Pros/Cons of 26 vs 29'er MTB

amysmartin
amysmartin Posts: 84 Member
I'm looking for some advice on whether to purchase a 26" or 29" mountain bike. I'm looking at the Diamondback women's specific Lux, both are hardtail.

For trail riding I would be riding around mostly desert sandy trails, minimal hills. But I would also like to use the bike for riding around town with a child seat or trailer attached.

Any tips on which one to select?

Replies

  • bwnorton
    bwnorton Posts: 100 Member
    I just started riding a 29" hard-tail with Rock shox front suspension SRAM X7 drive train and Avid Elixer brakes. Our season in Illinois is just starting out, unless I want to buy studded tires and wrap up tight. The first thing I noticed compared to my 26 was the smoother ride over the trails I take. I liked my 26, but after the frame lost in a run-in with my son's car, I decided to experiment with the 29. I read that the wheel weight is higher, but I didn't see anybody complain about it yet. I am planning several longer rides soon and should be able to tell if the extra weight on the wheels is an issue at all.
  • boosht
    boosht Posts: 12 Member
    I have both a 26" & 29" hardtail MTB's.

    26" is snappy and twitchy in the woodlands and you can throw it into a corner are the plus points, the down side is that it feels the rough terrain more and does not roll as well (slight difference), but overall more responsive when you need to make a quick decision and change direction.

    29" is smoother over the rough stuff, uphill if your pedaling hard it keeps rolling more, along flat and downhill rolls more than 26" (easier), it's a little sluggish on turning quickly but feels stable on trails.

    so with the above if your cycling on open flowing trails and switchbacks use a 29'er, if your going into dense woodlands and needing to be alert and dodge branches and turn rapidly then get a 26".

    hope this helps and i've not confused you.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    How tall are you?

    What kind if trailer do you have? Our kid trailer will not fit on any of our mountain bikes (including my old diamond back and my husband's 29 hard tail). It only fits the cyclo cross.
  • lpherman01
    lpherman01 Posts: 212 Member
    29ers are BIG bikes. I think that for most men shorter than 5' 10" and most women in general, a 26 will be a lot smaller, lighter bike to deal with. Unless you are a pro, many of the differences stated above pale with regard to the size & weight difference. That said, there is a growing trend towards the 27.5" wheel which kind of splits the difference between the two.
  • patrickblo13
    patrickblo13 Posts: 831 Member
    I just purchased my new bike and went with a 29er Hardtail. I have been riding 26" for the past 6 years. I have only been able to ride around the neighborhood since we still have snow on the ground so I can't give a full report just yet. I can tell you my concern was going to be the bigger wheels since I am short (5"7). I don't feel the bigger wheels are a disadvantage for my size. I feel comfortable on the bike and don’t feel it is too big for me. The bike feels great, I can’t wait to get out and hit the trails.
  • Twomirrors
    Twomirrors Posts: 47 Member
    I'm a 5'8" woman, and I've been riding 29" bikes for 3 years after riding 26" bikes for years.

    26" bikes do tend to be more maneuverable, but the new 29" bikes are way, way better than they used to be. This is mostly due to the chainstays (the part of the frame that attaches to the back wheel axle) becoming shorter. I ride a Canfield Brothers Yelli Screamy, a 29'er hardtail, and it's amazing. I can throw it around like a 26" bike, but it rolls over stuff easily, a trademark of a 29" bike. It also climbs like a champ!

    One downside of a 29'er is that the larger wheel is harder to spin up when you're climbing. If you're mega strong, you won't notice the difference. If you aren't, you'll feel like you're pushing a big gear on steep hills. Gentle grades, however, are different. You'll be faster on a 29" bike than you will on a 26".

    If you're not riding super-technical trails (rocks, roots, etc), and you're not climbing really long, steep hills, get a 29'er hardtail, but get one with short chainstays and a slack head tube, because it will be way, way more fun. Canflied Yelli Screamy (or Nimble 9), Trek Stache, and the Kona Honzo all fit the bill.

    I'm sold on 29'ers in hardtail, but I'm selling my 29" full suspension and going back to 26" for a full suspension bike.

    Feel free to message me if you have any other questions.

    Have fun riding!
  • patrickblo13
    patrickblo13 Posts: 831 Member
    I just picked myself up a new Stache 8!!!
  • aliciaje
    aliciaje Posts: 83
    Sounds like you live in an area with trails conducive to a 29'er. They go super fast and can roll like no other.

    The reason I ride a 26er is that 1) I am 5'4 and feel like I am riding a giant clown bike at the circus on a 29er. 2) Where I live (rockies of Canada) we ride primarily tight trees, steep ups and downs, huge roots, rocks and all that fun stuff, I cannot climb on a 29er over things like these!
  • Looks like quite a few people have chimed in, but I wanted to share a bit of my experience. I ride several different ways. I ride local trails in Indianapolis/Avon, I ride with my son(5yo) and wife around the neighborhood, and I TRY and ride with my buddies that have road bikes.
    Two of those are no issue at all. Where I dislike my Raleigh 29er is on the road, even with a second set of wheels with smaller road tires, the weight of the 29er is just too much to try and keep up with a road bike. But, for the trails, I am in love with the 29er over the old 26" MTB.
    I have started to shave some weight off of it with a few upgrades and it handles my large frame just fine(6'4" was 320, now 279). Like others have stated, the bike just rolls over logs easier and has no problem finding its way through the tight stuff. I have actually been thinking of getting a road bike for those road rides and tricking the 29er even more.

    Biggest upgrades I saw an immediate change in were pedals, grips, and going tubeless. Can't go wrong with a 29er.
  • Riiseli
    Riiseli Posts: 18 Member
    The reason I ride a 26er is that 1) I am 5'4 and feel like I am riding a giant clown bike at the circus on a 29er.
    I was pretty much set on getting a 29er, but then started considering the size. I'm the same height (inseam 30") as you and I think 650b would probably be a better fit for me. I've had a road bike some 15yrs ago and might actually resurrect the frame further down the road. But have since been using a crappy city bike, which I can't wait to get rid of. However I want an all around bike that I can take off road as well and use in the winter with appropriate tires. I'll definitely do some bikejoring with the dogs and might also go on off road treks some day.

    So size advice needed. Esp. from others around the same height.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    The reason I ride a 26er is that 1) I am 5'4 and feel like I am riding a giant clown bike at the circus on a 29er.
    I was pretty much set on getting a 29er, but then started considering the size. I'm the same height (inseam 30") as you and I think 650b would probably be a better fit for me. I've had a road bike some 15yrs ago and might actually resurrect the frame further down the road. But have since been using a crappy city bike, which I can't wait to get rid of. However I want an all around bike that I can take off road as well and use in the winter with appropriate tires. I'll definitely do some bikejoring with the dogs and might also go on off road treks some day.

    So size advice needed. Esp. from others around the same height.

    You might look into a cyclo-cross bike.
  • Riiseli
    Riiseli Posts: 18 Member
    You might look into a cyclo-cross bike.
    Thanks for the suggestion! I've actually looked into cyclocrosses and if I don't resurrect the road bike frame I already have I may well end up with one, if I get really enamored w/ biking alone on pavement again.
    I also think a cyclocross won't fit my trekking dreams: http://youtu.be/rZiFWcHEIrw
    The general consensus also seems to be, that with the winters we get a mtb is the way to go. Singlespeeds would be better, but I need gears when biking with the dogs.
  • jagi410
    jagi410 Posts: 97 Member
    26er Pros: Lots of tire choices, tires are cheaper, tires/tubes are easier to find, faster acceleration, better handling.

    26er Cons: None.

    29er Pros: Rolls over curbs/roots/everything better than a 26er, inspires monster-truck like confidence, maintains speed better than a 26er.

    29er Cons: Tire choices are slightly more limited, and tires are more expensive. Slower off the line than a 26er.

    I've owned hardtail 26ers, a rigid 29er, a full suspension 29er, and now I have 2 rigid 26ers. One with 2.4" lightweight tires, and another one with 4.0" fatbike tires.

    My suggestion, get the one you like the most! The differences aren't as night and day as you'd expect.
  • Drudoo
    Drudoo Posts: 275 Member
    Go with a 650b from Jamis. Best of both worlds!
  • Riiseli
    Riiseli Posts: 18 Member
    jagi410: Thanks for the advice. I'll probably like anything thrown at me at a bike shop. At least that was the case today :P
    Go with a 650b from Jamis. Best of both worlds!
    If I could afford a 650b, I'd probably go for one. Unfortunately I'm on a budget.

    I tried a couple of 26ers today at a local bike shop. Trek 4300 Disc and Trek Skye SL Disc to be more specific. That women's bike was actually too short. Unfortunately they didn't have a 29er anywhere close to my size available, so I'll have to go to another place to try one out or back on another time. I got an offer for that 4300 w/ SPD pedals and mid-priced mudguards at 725€. I think I could get a 2012 Felt Q620 for 650€ elsewhere and I'm trying to figure out, if it were worth the hassle.

    I also bought Mavic shoes today, so I better get a bike soon... Tried a bunch of shoes and since these were the only ones that worked for me and were the last pair and also on sale so I took them.
  • composite
    composite Posts: 138 Member
    Pick a budget and book some demo bikes in that budget; with a mixture of wheel sizes. There is really no other way to tell if a bike is going to be comfortable than going and riding it.

    People talk about the size issues of 29ers being a problem but that's just as much a problem with 26ers or 650B. If you get the wrong size it's the wrong size, whether it's a bike or a pair of jeans. I know some short guys who ride 29ers and some tall guys that ride 26ers, the common factor between them all is they have the right size frame.

    I have thrown my leg over a couple of 29ers and done the carpark test and they OK but in all honesty I still have no idea if a 29er would be for me with out a proper ride. Depending on your budget it's normally worth spending a bit on hiring some demo's so you get the right bike long term. For instance getting a demo Orange 5 (one of my bikes) would be about £30-£40 for a few days in the UK, but when they cost upwards of £2500 its a pretty small percentage of that cost to know if its the right bike for you or not.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    If you buy the bike, a lot of shops will apply the cost of the demo to the purchase, or look for free demo opportunities. A bike shop here moved and is having a grand re-opening and will have Scott demos (the bike I'm looking at) free that day.
  • Riiseli
    Riiseli Posts: 18 Member
    I rode many bikes and got a pretty clear idea about the frame size. Went to try a couple more, was put on a 29er and fell in love. I've settled on a Radon ZR Race 29er 5.0, but might have to hold the thought for a while as there will be some unrelated and unforeseen expenses in the near future.