26er or 29er? The Time Has Come.

Gotta have the white one!

The unthinkable has happened.  I have a crack in my beautiful Soul Cycles Hooligan.  It is not a big crack, and it is not in a catastrophic area (where the upper rear triangle meets the seat tube), but it has increased slightly.  So now the question.  Do I stick with a 26er or go with a 29er?  If I was ever going to get a 29er, now would be the time.  Chad B., owner of Soul Cycles is going to warranty the frame and send me a new 16" Dillinger in white (26" is no longer being made).  I just need a fork, wheelset and tires; all other parts will be swapped over from my Hooligan.

To help make the "29er transition", Matt R. hooked my up with his buddy Alex who runs www.29eronline.com.  Alex is going to allow me to demo a few bikes in return for honest reviews, and I get the experience of riding a 29er on real trails.  The first bike I tried was a Specialized Camber Elite.  This is a 30+lb. Full suspension 29er in a size large.  When I first sat on it and rode around the parking lot at San Lee I thought, "Don't like it...too big, too bulky etc."  Interestingly, about 1/3 through the ride, I was sold.  I was clearing all the rocky areas and even clearing tight switchbacks (up and down hill).  Naturally, this bike had no problem sticking to a line so downhills were bombin' fun!  Next up, Specialized Epic Carbon!

Also a big thanks to Kelly and Vanessa for letting me borrow one of their 29ers.  Kelly and I spent some time making Vanessa's geared Salsa El Mariachi into a Single Speed that I could use for a few weeks.  the 15.5 inch frame is a bit tight, but I will just put on a setback post and a longer stem (70mm to 100mm) and it will be nice.  Also, before I knew I was getting a warrantied frame, several riders (Dave and Nate to name a few) have offered to let me Demo there bikes to give me a solid 29er feel, very cool, thanks guys; beer is on me.

Mmmm, looks delicious!

I was given a lot of crap from my friends for riding a 26er.  And I gave a lot back by defending 26ers.  I still feel like I don't need a 29er, I have done well on my 26er, but I must admit that I have experienced the advantages (better rolling/traction...); and the so-called disadvantages (handling/turning...) turned out to be irrelevant.  Guess I might have to change my blog and email to get rid of the "26".  I will get to that right after I finish eating some crow.