Question for the taller 29er riders out there: In general when descending steep technical terrain do you feel more comfortable on a long travel 29er or a 27/26er with more travel?
At 6'2" I've been riding an XL HD for 4 seasons now and its time to order something new. I've had a few days each on a Bronson and a Tallboy LT, both of which I really liked and felt more comfortable and confident than the HD, especially at high speeds. My only experience on 29 is with the LT and a day on a Yeti 95. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get either of those 29s in steep terrain, the little I did get I found I could stay much more centred over the bike which I liked as opposed to over my rear wheel of the HD, essentially I'm assuming due to the OTB feeling on the smaller wheels from us taller guys.
I'm a Calgary rider but some local to you specific trail examples that come to mind are Gargamel and Kush(only ridden it in the wet which I'm not used to) in Whistler.
One thing I've found as well with the LT is I feel very comfortable jumping it over my HD, due to its inherent stability and no OTB feeling, especially off drops. And I like the idea of a shorter wheelbase of the LT compared to the Bronson.
Pivot 6 and Norco Sight are other options but I'm leaning towards the SC's as I want a fast climber. If I go TBLT, I would probably throw a 1degree angle set and possibly a 150 fork. Bronson I would leave as is with 150 fork. And as much as I would love to take more time to demo, it just seems like frames are selling out too quick these days so I want to get something ordered before the new year.