I'm only 5'5" and shrinking. But I am considering a hardtail 29er to see what the fuss is about. I can get a good price on Giant, Specialized and Trek(Fischer) from my LBS contacts. The Fischer bikes seem to be highly regarded and come pretty short. Of those three manufacturers who's 29er will handle the best. Oh test rides are likely to be impossible as there are very few test bikes in the small size to be ridden and the two I have seen in the shops are full suspension bikes.
Considering a 29er
- Thread starter oldfart
- Start date
I don't know about getting one where you're on the shorter side. I heard that people that are shorter feel like they are "stuck" in the bike instead of being over it. It might be kinda weird to have a small one. Who knows though. If they're making smalls, then they probably have them sorta figured out.
I'm 5'6" & test rode a Superfly100. I found I was more comfortable on a 26"., however, loved the way the 29er rode through rough stuff. I'm currently in the same delimer, not knowing which way to go.
more test rides are required.
My 29 is smaller then my 26 in standover. For a hardtail they work great.
i had a fisher hard tail it was fine geo wise.... it was the rig singlespeed so it had an ebb that always squeaked... so i ditched it but the new ones have sliding rear dropouts, so now i am thinking of getting one. in my opinion the fishers have a better design than the specialized they changed the ht angle (fisher) so they steer like a 26. yet still have the big wheel advantage.... i am not tall at all and dug the big wheel. which is even more shocking when you know the bike i spend most of my time on is a Yetti DJ which is as compact a frame as you can get with 26" tires. do not get anything with a eccentric bb i have had two bikes with them the fisher and a $4,000 Cannondale and both bikes rocked but the ebb's were noisy and i can't stand it when a wal-mart bike sounds better than mine.... just me
So I sprung for a Giant XTC29 size small. Dirt cheap at $500 for a frame. Plus I bought an F29 RLC fox for $500 from a fellow that took it off his Tallboy without using it. First ride yesterday on the North Shore. It felt funky for only about 100 metres. Handling with respect to stability/twitchiness was a non issue. Felt comfortable right away. I rode well despite being tired and the borrowed wheels being heavy. I did not feel the "riding in it" feeling that some people claim they feel. Perhaps since I am short I never felt to opposite feeling. It did feel exceptionally smooth on one cobbled climb and I could ride the stream crossing more easily. It's a keeper I think. The one semi technical descent that has a couple section that I normally feel nervous on with the 26 ht were easier. Bike does not feel too big at all. Have a 70mm stem -6 with a low riser bar. The flat bar will be here later this week too.
I have the Crest rims at home and the hubs should be here tomorrow. Have to decide on gearing. I have 22-32-44 by 11-34 9spd but I cab throw a 26-38 11-36 ten speed on too. I am thinking the lighter wheels ( Crest rims are 380 and the Mavic TN819 are 510) will make the 26 -36 low enough.
I have the Crest rims at home and the hubs should be here tomorrow. Have to decide on gearing. I have 22-32-44 by 11-34 9spd but I cab throw a 26-38 11-36 ten speed on too. I am thinking the lighter wheels ( Crest rims are 380 and the Mavic TN819 are 510) will make the 26 -36 low enough.
After building the light wheels and putting the 2X10 on it and riding 15 hours on it I can say that it rides quite nicely. It does not feel too big at all. If anything it is a bit twitchy but perfectly acceptable. Traction as advertised is better but I will have to do a ride or two on the old 26 HT to tell for sure. Not having any fit or handling issues at all. I think I am cleaning some climbs better than the 26 bike allowed. It has been super wet the past couple weeks which usually translates into crappy traction and numerous dabs. But not so much on this bike. Might have to get the carbon version once it is available in Canada.
Kool beans ote nw digs! 
Got pics? 
Got pics? So as a test last night I rode the Ibis Tranny. Very similar set up to the new 29er, but lighter. Same fork wheels and tires. Does not climb the twisty technical stuff as well. Not as competent going down either. I guess that Tranny is up for sale now.
Don't know why so many manufacturers are avoiding the smalls, some of them are starting with medium.
I'm 5'8" and shrinking and like you wanted to give the 29er a try, tried GT, Trek and Giant. Ended up with a medium Giant Talon, it was the best fit (was concerned about standover height) and after a ride can't wait to ride it again; love the bike.
I'm 5'8" and shrinking and like you wanted to give the 29er a try, tried GT, Trek and Giant. Ended up with a medium Giant Talon, it was the best fit (was concerned about standover height) and after a ride can't wait to ride it again; love the bike.
I'm only 5'1.5" and I just bought a small Giant Anthem. 
I trail-tested an XtC, a Niner Air9 and a Niner JET9, and the Anthem felt the best out of all of them. I have a pretty long inseam (30"), so stand over is usually not the issue for me, but reach is. The Anthem has a shorter cockpit than the others, so that made all the difference. I love it, and it fits me really well!!!
I trail-tested an XtC, a Niner Air9 and a Niner JET9, and the Anthem felt the best out of all of them. I have a pretty long inseam (30"), so stand over is usually not the issue for me, but reach is. The Anthem has a shorter cockpit than the others, so that made all the difference. I love it, and it fits me really well!!!I'm only 5'7 (and a half!) and I ride a 17.5 Gary Fisher X-Cal. It feels a little big standing over the bike, but feels great on top of it. Fisher really has the geometry down where you dont have that awkward feeling you get when you ride Specialized bikes. Thing feels great and is a killer ride. If you didnt go Giant already Id tell you to definitely go with a GF.
I would have except that they don't sell frames separately in Canada other than the single speed. I am not strong enough to hump a ss up the hills I like to ride. Threw a leg over a Tallboy medium the other day. I could ride one of those easily with a short 50-60 mm stem but there is almost no stand over. Clearance was very slight. A friend of mine is buying one but hasn't decided yet between the medium or large size. I'm pushing him to get a medium so I can try it out on a real trail. My shop only has a large demo and there is no point in trying that out.