26" or 29" for getting back into biking

[tuffer]

Seriously need to get back into riding/fitness after 5 years of abusing my body through work travel. I live right on Salisbury Plain so no shortage of off road tracks to play on. I went out on my 15 year old Cannondale rigid on Saturday and whilst my legs are OK my arse feels like I have been fisted by the Russian Olympic wrestling team.
Most of the tracks are either well graded or firm packed mud/chalk so no major mud plugging but it is pretty bumpy (lots of small jarring bumps/stones) so I'm looking for a plush ride.
Having read a few mags it seems like a 29" is the way to go, I'm about 6' so size should be OK and I have ridden BMX and Mountain Bikes so plenty of off road experience. We have a few local trails and I also fancy having a go at a few Races or Enduros next year.
Budget is approx 3K......Thoughts?

[Stugots]

Finally a budget worth playin with.

So 3K +10% (you know you want to percentage)

Forget the wagon wheeled 29ers.

Its gotta be Full sus Lapper in yummy carbon.



Lapierre X-Flow 612 2012

tuffer said:

I have been fisted by the Russian Olympic wrestling team.

[tuffer]

Yep, had a Lapper on my list, currently thinking:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/en...
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/lapierre/zesty...
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/ca...

[Engineer1]

Personally if I was getting back into mountain biking I wouldn't be going for a Carbon Frame, a good solid built from Girders Orange Cycle would be my choice. Maybe even an old school steel one.

[tuffer]

Engineer1 said:

Personally if I was getting back into mountain biking I wouldn't be going for a Carbon Frame, a good solid built from Girders Orange Cycle would be my choice. Maybe even an old school steel one.

Why? (Serious question)

[BalhamBadger]

Engineer1 said:

Personally if I was getting back into mountain biking I wouldn't be going for a Carbon Frame, a good solid built from Girders Orange Cycle would be my choice. Maybe even an old school steel one.

Agree that carbon isn't the way forward but a steel hardtail doesn't really fit his spec though, does it? This will give you a soft ride and will take all the abuse you can throw at it as you improve:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/en...

Looks great as well IMHO.

[RobDickinson]

Well graded packed slghtly bumpy to me says short travel fully or 29er.

IMo 140 of travel for something not rocky is a waste... 80-100 is plenty.

[RichB]

Crikey, I've not riden my Mountain bike for about 10 years but back they all had 26" wheels and even road bikes only had 27" wheels, 29" seems massive

Edited by RichB on Monday 28th November 23:12

[RobDickinson]

RichB said:

Crikey, I've not riden my Mountain bike for about 10 years but back they all had 26" wheels and even road bikes only had 28" wheels, 29" seems massive

29er is same size wheels as a 700c road bike (guessing 27inch diameter vs 24inch on a 26" mtb).

[tuffer]

RobDickinson said:

Well graded packed slghtly bumpy to me says short travel fully or 29er.

IMo 140 of travel for something not rocky is a waste... 80-100 is plenty.

Agreed but there are also some local jumps trails and I may feel like a 16 year old again and have a go.....I am 42.

[RichB]

RobDickinson said:

29er is same size wheels as a 700c road bike (guessing 27inch diameter vs 24inch on a 26" mtb).

Right, thanks. Since posting I've been reading up on wiki and that diverted me to looking at retro/vintage racin bikes. Didin't realise some of the racing bikes I has a kid are now collectable. Hinds handbuild in Ealing, Vic Humphries and even Carltons.

I must get my old Cougar down off the garage wall, get some new tyres and go out again.

[shalmaneser]

Engineer1 said:

Personally if I was getting back into mountain biking I wouldn't be going for a Carbon Frame, a good solid built from Girders Orange Cycle would be my choice. Maybe even an old school steel one.

Hah maybe if you have a very advanced beard.

Personally I'd be looking at a Scott Spark, although it might be a bit too head down arse up if you've not been riding for a while. 120mm each end, perfect.

[RobDickinson]

tuffer said:

Agreed but there are also some local jumps trails and I may feel like a 16 year old again and have a go.....I am 42.

Yeti 575 then!

[tuffer]

RobDickinson said:

Yeti 575 then!

mmmmmmm Tempting.

[a11y_m]

tuffer said:

RobDickinson said:

Well graded packed slghtly bumpy to me says short travel fully or 29er.

IMo 140 of travel for something not rocky is a waste... 80-100 is plenty.

Agreed but there are also some local jumps trails and I may feel like a 16 year old again and have a go.....I am 42.

I fully agree with RobDickinson - for that type of terrain a 80-100mm full-suss or a 29er would be perfect. But now that you mention jumping that's a whole different thing... Jumping on a 29er isn't the best!

Perhaps a 140mm full-suss would be a better all-rounder (I'm thinking a Lapierre Zesty). Wouldn't be as quick over well-packed slightly bumpy stuff, but would handle jumping a bit better.

[Floor Tom]

RobDickinson said:

Yeti 575 then!

They really are one of the poorer bikes that Yeti makes, I'd be going for an ASR 5 over a 575 any day.

Specialized have royally screwed it up with the enduros this year, only EVOs are coming in to the country, no air sprung ones. For a do everything bike you really need the light weight of an air sprung fork and shock.

I think you need to decide what sort of bike you want. We know where you will be riding and what your budget is but what do you want to do with it?
XC race (not just for racing but getting around the tracks as fast as you can) you want a 29er, A really nice hard tail with a bit of change or very nice full sus are achievable. This side of the market isn't my speciality and I don't know the UK market very well at the mo (living in NZ) but there are some solid bikes out there. Specialized make the Stumpy hardtail 29er (I have the SS version and love it) and the Epic 29er. Both are fantastic bikes.

If you want something a bit more fun but not so fast around a loop (quicker down the hills with a bigger grin though!) then you are probably looking at the 130-150mm travel range. For this you could be going either way on wheel size. I as a downhiller would be going for 26" wheels but a lot of people are getting into 29ers at this travel range and loving them. Some noteworthy bikes are Specialized Stumpjumper FSR (The EVO version is slacker, lower and 10mm extra travel. Its wicked good) in either 26" or 29", the ever trusty Orange 5, Lapierre Zesty as well as a load of other ones (Yeti ASR5, Santa Cruz Nickel, Trek Remedy which has been improved from last year).

If you are looking for something that will get you around the local loops but will also work well on a trip to the Alpes or Scotland for some uplift assisted riding then the above bikes will suit but something around the 160mm mark may be better. I'd recommend the Enduro if Specialized had brought any normal ones in, other bikes that would be good would be Trek Slash, Orange Alpine 160, Lapierre Spicy, Yeti SB 66 (or SB 95 if you want a 29er version)

I would say that when buying a full sus bike test riding is even more important that with a hardtail. It's not difficult to make a good HT, you just copy another decent bikes geometry. Full sus is very different and I have ridden a load of bikes that I would not like to own. Full sus bikes are susceptible to pedal induced suspension movement, flexibility the rear end, dodgy things happening under braking, dodgy geometry, etc.

Sorry, I have written a lot, I currently work as a bike salesman and am also looking for a new 160mm bike, I get to test ride a lot of bikes and having raced DH to a reasonable level feel justified in my comments on ride quality. Hope you can take something from this.

[tuffer]

a11y_m said:

I fully agree with RobDickinson - for that type of terrain a 80-100mm full-suss or a 29er would be perfect. But now that you mention jumping that's a whole different thing... Jumping on a 29er isn't the best!

Perhaps a 140mm full-suss would be a better all-rounder (I'm thinking a Lapierre Zesty). Wouldn't be as quick over well-packed slightly bumpy stuff, but would handle jumping a bit better.

I think the 29" full susser would be ideal for the local rolling terrain and the fact it's not so accomplished on the jumps is probably a good thing. I am not as young as I think I am (my last snowboarding trip nearly resulted in a ripped bum hole after a half pipe rush of over confidence).
But then the Zesty looks the dogs....

[BalhamBadger]

Floor Tom said:

...Lots of good stuff...

Hmm didn't realise the enduro had coils all round. Sounds like the Stumpjumper would be your best bet from Specialized then, or a 2011 Enduro with air shocks. I have a 2010 Stumpjumper FSR and love it, though I haven't ridden much to compare/contrast it to.

[Floor Tom]

BalhamBadger said:

Hmm didn't realise the enduro had coils all round. Sounds like the Stumpjumper would be your best bet from Specialized then, or a 2011 Enduro with air shocks. I have a 2010 Stumpjumper FSR and love it, though I haven't ridden much to compare/contrast it to.

Yep, cannot fathom that decision at all. Stumpy FSR Evo or standard, 26er or 29er would be a good shout, or like you say, a 2011 enduro with air forks/shock.

Just saw you mentioned enduro riding. Do you mean Enduro DH or Enduro 24/12hr racing. For the DH variety I would say 150-160mm travel 26er, for long distance XC I'd say 100mm travel 29er.

[tuffer]

Great feedback Floor Tom, I am not going to be doing any serious competition riding or mental downhill stuff so no need for the mega travel. I think the 29" Camber would be ideal, I just want to blast around on the local tank tracks and single track with the ability to descend rapidly when I get the opportunity. The downhills are not rocky or boulder strewn but mega chattery (at least they are on a rigid) so I want something that is going to be smooth and quick.