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Demystifying the 29”er: Riding Tips
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.
Increased traction
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.
Better stability
The 29″er’s bigger wheels also have the characteristic of being more stable. This trait allows you to be more relaxed in tight terrain and go faster down steeps and down hills. Sometimes this quality is described as “less flickable” or “slow handling”. Some folks like a nervous handling steed, but 29”ers are not of that breed. My experience has been that tight, twisty single track is negotiated in a much more relaxed manner than with my 26 inch wheeled bikes. Not slower, just easier.
More momentum
The 29 inch wheeled bike also has a tendency to carry its momentum for a longer time than smaller wheels. This makes your downhill runs go a little longer without pedaling. It also helps in climbing where the momentum of the wheel won’t be stopped as easily by trail obstacles. The roll over traits of the bigger wheels is a part of this, as well. This is probably why single speeders have taken to 29”ers.
A smoother ride
Finally, the 29 inch wheeled format has a smoother ride than 26 inch wheels. Less jarring rides will result in a fresher rider at the end of the trail. Some find the ride so smooth that the need for a front suspension fork is negated. A commonly heard accolade is that suspension on a 29”er feels as if it has longer travel than it really does, which is attributable to the ride quality of 29 inch wheels.
Next week…
In the next installment, I’ll detail some of the negatives of going with a 29 inch wheeled trail bike.
1. Posted by chris pittman | 5:45 am, 30 March 2006
Main difference in cornering between a 29er and your standard 26″ is the 26 ” wheel is going to carve a tighter arc through a turn. Also, in my experience, a 29″ wheel also experiences more lateral flex in it than a 26″ wheel.
And it is something that you can actually here whether riding with disc brakes or “v” brakes