29ers are mountain bikes with wheels that measure 29 inches
in diameter. That's bigger than the 26 inch rims commonly in use.
The 29'er is just what the mountain bikers call a 700c rim, same as a road clincher. Before Fisher came along and marketed them specifically there were people using CX rims and tires to build their 29'ers. Fisher did not think up the concept by himself, after all. Anyway, the 29" rim is 622mm and typically is 700mm outside diameter on a mounted road tire. Just to confuse things, the rim is the same for 28" touring wheel.
People like the way the larger diameter rims roll over trail ruts. The
29ers put a larger contact patch on the ground, just like larger diameter
car tires do. This translates to better traction in some conditions.
Larger rims may be a bit faster on downhills, too.
29'ers:
Have lower rolling resistance
Larger contact patch
Lower bearing resistance and wear
Decreased tire wear
Better rolling stability (i.e. gyroscopic effect)
26'ers
Have lower weight
Faster acceleration
Stiffer with same hub flange spacing
Lower inertia
Downhillers still use 26" wheels because they are considerably stronger and so the upside of rolling over stuff is negated when you taco your rims. For normal people, this is less of a problem, but you will probably notice more flex. Keep in mind that some of the effects are very slight, like tire wear and bearing resistance comparing the two. Stiffness is definitely noticeable between a 26" and 29" wheel, as is traction and acceleration.
All things being equal, the 26" wheel will feel faster than the 29" wheel to get moving. Once in motion the 26" wheel will feel like it stops slightly faster, but the 29" will feel smoother on the trail. Thing is neither is 100% right or wrong, just different options. Some frames work better with 26" wheels, some people like 26" wheels with long travel rather than 29" with less travel. Most average XC people prefer 29" wheels in a HT or 3" bike, but I'm personally happy with my 26" Blur. Now if someone gave me a boat load of cash to replace my sled, I'd probably buy a 29" bike. But the couple I've ridden did jive with me and so I haven't felt the strong urge to replace the Blur. Shrug.
chubchaser60 said:
o ok that esplains it. so i would have to have a bigger fork for sure. i doubt it but would a 29 inch fit in the rear of a 26 inch frame?
You can fit 29" wheels in some 26" frames and even some 26" forks can barely fit them, typically rigid forks, though. But depending on where your brake bosses on the frame are, the brakes may not touch the rims right. If you're running disk brakes, then it won't matter.
