Christoph Sauser sums it up great. Strength in your legs is important. He chooses wisely the 26. Traction of the 29 may be better on climbs but cost more energy. Jesus, the same stupid discussions are going on in road racing about the weight of the wheels. The best rider in the tour the France can also win that competition on my Madone 3.5. What this Sauser is saying is more important than some lab-tests. Of course the 29 is ten or twenty seconds faster on a smooth 1 hour xc track where you can make speed. But who gives a shit. The same guys who pass me on their 29 bikes would also pass me on a 26er. Ride what you have and accept the limits of your legs/knees/age. Keep upgrading what is broke. And just enjoy.

After riding MTB for over 20 years, have just gone from a trek 26" hard tail to a camber evo 29" full suss. Unbelievable difference. I'm not the tallest - 172cm, but the bike handles trails and climbs so much better than my 26" x country bike. Jumps better, corners better, climbs better. Really has been quite a revelation.

@stephenreid2355

10 жыл бұрын

That's an interesting perspective. Naive, but interesting.

@hadenmills7611

10 жыл бұрын

they dont jump better. im 15 i ride a 29er and i have my 26inch dj bike for jumping the 29er is the best for xc you dont have to pedal your face off. 29er is better for a taller person with more mass too throw around.

@stephenreid2355

10 жыл бұрын

I guess riding is different for everyone. Great to hear your perspective, too.

@hadenmills7611

10 жыл бұрын

at the end of the day it comes down too what you are comfortable on. :) I have both wheel sizes still need a 650b bike

@stephenreid2355

10 жыл бұрын

Ah yes, old BMX bikes - don't get me started on those - I'll start rambling on about my Eric Rupe signature edition mongoose....yikes, here I go again...Happy trails too.

26 inch wheels were actually a bit of an accidental choice in the first place, due to the lack of availability of wheels and tyres in the early days. They plumped for what Schwinn had in stock for their cruiser bikes. I've always thought 26 inches was too small, especially over rocky sections. On large frame bikes they look ridiculous. I've just swapped to a 29er and man, the difference is amazing. Much better over gnarly rocky, rooty sections and uphills are easier too. You do have to watch for a bit more front wheel washout on downhill bends, but overall, my times are faster and being a senior age rider, the additional feeling of stability is welcome. Works for me!

He said he chose the 26" over the 29".what do you think he rides now? He rides a Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 29.

This is the best comparison I've seen yet.

First bike documentary with decent music on background! CHEERS

I think is all marketing. I prefer 26. But if you like 29 or 27.5 is your choice. Remember, the most important part in the cycling is the rider, the bike is only a tool, if you are not a good cyclist with a 26, don't expect a miracle with a 29 or 27.5.

@mixalhs8155

3 жыл бұрын

Yea that true i know someone with a 2008 bike 26er not carbon frame and he is better than some others with 7000€ carbon 29ers but i think its not marketing because i had a 26er bike a giant xtc allux sl i dont sell it because the frame is legend for his years and o switch to a 29er carbon bike and the only things i se its you can be a little faster and it roll over from everything but i still love my old bike 💞😍

personally i defiantly prefer the greater movement of suspended carbon 26. Its a quick and nimble bike. however I've nothing against any other sort of rider. The only thing I don't like is being told my personal preference is wrong.

@ltendler3

7 жыл бұрын

of course no many years later I ride only 29ers. They roll faster and modern geometry means they turn better too. Oh boost is the ONLY way to go for 29! I absolutely love my pivot and trek

@jasoncornish2904

4 жыл бұрын

@@ltendler3 thanks for update. old guy here getting back into MTB now that my kids are old enough to bee effective at it. Got to catching up to do on the tech. Think I'll keep riding my 1996 rig for now until the kids start beating me lol.

I use to be a staunch 26er. Then, I bought my first 29er. The bigger wheel size is not just an improvement, but completely energizes my riding to a new level. A smoother power transfer is the most critical advantage of the bigger wheel. I'm coming back on all the videos on Google's KZread to retract my previous comments against the 29er.

@pycanthusderossi4665

Жыл бұрын

So was I when I switched from a 26 mtb to a 29 gravel bike but now that I bought a 29 mtb I feel like I've made a mistake, those wheels are too large coupled with the bigger tires, I can barely steer this garbage around obstacles and tight turns.

It’s good to see there are many more choices out there. Hopefully tires are easily available too if I ever get a 29r.

i'm sticking to 26". ;-) thanks for the video.

That was actually very interesting. Would love to see him test a Stumpy 29er hardtail against both.

eu continuo usando uma 26er com v-brakes e tenho bons resultados!! I'm still using a 26er with v-brakes and I have good results!!

Seeing as Specialized has just committed its entire Epic and Stumpjumper models to 29er then i'm not surprised that a Specialized produced video found the 29er to be faster!! :P

I believe you Mike, Santa Cruz all the way. The Blur C is one bad ass machine. Wish I had one.

Remember getting this those sworks shoes he has on and the first 29er epic model and everyone being like “it’s a fad”. A couple models on now and still on the epic.

It's not fake just because the GoPro is there sometimes. and then sometimes it's not. Sauser did the initial time trial run. Then after that, they went back and filmed clips for the video. After all the time trial runs were over, that is.

Very nice track.

A 29er may be quick but at the end of the day the destroy the fun of riding small wheels. I ride a Specialized Big Hit I with a 24 inch rear wheel. Great handling - great fun.

I own both a 29 and 26. And to be honest I really prefer my 26 by far. Every time I jump back on 26 I am amazed the difference in acceleration, and its also more entertaining on the trail. And since I put a 120mm travel fork on the front of my 26, the only significant advantages of the 29 is momentum and ride comfort.

@pycanthusderossi4665

Жыл бұрын

Same, the 29 seems like it's trying to control me when going around obstacles and in tight turns while the 26er is helping me steer.

There is something called 69er .. 29" front and 26" back.. perfect.

I have been on a 26 Dual for many years now and rode a 29er for the first time this week.....I thought my GPS was broken becasue I had a 21 minute improvement on my best 50km loop.. That's BIG. I also took it into some pretty technical single track and it felt like it tracked allot better than my 26er. When it came to climbing it felt allot more grounded and held its momentum. IM SOLD..

Specialized, please do a video with the Pitch i am interested in purchasing one but i want more details

Not necessarily. For example, in the Olympics this year, the racers fastest laps on the course were towards the end, even though they rode hard the entire time. Athletes in that condition don't get burned out in a 20 minute climb, it's almost more of a warm-up.

couldn't agree with you more!

Try Walnut creek in Austin Texas. See if a 29 is easier in twisty single track. Of course you need to do this soon as lots of saplings, which give 26 an obvious advantage, are being steadily whittled down and will eventually be removed to make trails "safe" and wide for bigger bikes. This is happening to trails everywhere as bikes get bigger, longer and "faster". Also the decreasing topsoil exposes rocks, roots which help make a 29 an advantage. See ya on the freeway. Enjoy the ride.

I also rode a friends C dale Caffeine 29er, and really like it for some reason. Seemed to clear certain rough sections quite easily and be stiff under foot. I'd buy one for the right price, but I'm kinda cheap. It did handle strange on tight switchbacks, and I had a tendency to tip inside on left hand turns....Seat time would likely fix any cornering issues.

If he would use a 69er he can benefit from the fast acceleration of the 26 rear wheel and on the other hand has the advantage of the 29 front wheel which improves the smooth ride over the bumps.

When I'm riding in forest areas, I now always seem to pick the 29er. I just enjoy it more. Its just a nicer, better feel ride.

The engine is what matters.

got a 29 for this season. Never going back :)

If you are riding on a straight paved road then would a 29er be faster or does the advantage only come from being able to move over rocky terrain better?

It'd be nice to see the same runs with power meter results.

When approaching downhill corners at speed - I definatly find I can brake later and harder with the 29er - maybe this is because you get more rubber on the track with the larger diameter, mixed with a little more stability? Then through the bend I find it more stable. This stable feel gives you confidence to let it go harder and faster than I would on any of my 26" wheels.

its really down to preference. you heard him. he chooses the 26er because of his riding style, even though he was faster in this test on the 29er. it really is just a choice that someone buying a bike needs to figure out for themselves.

All right, First of all 26'' was the birth of mountain bikes. Why did it start with 26 inch wheel size I don't know. MOST of the 26 vs 29 videos I've seen are absolute BS. just to point out when he started going DOWN the hill on the 29er he didn't have a GoPro on the handle bars. and a few cuts later one magically appears on his bars. one of MY theories on this is because most bike companies EG. Trek, Giant, Specialized may have put extensive waste of money and resources towards this so called innovative wheel size. and they need to lie about it being better so it sells. I have ridden a 29er off-road on some very technical and tight trails. In my opinion it required more effort around corners and through some very tight technical sections, BUT it did however roll smoother and faster on some of the flatter and more open trails. Its PERSONAL preference to what wheel size you chose and the best way to do that is to ride one for yourself. it all depends on what type of riding you do.

@phatcuntaye4749

7 жыл бұрын

Sry but 29 was the birth of mountain bikes

Rode a friends 29er and the sense of momentum is def there. For what I paid formy Trek maybe 12 years ago, 26 still suits me just fine. lol

26ers are going to take their revenge

My Gary Fisher 29er ( with fox front shox) is like monster truck in forest :D goes over everything

Wheres the video now on the 650B vs the 29er?

@joobfa796 We have. All the pro riders are now jumping on 29ers and winning the biggest races in the world Sea Otter last year just to name one off the top of my head

i ran both and i think it's dependes of your biking style and how do you feel confortable riding in a trail.the i feel that the26'er has a sharp response in narrow turns and trails.and to pass over a obstacle it's quite similar.the 29'er rolls a few inches foward than 26'er. and in a flat terrain 29'er has a little vantage.

types of bikes are down to preference, 26 inches tend to steer better and have more response and 29 ers have better traction, keep their momentum for longer and roll over obstacles better, or that show i understand it, I have a 26er but I am getting a 29er, cube acid 29er if your interested

I think it depends on the rider, i love my hardtail 29er, but if i got a full suspension bike, i would get a 26er, because i feel like i lose some handling ability with the 29er

If the same person does the same track one with 26 and then a 29er. If he consistently is getting better times on the 29er then this is a good thing. I don't see how this cannot be accounted for. he may not win the race but he is beating his own personal score. I just think that 11 seconds is a big improvement and the reason why Christoph has switched.

What do you think about the Bergamont revox 8.2?

I am unsure it is that simple. I am 5ft3 but feel comfortable on a 29er. Is it more that the bikes are more suitable for different types of course terrain?

26 or 29 that's the argument now; later we'll be discussing about the 29 and 31..then 31 vs 33; etc...

Well,I am 15 and 185cm(6'1).So far I have ridden only 26er hardtail(since I'm into cycling more seriously).Tomorrow I'm getting a full- suspension allmountain type 29er.Hope it doesn't cut handling performance for the faster climbing and descending.The bike has the second shortest chainstay on a full-suspension 29er on the market.Hope that helps :-)

@COMB0RICO

9 жыл бұрын

How do you like the 29er?

@vihrenkostadino

9 жыл бұрын

It has made me far more confident on the downhill and climbing up obstecles on the way up is a joy :D

@COMB0RICO

9 жыл бұрын

Вихрен Костадинов Thanks for the feedback. Godspeed!

@billylaker685

8 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this comment i was not sure if i was tall enough for a 29er this helps me out thank you.

Went from an Stumpjumper M2 from '98 to a 04 Nishiki Z29, SJ is better for flat riding, Z29 for hills and fast riding on the streets.

Can someone please take me through the decision process when choosing between a Fuel EX, a Superfly, and a Rumblefish. It would be most appreciated if someone could think aloud how they would define their anticipated use, and use this to then assess each bike model's pros and cons thereby leading to an informed choice. Where does each bike design excel? Which bike design offers the most versatility? What is each bike design's weakest attribute? Thanks!!!

I agree with this, the 29er will be faster over that time that they tested, but a 29er pushes your heart rate quite a bit higher - NOW, how will this affect you after a 5 hour race? Thats what i want to know...

Y que hicieron con la Epic 26 de esta prueba,¿la depositaron en la basura?

I have both. 29er for fast up/down hill and over things. 26" a lot more fun for pump track, jumps and switchbacks. On all mountain terrain..not much difference though.

Wow magic....Old video here 1:37 no GoPro on the handle bars during the same run 1:42 a GoPro appears on the bars🤨. This happens on the 26 and the 29er ride. Something doesn't add up here.

2:31 chain bouncing all over.

The standover on a 29 is the same as a 26 in most cases. You could argue that a shorter riders would benefit even more due to the lower centre of gravity. Ive yet to find a course where my 29 was slower than my 26.

hmmm...I'm trying to make sense of what you wrote. In a time trial in any type of race 11 seconds to me is a lot. Same course same person but 2 different bikes. One being a 26er and the other a 29er. I just think if you're racing yourself and you shave off 11 seconds that's pretty impressive. I'm not downing the 26er's either they are both great and both have their own pro's and cons. I'll do some more research and a few riders and see if they agree.

@122chucknorris thats actually a really good point...

The 700C wheels mean for on road & packed grit trails, that a 28" x 1.5" touring tyre, will be even faster and more durable than MTB tyres. On road training rides with Marathon Plus anti-puncture tyres, I've actually been invited onto wheel of club racing cyclists, because of the high speed despite missing drop handlebars (but crouching and moving hands in from grips helps aerodynamics).

hmm from what i can ascertain wouldnt the best solution be to make a 27.5" bike?

My experience. Really fast guys with lots of skill will go the 26" because it is more light/nimble and they would not declare a benefit of the 29er. The rest of us, mere mortals who are not the cream will gain heaps from using a 29er, and enjoy the ride a whole lot more as well. 29ers hold speed better in the transition to the climb, less concentration required, lines can be sloppy, the climbing is easier as the toque is sweeter for managing the bumps. I ride the Giant X0 2012, happy as. :)

name of the song?

I'd take him easy on my carbon blur 26"

@zerordie95 I've got a pitch, awesome bike, does everything!

26 vs 29,ground clearance is 1 1/2 inches higher, the difference in wheel size on top and bottom from the hub. As for higher top speed on the 29er,whats the bike weight, gear ratio on both bikes,crank arm length,are the tires the same? These things make a huge difference along with frame design.Side by side tire prints reveal less than a 1/2 inch difference in the amount of tire touching the trail. So do what you like ,buy the 29er if your looking for something new,i dont believe its better.IMO

@Janesch oh, i see. very true.

But what did pro's race with?

wouldn't you have to do the rides on 2 different days? or at least a few hours in between. it seems to me the 2nd ride would be slower just cause the rider was fresh on the 1st ride

the 29er times were slightly better but his heart rate was higher on the big wheeler I.E. he was trying harder .

29er is faster when he was using more watts to push his bike. I want to see this test with both bikes and the same amount of energy (in watts with a powermeter). With the pulsometer, seems that he used more power in the 29er

can I do brevets using a 26er XC MTB. 200km 300km

Rats ? OHHH Ruts... oops I bought a 29er 1 week ago LOVE it !

What glasses is he wearing

I own both 29er and 26. IMO you dont ride a 26...you Shred on it!

Great bike , rides smooth kzread.infoUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L I added a bigger spring loaded seat to it . Takes a bit of adjusting cables to get brakes and shifting to perfect . I've owned quite a few bikes in the past that were absolutely uncomfortable to ride and they always ended up as garage wall decor . I'm not seeing that with this one. It's pretty light I've only ridden it a few miles but I like it . As for the pedals falling off in the other reviews , the pedal arms are aluminum along with the pedal studs look to be also . I would not overtighten them. I can see it would be very easy to overtighten them and strip the threads right off . All in all I think it's pretty good quality besides the aluminum pedal thing .

how aboutt a big hit with 29 in front and 26 in back?

Well the average heart rate was higher on the 29er on the uphill which means more energy is being used on the 29er than the 26er. 11 seconds difference is not much of a difference but is easily accounted for in the higher energy output that the rider did on the 29er. Any test that shows only a difference of about 10s won't convince me. My rides vary by 10s for the same ride all the time on my bike which is a 26er.

What's a jeep track?

Why would they choose to market a 29 if it wasnt faster? Are they that much more profitable than a 26?

@trenttyre just a matter of time before they find the perfect wheel size like 28.123882 and then everyone can just get over the 29er phenomena

the 29" acyually has 28" wheels. They call it 29" only because the tires are much bigger than on a road or cross-bike

How tall do you mean, whats the minimum?

@alesailing84 Very true. I just sold off my 29er. They are clumsy and slow. 26" for me.

If you've got the power to keep the big wheels rolling, 29er all the way. For racing, I won't be looking back.

I don't think the wheel size makes much of a difference but the size of the rider should be considered when looking at wheel size. Tall riders will be better suited for 29ers.

@ltendler3

10 жыл бұрын

agreed. I saw a twelve yr old recently riding a new 29er he could barley see over the front wheel. far too big and ungainly for him.

When I race in Single Speed class, its almost entirely 29er's

Name of music? 3:45

@122chucknorris and what's fake about that? he did his run and for some filming material he did some parts again. that's called producing a promo video.

I use 26, because the road bike wheel size is keep 700c, same wheel size if you use 26x2.1, if bigger better, why the road bike not use the 29 wheel size? 😂

Better for everyone no.. but a 29er with large frame is the most comfy bike I ever had, smaller wheels are going to suit smaller less powerful riders and allow smaller bike geometry. A 26er would seem like a toy now.. 29er's will be here to stay.

the same test made my friend and the results was similar

I would have cared when I was 25 years old and competing in Colorado, but at 43 riding a couple times a week in North TX. I really don't care. I ride what I've got (Jamis Dragon Team 26) and will switch to something else if a deal comes along and/or something breaks. I was on a 95 Mantis Pro-floater for 6 years but it got pretty flexy from all the use over the years. Rode a friends basic Stumpjumper fsr 26 2010 model and thought it rode nice enough. Prob. would go a bit faster on it.

650B FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

650b ftw!

only if specialized would come out with them!

29er pros - very fast and efficient both on trails and paved. definitely faster than previous bikes i'v ridden. comfortable ride despite being a HT. rewarded me well whenever i decide to really power pedal the bike. cons - difficult on sharp turns specially on very tight/narrow single track. more difficult to pedal through thick mud unless u carry higher/faster momentum. off camber moments are scarier. u will feel penalized for slowing down.. so dont

Why do you think 26" was readily available and not 29? Plus you said gnarly, your post is void.

No, different days would be bad because of changing course conditions. A short rest to recover inbetween rides suffices.

@joobfa796 its just for him