OKAY! I get it...the 29 inch wheel is faster. Of course after I spent thousands of dollars on my lightweight full-suspension carbon fiber race bike. The light weight wheels, carbon crank, lighter cassette, pedals, and everything else you can imagine. Not that I still wont race and or ride my trusty carbon steed, but I now know where the new 29er stands in the line-up as far as my race bikes.
Let me start with the differences of the 29er. Lets face it...the wheel looks like it belongs on a wagon, but once you get that sucker rolling there's no stopping it. I first thought that cornering would be an issue but with the larger contact patch of the tire, it serves as a superb carving machine. Its no joke on the climbs either, sure the heavier wheel is noticeable but you can stand up all day (even on loose sand) and crank away while that big a$$ tire digs in. Finally, on technical downhills, it effortlessly tip-toes its way over rock gardens and logs while the centripetal motion keeps the wheel in its upright position. It took me a while, but I even figured out how to launch it off of some jumps. It was difficult as it seems to glue it self to the ground. When it comes to racing XC you want to stay on the ground anyway...its faster.
My bike...I ended up getting a hard-tail 29er (Gary Fisher, Paragon), and my decision was based on some analyzing, some physical geometry, and thats probably it. My thoughts were that a 29er is supposed to roll over broken ground easier, so why waste the weight on suspension if its not that necessary. I am sure it is nice to have but I wanted that racy feel of a hard-tail.
Lets sum some things up. I am convinced because, I reduce my usual average 18 mile ride by four minutes. That is huge when you consider spots on the podium of what four minutes could do. That means every six miles I gained a whole minute due to the larger wheel base. Need I say more...I think not.
PEACE!!!
