29″ers seem to be generating a lot more interest in the mainstream press than in past years and, with the arrival of new models from manufacturers like Cannondale and Kona, many of you are going to have a chance to get a close look at these big-wheeled mountain bikes.
This article takes a look at the important things to look for when shopping for that first 29 incher. Read the rest of this entry »
In recent years, single speed bicycles have been labelled everything from a revolution to a fad, even though the format keeps growing in popularity. There isn’t a specific reason for the fondness many riders have for singlespeeds, but the challenge of riding a bike with limited gearing, its minimalist style, and the ease of maintenance all play a role in its success.
Frankly, all three of the points mentioned above brought me to build a single speed bike this summer. In this article I’m going to give some basic information which can make the task of building a single from scratch, or converting a geared bike into a singlespeed, much easier. Read the rest of this entry »
The advent of the 29 inch wheeled mountain bike has brought about a heated debate the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the dawn of front suspension forks in the early ’90s. This debate is now being taken up over at cyclingnews.com, where two mountain bikes with identical specs were prepared, with the only differences being the wheel sizes and the frame-specific considerations needed to fit each to a frame and fork.
Something strikes me as being quite strange about this whole endeavor, that being the differences between the two types of bikes. They are not just any old differences, but probably the most important ones about any bicycle.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that since the differences are so radical, the comparison is ludicrous. I have ridden both style of bikes; 29 and 26 inch, and I can say that they are different enough that you have to ride each in a different way. If you do not, the full potential of both is lost. They are different tools for different jobs.
The premise that one or the other is best, as the test is formatted for, is a misguided effort. Rather than that, they should endeavor to find out which wheel format works best on certain types of terrain, something that would be far more useful than a blanket “this versus that” which-one-is-best kind of angle. Read the rest of this entry »
The gearing combinations you use on a mountain bike can have a serious effect on the way that you ride. Most times, people take the gearing selection that come stock on their bikes for granted, but by taking a close look at how you ride and how you shift, you might find that a different gearing selection may work better for your pedaling style, terrain, and application.
There are two wonderful resources I found that discuss gearing for cyclists. You should check these out first, and I’ll just summarize a few points here.
In a nutshell, mountain bikes typically have three chainrings up front and between seven and nine cogs in the rear. A gearing selection is made up of the combination of the front ring and a specific rear cog. So if you have three rings up front and nine in the back you (theoretically) have 27 different speeds. Read the rest of this entry »
Whether you are a regular home wrencher or are the type who fixes your own emergencies and then leaves the tough stuff for the pros, there are certain bike tools you just can’t live without. Favored tools differ from person to person, of course, and the things in your toolbox will depend on the type of riding you do and how much work you do on your own bike.
So I figured it might make an interesting story to discuss the five tools that I couldn’t go without in my shop. These are the tools I use the most and, with a fleet of 10 bikes between myself (7), my wife (2) and my son (1), plus the regular arrival of test bikes through my job at Pedal Magazine, my tools are put to good use.
Since my riding focus typically falls on the cross country racing and road riding side of things, you’ll notice that weight-weenie side of me in my tools. But after your read my list, please feel free to post your own list of most-used shop tools. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the largest segments in the 29”er market place is made up of a group of singles. There are many of them, they are cheap and easy, and they are not hard to find. Of course, I’m talking about the tremendous array of choice in the single speed 29”er hardtail mountain bike marketplace.
For those of you who are new to the game, you might ask, “What is it that mates these two things together like white on rice?” For most people, this strange phenomenon defies explanation and makes it difficult for them to get their heads around. Is this whole thing nonsense? Or is there something to it? Perhaps there is an obvious connection between these two seemingly disparate things. Let us take a closer look at big wheels and single speeds. Read the rest of this entry »
This is the last entry in the series and, after spending some time looking at the benefits of the 29″ wheeled bicycle, this time I will explore some of the disadvantages of going with a 29”er.
The typical reasons people give for not going with a 29 inch wheel are not going to be found in this article. Popular arguments against 29″ers — the wheels are too ’slow’, the wheels aren’t stiff enough, 29″ers corner poorly — are either misconceptions about technical elements or are issues related more directly to a rider’s skill level than the 29″ wheeled bike. This is especially true since wheels can be built especially stiff, bike speed can be gained by different gearing, and cornering is actually better on 29”ers if the rider knows how to use the correct techniques. Read the rest of this entry »
In the last few installments, I covered the basic concepts and benefits that are an inherent part of the 29 inch wheeled trail bike. In this installment, I will attempt to show how you can take advantage of the 29″er’s strengths while you’re out on the trail.
The most obvious benefit to the 29 inch format is the increase in traction over a 26 inch wheel, due mostly to the difference in the shape of the larger tire’s contact patch. Better traction helps riders in in two ways.
Climbing. On my 26 inch wheeled bike, I’d often experience wheel spin (and the resulting loss of momentum) on short, steep climbs. With the aid of the 29″er’s better traction, now I am able to successfully clean these sections of trail. This is something that can open up new levels of success for the 29 inch bike rider, and even make you try harder climbs than you thought possible before.
Cornering. Since the front tire of a 29”er is less prone to washing out, higher cornering speeds are attainable. The trail rider can brake less and carry more momentum through the turns — this alleviates the need to regain your lost momentum after the turn. You can achieve a more flowing ride with less need for acceleration than you can with a 26 inch wheeled bike. Read the rest of this entry »
Editor’s note: This entry is the third in Guitar Ted’s introductory series on the 29 inch wheeled bicycle. The first entry is a brief introduction to the twenty niner, and the second discusses some of the main benefits that a 29″ wheel bestows on riders.
Using a 29 inch wheel in a trail bicycle application is a little more complicated than it might seem at first glance. There is much more to it than taking an existing frame and simply increasing the length of the frame’s chainstays and the fork’s legs! Whenever you change one aspect of geometry on a bicycle, it affects the geometry of the whole bicycle and it is no different when you change wheel sizes.
This writeup looks at the ways 29″er designers address several things in their designs that help replicate the handling of a 26 inch trail bike. Read the rest of this entry »
In my first post, I discussed how the 29 inch wheel got its name and touched on its background a bit. This post will reveal the main reasons why the 29 inch wheel works for mountain biking. It is these benefits that drive the 29 inch wheel movement.
This section is not a treatise on military maneuvers. Rather, it is a description of how a wheel rolls over an object. Read the rest of this entry »