Anyone ride a 29er?

[PscyclePath]

I started mountain biking a little over three years ago with a 26" Specialized Rockhopper. I did okay with it tooling around on the bike trails and farm roads around home, but when it went to anything more technical, I spent about as much time over the handlebars and climbing out of the briar patches as I did riding ;-)

After a year or so, I finally decided to take the LBS guy's advice and try a 29er. It made a big difference, and stuff where I would wipe out on the Rockhopper I would just float over it with the 29er. I would up going home with a Gary Fisher Caliber, and I really like that bike... I think the HiFi replaced the Caliber in Fisher's lineup starting last year -- I rode one back last winter on a demo day, and it felt pretty much like my bike, but the price had gone up a good bit ;-) They're good trail/cross-country bikes.

Last month, I tried one of the Pivot 429s on the bike shop's demo day, and that is one awesome trail-riding machine...but was a little over twice the price of my old Fisher.

I'm 5'11", so I did not have a whole lot of trouble with fit, or with feeling comfortable on the bike. That may not be the same for smaller folks. The bigger wheels take a little more power to get them rolling and to accelerate at times, but once you get going it's a lot easier to keep your momentum, and much easier to float over the rough spots. If that HiFi fits you well, I'm pretty sure you'll be very happy with it should it go home with you...

I do like your taste in colors on that Niner though... my Fisher is about that same sour-apple-green color!

What are you testing the waters of the dirty side for?

You'd be surprised how much a regular dose of trail riding with an MTB will improve your bike-handling skills... Over the past couple of years I've gotten into mre than one sitaution with my road bike where the stuff I learned with my mountain bike has kept my hiney from being smeared all across the pavement.

With apologies to Mr. Twain, go ride a mountain bike... you will not regret it, if you live ;-)

[Aggie_Ama]

I am teasing. I attempt to play in the dirt, eat dirt, it is excellent crosstraining and makes me better at riding my bike with no handlebars. And it is also an excellent lesson in the miracles of our bodies, I bruise in the most magical colors.

[rocknrollgirl]

I am too small. My DH is very tall and rides one and loves it. Although numerous folks swear up and down that at 5'3" I am tall enough, it is not so. For me anyway. When a 9er is small, it changes the position of the rider and makes the geometry like a beach cruiser. Not good.

[Andrea]

There's an entire thread on the MTBR forums about "short" 29ers! You have to join to see most of the photos, though.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=370509