syngltrkmnd - I agree on the gearing. I've spent time on 2 x 10 drivetrains on a few bikes over the last two or three years and I don't like them. I find that I spend way more time in the granny on a 2 x 10 than I do with a double and bashguard set up, because I can't spin a 38 / 36 up a long climb. I also dislike hitting the big ring on a 2 x 10 on trail debris.
I've set up my personal bike as a double and bashguard, with 24T / 34T rings and as 12-36 cassette and I really like that. It's much more useful, IMO.
I don't think that's really an issue with 29ers, though, it's a problem with the spec. And therein lies one of the larger issues with the bike biz - bikes are (usually) spec'd for the widest possible audience. That means they'll be good for some riding locales but not others. It affects everything from tires to stems to gearing combos. Hopefully, the product managers spec a bike with enough parts that work for the average consumer, but chances are you're going to have to change some stuff to optimize it for local trails. Tires and stems are an easy fix, cranksets not so much.
JCL - nope, don't have the bike. Left it with Giant after the one-day adventure.
She said, why don't you stop your crying/
Go outside and ride your bike
- Sliver, Nirvana
"If stars were all that mattered, why would I go to the trouble of writing a review?" - Roger Ebert
