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MountainBikeReview.com's Forum Archives - 29inch Wheeled Bikes
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29", not good (10 posts)
|  29", not good | Mister T.
Oct 8, 2002 2:48 PM | | Think about it... You can see a difference between 24" and a 26" You know the the 24 is stronger and that only 2" difference... Now were talking 3" bigger than the 26... I don't think this wheel would last very long... depending on your riding of course, but they'd still need more trueing... |
| not necessarily.. | Stonedead
Oct 8, 2002 3:09 PM | | I've been riding mine for months, without a single need for a true. Others here have similar stories. |
| not necessarily.. | somaweim
Oct 8, 2002 5:42 PM | | stonedead is right! i've got just under 5000 miles and 12 races on a GF supercal 29er i bought in february. i've trued the wheels once. about the same (or better than) my 26" bike w/ ust crossmax. |
| not necessarily.. | Mister T
Oct 8, 2002 5:45 PM | | I'm not too familiar with 29". but i was wondering, how many spokes? |
| Then WTF are you saying "not a good idea" when you know | 2melow
Oct 10, 2002 11:27 AM | | nothing about it.
Over a year on my 29"er and i've trued the rear wheel once! |
| Depends... | GlowBoy
Oct 8, 2002 7:12 PM | | Sure, all else being equal, a 622mm rim is not going to be as strong as a 559mm rim. So you need a little heavier wheel or a couple extra spokes. Big deal. Still doable, and IMO worth it.
And anyway, a 29" wheel built around a singlespeed hub is still going to be a LOT stronger than a 26" wheel built around a 9 speed freehub!
- Dan |
| re: 29", not good | Cronometro
Oct 8, 2002 7:42 PM | | First lets define stronger; having great strength / able to resist considerable force. (per Webster)
With all things equal a 24" rim will deflect less from the same force than a 700c rim if the rim design and spoke count is the same. What does this mean, a rougher ride. It also means the rim has a higher possibility of denting do to forces being more localized. The smaller tire contact patch will also make your ride rougher and transmit more shock to the rim, frame and you the rider. The smaller wheel will have shorter spokes. Spokes stretch and contract every time the wheel makes a revolution under load and stretch a little farther when an impact force is encountered. The shorter spokes have less stretch before they become elongated or pass their elasticity (where they will snap back to shape like a rubber band) limit just because they are shorter. Steel stretches a small amount per each inch of length. When this happens your wheel at minimum gets out of true, worst case the rim collapses The larger rim will have more defection from an equal force but it has more area to disperse the shock. The spokes have more stretch because of their long length. What dos this mean. Although the larger wheel may be slightly more flexible it can withstand more force before permanent damage. It also means that me, the rider will receive less shock over equal terrain. I will not even get into the fact larger wheels roll with less resistance over equal obstacles. Why are titanium and carbon fiber so popular? Because they absorb road/trail shock and still maintain a stable ride, if designed correctly. With that said..
I am 6' 7" and 300 Lbs, If you don't believe me ask Marty (Martini). I ride a 29"er with only 40mm tires and 32 spokes per wheel. I ride mostly rocky single track for pleasure and I do on bike medical coverage for large races. Many of them 24 hour races, ya know rocky single track in the dark. On my, skinny 40mm tires. I have now trued my rear wheel (the weakest wheel due to dishing) the first time, after two years of riding them year round. I run an 8 speed rear wheel not a single speed. Oh and by the way I am riding an unsuspended cyclocross bike with about 20-25 lbs of water and medical supplies on my back. If big wheels can hold up under me, I think you will be OK.
I plan on building a 2.1" or wider tire 29"er this winter but for now I will ride what I got a cyclocross bike with the fattest tires that fit. I have a 26" MTB with suspension but it does not roll as nice or as fast. People do not understand how a guy my size can whip their butt on a unsuspended funny road bike in the single track. Its fun.
BTW my rims Velocity deep V road rims, 32 hole, campy chorus front hub, shimano LX 8 speed rear hub. |
| re: 29", not good | flyweight
Oct 9, 2002 11:49 AM | | Depends on the rider. All the people I know who ride 29" wheel MTBs come from one (or both) of the following backgrounds:
1) They've ridden cyclocross bikes (same wheel size but about 1/2 the tire width and air volume)
2) They've been riding MTBs long enough to remember when suspension forks and full-suspension bikes hadn't been invented yet.
These riders know the hard way that you can't get grace from gadgets. They know how to read the terrain and not do the stupid stuff that so many of today's riders who have never ridden a non-suspended bike typically do (like plowing into rocks and roots instead of hopping over them or going around them) For these riders a 700c wheel with a 2" wide tire is plenty strong. Also helps to ride handbuilt wheels with proper, even spoke tension instead of the machine built wheels found on almost all production (and many "custom") bikes. |
| re: 29", not good | Cronometro
Oct 9, 2002 12:40 PM | | Here, Here, well said |
| Well said (nm) | Stonedead
Oct 9, 2002 1:33 PM | | |
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