A 29er Has Bigger Wheels But is Bigger Better?
Pros and Cons of Buying a Mountain Bike with 29 Inch Wheels
Sep 2, 2009
Mountain biking has become a hugely popular sport and, as with all sports, the manufacturers of equipment are always looking for new products or market areas. The current growth area is towards the 29er, a mountain bike with 29inch wheels. Almost any biking magazine you pick up today will have an article extolling the virtues of 29er bikes.
The Gary Fisher website has 29er bikes listed first and claims that “Bigger wheels…make for a faster, smoother, more stable ride.” So bigger must be best then?
29er Bikes
It’s worth pointing out that a 29er uses wheels with a rim diameter of 622mm (24 ½”) in line with its ISO standard (iso622). The wheel diameter becomes closer to 28 ½ inches once an average tire is included. None of that really matters of course except that in marketing terms 29er has a better ring than 28 and a half-er!
The only important point of note then is that a 29er has bigger wheels than a standard 26” mountain bike. But what does it really matter that one bike has bigger wheels than another except to boast to your mates, “My bike has got bigger wheels than your bike!”
Benefits of Riding a 29er Mountain Bike
The science is yet to prove the real benefits of a 29er over a 26inch bike but the often quoted, albeit unscientifically proven, benefits are:
- Bigger wheels will roll over obstacles more easily, something to do with the angle at which a larger wheel will strike an obstacle.
- There is slightly more rubber in contact with the track or road on a bike with larger wheels and this logically will improve cornering and straight line traction.
- According to Lennard Zinn in his regular Q&A Technical spot on VeloNews, December 17 2002, larger wheeled bikes give designers more flexibility in designing a bicycle’s geometry for larger riders.
Disadvantages of 29er Bikes
The equally unscientifically proven disadvantages are:
- Larger components, spokes, rim tires and tubes result in heavier wheels with more circulating bulk, making the wheel/bike less maneuverable.
- Longer spokes suggest a weaker wheel with more lateral flexibility.
- Lack of availability of parts, tires, tubes and forks for 29er bikes. This argument is less credible now as the current strong trend has forced more manufacturers into the market.
- Converse to the larger rider argument, smaller riders may not be able to find a 29" bike with suitable geometry plus the bike will look totally oversized for a petite figure.
Which Riders Suit 29er Bikes?
The honest truth is that the 29er will suit some riders better than others and all of the above advantages and disadvantages have some merit. The 29er is well suited to single speed riding where the improved rolling performance of the larger wheel assists the rider in forward momentum. Lovers of tight and tetchy single track, on the other hand, may find a 29er less maneuverable through the tight bends and therefore less fun.
Mountain bikers who like to get out and cover some distance, discovering new countryside without huge amounts of technical riding, will love the ground-covering nature of the larger wheels. Taller riders may love 29ers for the improved frame geometry that is made possible by larger wheels and will certainly look more “normal” on a bike which is 3 inches higher off the ground.
Buy a 29er or Stick with Traditional 26 Inch Wheels?
So to get it into perspective, the 29er offers mountain bikers an option in the same way that longer forks, lighter components or Sram over Shimano components offer choice. The only way to know if a 29er is for you is to try one. Don’t just fall into the marketing trap of believing that riding will be slicker and faster on bigger wheels or the hype that 26 inch wheels are simply passé.
Related Articles
You may also be interested in Single Speed 29er Mountain Bikes and How to Choose a Replacement Bicycle Wheel.
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