January 21st, 2006
Rethinking Prejudices
I’ve never been a fan of 29ers.
This has not been based on any scientific reasons - I know that the big wheels of my Pompino roll easier, nor on ride - I’ve never actually ridden one. But I’ve always felt they just look wrong. And that’s important. I really do believe that looks are part of the whole bike riding experience and if you’re bike looks wrong you’re off to a bad start.
The only 29ers I’d seen that look right are those that belonged to people so tall that the whole bike just looked like a regular bike scaled up. I’m thinking Nightfire’s Ferrous and SteveM’s Spot here. Chipps Chippendale claimed to be so average as to make any bike look right in an editorial in Singletrack. And I’ve never seen him looking right on a 29er.
Punkass has commented that the 29er debate mirrors the singlespeed debate. Those that have them love them, those that don’t think they are stupid. She has a fair point. But then, although I love my singlespeeds I happen to think that really they are also a bit stupid. And being contrary is part of the fun too.
But I had to write that “I’d seen” not “I’ve not seen”. The past tense has happened. I’ve now seen a 29er that looks right.
That there is a Kelly Ro Sham Bo. I just showed my wife a picture, without revealing what it was and she remarked that it looked like it had good geometry. There aren’t many 29ers you can say that about. I feel a bit mean here as Alex is a good guy, but Solitude Cycles are a case in point. And to be honest someone has beaten the Voodoo Dambala with a witchcraft cursed ugly stick. Don’t even start me on the Surly Karate Monkey either. Any bike which needs a bent seat tube and web instructions on how to spend two hours of your life trying to get a front mech working without fouling on the tyre is sur(e)ly more trouble than it is worth. Gears FFS! Although I might not like 29ers to me they are synonymous with singlespeeds. Geared 29ers are, well, so stupid that I can’t even come up with a strong enough insult.
I was offered a ride of the Kelly. Frankly I daren’t. If it rode only half as well as it looked like it should I would have to rethink my prejudices. And it comes in black.
Nurse! The screens!
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January 24th, 2006 at 9:10 pm
Hi Nick,
Well, I guess thanks for the kind words about me if not my designs :)
29ers can look odd, the IF built for a 5′1″ woman springs to mind, yep, that looked really odd. But I think that most 29ers for the majority of people can look good.
And lets not forget that looking good is second to fit and function….well, if not second, a favorable by-product of them.
I am assuming that you are refering to my personal 29er or the big-pink-one, both of which were built for fit and function…..and some pretty odd fits and functions. But they both ride well but don’t take my word for it, Martin who owns the pink 29er is back for another one, this time with long travel forks.
29ers are not just for really tall people, the latest frame has built into possibly the best embodyment of “mountian bike-ness” I have seen ever (track bikes embody speed and general bike-ness all round though)
Give a 29er a go, if you don’t like it fine, 26″ will always be about. I guess you need to find the beauty in the function of something to fully appreciate it.
Drunken bo**ocks? Thanks to Glengoyne yep!
Alex
PS black is an option :)
January 25th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
There will be some more 29er ramblings on my WBPBEUK06 post, when it finally happens.