I was surprised to see that quite a number of brands, Specialized, Rocky Mountain, Intense, are still pushing their 29'ers this year and seem to be emphasising their shredding capabilities. Got me wondering if perhaps we might see some 29" DH bikes in a couple of seasons. Anyone got any thoughts?
How Long Until Someone is Racing a 29'er in the WC?
- Thread starter Odissius
- Start date
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
I've not paid really close attention to these gangly offerings, but didn't specialised have an Enduro with 29 wheels and dual crowns?
Topperharley
Likes Dirt
In a WC DH? No one will want to be that guy.
Alo661
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Almost 2 and a half years ago.
http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/World-Championships-Bikes-and-Gear-2013,6282/Mitch-Ropelato-on-Taking-his-Specialized-S-Works-Enduro-29-to-2nd-Place-in-Timed-Runs-at-World-Champs,63046/sspomer,2
Doubt you'll see 29ers in anything more than 180mm travel at the very max.
http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/World-Championships-Bikes-and-Gear-2013,6282/Mitch-Ropelato-on-Taking-his-Specialized-S-Works-Enduro-29-to-2nd-Place-in-Timed-Runs-at-World-Champs,63046/sspomer,2
Doubt you'll see 29ers in anything more than 180mm travel at the very max.
Imagine if the thing Intense built was a good thing and they showed up with a race sled. The reaction would be pretty amazing but then picture the flow on effect if it won the event and then won more events. It'd shake the culture of downhill and change things to an unimaginable extent.
Downhill doesn't need 29ers, they don't work on real downhill trails. Thank fuck.
Luke Strobel gave it a good crack on a 29er last year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=42&v=EnoimrkIsn8
Cue comments about it not being a real DH track, too pedally, enduro track not dh track what-fecking-ever blah blah blah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=42&v=EnoimrkIsn8
Cue comments about it not being a real DH track, too pedally, enduro track not dh track what-fecking-ever blah blah blah
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That's an awesome track! It's definitely downhill enough that I wouldn't consider anything other than a downhill bike, he smoked it.
Harder Nox
Likes Dirt
These were in the world cup rounds a few years back from memory
http://lenzsport.com/mountain-bikes/pbj/
http://lenzsport.com/mountain-bikes/pbj/
The dude can ride. And those Evils are unbelievably capable. Proper fun wagon wheels.
I wasn't going to point at the elephant in the room but yeah, he's one of America's best.
Ivan
Eats Squid
I think the only reason you don't see them in WC DH is that the big wheels can't be built strong enough to survive, without being super heavy, which just further exaggerates their lack of agility (one of their shortcomings). A lot of the WC guys destroy 27.5 wheels for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Thats also why a lot of the EWS guys use the 27.5 versions of their manufacturers bikes.
Thats also why a lot of the EWS guys use the 27.5 versions of their manufacturers bikes.
One of the reasons you don't see many 29" downhill bikes is because with 29" 200mm travel bikes, rear wheel clearance upon full compression becomes a major issue as well as general suspension kinematics just being generally worse with the bigger wheels on longer travel bikes. This is why there's not many (perhaps any) major players producing 170/180mm+ travel 29" bikes
mitchy_
Llama calmer
a 160mm 29" fork already has the same axle to crown measurement of a 200mm 26" fork, plus the extra wheel height... the front end on anything with more travel would be in the sky!
FoxRidersCo
Sanity is not statistical
Intense built a 29" 951 in 2009 aptly named the 2951 ... the concept never took off
So everyone feels this is pretty unlikely then. I just found it odd that quite a number of brands would continue to build them and market them with gravity in mind even though it would appear the general consensus is that 27.5" makes a better gravity orientated Enduro bike. I would've thought the additional cost of having to have moulds or whatever to build both 27.5 and 29" bikes would have been a waste of money, as I doubt offering two sizes captures that much more market share to offset the production costs? Kinda made me wonder that there might be a few boffins in HQ's around the place working on designs to make 29er's more and more gravity capable.
It was 2013. And lets not get the truth get in the way of a good bit of hate. The 29 inch wheel riding hack may or may not have been 2nd quickest in the seeding run.
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scblack
Leucocholic
scblack
Leucocholic
Is this the same track an Enduro bike placed third?