Should I buy a 29" wheeled bike?

Question

I am replacing my heavy and kinda old mountain bike and am looking at a 29" wheeled bike as an alternative (a Fisher Paragon 29'er to be exact). I ride a lot (1400 miles this year) and have heard about all the benefits of a bike with 29" wheels... I'm also just over 6 foot and I've also been told that I would really enjoy this kind of bike. I am really interested in how they handle and if there is any kind of learning curve involved with riding this type of bike... Also is there any things I should know before I go buy one? Do they not last as long? Any input would be very appreciated....

Answer 1

I don't have a 29er, and I am quite short (5'4") so it is not of much interest to me, however I know A LOT of people who have made the switch. Shops around here regularly carry and sell 29er tubes and tires. The only part you might have any trouble with are only about 3 companies make suspension forks for them now, but if you buy a bike already built, it is not an issue. To get the straight scoop, check out the 29er forum on MTBR. You can probably get specific info on the Paragon if you want. I know Gary Fisher (the guy) is a strong advocate of the 29er and rides one himself.

Answer 2

I have heard some good things about the 29er. One thing to think about, you will be limited on parts that you can buy for it due to the size of the wheels. Schwinn tried to introduce their own hybrid bike in the early 90's and it bombed. Also the parts may end up being more expensive due to the scarcity. Fisher makes a good bike so don't worry too much about the durability unless you are riding off 6 foot plus drops. Also due to the larger wheel size you may have to true your rims more often. The best way to solve this problem is to get a set of disc brakes, preferably hydraulic.

My advice is to go to your nearest dealer and ride one. You will never be able to make a good choice without riding a bunch of bikes first.

good luck

Answer 3

I wouldn;t bother. No normal bike shop stocks 29 inch tubes, meaning you would constantly have to have a stock of them.

Also, you just don;t need a 29 inch ride. It helps you monster truck over some obstacles, but other than that there's not much advantage. They have biger wheels, so they do ont handle as well as a nimbler, shorter wheel based bike, which may be your tihng or not.

I'm 6.2 and I ride a bmx, so I am used to having a short nimble bike that I can trash and then bolt new bits on to... I can;t imagine that having a 29 incher will be easy to upgrade etc, so you'd be stuck with stock bits etc. I would go for a high end 26 inch.

http://www.westernveil.com/