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I wanna MTB
Most of my riding is commuting to work on my road bike (Gunnar Sport). I want to start mountain bike riding but am confused where to start. I'm not going to do jumps or downhill bombing but ride on rooted, rocky trails and fire roads, lots of hills. I'm thinking hardtail. 29er? 26er? I'd appreciate any help and direction from our members. Thanks all!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Josh Boggs on -
What's your local riding scene like?
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Permalink Reply by Mike Berg on -
Since I got my first 29er I'll never ride a 26er again (I have a nice one for sale btw). The 29er will help with rolling over roots and rocks. I my opinion both my 29er HT and FS have better control than my 26er (the 26er is no crappy bike either, it's an Ellsworth Truth). My riding is about the same as you describe, I'm on the Front Range of Colorado, only difference is instead of hills I have mountains! I switch between my HT and FS quite often depending on my ride, however if I had to only have one bike I would choose the FS. The FS is only about 1/2 heavier than my HT and is better for climbing especially in loose conditions and I definitely can descend faster on it.
The only downside I have come across with the 29er is mud. There is more tire and wheel to have mud to stick to on a 29er. Luckily I don't encounter that too often (except for this time of year).
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Permalink Reply by VeloReviews on -
I think there are a few more downsides to a 29ner. It's a tough fit for a smaller rider (not unavailable, just not a lot to choose from) and less choice in available tires. There's not doubt in will roll over obstacles with greater ease compared to 26, BUT if you're not going to bomb down rutted runs, it's a non issue. You do state that you are however. I personally would look at full suspension with more importance in comparison to wheel size. That's my initial two bits...
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Permalink Reply by Mike Berg on
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Well fit is all relative. I know of female racers that are 5 foot tall and have no issues on their 29ers. I also know a few people my size that don't fit their 26er and they always have lower back strain. Many of the name brands have 29ers as well as the custom brands plus a few brands that do nothing but 29ers. Tire choice hasn't been a problem, there are great 29er tires out there. The roll over affects of a 29er are great for climbing no just bombing down, either direction. Total gear ratio is limited though because of the bigger wheels.
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Permalink Reply by VeloReviews on
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Your fit comments are very fair. I just think that suspension is more important that 26 vs 29. For technical uphill riding, a hard tail is fine. For downhill, I can say I have avoided many serious crashes in the Sierra having rear travel. As for tires, there are a number of LBS' I could walk into today that you'd be lucky if they had one pair of WTB or Hutchinson 29" tires of any tread type. But admittedly, I live in a smaller market. Now, if you do all of your shopping online, I agree, it's a none issue.
Mike Berg said:Well fit is all relative. I know of female racers that are 5 foot tall and have no issues on their 29ers. I also know a few people my size that don't fit their 26er and they always have lower back strain. Many of the name brands have 29ers as well as the custom brands plus a few brands that do nothing but 29ers. Tire choice hasn't been a problem, there are great 29er tires out there. The roll over affects of a 29er are great for climbing no just bombing down, either direction. Total gear ratio is limited though because of the bigger wheels.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Ricci on -
Steep to rolling hills, rooty trails, fire roads, switch backs and gentle curves. Summers are dry winters are wet/sometimes muddy.
Josh Boggs said:What's your local riding scene like?
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Permalink Reply by Paul Ricci on
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Really good info Mike, thank you. Ok, gotta ask, what 29er do you have for sale?
Mike Berg said:Since I got my first 29er I'll never ride a 26er again (I have a nice one for sale btw). The 29er will help with rolling over roots and rocks. I my opinion both my 29er HT and FS have better control than my 26er (the 26er is no crappy bike either, it's an Ellsworth Truth). My riding is about the same as you describe, I'm on the Front Range of Colorado, only difference is instead of hills I have mountains! I switch between my HT and FS quite often depending on my ride, however if I had to only have one bike I would choose the FS. The FS is only about 1/2 heavier than my HT and is better for climbing especially in loose conditions and I definitely can descend faster on it.
The only downside I have come across with the 29er is mud. There is more tire and wheel to have mud to stick to on a 29er. Luckily I don't encounter that too often (except for this time of year).
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Permalink Reply by Mike Berg on
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Thanks. Ah sorry, it is my 26er that is for sale. An Ellsworth Truth.
Paul Ricci said:Really good info Mike, thank you. Ok, gotta ask, what 29er do you have for sale?
Mike Berg said:Since I got my first 29er I'll never ride a 26er again (I have a nice one for sale btw). The 29er will help with rolling over roots and rocks. I my opinion both my 29er HT and FS have better control than my 26er (the 26er is no crappy bike either, it's an Ellsworth Truth). My riding is about the same as you describe, I'm on the Front Range of Colorado, only difference is instead of hills I have mountains! I switch between my HT and FS quite often depending on my ride, however if I had to only have one bike I would choose the FS. The FS is only about 1/2 heavier than my HT and is better for climbing especially in loose conditions and I definitely can descend faster on it.
The only downside I have come across with the 29er is mud. There is more tire and wheel to have mud to stick to on a 29er. Luckily I don't encounter that too often (except for this time of year).
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Permalink Reply by Paul Ricci on
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Ok on the Ellsworth. Nice bike!
Mike Berg said:Thanks. Ah sorry, it is my 26er that is for sale. An Ellsworth Truth.
Paul Ricci said:Really good info Mike, thank you. Ok, gotta ask, what 29er do you have for sale?
Mike Berg said:Since I got my first 29er I'll never ride a 26er again (I have a nice one for sale btw). The 29er will help with rolling over roots and rocks. I my opinion both my 29er HT and FS have better control than my 26er (the 26er is no crappy bike either, it's an Ellsworth Truth). My riding is about the same as you describe, I'm on the Front Range of Colorado, only difference is instead of hills I have mountains! I switch between my HT and FS quite often depending on my ride, however if I had to only have one bike I would choose the FS. The FS is only about 1/2 heavier than my HT and is better for climbing especially in loose conditions and I definitely can descend faster on it.
The only downside I have come across with the 29er is mud. There is more tire and wheel to have mud to stick to on a 29er. Luckily I don't encounter that too often (except for this time of year).
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Permalink Reply by Josh Boggs on
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Valid points on the 26/29" arguments either way... we do a lot of both at our shop. If you're doing a lot of fire roads, a 29er will be very efficient, rolling more like a road bike. For me, it's an easier transition if you're riding two bikes. It just doesn't feel like you're going from big wheels on a road bike to itty-bitty 26" wheels on the MTB.
Gearing's getting better. Shimano just released a 9-speed cassette with a 36t low gear and a lot of companies are following SRAM's lead and adding a compact double crankset to their lineups for 2010/2011.
With 29" you could go either way, hardtail or FS. If you're going hardtail, Niner makes some good bikes, but you'll pay more for a build on one of those than you would just buying a stock bike with the same equipment on it. 29er hardtails are now on the market for around $650 and up, depending on manufacturer and spec. For a killer singlespeed 29er, I like the Jamis Dragon One at around $1200.
If you're going FS, try something like the Pivot Mach 429 or the new Specialized Epic Comp 29. You've got around 4" of travel with either a very efficient suspension linkage system (the DW-Link on the Pivot) or a "smart shock" (the new and improved Brain Fade system on the Epic). It will make the fire roads and climbs very quick and low-bob, but you'll have the suspension necessary great wheel tracking on a rootier, rockier descent.
I'd check with your local bike shop and see if they've got demo bikes that you can try. At the shop I work at, we have a pretty large demo fleet and keep both of those bikes (along with about 20 others) in stock for rental and do monthly demos. If not, both of those manufacturers have traveling demo trucks. Check their company website and see when they'll be in your area.
Let us know how the search goes. Interested to hear what you end up with!
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Permalink Reply by Paul Ricci on
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Hey Josh, thanks for the insight. I like the idea of same size wheels as my road bike - easy transition as I will be riding both. A demo bike is a great idea, there are four bike shops nearby in Bellingham, gonna chech them out. Report to follow sometime soon.
Josh Boggs said:Valid points on the 26/29" arguments either way... we do a lot of both at our shop. If you're doing a lot of fire roads, a 29er will be very efficient, rolling more like a road bike. For me, it's an easier transition if you're riding two bikes. It just doesn't feel like you're going from big wheels on a road bike to itty-bitty 26" wheels on the MTB.
Gearing's getting better. Shimano just released a 9-speed cassette with a 36t low gear and a lot of companies are following SRAM's lead and adding a compact double crankset to their lineups for 2010/2011.
With 29" you could go either way, hardtail or FS. If you're going hardtail, Niner makes some good bikes, but you'll pay more for a build on one of those than you would just buying a stock bike with the same equipment on it. 29er hardtails are now on the market for around $650 and up, depending on manufacturer and spec. For a killer singlespeed 29er, I like the Jamis Dragon One at around $1200.
If you're going FS, try something like the Pivot Mach 429 or the new Specialized Epic Comp 29. You've got around 4" of travel with either a very efficient suspension linkage system (the DW-Link on the Pivot) or a "smart shock" (the new and improved Brain Fade system on the Epic). It will make the fire roads and climbs very quick and low-bob, but you'll have the suspension necessary great wheel tracking on a rootier, rockier descent.
I'd check with your local bike shop and see if they've got demo bikes that you can try. At the shop I work at, we have a pretty large demo fleet and keep both of those bikes (along with about 20 others) in stock for rental and do monthly demos. If not, both of those manufacturers have traveling demo trucks. Check their company website and see when they'll be in your area.
Let us know how the search goes. Interested to hear what you end up with!
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