This is the first in a series of articles exploring the appeal, the drawbacks, the hype and the manufacturers of mountain bikes with 29-inch wheels, or 29ers, as they’re commonly called.
If you drop into Adventure Bicycle Company in Mesa, you might notice something odd about some of its mountain bikes - nearly half of them seem to have huge wheels, far bigger than then 26-inch wheel that has been typical since the first days of mountain biking.
It’s not just the bikes at Adventure: Bikes with 29-inch wheels - a side-show curiosity just a few years ago - are mounting a real challenge to the 26-inch status quo.
The 29er is born from the mountain biker’s thirst for the new, the different and the fast.
How it Started
With so many companies producing one-off rigs, it’s difficult to define the first example of the breed. A Wikipedia article about 29ers says that, in the early 1990s, Klein produced a model called the Adept. It didn’t sell well, and the company axed it from the lineup.
The successful rise arguably started with Wilderness Trail Bikes, which started producing a true 29-inch off-road tire in 1999 called the Nanoraptor.
High-end suspension fork manufacturer White Bros. also became early 29er adopters. It produced some of the earliest examples of 29er-specific forks. In other cases, people modified forks to work with the bigger wheels. This resulted in some sketchy handling.
Big Brands Get Onboard
Trek-owned brand Gary Fisher was one of the first of the big brands to jump into the 29er fray. Today, it’s hard to find a major manufacturer that doesn’t offer a 29er.
Right now, there’s absolutely no shortage of 29er-specific bikes and parts. Any shop that prides itself for being cutting edge or appealing to racers will have a solid stock. The genre is poised to become the leader (never say “standard” about anything in the bicycle world - there’s simply no such thing). Whether it does depends on winning over the remaining 26-inch holdouts - and whatever trend comes along next.
Want to know more?
Visit Adventure Bicycle Company and check out their 29er lineup.
Or rent a 29er -geared or singlespeed- from Cactus Adventures.
Next in the series, the benefits of the 29er. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything!
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