guy like this might need to start shopping in the big and tall wheel department.
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#2 ·
teamdicky said:
Good lord, I don't know if I have ever seen a pro racer make a 26'er look like a kids bike more the Tree Farm. While I am sitting on the fence on the 29'er thing I can still easily see how a guy like this might need to start shopping in the big and tall wheel department.
I've never seen him next to a 26" bike, only on a cross bike. He makes the cross bike look small, that rear 26" looks tiny next to him.

Monte
 
#3 ·
Wow, that's a huge frame. You can't see his total height, but that seattube dwarfs the rear wheel. Kona produces 29ers, how long will it take to to get it to the pro ranks? Are racers usually relegated to one model, or do they get choices within the line? Never been spocered like that, sorry for being a bit ignorant.
 
#5 ·
Pro's just love to get all scientific like that, don't they? The mathemathical difference for the watts require to accelerate a 26" vs 29" bike, all else being the same, would probably surprise most, when ever calculated by a thorough and reliable lab. Little do they know, actually rolling resistance is a greater factor! Not to mention grip and such...
wait till the Karma and Stan's tires are really available! Stan says early spring!
 
#6 ·
Questions

Cloxxki said:
Pro's just love to get all scientific like that, don't they? The mathemathical difference for the watts require to accelerate a 26" vs 29" bike, all else being the same, would probably surprise most, when ever calculated by a thorough and reliable lab. Little do they know, actually rolling resistance is a greater factor! Not to mention grip and such...
wait till the Karma and Stan's tires are really available! Stan says early spring!
Are Stan's tires going to be like the 26 Velcrow (no real tread)? I assume they are going to be made Stan's tubeless compatible? What is the story on the Karma?
Obviously tires are my sticking point with 29'ers(yeah still). I don't have plans to go back to tubes in the near future, and I played with Stan's long enough to decide to stay with the simplicity of UST. I have an opportunity to pick up a ti 29'er relatively cheap, so I have been scratching my head a lot lately.
 
#7 ·
This whole acceleration factor really grows tiring. Once you learn to ride a 29'er, you don't need to factor in acceleration as much because now you deal with momentum. The bike will naturally carry speed through corners and over roots/rock better so you don't need to accelerate as much.
 
#8 ·
bigwheelboy_490 said:
This whole acceleration factor really grows tiring. Once you learn to ride a 29'er, you don't need to factor in acceleration as much because now you deal with momentum. The bike will naturally carry speed through corners and over roots/rock better so you don't need to accelerate as much.
Agreed!
Plus, the added traction, both while accelerating initially and climbing/braking more than makes up for the slight weight penalty. Not to mention you prolly don't need to slow down as much, so you ain't re-accelerting as much anyhoo...

:D GG
 
#9 ·
It's so simple to me. As long as I'm on a 29"er and the guy behind me on 26", gaps will open up in corners. Gaps to try and accelerate-close, which indeed is a tiring thing to do, even with a 26" bike.
In a fast 2004 race it meant I had to do all the leading work, because I was killing the others in corners too much to have anything left to take over. Tiring for me, but at least I had a good view on the trail.
 
#10 ·
Trebon NEEDS a 29"er!!

Whats all this about acceleration! Bah! I've never understood why racers think they need to have a wheel that "accellerates well" when they hardly have any tight corners at all on the courses these days. Whatever dude!

Has anyone noticed how tall the other guy on his team is? I seem to remember a guy that is about as tall as Trebon is.
 
#13 ·
Ryder Hesjedal lost the 2004 Worlds because his awkward body. Kept crashing while way in the lead. Tried 29", "didn't like it". Now a so-so roadie.
Rather than putting them on 29"ers, build them correctly fitting 24"ers. See how they like that for lateral stiffness and utter acceleration!
 
#14 ·
Meirhage

Didn,t Ryder lose, because Flip was doped to the gills?
BTW I have seen Trebon win cyclocross races on a bobing 26er.
Talent and training most important, the hardware much less so IMO.

Cloxxki said:
Ryder Hesjedal lost the 2004 Worlds because his awkward body. Kept crashing while way in the lead. Tried 29", "didn't like it". Now a so-so roadie.
Rather than putting them on 29"ers, build them correctly fitting 24"ers. See how they like that for lateral stiffness and utter acceleration!
 
#15 ·
How tall IS that guy? He make's me look like I have meat on my bone's! I'm 6'4" and often find myself wondering about the whole 29'er thing..... just from a proportion standpoint. All my bike's look like BMX's when i'm on them! :p :D
 
#16 ·
Meirhaeghe was tested of course, but nothing found in Lugano. 2003 BTW, I was wrong. 2004 Olympics he didn't make becuse they testd him during his EPO treatment.
Lugano was won by Meirhaeghe on a violently bobbing "brain" shock bike. He didn't crash, yder did multiple hattricks, it was a circus. Like I saw myself riding a 26"er all over again. But 7 foot tall pro's don't "need" 29", and the purpose of 26" by being the most gifted rider on earth. Just not winning it all.
 
#17 ·
Barry Wicks is one of Ryan's teammates, and Barry is also around 6'5" like Ryan. I am good friends with Ryan and wrenched for him on the national circuit for several years before he went to Kona. I have attached a picture of me with his bike at the 2003 World's in Italy. Seat comes up to my chest almost, and I am 6' tall. The bike I am holding was a custom frame which used the longest tubes available at the time if I remember correctly. Their bikes always make everyone elses seem small in comparison. I am pretty sure he does not have a 29er though both of he and Barry do have their hardtails plus a full suspension bike. Not sure if Barry has a 29er or not either. 29ers have not hit widespread in the U.S. pro ranks to my knowledge yet at the nationals except for a couple of Gary Fisher's endurance racers.

Frank
 

Attachments

#18 ·
frannek said:
Barry Wicks is one of Ryan's teammates, and Barry is also around 6'5" like Ryan. I am good friends with Ryan and wrenched for him on the national circuit for several years before he went to Kona. I have attached a picture of me with his bike at the 2003 World's in Italy. Seat comes up to my chest almost, and I am 6' tall. The bike I am holding was a custom frame which used the longest tubes available at the time if I remember correctly. Their bikes always make everyone elses seem small in comparison. I am pretty sure he does not have a 29er though both of he and Barry do have their hardtails plus a full suspension bike. Not sure if Barry has a 29er or not either. 29ers have not hit widespread in the U.S. pro ranks to my knowledge yet at the nationals except for a couple of Gary Fisher's endurance racers.

Frank
WOW! Thanks for chiming in, Frank. Looks like i'd need to duck if I was in your work area. ;) Looks like i'd also fit that bike. No (cough)clearance(cough), but who needs that, right? "They" weigh too much anyways. :eek: :p :D

Damn, I suddenly feel more comfortable about being a 6'4" walking/talking popsicle stick on a BMX. ;)
 
#25 ·
Sure Cloxx

Cloxxki said:
Pro's just love to get all scientific like that, don't they? The mathemathical difference for the watts require to accelerate a 26" vs 29" bike, all else being the same, would probably surprise most, when ever calculated by a thorough and reliable lab. Little do they know, actually rolling resistance is a greater factor! Not to mention grip and such...
wait till the Karma and Stan's tires are really available! Stan says early spring!
:confused: Sorry man I dig you're passion but I'll believe the pros before I'll believe someone blinded by said passion. You're like a parent, you're "KID" is the best no matter what. If 29rs had the advantage you speak of EVERY company would have there pros on them and every pro would want to be on them because everyone wants to win. I get that a given bump is smaller in comparison to a 29r wheel than it is to a 26r wheel and thus smoother but faster? if that was true the pros would be on them allmost exclusively. Sure the wattage difference is tiny but so is the output wattage of even the strongest rider so it has a noticable effect that the pros can obviously feel. I like the concept but I'm not worried about speed, I'm just interested in a smoother ride so I'm waiting for an fs 29r' that'll fit my 5'6" frame better than whats currently available with geometry more suited for my style of riding. Rant on 29r fanatics, thats the only way I'm going to get the 29r I'm looking for :D
 
#26 ·
Blinded By the Light

slowrider said:
:confused: Sorry man I dig you're passion but I'll believe the pros before I'll believe someone blinded by said passion. You're like a parent, you're "KID" is the best no matter what. If 29rs had the advantage you speak of EVERY company would have there pros on them and every pro would want to be on them because everyone wants to win. I get that a given bump is smaller in comparison to a 29r wheel than it is to a 26r wheel and thus smoother but faster? if that was true the pros would be on them allmost exclusively. Sure the wattage difference is tiny but so is the output wattage of even the strongest rider so it has a noticable effect that the pros can obviously feel. I like the concept but I'm not worried about speed, I'm just interested in a smoother ride so I'm waiting for an fs 29r' that'll fit my 5'6" frame better than whats currently available with geometry more suited for my style of riding. Rant on 29r fanatics, thats the only way I'm going to get the 29r I'm looking for :D
Believing what the pros ride is the safest thing to do, not necessarily the best thing to do. Racers have invested hours and hours of time into what they do and ride. To change one small thing could screw up the whole works. If anyone is going to change the way they ride, (and you have to), to ride a 29"er effectively, then they are taking a huge risk. Most pros won't even change their saddle, much less their whole riding technique.

While it's true that most companies, and therefore the buying public, won't jump on the "bandwagon" until some brave soul takes on the 29 inch way and wins, the things we have now are nothing to sneeze at. And we've gotten this far without any real significant racer oriented product genesis. It's mostly all been driven by little ol trail riders like you and me. ;)
 
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top