29'ers

[SadieKate]

Would 29" wheels make a difference for someone who is extremely tall? (6'7") I've been trying to figure this out. The distance to the ground is not really the issue, but the distance to the top of the saddle to the bottom of the down stroke is. I'm guessing the 29ers don't come with necessarily bigger frames. Would you be able to put 29ers on any bike?

At least he wouldn't look like a clown on a mini-bike!

Karen

A 29" inch wheel is just the mountainbiker's way of avoiding calling it a 700c wheel. OK, let's not get in the details of rim width, but the diameters are the same. It's just an industry thing to use inches for mtb bikes and centimeters for road bikes.

So, the answer is yes and no about using it in the same bike. My husband has a Spot singlespeed with disc brakes. The disc brakes mean no brake pad alignment issues when swapping wheels BUT he uses skinny tires AND a rigid fork when using 700c wheels. He puts a suspension fork on when using knobbies on the 26" wheels. The suspension fork would not provide clearance for the 700c wheel. He also swaps chain ring and chain to accomodate the change in gearing with the larger wheel and the chain length. If you use disc brakes, it really comes down to clearance issues with fork and chain stays.

And, yes, 29'ers can be the way to go for tall people. If a very tall friend came to me and asked what to look for in a mountain bike, I'd certainly bring 29'ers into the discussion.

[sundial]

He puts a suspension fork on when using knobbies on the 26" wheels. The suspension fork would not provide clearance for the 700c wheel. He also swaps chain ring and chain to accomodate the change in gearing with the larger wheel and the chain length. If you use disc brakes, it really comes down to clearance issues with fork and chain stays.

How difficult is it to change out forks? Would it require strong man hands?

[SadieKate]

Nope, not at all. Though this tends to be a seasonal swap out. You wouldn't want to do it very often as it's time consuming.

Bubba runs the 700c slicks during the winter when he's riding pavement. He'll swap to the knobby suspension set up for the summer.

You can see pictures of the bike with its 700c setup here.*

PS - thanks for giving me the opportunity to brag.

[madisongrrl]

Nope, not at all. Though this tends to be a seasonal swap out. You wouldn't want to do it very often as it's time consuming.

Question: If I were to swap forks on the same bike would I have to make sure that I had the same type of crown race so it would fit with the headset cups? Or would a generic crown race suffice.

I just completed my first bike build and I was thinking of chaining my fork out (and not buying a new headset just to use the crown race, I just wanted the part I needed for the fork)....but then I thought doing this sounded like too much work. I have a WTB headset and can't find just a crown race from the same company.

[SadieKate]

Question: If I were to swap forks on the same bike would I have to make sure that I had the same type of crown race so it would fit with the headset cups? Or would a generic crown race suffice.

I just completed my first bike build and I was thinking of chaining my fork out (and not buying a new headset, just trying to find the crown race)....but then I thought doing this sounded like too much work. I have a WTB headset and can't find just a crown race from the same company.

I would say, yes you do need to get the same crown race but these days these are sometimes kind of generic.

Have you called WTB or tried their website? Cane Creeks website has all kinds of spare parts available for order though I think they're a bit unusual in that respect. If all else fails, your LBS should be able to get the part.

[madisongrrl]

I would say, yes you do need to get the same crown race but these days these are sometimes kind of generic.

Have you called WTB or tried their website? Cane Creeks website has all kinds of spare parts available for order though I think they're a bit unusual in that respect. If all else fails, your LBS should be able to get the part.

We have a pro deal with WTB, so I've already scoured their 2007 catalog. I have yet to place my order with them this year, so I'll have to check out their 2008 mechandise. I did see the Cane Creek parts and thought about giving that a try.

We definitely have some good bike shops around here, but I've been burned so many times that I tend not to rely on them for much. (I do let one shop change my internal brake cables on my Cervelo Soloist team as it looks like it takes special tools and a whole lot of time and patience to get the job done).

I will say that spent more money than I thought I would building this bike (even with pro deals), so I might just might put the fork situation on hold for now. The parts and tools added up, but it certainly was an education and I'll probably do another one later this year.

[madisongrrl]

How difficult is it to change out forks? Would it require strong man hands?

It's not difficult. But if you bought a new fork, you would have to have the steer tube cut and have the crown race/headset pressed. Once that is done you can change out the fork easily with simple allen tools.