[EasyE]

Hey guys/gals, I am looking to purchase my first bike. I think I have it narrowed down to an all mountain. I have noticed that some of the newer bikes are coming with 29 inch wheels v.s 26. What is the difference and why is the style changing to the bigger wheel? thanx.

 

[EasyE]

Wow, I cant believe I got zero responses. Did I post this in the wrong Noobie area? 23 people viewed and nobody knows the difference between 29 and 26 ? Ill keep waiting....thank you in advance.

 

[zebrahum]

1. it's the weekend. Everybody's riding.
2. This isn't a very often visited forum segment for most people.

Big wheels roll over things more easily, float through mud and sand better, and tends to smooth out the ride a little.

The negatives are that your bike handling changes a lot. The steering is slower, your center of gravity is far higher and the wheelbase is (usually) longer.

You need to ride them for yourself, on trails if you can. Borrow someone's bike, take out a demo, or at last resort at least take one for a ride one in the lot at your local shop.

I can't recommend a 29'er for your first mtn bike, the high center of gravity is going to adversely affect your ability to learn basic bike handling skills. Get a 26" hardtail of a good quality and learn on that. I am of the opinion that the hardtail will dial your skills more quickly, but a full suspension bike will be more forgiving.

 

[EasyE]

1. it's the weekend. Everybody's riding.
2. This isn't a very often visited forum segment for most people.

Big wheels roll over things more easily, float through mud and sand better, and tends to smooth out the ride a little.

The negatives are that your bike handling changes a lot. The steering is slower, your center of gravity is far higher and the wheelbase is (usually) longer.

You need to ride them for yourself, on trails if you can. Borrow someone's bike, take out a demo, or at last resort at least take one for a ride one in the lot at your local shop.

I can't recommend a 29'er for your first mtn bike, the high center of gravity is going to adversely affect your ability to learn basic bike handling skills. Get a 26" hardtail of a good quality and learn on that. I am of the opinion that the hardtail will dial your skills more quickly, but a full suspension bike will be more forgiving.

Ahhh, Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. I am just getting into the sport and dont have any bikes that I could really borrow, so I think I will be trying them out in the bike shop parking lot hahah, better than nothing right?. I have a feeling that the 26 will suit me better(like you said) at least at first. Why the hardtail? I was leaning towards a full suspension because usually when I am riding a bike the first complaint I have is how much my ass hurts....While I am not an experienced rider i used to ride a lot as a child and am overall pretty athletic, coordinated and all that good junk so I think I might go for it. the sticker shock is getting to me though. Thinking of trying to get something used on E-bay. Thanks for replying , I cant wait till I am out on the weekends riding instead of asking ? on RideMonkey. WHOO HOOO, I cant wait!

 

[zebrahum]

Your ass is going to hurt no matter what until you get used to riding a bit. I won't say you shouldn't get a full suspension, I suppose it probably can make the learning curve a bit easier on the body; I was just saying that your skills will need to improve more quickly on a hardtail. You need to choose your line more carefully so you don't get thrown around, you can climb more efficiently on normal trails with a hardtail (super rocky climbs will be more efficient on full sus), and I think you tend to feel more connected with what the bike is doing. Add in far less maintenance and initial cost, and it's a good investment to go with a hardtail. I know nothing about the riding where you are, but if it's quite rocky, then a full suspension bike will be a benefit.

As for your ass, get some padded shorts and don't skimp on the quality. When you're mountain biking, you don't spend as much time on your saddle as when you're road biking or just riding around. You hover over the saddle, stand up, put your weight back, and so on. Your ass will hurt just about as much on a full suspension, you still stand up and lean back through the same sections and spend just as much time in contact with the saddle.

Anyway, best idea is to test ride everything you can get your hands on. Ride some good hardtails and ride some full suspension. Make sure you've been sized properly before your test ride including at least a rough suspension setup. The bike price tags are terrifying these days, but avoid buying something cheap. Spend at least $1500 on a full suspension bike, 2k if you can.

Stay away from ebay, perhaps sticking with Craigslist because you can actually go see these things before you buy them. Check the classifieds here too. I've seen dozens of bikes people have gotten from ebay, and I can't think of one that I consider to have been a good buy. They're either in much worse shape than indicated, or people who were buying things listed as "state of the art" that have been out of date for a decade.

It's my dirt jump/skate park season so I'm hoping I won't be stuck trolling the forums on weekends anymore I've had a hectic summer with no riding, it's time to put some miles in! Welcome to the monkey, and remember to take the aholes in stride.

 

[EasyE]

Right on Zebrahum! Thanks for the input I really appreciate it. What you are saying about the hardtail makes perfect sense. The full suspensions are just cool looking and honestly that is part of the reason for wanting one but in reality I probably will end up riding a lot smooth terrain because of where I live so A hardtail might be the way to go. Its going to be hard but I think I am gonna have to wait and do more research. Thats really discouraging about E-bay as I was hoping to go there for my bike. I really would rather spend 1000-1500 on a bike instead of 2000-2500. I use E-bay all the time for other stuff and usually dont have any problems, but I have never purchased anything this expensive there so.Idont care about scratches and stuff. How would you get ripped off? What would be some of the most common things that have happened to people? Shot forks? cracked frames?........shoot now I'm scared. I was looking at one bike that was a rental....LOL. Im sure its beat to hell but as long as every thing works i would be happy cause of the savings. If someone rips me off , man thats a lot of dough.

 

[zebrahum]

Working with bikes for the past nine years, I am constantly amazed at the things people do to bikes. I've seen everything from cracked frames (which if you're not the original owner, it's very difficult to get a warranty claim) to bikes that people have just thrown pieces onto in order to get rid of the bike didn't matter if it was the right part or not.

I would personally never buy a rental bike unless it was obvious that it had only been out once or twice. Hell, I put an amazing dent in a rental bike this year, and I'm sure it's going to be sold just like that. Keep your eye on Craigslist or similar classified sites, at least you can meet up and see what you're getting before you get it. Ebay, you're stuck with what you bid on. If the seller was ok with it, I would suggest taking the bike to a good shop and having them check it over really quickly like you would a used car. But when it comes down to it, if you have a good shop nearby, they could probably use the dollars right about now, and it's sale time at shops, so go have a look.

I didn't mean to completely steer you away from full sus though, you should go ride some and decide for yourself. I'll be buying a 8" travel bike as soon as I can, so don't think I'm some kind of suspension hater. I just think that for a first mtn bike, a hardtail costs a bit less and is a great introduction. But if you can swing the cash for a good full squish, then you won't have the possibility of "outgrowing" the bike down the road. Which by the way is crap because I still ride my first hardtail plenty now that I've converted it to singlespeed.