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i've been to the darkside

saruti

saruti

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,169
73
Israel
I test rode a 29er and I liked it.....
please forgive me. I know I've been bad :(

test rode a friend Mondraker Crafty. well, the CS are long... and the HA is XCish, but...
it seat really planted.
go over things real good.
my english is not the best so its hard to descrive it...
but it made me think 29ers are OK....

still on my 26er
but I now really want to test ride the Evil Folowing.......
 
slimshady

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
Dec 20, 2007
5,433
3,292
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
You haven't tried a 650b yet, didn't you? When I switched from my noodlecake Prophet to the Rallón R4 I felt I was out of my league. The combo of the slightly larger rims, 2.4 Maxxis HR2, moar progressive geo and one size bigger frame made me felt almost like a child who has just ditched the training wheels.

A few weeks later I realized the new bike liked to be ridden faster and harder, and it was nowhere as high as I thought in regards of the BB height. I kept striking my pedals on roots and rocks, but the damn thing turns almost as if it was on rails.

TL;DR: If you feel comfortable on 26s, try a 27.5. They are closer to the now unridabru wheel size than most brands want to admit.
 
saruti

saruti

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,169
73
Israel
well, I tryed a friend 27 bike when they first come out.... the different is so un noticed to a 26er... its not worth the move.
if going bigger, go for the biggest.
 
kickstand

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
saruti said:
well, I tryed a friend 27 bike when they first come out.... the different is so un noticed to a 26er... its not worth the move.
if going bigger, go for the biggest.
Click to expand...
I thought that, until 26" bikes all but disappeared. I admit i haven't spent much time on a 29'er, but I have grown to accept the 27.5
 
captainspauldin

captainspauldin

intrigued by a pole
May 14, 2007
1,263
177
Jersey Shore
Rode a Fuel ex9.9 29 "dentist super bike edition" over the weekend it was pretty awesome, except for I kept rolling the rear tire during hard cornering, I thought it was lower psi, but squeezing the tire a couple times it def wasn't low. Other than that I was suprised at how fast it changed directions and how realitively easy it was to lean it over around turns.
 
Metamorphic

Metamorphic

Monkey
May 12, 2015
274
177
Cackalack
jstuhlman said:
:thumbsdown: I thought this was going to be a Banshee review . . .
Click to expand...

Me too! :cray:

Oh well, saw this bike on MTBR and am really digging the idea of a single crown Darkside. Maybe one day if I have a ton of cash and newbikitis hits.



On topic.......I have never ridden a 29, but I did just recently go to the tweener wheels, and by golly that front wheel looks massive over my 26. Same tires (El Minionz) but man it looks huge. Happy so far.
 
FlipSide

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,388
826
I tried a 29 for the 1st time also this weekend. In my case, it was a Pivot 429sl with Enve wheels and everything top-of-the line. Apart for the steep headtube and lack of dropper post, I was shocked at how great it rolled and climbed. I'll try to demo a slack 29er next year. Could be a great trail bike to complement my 26" all-mountain bike.
 
nmpearson

nmpearson

Monkey
Dec 30, 2006
213
8
I just ordered a Transition Smuggler and most components will be exactly like my Patrol. I'm interested to see if i'm going to like the 29er vs the 27.5 if the builds are approx the same. It should be faster going up atleast
 
ChrisRobin

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,352
193
Vancouver
I went with a Carbine 29 on a leap of faith. I love it. With a Float X2 and a 36 Rc2 on the way (currently Fox 34 CTD), it climbs amazingly well and descends well too. I have a short torso with long limbs so having the front end up high with the 29" wheel makes me feel like I'm sitting 'in' the bike and not perched up on it like on my old 26" AM bike.
 
FlipSide

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,388
826
Jim Mac said:
You guys just need some restorative therapy - after I ride my BMX cruiser, a 26'er feels gigantic!
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Ah! Good point!

I usually start the season in the spring by riding my 20" BMX a lot before the mtb trails are ready to ride. It's always a shock to get on those huge 26" wheels! :)
 
TrumbullHucker

TrumbullHucker

trumbullruxer
Aug 29, 2005
2,284
719
shimzbury, ct
I just bought an origin scout 8 hardtail 29r in the spring.. first 29r
around town and on gravel trail ( cardio ) its friggen sweet and fun
but once i go on actual trail, it feels so fukking awkward. the front end feels like it doesn't exist (otb'd so many times lol)
I have uncut Fubar bars with a gravity 35mm stem.
considering buying a "slacker" full suspension 29r


i've gone too far
 
iRider

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,653
3,093
TrumbullHucker said:
I just bought an origin scout 8 hardtail 29r in the spring.. first 29r
around town and on gravel trail ( cardio ) its friggen sweet and fun
Click to expand...
You should try a cross bike. Faster and funner(TM)!!
Seriously, it is amazing how much you can ride on those skinny tires if you have good technical skills. On most trails around here where XC folks claim their 29er is fastest the cross bike is even faster.
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Aug 25, 2003
42,146
13,340
Squirtin ketchup n' mustard on charred flesh
It's kind of stupid to hate on something like 29ers unless you've ridden them.

So when I say those flexy ass old man bikes that only reward people who never learned to ride complex terrain and rewards just sitting there and letting the wheels do everything, and suck donkey dick pumping corners and g-outs.............just rest assured, that actually comes from experience. It just means so much more when it comes from the heart.
 
slimshady

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
Dec 20, 2007
5,433
3,292
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
Being what around here is considered a tall person (6 feet tall), I tried several generations of 29ers. The first ones were just plain terrible in geometrical terms, but a couple of friends talked me into trying the newer ones arguing the handling was improved and whatnot.

Now I swear I can't adapt to them. I know a lot of guys around here who are fast as hell on wagon wheels -even on unridabru Derpalized Trenduros- but I just can't get them right. I feel like I'm riding on a clown bike, and I never could lean the bike properly while turning like I do with a 26 or 650b.

Different colors for different folks I guess... Let's say I suck even more on a 29er than I regularly do.
 
AngryMetalsmith

AngryMetalsmith

Business is good, thanks for asking
Jun 4, 2006
21,237
10,151
I have no idea where I am
A lot of talk about how great 29rs roll over stuff and climb great, but I have yet to hear a single rider brag about how they corner. Most 29r riders, but not all, don't lean a bit into bermed corners. Most slow down to a crawl and steer through.
 
Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
Actually my Enduro 29er corners awesome. There are a handful of sudden tight corners where I feel the cornering could be better, but in rough corners at speed (flat or berms), just lean, point, and shoot.

On flat sweepers it does really well when leaned over. It's not hard to hold a drift with it either since there's supposedly more sideknob contact patch.

That said, I have yet to ride another 29er with similar travel that corners as well. The huge majority of them handle like shit.
 
T

thad

Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
388
21
saruti

saruti

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,169
73
Israel
took a test 29er Mondraker from the LBS after rode my friends,
but I'm taking back this 29er to the LBS
there are others who wait to test this bike.....
and.. I dont have the money to buy more bike right now, so.......
I'll just ride my 26er in the dark........ alone ...........

you can close this thread :) 26 for ever!
 
Electric_City

Electric_City

Torture wrench
Apr 14, 2007
1,999
716

thad said:
Wagon wheels are SO HOT RIGHT NOW in the PNW. Pretty much all of the fast enduro buddies are on the big wheels. 4 out of top 6 at cascadia cup finals on 29".
Master's pro dood I know, just traded in the newmad for a Smuggler.
Big wheels monster truck.
Click to expand...
Soon they'll all be on Fat bikes. You guys are several years behind the East Coast.
 
dump

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,235
4,495
thad said:
Strobel is racing DH on the wagon wheels. He's not a particularly tall guy, either.

Dooder sucks at cornering...
http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/Vital-RAW-Luke-Strobel-29er-Destruction-in-the-PNW,28614/sspomer,2

Wagon wheels are SO HOT RIGHT NOW in the PNW. Pretty much all of the fast enduro buddies are on the big wheels. 4 out of top 6 at cascadia cup finals on 29".
Master's pro dood I know, just traded in the newmad for a Smuggler.
Big wheels monster truck.
Click to expand...
This may come as news, but what pro x is riding has about as much relevance to your choice of ride as what michael shumacher drives on race day pertains to your choice of daily driver.
 
T

thad

Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
388
21
WAT?!?!

You truly think that racing does not inform bike design evolution? And that expert riders don't benefit from those lessons learned? REALLY?
Just one personal anecdote... back when DH bikes were tall and steep, Kirkaldie and the rest of the Maxxis team drilled their square tube Turner DHR's, so they sat lower and slacker. I had a square tube DHR. I drilled it. Low and behold, my downhill bike rode considerably better with a 64deg HA and 13.75" BB. Couple few years later, that's current geo.
 
RayB

RayB

Monkey
Jan 31, 2008
744
95
Seattle
TrumbullHucker said:
anyone got in mind a slackish 29r full suspension trail bike frame? ( on the cheap side?? )

considering ditching the hardtail frame
Click to expand...
Intense Carbine 29 if you can get past the whole "VPP is unrideabru" & "most Intense owners probably wear Tapout" thing.

The 2014 frames can be had for cheap brand-new (old stock) if you look around, and they're functionally identical to the 2015 and 2016 models.

Source: I own one (http://imgur.com/pkHpjZw)

Remember folks, "pick a wheel size, and be a dick about it." :)
 
4130biker

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,884
450
TrumbullHucker said:
anyone got in mind a slackish 29r full suspension trail bike frame? ( on the cheap side?? )

considering ditching the hardtail frame
Click to expand...
Dude. It's the first frame you need to build! You've got the parts, the shop...

Mtbr frame building forum is an amazing resource for teh 4130 building...
 
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