Any ladies out there prefer 26" tires over 29"

[Owlie]

29ers roll over stuff better because of the bigger wheel size. That's something to think about. But 26" wheels, for a given geometry, tend to corner faster. I want a hardtail 29er, I think, but everyone is different, and the terrain in your area will play a part in what you should be looking for.

Try more bikes, both 26 and 29, both full-suspension and hardtail.

[Catrin]

I no longer mountain bike, but I prefer 26 over 29 inch tires because they do corner better (at least for me). The bouncing sounds more like a suspension adjustment issue or too much tire pressure for your weight than it does the size of the tires. I concur with the others, demo more bikes

[emily_in_nc]

I would not buy a 29er in part because I'm short, and I just don't believe the geometry would be correct for me. The other factor for me is the ease of storing/carrying the bike. A bike with smaller wheels is easier to fit inside a vehicle without having to lie it on its side. Not a factor if you have an outside rack, but we prefer to carry our bikes inside our vehicle for security. I would think a bike with 26" wheels would be a little lighter than with 29" wheels too, all other things being equal.

[indysteel]

Not to confuse you even more, but don't rule out 27.5 inch wheels either. A few companies--Jamis most readily comes to mind--are adding 650b wheels to their mtb mix. The marketing at least suggests that they might be a good compromise for shorter riders.

I, myself, have only ridden 26ers. While I've been curious about 29ers, for now, I'm happy with my 26er. My husband, however, loves his 29er. A others have suggested, just demo all that you can.

[TrekDianna]

I have both and I use them in different terrains. I use my 26 on the wet side of the state where I am frequently riding in mud/rain/places where I need a more responsive turn. I use my 29er on the dry side of the state. It's much easier to get over the lava rocks etc and get through the desert sand on that one.

[TigerMom]

Initially, I was really crazy for 29ers because I loved being able to roll over big roots going uphill vs. I just fall off on my 26er because I get bucked off of the big roots.

However, as a 5ft1in female, the 29er made me feel less secure when cornering on the downhill switchbacks. The 29ers roll faster downhill and don't corner as well as the 26ers. I HATE going downhill fast. It scares the crap out of me! So, I guess I'm glad now that I did not buy a 29er.

But, I think that I will test out a 650B this summer just for fun. Hopefully, I don't end up with buying yet another bike.

[indysteel]

Initially, I was really crazy for 29ers because I loved being able to roll over big roots going uphill vs. I just fall off on my 26er because I get bucked off of the big roots.

However, as a 5ft1in female, the 29er made me feel less secure when cornering on the downhill switchbacks. The 29ers roll faster downhill and don't corner as well as the 26ers. I HATE going downhill fast. It scares the crap out of me! So, I guess I'm glad now that I did not buy a 29er.

But, I think that I will test out a 650B this summer just for fun. Hopefully, I don't end up with buying yet another bike.

Ugh; I hate uphill roots. I did get better, finally, on one particular section of trail that has a lot of them, but I hate to psyche myself out every time.