Brian Lopes testing 29ers?
Uh oh, the end is nigh.
If you have the book Mastering Mountain Bike Skills 2nd Edition, you know what Brian has thought about 29ers:
“Wagon wheel bikes .. circus bikes … Barnum & Bailey …”
“I don’t see any reason to ride one. I’ve heard about all the benefits, but they don’t accelerate as quickly. I hear they roll through stuff better, but I never have problems rolling through anything.”
“It’s a bike for people who are old and lazy and need something better. If you have an aggressive riding style, you’re not riding a 29er.”
Well, as seen on Twitter:
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As much as Brian thinks he hates big wheels, he sure loves winning. Now that he’s ditched gated racing for XC and Enduro, all-out acceleration isn’t as important as overall speed and efficiency. Let’s not forget Adam Craig is killing it on a 29er.
If I was Brian, I’d be thinking:
• I can out-sprint, out-corner, out-pump, out-think and out-compete most of the guys out there.
• The top XC dudes have higher sustained power than I do, and there’s not much I can do about that. (Heck, I’m 40 this year, and I only have another 20 years at the top.)
• A 29er would help me carry more speed under sustained power, effectively reducing the top XC racers’ advantage.
• I can learn to rip any bike.
• Any Ibis I ride is going to be dialed.
• I should test 29ers on various courses and let the clock do the talking.
• I know people will give me grief for riding a 29er, but — hey — as long as I’m beating them who cares?
That’s what I’d be thinking. If I was Brian.
Lee
Update from Brian:
Well I just got done shredding some sick jumps here in Bend, OR and I wouldn’t be hitting them on a 29’r. I can see where they can be faster on some courses, but those usually aren’t courses which are very fun or ones that I would pick to ride. Races are held on all different types of courses and sometimes those course are boring, not technical, or whatever else that may be suitable for a 29’r. You are right, I like winning and there will be some races I do which I may have to pick that bike to improve my chances, but I’ll do what I can to avoid them. I like responsive, quick handling, lively bikes that I can throw around. Tractor wheels don’t produce this.
Know more. Have more fun!
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Can you imagine Brian on 650b! Best of both worlds and would still look normal. He’d kill it!
“Uh oh, the end is nigh.”
That summed it up perfectly! Ha ha!
My daughter asked what was wrong when I read the header and exclaimed “What?!” Very surprising, but cool, news.
I think it’s awesome Brian is looking at 29ers. The technology has changed a lot in the past few years.
@Lance
Good point! It’d be really cool to see him test out both sizes and see which one fits him better. (Does Ibis have a dedicated 650b platform yet?)
See update from Brian, added above.
Lance: I think a Mojo HD with bigger wheels would be one heck of a weapon.
The upcoming Ibis Ripley 29er will certainly be sweet as well.
HAHA great response! I am with Brian on this. I like the smaller wheels (26”) but still feel there is a place for 29ers. With limited time on them its tough for me to give an honest opinion but that may change here soon as we may be adding a 29er to the test fleet. But I see them visually kinda like surf boards. If I want to RIP and ride I choose the short board. If I feel like cruising and chillin on some days I may choose the long board. Funny thing is with my BMX background (about the same time as Brians) I have a hard time on the 20” now, since I have been on the 26” for so long. But I still have my 24” cruiser that I have fun on!
As a terrible surfer with terrible shoulders, I have never caught a wave on a short board. But I’ve cruised some beautiful cruisers on a long board!
I’ve recently had to buy a 29er so as not to let my team-mates down. I tested some 29ers years ago and I’ve been bagging them out over since and so my mates they gave me heaps for being a hypocrite.
I will soon be doing my own shootout between a 5″ Trance 26er, a 4″ Anthem 29er, and a 5″ Trance 29er and then Strava will tell me which is king.
We know that a 29er XC bike has won a world cup XC race, but when a 29er DH bike wins a World Cup then the end won’t just be nigh, it will have come.
Hey Lee,
Would it be possible to ask Brian his feelings on 650B? I wonder if he will put a set on his HD? I know he won’t be able to throw them on his SL-R.
What are your feelings as well?
I’ll send Brian the link to this page again, and we’ll see what he says.
My feelings? Having never ridden a 650B bike:
Right now if you want >140mm of trail suspension and big wheels, 650B seems to be the biggest you can go. An Ibis Mojo HD, Specialized Enduro or similar with 650B would roll like a bike with even more suspension. Not sure how that would affect handling.
Why compromise? Once I learned to ride a 20-inch BMX bike, I lost interest in riding 24-inch cruisers. Heck, I can ride a 26 or 20 — each with its own feel. Why compromise?
That said, a long-travel trail bike with 650B wheels and correct geometry could be sweet.
aussie chris- do they make a 29er dh bike? i know intense tried and their rider did like 3 runs and went back to his 26
I’m not sure they could make rims strong enough for a 29er, they can barely make rims strong enough for 26 with the speed these guys are running now, was it windem? where gwinn basically crushed that rear rim but some how made it to the end with out flatting
“Races are held on all different types of courses and sometimes those course are boring, not technical, or whatever else that may be suitable for a 29’r.” Downieville? Carl Decker?
http://singletrack.competitor.com/2011/07/news/carl-decker-on-downieville_18260
“It’s a bike for people who are old and lazy and need something better. If you have an aggressive riding style, you’re not riding a 29er.”
Todd Wells, Jeremiah Bishop,Jaroslav Kulhavy, etc. Make sure you let them hear about it when they’re passing you!
I agree completely with Brian.. For the non-technical courses, they’re great. Because it’s road size wheels for non-technical courses that could be ridden on a road bike.
Sometimes it’s hard enough turning a 26″ wheel. I can’t imagine riding a 29er. They feel weird to me.
Did ride around someone’s 650B 120mm bike. Interesting feel, but I’m still enjoying my 26″ wheel bikes (DJ, AM, and soon to be DH) to get a new bike because 650B is the “in” size.
Hey Lee, You haven’t had a graph up in a long time 🙂 Im 6’2″ and love to rip on my 29 evo and don’t find many disadvantages. Brian is 5’… what? What the ratio of wheel size to rider height? Im totally over the 26-29 argument but would love to see some math.
Golly I love infographics. I’ll see what I can do.
I am also over the 26 v 29er and now 650b’s ride what you like but why does it seem like 29er riders are always validating or defending their choice of rig on every forum I ever look at???
lee that chart would be cool, maybe their is something to the size of the rider and the size of wheel that is most appropriate, just like fram size…..?
Lennard Zinn, who knows more about bikes than all of us, was building 650B bikes 20 years ago. He thinks wheel size should be proportional to rider size — just like with kids bikes.
26 vs 29? If the debate brings out the sweet riding in this video, who cares? Check it:
http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/Shredding-the-2013-Specialized-Stumpjumper-FSR-Expert-Carbon-EVO-26-and-29,14327/sspomer,2
That’s a good one. A few of those Keene pumps are definitely accentuated by the smaller wheel. Bottom line for me: If you can still rip like that on a 29, and it’s way better/easier uphill, why not?
@Chance
To make up for the years of them getting ridiculed for riding wagon wheels! LOL!
“Lennard Zinn, who knows more about bikes than all of us, was building 650B bikes 20 years ago. He thinks wheel size should be proportional to rider size—just like with kids bikes.”
I think that makes a lot of sense for most bike categories. Bike companies can do a lot of things with geometry today, but an XC hardtail 29er for someone who is 5’0″ like my wife just looks HUGE.
Lessons from the video
1) Who cares both bikes rip!
2) if you’re not as fastas Keene than it doesn’t matter anyway.
“Bottom line for me: If you can still rip like that on a 29, and it’s way better/easier uphill, why not?”
I’m 6’2″ and feel like I’m still learning to rip on a 26 and have plenty to go. Lee, would you agree that fir nist it’s easier to learn trail pump-fu, railing corners, jumping, manualing, and general steezy braaping on a 26″. Even if you’re taller? That’s my justification for staying 26″ for now anyway (that and I can’t afford a new bike for a while :)).
What I was responding to were the rude remarks by Mr. Lopes. By all means, ride what you like and have fun doing it. Just don’t rip other people for not riding what YOU like. I found it surprising that a former world champion and representative of a major bike company would make remarks like that. I did not find it surprising, however, that some people would be quick to fall in line and agree with him. That was completely predictable. As a 6’4″ XC rider, the 29er wheels feel like home to me. YMMV!
Agleck7:
Yes, I suppose so. Smaller wheels do a better job rewarding backsides and punishing frontsides. Learning on a 26 vs. a 29 is like learning on a 24 vs 26, or a 20 vs. 24. — or learning with less suspension.
You can spot a bmxer on any size wheel @20,30,40 yrs old. I guess it’s what’s cool about wheels on dirt, you can never confuse skill with fitness no matter the wheel size. I gain more from spending time on my 20 to my 26 than I ever did going from 26 to 29.
at Rey totally agree, people that come from the BMX back ground pick mtb up really quick! but it isn’t trasfers, took a couple mtb buddies to the bmx track on 24’s and they struggled hard and i didn’t get it since they rip pretty hard on 26 DJ bikes… must be tough to down size or something