I caught this on MTBR. Click the title to take you to the post that has more pics! What does everyone think about this thing?
Monday, April 11
Big Wheels?
I caught this on MTBR. Click the title to take you to the post that has more pics! What does everyone think about this thing?
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28 comments:
After Fruita, I'm a believer in big wheels on the hardtail/xc style bike. Super good on swoopy stuff. Good everywhere else. Not giving up the Enduro/5x5/26'er tho. I rode both bikes in the desert and both handled different rides in different ways. I suppose I'll have to try a fs 29'er bike before too long, but for now, I've got a pretty good pair of dirt bikes.
if i buy another suspension bike it will be a 29er. i'm sold on the big wheels. they don't go down as far into g-outs and stuff. they roll better on loose sand and gravel. i'd be into a suspension bike with 3+3 for a 9er. i don't think you need as much travel. or any for that matter!!! kidding. sort of...
well....cool bike, but i really don't see a 29'er replacing my dually either.
I'm skeptical that the big wheels would be a benefit in large rock fields, technical terrain, and tight switchbacks. Which describes 75% of the terrain in this area.
Plus the fact that the industry still hasn't given 100% support yet. Which makes rim, tire, suspension, and tube choices very weak...the must crucial elements behind a very good trail bike.
BUT....i think bike choice is completely regional and of personal taste. I'm not bagging the idea...just impractical for where i ride and how i ride it.
i could see building one up as a dirt road cruiser tho. Cuz i like the many - o' personalities of different bikes.
my niners are .5" shorter then either of my suspendies. and i think i was able to ride the switchbacks better this year in fruita then ever. once wheel travel gets to a certain point (probably 5 inches) then the 9er is not going to be very practical (too tall for most people). but upto 4 inches i bet it would be sweet. i wouldn't sweat the 9er in rock fields at all, the stability should be a bonus and not a problem. and the big (correct size!!!) wheels roll over rocks without dipping into the spaces as much).
i'm anti suspension for the moment tho. it's just not necessary for me right now.
i like this topic! can you tell?
chaybo, you'd be stoked on the 2.3x29 epic wolf. its a man sized tire with a man sized ride!!! floaty for sure. you've got a point on the industry support but there will always be touring rims. seiler has used road rims! bonti has a great disk only mtb rim. and both bonti and wtb have a great selection of tires. so the stuff is there. and i think there is enough small builders out there to keep it going.
personally, i don't forsee me riding the kiddie wheels again.
"i like the many - o' personalities of different bikes." - Chad
There you go! It's like a regualr old hardtail with some benefits of the cross bike, in a set up that can handle most anything. Another jack of all trades sort of bike. And believe me, I'm with you on personalities. I'll be riding my cross bike home today.
First off i've got a couple opinions on this bike specifically.
I like the Name El Capitan almost feels like i should be saluting. i'm not real keen on all of ventanna's choices for names.
Second i have never really liked the dropped top tubes in this fasion. Reminds me of the old killer V's. Guess if your gonna have any type of standover with this type of rig your gonna have a curved tube or something similar to this design.
My .02 on the 29er idea as a whole? i'm not skered to try! Not me ya see i am completely addicted to bicycles and i am willing to ride any of them! I wish that i had three months worth of riding on one so that i could be a more valuable source of information in this dicussion. Let me pause for a second and shake the money tree (shaking the money tree) Nothing fell out fellas. Looks like i won't be getting one in the near future. Next year is a different story though. i will continue to read all the opinions and take everything and look and all the purdy bikes all the small custom builders are making and when my time comes i will order one for my self. I feel a geared two niner would be a great bicycle for this region!
I'n not a fan of the killer cannondale lookalikes either. The new salts look good. X5? not so much.
you guys can trust me!!!
just thought i'd share Sherwood's first impression with ya'll
Hey Chad,
Tires don't hold the rim very tightly, and the wheels are super flexy..ahem...whimpy. But the whole package is really good. I need to get a lot more than one ride on it though to give a complete, detailed assessment. But so far, I like it...a lot, and I could see where it could be really awesome for a big guy.
We just finished building up the 23" and it actually looks like a "normal" bike, not like some gigantic stick bike with roller skate wheels. Not bad considering it could probably handle up to a 42" inseam. In fact when set up for a 40" inseam, the bars are level with the saddle with only 2cms of spacers, a 5 degree stem, and a low rise bar. Pretty cool.
Sherwood
-----Original
that's cool to read. by the way i'm not sure what i meant by my above post. i think i meant that the downsides are just myths if the geometry is right on and the rider is of a decent size. it would be tough to build a 17" full suspension 9er with 4 inches. a 19 could probably lose the funky top tube. bottom line. i think every one of you guys would be stoked to get some serious riding in on one. anyone notice that both of the super hardcore guys we saw on the rim trail were on full sussy 9ers.
There's a certain "weirdness" to riding a big front wheel at say, subwalking speed on something technical, especially say a switchback. If I get the front wheel up against something in a stall or near stall situation, it feels pretty flexy (take into account, looks like Sherwood and I are riding the same fork which has a flexy reputation). A little bit of wierdness is ok, just takes some getting used to. Thanks for posting that Chad.
I'm curious about one other aspect of the 9'er. it seems that the rider is sitting up a bit higher off of the ground? when said rider is railing through corners do the wheels slide out anymore than a comparable 26 inch wheeled bicycle?
a properly designed frame should have the rider in the same position (height) with regard to the ground. same bb ht for example. a suspension bike (either 26 or 29) will be taller then a non suspension bike. the 9er shouldn't be taller just because of the wheels. most 9ers headtubes are pretty short to get the h-bar to the correct height.
i'll chime in on this. acutally, bb heights (and all other geometry) being the same, a niner will handle with more stability, because the bb will be lower relative to the axles of the wheels.
your whole center of gravity is better contained within the larger wheels, especially if you're tall, and on a big frame size.
if that sounds to you like i'm endorsing 'niners, well, i guess i am. right now, my favorite bike to ride is my kona explosif, set up with a rigid fork and a 29" front wheel (26" rear). yes, i can feel additional flex in the larger wheel, but i can also feel that the larger wheel rolls noticably better over bumps. it does make suspension less of a factor, to a certain extent.
i've also ridden mw's twin soulcrafts quite a bit, and i'll concur with him in that, with the right geometry (72 or 72.5 degree headtube angle) a niner exhibits none of the "floppiness" that early fisher 'niners did. the big wheels have different needs for frame geometry (to work well), and mw's bikes proved that to me.
i will most likely own a full 'niner (not the "bastard" i'm riding now) by the end of the year.
my $.02,
mg
If anyone wants to play around on my floppy early gf, esp. over memorial day when I'll see most of you next, it'll be up for rides on the test track, or whereever.
you said play with my floppy...
well...good points made for sure. you guys are great advocates for the 29" revolution. BUT, i'm still kinda on the fence on wether or not it's practical for the riding out my back door.
I've been kicking around bringing in a DEMO... i suppose it's the best way to experience the experience.
SO,
fork options....i'm thinking the White Bros. Air BW-1.0 w/ 100mm and a thru-axle. Whatcha guys think ?
I'll concider a Reba once I don't have to go through a fisher dealer. Make sure you find a frame with apropriate geometry for whatever fork you choose.
i dread having to make a fork decision but seiler was on a reba. that says alot.
two biggest new things in mtb's for me. adult sized wheels and disk brakes. i'll never go back on either unless i'm doing some vintage bike. ha!!!
i just thought of my dream fork. manitou x-vert 9er disk only with on the fly travel adj from 80 to 120mm. not too much to ask eh? for now i'll keep my truetemper blades.
wills....as many boys as you know at the Manitou headquarters you'd think your dream fork could become a reality.
I like the Reba idea also...but it doesn't appear they are selling the fork to just anyone.
that exclusivity is spose to end after this year. true?
That's what I understood (and hope). A nice steel ot ti hardtail built around a 100mm Reba? yum.
The ganzelle on Ti? Schweet!
I have bought in on the 9er thing. I have one being made right now. It is being made for suspension. Although I plan to run a rigid sus. corrected fork on it for now. But I plan to set it up with a Reba (80mm) down the road.
The trek exclusive ends this year for the 9er Reba.
Chad-- have you had any body look into the racer X as a 9er - through you- if so what is your opinion on that one
SH- JRA
this has to be a record number for comments.
i can't wait to see jra's bike. be sure to post some pics when you get er up and running...
My bike is a ways out. Middle of May at best, probally end of May though. But I will post pics when I get some. By the way I am very pumped for this bike.
SH
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