Do bigger wheels on a mountain bike make a difference?
What do you think of the newer mountain bikes with 29-inch wheels?
I'm thinking of upgrading my 1989 Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo for
something more roadworthy, but that can still take the abuse of dirt
trails. I was thinking of getting a cyclocross bike, but perhaps a
29-inch wheeler might be more suited to the kind of riding I want to do.
— Booker Kensington, California
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The 29-inch wheels now on some mountain bikes (Gary Fisher
makes several models) have two supposed advantages: One, you
can use 700c tires on them (the road bike standard these days,
referring to a 700-millimeter outer diameter), an advantage if you
want to use a mountain-type bike for touring or recreational riding on
asphalt. Two, the bigger wheel doesn't hit obstacles like roots or
rocks at such a severe angle as the traditional 26-incher, so in theory
can roll over the obstacle more easily.
But, is a 29-inch wheel "better" than a 26-inch wheel? Hard to say.
Certainly, the 26-inch standard is arbitrary, simply being the original
size of the fat tires when mountain bikes were first pioneered back in
the 1970s. But the 29-inch size—really just another way of
identifying a 700c wheel—is in itself quite arbitrary, its origins to
some degree lost in the misty past of cycling. No one seems to have
done any real empirical study as to what the ideal wheel size would
be. I'm willing to buy into the idea that a 29-inch wheel rolls better in
some instances, something that might be particularly useful for
downhill riding. But it's also going to be heavier than a 26-inch wheel,
perhaps meaning greater fatigue on long rides, plus lesser
acceleration.
That said, Fisher makes a nice-looking bike called the Dual Sort 129
($1,430; www.fisherbikes.com) that has 29-inch wheels, a nice mix of
Shimano LX and XT components, disc brakes, and a Manitou shock.
It would be a MASSIVE upgrade over your Hoo Koo E Koo.
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The 29-inch wheels now on some mountain bikes (Gary Fisher
makes several models) have two supposed advantages: One, you
can use 700c tires on them (the road bike standard these days,
referring to a 700-millimeter outer diameter), an advantage if you
want to use a mountain-type bike for touring or recreational riding on
asphalt. Two, the bigger wheel doesn't hit obstacles like roots or
rocks at such a severe angle as the traditional 26-incher, so in theory
can roll over the obstacle more easily.
