29" has been a long time coming to DH. I always thought it seemed backwards that it started with XC bikes and has slowly progressed to bigger bikes. Full disclosure: I am a dedicated 29" rider. Many of the great pioneers of mountain biking experimented with bigger wheels but it was the availability of tires, parts and strength at the time that lead to 26" being adopted as defacto. Gary Fisher championed 29" for years as he always knew it was the better size. Now we have the technology to build strong bikes with 29" wheels. Why wouldn't we do it for DH where it is faster?
June 14, 2017, 7:41 p.m. - cyclotoine
29" has been a long time coming to DH. I always thought it seemed backwards that it started with XC bikes and has slowly progressed to bigger bikes. Full disclosure: I am a dedicated 29" rider. Many of the great pioneers of mountain biking experimented with bigger wheels but it was the availability of tires, parts and strength at the time that lead to 26" being adopted as defacto. Gary Fisher championed 29" for years as he always knew it was the better size. Now we have the technology to build strong bikes with 29" wheels. Why wouldn't we do it for DH where it is faster?