Joined the herd.

[Sandwich]

Bit the bullet, took the leap. Going to see what the 29er thing is all about. So far the bike is a bit more spindly than my trek but it is entirely not set up for my fat backside yet. A little bit of toeverlap, but hopefully that will either not be noticeable or go away with my spds vs. boat shoes and flats.

[rockofullr]

[MMcG]

Any ride time on it yet?

[Sandwich]

Yeah, actually- this weekend at monkeyfest.

First off, I don't notice any negative traits to 29" wheels besides a little bit of toe overlap on rough switchbacks. I never felt that handling was sluggish or detrimental compared to a sixer. On that note, I didn't notice Aton of advantages to big wheels either. It was slihtly better over roots but honestly I need a lot more time sorting out the suspension before I can really comment. The rear end is stiff and it feels like an airshock...I bounced briefly on my trek fuel again and it is suuuuper smooth by comparison with no top out and a nice progressive feel. The Reba fork is significantly stiffer than the float, and the whole bike feels much stiffer as a whole than the fuel.

I did take it on jester with a shorter stem and flats and the thing ripped pretty well. I certainly wouldn't have minded a slacker head angle and a more responsive fork, but I had as much as anybody, and really didnt have trouble keeping up with the DH monkeys until it got rough.

[jonKranked]

I never felt that handling was sluggish or detrimental compared to a sixer. .

that's cuz you sucked to begin with

[Sandwich]

Oh hush buthurtr....not all of us want to ride short bikes with tiny stems weighing 38lbs... Come to kt and ride 20 miles and then see if you still love your lalom bike.

[jonKranked]

Oh hush buthurtr....not all of us want to ride short bikes with tiny stems weighing 38lbs... Come to kt and ride 20 miles and then see if you still love your lalom bike.

ok. i regularly do rides that long on it anyways.

and it weighs a LOT less than 38lbs. not that i've ever weighed it...

[Westy]

What does MTBR have to say about that frame?

[Sandwich]

good for the price.

[jonKranked]

REBA: Rebuild, Explode, Build Again

[MMcG]

I suspect you'd be fine with a 120mm 29er fork up front on that thing to get a slighty slacker head tube angle.

And maybe a shock upgrade at some point in time. Not sure how that Radium (is that what's on it) stacks up to the competition - but then again - the frame itself is priced at an affordable level. You got that whole bike for just a little more than what the frame goes for right? So I'd say you got yourself a nice "value" in that rig!

Well done.

[Sandwich]

Honestly, I got a reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally good value for my dollar. I don't like to discuss details openly, but let's just say, a fully XT equipped bike with maybe 2 rides on it before I bought it, for the price I paid, is crazy. There are some crappy components, but I already have some replacements and some are easily replaced. The guy even gave me a spare set of hubs (XT, deores on there now) to go with it. Fit is spot on and once I get the rear end (and front) dialed, I'll be pretty happy, I think.

[jonKranked]

about tree fiddy?

[E. Guido Soda]

Yeah, actually- this weekend at monkeyfest.

First off, I don't notice any negative traits to 29" wheels besides a little bit of toe overlap on rough switchbacks. I never felt that handling was sluggish or detrimental compared to a sixer. On that note, I didn't notice Aton of advantages to big wheels either. It was slihtly better over roots but honestly I need a lot more time sorting out the suspension before I can really comment. The rear end is stiff and it feels like an airshock...I bounced briefly on my trek fuel again and it is suuuuper smooth by comparison with no top out and a nice progressive feel. The Reba fork is significantly stiffer than the float, and the whole bike feels much stiffer as a whole than the fuel.

Pretty much the same thoughts I have on my recently purchased 29er; not a *ton* of negative difference in the corners, moderately noticeable improvement in climbing and /root/rock clearance, but a radical difference in speed - buckle up!

The downside is, like you state, that it feels extremely stiff...perhaps even a lack of report over terrain. I wrote about the Fox fork in another thread so I won't re-hash it here, but it just doesn't seem to want to absorb all of the energy of the hit. Same thing with the rear, Float RP2 w/ "ProPedal" AKA - a lockout switch. Again, I can't tell a tremendous amount of difference with PP on or off. On ascents, maybe. On flowing ST, nothing...which I guess is a good thing. I suppose the attachment of the swingarm to the shock via the MAG Link/top tube may have something to do with the lack of report...perhaps it is designed to ride more like a hardtail...? I'm coming off of an '04 Jekyll on which the rear shock was bolted to a pivot cage which was attached directly to the seat post...needless to say, it was very squishy when fully open. I can live with it and dial it in, it's not a deal killer at all.

What really blows about this bike, the Trek SF 100 AL Elite, is the tires. I was sliding all over the place yesterday on these BR 29-1 2.2's. I am going to reverse the front for more traction - if it doesn't help, they go in the junk...errr, reserve pile.

[Sandwich]

Yeah, the wheels carry so much speed over grass it's impressive. I have michelin AT19 tires, and they're really pretty impressive. The big wheels seem to give much more traction while climbing, which may be due to more even application of torque, vs. MOAR TORX with 26ers....maybe my tires are just better than the more aggressive ones on the 26er.

It seems that most people notice flex when switching to a niner...that wasn't my case. The fork is certainly stiffer, though the wheels and frame may not be....I don't know. I think people get real hard talking about stiffness but in the end, the important thing is efficiency on the pedal stroke and good steering input, and small amounts of flex aren't necessarily bad or can be good. Lots of flex is always trash. I lightened up the pressure in the shock and it started to come alive last night, but it's still not as good as the fuel.

For the tires, get rid of them asap. People complained constantly about the tires that came stock on my fuel, and fortunately I never tried to do anything with them. My michelins are nice, and when they wear out, I'll look at the wtb bronson as a more aggressive tread, if I stick with the 29er setup.