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I’ve got new bikeitus in a big way. I’ve been waiting for the Longshot Cotic Flare since the ‘Max’ was announced earlier this year.
Unfortunately for my bank balance I’ve now started thinking about going 29 and the Flare Max, which will mean new forks and wheels as well as the frame. Having never really ridden one, has anyone gone 29 without riding one and hoping for the best?
If I’m honest I probably won’t and will test ride one but the want is strong at the minute!
I did, but that was back in the days before any mainstream brands made one apart from the occasional weird Trek.
There are good and bad ones just like 26"/650b wheels, you wouldn't write off a a decent bike based on it sharing a wheel size with a BSO. I'd assume anything from Cotic is going to be pretty good.
I wouldn't say I "went" 29er - but I bought a "weird Trek" off eBay to try it.
Found it to be great, so after about a year, replaced the Trek with a better hardtail. Now, I only ride 29ers.
Yes. I am short and scare stories of early ones put me off. Now though I think they are better in every way.
Yep, progressed from 26" hardtails to a 26" full suss (Specialized Pitch) whilst I was living and riding in Canada.
Took a couple of years off riding due to injuries etc. but then bought a Trek Superfly 29er more or less on a whim. Loved it immediately and didn't really even take any time to adjust, I suppose I spent some time carving up and down the road outside the house just getting used to the slightly different handling but on the trail it just felt great from the word go.
My first 29er was a frame only purchase. I knew 29er made sense for the kind of riding for which I bought it. Wasn't disappointed.
Went from a Brodie Holeshot Ti hardtail to a Camber Comp 29er so hardtail 26 to full suss 29. Other than hitting my toes on the front wheel on tight turns for the first couple of rides it's all been good.
I'm eyeing up the Cotic Flare Max too...
Transition Vanquish frame should arrive today. Never ridden a 29er before. What's the worst that can happen? I ride it and don't like it? I take that gamble every time I build a bike.
Yes. I bought 2nd hand f&f 10 years ago. Within a year I sold all my 26" bikes. It just made sense for me cos I'm tall.
I did with an anthem 29er - so hardly a wild punt on something unproven. Two things I noticed instantly were 1 - how much more confidence inspiring it was on steep-ish stuff compared to XC-style 26 bikes, you never get that OTB-risk feeling in the same way, and 2 - how rubbish low-spec 29er wheels feel.
I went from a rigid steel 26er to a Singular Swift (with all bar the wheels transferred across to the new frame) so not a massive switch; both bikes being a sort of flat bar gravel bike.
It took a while to work out that there was a 10% change in gearing due to the bigger wheels but I now love the Swift.
i'm like munkyboy - in fact worse, I previously tried someone's 29r and didn't get on with it, but subsequently bought a 650b+ bike which I've also now got 29r wheels for. I'm relatively short, so was concerned, but needn't have been. the much loved 26" bikes see much less and less use.. contemplating going nuclear and retiring them completely, something that would have been inconceivable a couple of years ago.
Wouldn't say it's made my riding better - though it's possible - but I have enjoyed it equally and more, stuff is do-able and fun, big miles or lumpier miles, it's very good at.
Yes, they just seemed to make sense for the sort of riding I do. I'm more exploro than enduro. No regrets and loving the FlareMax if that's any help 🙂
I got one blind and don't find it feels different to my 650b (which felt like a big change from 26") apart from its faster over the ground
Yeah, I just bought a Surly Karate Monkey on a whim.
Not bought anything with a smaller wheel size since and don't intend to.
I went fat without riding one - loving it
Do it, you won't regret it. Well, I didn't, anyway.
I did but I am tall so 26ers always felt/looked odd for me, 29ers feel and look more in proportion for us lanky gits
Onzadog
Transition Vanquish frame should arrive today. Never ridden a 29er before. What’s the worst that can happen? I ride it and don’t like it?
Un-bloody-likely! 😀
Two mostly separate questions ... (to me)
Buy a bike without trying nope (well used frame you can resell is a different matter) .... but then say I tried a 27.5 or 29 version within that I might take more of a punt at wheel size knowing more or less how that would change the bike.
If like hooli I was a lanky git the 29 part would be a no brainer... but I'm not... but still something i'd feel more comfortable judging once I'd ridden.
TBH I just bought a 'new to me' frame... but my criteria were same wheels and forks... if I don't like then I can sell the frame for more or less what I paid... but if I was buying a new whole bike..(or it involved new wheels/forks). I'd really want to try.
Yes, and now prefer 29 wheels ... and having just built up a FlareMax that is a good thing.
As mentioned somewhere in this thread, at 189 cm, I look odd on 26 inch wheels. I probably didn't when everyone road ethem but the bike idustry does seemed to have missed the proportion trick and tried to sell each wheel size a special.
Surely 26 inch for small riders. 27.5 for middle size people and 29 for the tall make sense ....
Small people look weird in 29ers ....
So thanks for the input, though it's really not helping as you're all generally helping make my 29er itch worse.
For reference I'm a smidge under 6' so a 29er should suit in theory and I've ridden the LS Rocket and old Flare, both of which I liked.
Sounds really, really daft but I'm worried about the extra weight (coming from someone that rides a Transition which aren't known for being light) and some of the maneuverability.
I can hear my bank balance wincing and I know if I really like it the Soul will end up making way for a Solaris!
Surely 26 inch for small riders. 27.5 for middle size people and 29 for the tall make sense ….
Where are these short people going to find new 26 inch bikes? They are effectively obsolete.
I did. I went from a steel Genesis 26er hartail to the new Sonder Signal TI shod in seemingly huge 2.6 tyres.
Without even trying I've already beaten some long standing strava downhill pbs. I love the geometry and the big wheels.
No regrets here
My Trek Fuel is my first 29er. Hadnt ridden one before and its been this most fun I have had!
Yep - got a 29er as a warranty replacement for an obsolete 26er. First try was after I'd picked up the new bike - immediately felt better for size and feel.
Surely 26 inch for small riders. 27.5 for middle size people and 29 for the tall make sense
Slightly. I mean my 9 year old daughter is 140cm tall and rides a 26er. Another kid I know is maybe 145-8cm and on a 650b. His mum is on a 29er and must be 5'6. All these people 'look' just right on their bikes.
Small 29ers are now a thing and they work. And you get the advantages of big wheels.
I think you are more likely to make a mistake over geometry than the wrong wheel size.
We did, had two 26" S Works bikes stolen, an Enduro and a Stumpjumper. Insurance offer was like for like in 27.5" and 29". Went for the 27.5 Stumpjumper and the 29" Enduro. No regrets on both choices. Hope we dont have to go through it again
Yep, just bought an Evil Following MB without having ever ridden a 29er (well new frame, forks and wheels, the rest came from my Banshee Spitfire). A fair blind commitment given the cost at roughly 4k.
I like it; rolls great and you just have to manhandle it into corners a bit more. They're really not all that different in my opinion, you can get used to the nuances pretty quickly.
I took mine out for a demo, wheels not really a concern, I wanted to check the size of it out.
Get out for a demo on the FlareMax! IMO the extra weight is more than offset by the efficiency gains and I prefer the more "in the bike" feel anyway.
My money says you won't look back, knowing roughly the kind of riding you do.
Yes, ride a 26 Knolly Chili
Bought a Rootdown BA recently. Both XL.
TBH didn't try any of these before I bought them.... both put a big fat grin on my face all the time, every time.
Yes, bought a Yelli Screamy off Charlie, its been great fun and now also have a Whyte 150s. You notice heavy wheels/tyres far more on 29ers.
Bought a 29er after slipstreaming my mate who was on a HT 29 on full muds and I was on a HT 26 on comedy no grip semi slicks and had to pedal to stay in his wake(he was just rolling). Got a Trek Superfly and love it, very quick, only notice the wheel size on a couple of tight nadgery bits in Friston. Went right off my 26 FS so ended up with an Enduro 29er which I also love.
29 rolls better, more grip and you can climb out of ruts much easier.
they don’t accelerate as well as a 26 or 650b (nothing to do with my shocking lack of fitness compared to my mates) but once up to speed stay there better.
About 11 years ago when they first came out, not ridden any other wheelsize apart from the fat bike since
Yup, On-one lurcher. It was surprisingly like riding a new bike, but with slightly bigger wheels. I just wish I'd got a spare set of dropouts for it as they don't make them any more and I bent mine 🙁
Yup,
I took a punt on a bargain frame (Ti Titus Fire line) , and now have 2. 6'3", and it feels fine, and rides quicker.
Buying any bike without trying it is a big risk, done it with commuter/hack bikes and generally got away with it, or at least been happier to put up with something which wasn't spot-on, but wouldn't spend decent money on something if I hadn't at least ridden something very, very similar (test rode ali version then bought carbon one for example, same geometry)
Not a question of wheel size, some bikes you'll like and some you won't regardless. I have had test rides on Sparks and Geniuses and not got on with either, despite being the very happy owner of a Plasma, so even stuff from the same manufacturer can vary.
Get a test ride (Cotic have lots of demo days)
Yes, I ordered a Cotic Solaris mk1 as soon as they were released.
My interest was piqued when I went in past the Wes Willets frame shop in Crested Butte back, in oh, ‘98 and they there was going on about big wheeled bikes... so when Cy started making one I decided it was finally time to check out what it was all about.
i also bought the new SolarisMAX untested...
Yep, rode it home from the shop (2.5 mile) and raced 2hrs on the Sunday! It was fun!
Bucking the positivity trend, yep, but not all plain sailing. A recent YT Jeffsy here. Oddly haven't noticed the "slower to get rolling" thing (probably because the bike is pretty light), but I've crashed a couple of times. Undoubtedly down to bad technique (weight forward, arm lean and body position, sir!) and coming in too hot into corners, but there's a definitely a need [for me] for some technique adjustment.
Yes, I did this. Loved it, took all of 30 seconds to adjust and am now building up a new 29er full suspension to replace my other bike.
Went straight from 26 to 29 so made the biggest step you can.
Didn't really have a chance to test ride a 29er first but even if I did, I wouldn't have bought one that I'd have tested as my friends generally have bigger budgets than I do.
Thanks for everyone's input, I'm almost sold!
Possibly having a ride on a friends Tallboy tomorrow night which should give some feedback on wheel size and then going to speak to Cotic about a demo.
It's a good job I have a very understanding wife!
I did. Without a doubt my favourite bike for most of my off road riding (out in the hills/trail centres). It looked like a good deal, I was on a lunch break...the rest was very quick!
Yes.
Yeti 5 (26er) to YT Jeffsy (29). Tried various 27.5s but none felt that much better than my old Yeti to justify the change. I really wanted a SC Hightower but they were too expensive for me.
Wouldn't go back now. The YT is faster on every trail I've tried.
I went for one back in 2007. Never ridden one, just knew it was advertised as a long-haul trucker. I got it as a complete bike and then spent some time on the trainer getting stem length and bars etc changed out to suit me.
I'm still riding the same bike today.
It was an early edition of the Santa Cruz Tallboy 100mm travel and I've still not found a better bike for my kind of riding; its ridden from here to the Alps, then around Morzine for a week. I know there are 29ers now that are designed to do a particular job in mountain biking, but this one still does (nearly all) the biz.