At the weekend the Independent supplement had the 50 top bikes listed (in the opinion of two of their technology writers!) No big surprises, some folders, some road bikes, some MTBs and lost of hybrids. And the new Chopper. No recumbents. One bike that caught my eye was a Gary Fisher MTB with 29" wheels at about 700 quid. The blurb went on about it riding over rough stuff better.
ISTR that early MTBs had wheels larger than 26". Why did they move to 26"? Availability? Strength? And, do any serious MTB riders use bikes with 29" wheels?
And, do any serious MTB riders use bikes with 29" wheels?
I think they've been in common use in Kalifornia for a few years, but until recently were illegal in UCI-sanctioned events, presumably to keep those pesky 'cross bikes out. However, while looking at the Romans'^H^H^H^H^H^H^HUCI's gruesomely-overhauled web site the other day, I noticed that they have changed Rule 1.9.3 from 26 to 29 inches as of Jan 1st this year.
At the weekend the Independent supplement had the 50 top bikes listed (in the opinion of two of their technology writers!) No big surprises, some folders, some road bikes, some MTBs and lost of hybrids. And the new Chopper. No recumbents. One bike that caught my eye was a Gary Fisher MTB with 29" wheels at about 700 quid. The blurb went on about it riding over rough stuff better.
ISTR that early MTBs had wheels larger than 26". Why did they move to 26"? Availability? Strength? And, do any serious MTB riders use bikes with 29" wheels?
Dunno .. but I do recall that Honda (motorcycles) introduced 23" front wheels on their 70's XR and XL line up of Enduro and Trail bikes. As they were the only company that did this their sales weren't enough to generate interest by the tyre companies and so spare tyres that were good were unavailable unless you had sponsorship .. Most people retro-fitted 21" (Standard size) front wheels. The larger wheel, while great in theory, did nothing for handling at all off-road, and was a debatable asset / liability on-road.
If, and I haven't seen these 29" wheels, this goes the same way, then I'd expect them to die a death after a few years.
On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 13:09:48 +0100, Dave Larrington <[email hidden]>
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If, and I haven't seen these 29" wheels, this goes the same way, then I'd expect them to die a death after a few years.
The so-called "twenty-nine inch" wheels use xx-622 rims, so they /may/ not die out that quickly...
Yes, the bike in question is billed as "dual use" in that you can stick 700c tyres on and have a hybrid. How that makes it different from sticking slick on a 26" I don't know.
On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 13:09:48 +0100, Dave Larrington <[email hidden]> wrote:
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Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
If, and I haven't seen these 29" wheels, this goes the same way, then I'd expect them to die a death after a few years.
The so-called "twenty-nine inch" wheels use xx-622 rims, so they /may/ not die out that quickly...
Yes, the bike in question is billed as "dual use" in that you can stick 700c tyres on and have a hybrid. How that makes it different from sticking slick on a 26" I don't know.
Colin --
The larger wheels have lower rolling resistance, don't they?
-- Michael MacClancy Random putdown - "They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." - Thomas Brackett Reed www.macclancy.demon.co.uk www.macclancy.co.uk
Yes, the bike in question is billed as "dual use" in that you can stick 700c tyres on and have a hybrid. How that makes it different from sticking slick on a 26" I don't know.
Colin --
The larger wheels have lower rolling resistance, don't they?
Probably. Here's the text of the blurb from the Indy:
"[Description of MTB...] But that's not all. Swap thos thick knobbly tyres for 700c road tyres, and you have a bike suited to commuting and general road-riding. I's the ideal all-rounder."
The bike is called the Dual Sport 229.
I felt this gave the impression that the writers thought this was novel rather than something that can be done either way to a 26" wheel MTB or a 700c hybrid (given enough clearance.) They probably just rehashed the sales literature from Gary Fisher.
"Colin Blackburn" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht "]news:[email hidden]...
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ISTR that early MTBs had wheels larger than 26". Why did they move to 26"? Availability? Strength? And, do any serious MTB riders use bikes with 29" wheels?
Colin --
My mate uses a 29'' Nishiki and I ride a 26'' Cube. I did 6.39h in a 110 km mtb marathon with 3.000 meter of climbing He did 6.10h on the same ride, but he's a better rider than I am. This is the first year he's using the 29'' bike, and he says there's no real difference in riding exept for the real steep climb, which are little easier now.
I would not buy a 29'' for the purpose of converting it to a hybrid, coz there is (or should be) a bike for every type of use.
"Colin Blackburn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
Yes, the bike in question is billed as "dual use" in that you can stick 700c tyres on and have a hybrid. How that makes it different from sticking slick on a 26" I don't know.
There's more choice on the market for 700c slicks, mind.
