29 inch wheels are designed to deal with obstacle shock a lot better than the 26 inch version. They can easily roll over obstacles, whereas bumpy terrain tends to cause 26ers to lag on momentum. This obviously makes 26ers a lot more effort to cycle in these circumstances, and a lot less comfortable.
For a start, there are aspects in which 29er bikes completely surpass most 26ers in performance. 29er bikes have specific areas of greatness. They are almost unbeatable on the uneven terrain of XC. Due to their greater wheel span, 29er's deal with bumpy terrain extremely well. They absorb dips in the trail making them a generally more comfortable ride, not to mention lessening the chances of bike (and rider) unbalancing.
Due to their larger size 29er's are of course heavier, and so despite less effort involved in the acceleration, they are in general slower to pick up speed. 26ers reach high speeds easily due to their lighter rotating mass. 29er's larger size also means they don't execute tight corners with quite so much ease as smaller models.
In general they are a bike designed for those of a taller stature. For those not blessed with the added inches, there may be certain sacrifices to consider when purchasing one. A higher headset may be required, same with the handlebar height. Longer top tubes may even be necessary. This means there will be fewer models to choose from.
Like anything else it is really down to personal preference to decide which size will best work for you. If you don't have the opportunity to road test both before settling, then think carefully about your target terrain, ability to control a larger model and the deciding factor of cost versus quality. 29ers are said to produce the same superior performance as a great quality dual suspension 26er, and at a reduced cost.
For a start, there are aspects in which 29er bikes completely surpass most 26ers in performance. 29er bikes have specific areas of greatness. They are almost unbeatable on the uneven terrain of XC. Due to their greater wheel span, 29er's deal with bumpy terrain extremely well. They absorb dips in the trail making them a generally more comfortable ride, not to mention lessening the chances of bike (and rider) unbalancing.
Due to their larger size 29er's are of course heavier, and so despite less effort involved in the acceleration, they are in general slower to pick up speed. 26ers reach high speeds easily due to their lighter rotating mass. 29er's larger size also means they don't execute tight corners with quite so much ease as smaller models.
In general they are a bike designed for those of a taller stature. For those not blessed with the added inches, there may be certain sacrifices to consider when purchasing one. A higher headset may be required, same with the handlebar height. Longer top tubes may even be necessary. This means there will be fewer models to choose from.
Like anything else it is really down to personal preference to decide which size will best work for you. If you don't have the opportunity to road test both before settling, then think carefully about your target terrain, ability to control a larger model and the deciding factor of cost versus quality. 29ers are said to produce the same superior performance as a great quality dual suspension 26er, and at a reduced cost.
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