I can relate to this, but in slightly different way.
If you're climbing up the North Road trail on Burnaby Mtn from the very bottom you start off with a techy steep pitch to climb and at the very top there's a about a 10-12" step-up over a rock that you have to muscle yourself up and over. I used to get it on a regular basis on my SX trail, but since moving to a 29'er I haven't cleaned it at all. That extra height on the front end is enough to change the physics of the move that it's really difficult to keep your weight forward enough so that the bike doesn't loop out but back enough so the rear wheel doesn't spin out. It's not a move that you can coast through due to the steepness, you have to be pedaling the whole time. It might be possible to trials hop up and over it, but because of the steepness I don't know if it's possible. It's now definitely one of those "Impossible Climbs" for me.
So I think what you're saying definitely has some merit. Those few extra inches of height in the front end can definitely be felt when riding.
Dec. 2, 2024, 4:14 p.m. - Mark
I can relate to this, but in slightly different way. If you're climbing up the North Road trail on Burnaby Mtn from the very bottom you start off with a techy steep pitch to climb and at the very top there's a about a 10-12" step-up over a rock that you have to muscle yourself up and over. I used to get it on a regular basis on my SX trail, but since moving to a 29'er I haven't cleaned it at all. That extra height on the front end is enough to change the physics of the move that it's really difficult to keep your weight forward enough so that the bike doesn't loop out but back enough so the rear wheel doesn't spin out. It's not a move that you can coast through due to the steepness, you have to be pedaling the whole time. It might be possible to trials hop up and over it, but because of the steepness I don't know if it's possible. It's now definitely one of those "Impossible Climbs" for me. So I think what you're saying definitely has some merit. Those few extra inches of height in the front end can definitely be felt when riding.