dh 29'ers

Posted by: UFO

If you're pulling in a million vert feet a year no way $400 will get you through a season. A proper fork and shock service will run you to that budget already if not more.

My new to me fully/park bike is a 3 year old Norco, 26" wheels and all. I'll ride it into the ground because I bought it for so cheap, thanks to these new standards, and locals here especially of tend to love the latest and greatest. No skin off my back, I'll buy their gently experienced gear for pennies on the dollar.

Who said I was pulling a million vert feet per year? In my dreams -  I have two kids.

Seriously $400 is my max. I service everything myself. Its the only way I can afford to ride.

Now DH 29ers are the be all and end all of its going to effect second hand sales of 27.5. It happened before not just for bikes -  wheels, brakes, suspension etc etc.

There is a sound bite from a few years back at inter bike, maybe, could've been for this very site but I'm leaning towards mtbr now. Niner product manager roughly says  "605b/27.5 is a half step towards the real mtn bike wheel size.  Industry always goes half step, like cable actuated discs before hydraulic."  

Maxxis has been quietly releasing new tires in 26" for the past few years. Even the new Schwalbe Addix combo has a 26 Magic Mary.  DT Swiss offers EX471 and FR570 Rims in 26.  26" forks are still being produced, (walking into a shop and purchasing one off the wall is another discussion) Frames are done besides the used market

Posted by: Kieran

Who said I was pulling a million vert feet per year? In my dreams -  I have two kids.

Seriously $400 is my max. I service everything myself. Its the only way I can afford to ride.

Now DH 29ers are the be all and end all of its going to effect second hand sales of 27.5. It happened before not just for bikes -  wheels, brakes, suspension etc etc.

The million vert feet was aimed at somebody else complaining about the pace of standards and 'progression'. I don't disagree that a good chunk of this progression is aimed at marketing and forcing the consumer to upgrade, forced obsolecence, etc etc. But when I upgraded from 2x9 SLX to 1x10 XT with a clutch and nw ring, my eyes were opened up. The first time I rode a modern Pike-era fork, once again my eyes opened up. My Deore brakes outwork anything top of the line from 5 years ago at 1/4 the cost if that. Any way you swing it, bikes are way better now than they were even say 3 years ago, especially in the mid-level/range. Does it mean we are having way more fun now than 3 years ago, not really. I still had lots of fun this winter riding my 10 year old hardtail with dated geometry and parts

Why not get on the other end of the second hand sales, ride the wave of depressed costs of a 27.5 bike because the newest/latest/coolest 29 model just came out. Instead of constantly worrying about whether your brand new off the floor bike will devalue 50% the moment it rolls out the shop door (it almost does that anyways even without a new model being announced), just ride it and enjoy it -- one of the perks I find of buying used. Let somebody else take the hit of depreciation, and let somebody else do the R&D testing for a first year release model.

Posted by: Endur-Bro

Maxxis has been quietly releasing new tires in 26" for the past few years.

Annoyingly, the Canadian distributor refuses to bring in new models in 26". Notably the Aggressor.

Just get them from bikediscount.  They seem to have both kinds of 26" Aggressors available, and I imagine at a much lower price than you can get here.

"Progression". Queue Inigo Montoya meme. 

There has been progression but if you think introducing 20 year old "technology" is progression, well, I don't know what to say. 

Who here has the capability to dispute the fact a 30 inch wheel rolls better than 29?

Hit up google, set the search date range to 2013 to 2014.  Then type in 650b and read the marketing bullshit on why 29ers aren't right for DH, whereas 650b is. This from both the manufacturer's and the "media".

All my other points still stand.

Posted by: Endur-Bro

26" forks are still being produced, (walking into a shop and purchasing one off the wall is another discussion)

Actually, it's looking like walking into the shop and special ordering them is going to be the only way to get them.

Posted by: ReductiMat

Who here has the capability to dispute the fact a 30 inch wheel rolls better than 29?

Hit up google, set the search date range to 2013 to 2014.  Then type in 650b and read the marketing bullshit on why 29ers aren't right for DH, whereas 650b is. This from both the manufacturer's and the "media".

for sure. i just don't think the market was cognitively ready for big wheels in long travel iterations then. i was certainly skeptical until i tried a couple long legged 29'ers recently - which opened my eyes to their viability in dh applications. 650 was more or less an necessary evolutionary stepping stone. not that it's going to cease to be a viable option any time soon. smaller people need smaller wheels, and some people prefer their handling characteristics. both wheel sizes seem to be happily coexisting in enduro, with neither dominating; i expect dh will be similar. 

re: (even) large wheel diameters - though there's more than a handful of custom builders using 36" hoops, i expect 29" is a tidy nexus in a balance between rollover capability and packaging constraints (including butt clearance).

Hart won the BDS Ft Bill race on the 29er Mondraker...

yep. though he's really the man to beat at ft bill, so no great surprise. that said, they're certainly different handling beasts, and to be up to speed so quickly on a new platform must be encouraging. can't wait to see how things play out at the WC race.

Only 1.6 seconds ahead of Bruni. Last year he beat Gee by 1.9 seconds. Go figure...

Posted by: xy9ine

Posted by: ReductiMat

Who here has the capability to dispute the fact a 30 inch wheel rolls better than 29?

Hit up google, set the search date range to 2013 to 2014.  Then type in 650b and read the marketing bullshit on why 29ers aren't right for DH, whereas 650b is. This from both the manufacturer's and the "media".

for sure. i just don't think the market was cognitively ready for big wheels in long travel iterations then. i was certainly skeptical until i tried a couple long legged 29'ers recently - which opened my eyes to their viability in dh applications. 650 was more or less an necessary evolutionary stepping stone. not that it's going to cease to be a viable option any time soon. smaller people need smaller wheels, and some people prefer their handling characteristics. both wheel sizes seem to be happily coexisting in enduro, with neither dominating; i expect dh will be similar. 

re: (even) large wheel diameters - though there's more than a handful of custom builders using 36" hoops, i expect 29" is a tidy nexus in a balance between rollover capability and packaging constraints (including butt clearance).

That is all fine and good, but I am here to inform all you fuckers the emperor has no clothes.

The EXACT same bullshit that is being traipsed in front of us why 650b is shittier than 29ers was the exact fucking reason why 650b was better for downhill than 29'ers two years ago.

You're all a bunch of monkey's.

If you want an easier ride, ride an easier trail.  There is no amount of mathematics that will limit the ease at which you ride a trail to wheel size. 

60 inchers for the win you stupid cunts.

xy9ine, apologies for quoting you. 

Unless you're in the marketing department of a bike company, then you are indeed a part of the problem.

Posted by: ReductiMat

Posted by: xy9ine

Posted by: ReductiMat

Who here has the capability to dispute the fact a 30 inch wheel rolls better than 29?

Hit up google, set the search date range to 2013 to 2014.  Then type in 650b and read the marketing bullshit on why 29ers aren't right for DH, whereas 650b is. This from both the manufacturer's and the "media".

for sure. i just don't think the market was cognitively ready for big wheels in long travel iterations then. i was certainly skeptical until i tried a couple long legged 29'ers recently - which opened my eyes to their viability in dh applications. 650 was more or less an necessary evolutionary stepping stone. not that it's going to cease to be a viable option any time soon. smaller people need smaller wheels, and some people prefer their handling characteristics. both wheel sizes seem to be happily coexisting in enduro, with neither dominating; i expect dh will be similar. 

re: (even) large wheel diameters - though there's more than a handful of custom builders using 36" hoops, i expect 29" is a tidy nexus in a balance between rollover capability and packaging constraints (including butt clearance).

That is all fine and good, but I am here to inform all you fuckers the emperor has no clothes.

The EXACT same bullshit that is being traipsed in front of us why 650b is shittier than 29ers was the exact fucking reason why 650b was better for downhill than 29'ers two years ago.

You're all a bunch of monkey's.

If you want an easier ride, ride an easier trail.  There is no amount of mathematics that will limit the ease at which you ride a trail to wheel size. 

60 inchers for the win you stupid cunts.