MTB : 29er or 26er?

[Rouxenator]

I thought it was a no-brainer and that everyone would be getting a 29er when they upgrade their mountain bike, yet it seems some people still go for 26" wheel MTBs. Now maybe I'm just stupid or a noob at this but ever since I got my 29er, a cheap-ish GT Karakoram 3.0 at R5k new, I have seen an improvement in my performance and I feel a lot more at ease on the bike.

What reason are their to pick a 26er over a 29er? I don't want to sound like a chop should I ever get into a debate about this with more elite riders than me

 

[lerouc]

well im quite a noob at MTBing but i can't wait to trade in my 26 hardtail for a 29 softtail. I think the people sticking to the 26ers are just stubborn...i read an article in the new MTBing UK mag where they said specialized is not even making their epic bike in a 26er any more from 2012 and that a 29er won the world champs recently as well. They replaced all their team's bikes with 29ers so im guessing that is the way to go!

 

[Rouxenator]

You much have quite a budget if you are looking at a dually 29er. But if you can afford on... then why not I'm see some hardtail 29ers are going for close to R10k. If you are on a tight budget I can highly recommend the GT Karakoram. The top of the range 1.0 model goes for R7k and you can pick up a mid-spec 2.0 for about R6k. My 3.0 is entry level but really works well. I did the Karoo to Coast on my dads Karakoram 3.0 and it was awesome.

So be sure to check out GT. Hope you get a kick as 29er dually.

 

[TheGuy]

How do you know what your MTB is?

 

[Rouxenator]

Its your wheel diameter. If you don't know then there is a 98% chance it is a 26"

 

[web]

Personal choice, for the twisty bits I prefer my 26 for straighter stuff I think the 29er would/is better. I tried a 29er out on a section yesterday was awesome but as soon as it got twisty I didn't feel as comfortable. Maybe if I rode a 29er all the time I would get used to it but for me throwing a 26 around on a steep twisty downhill single track is better.

 

[Rouxenator]

Now that you mention it, that is something I experienced too. Did a bit of single track called "stairway to heaven" close to Durbanville and I had tough time staying on the track with my 29er. Its a very bendy and twisty bit and going uphill with speeds below 7km/h I can image a 26er being more agile.