danose wrote:

nostromo wrote:OK, so putting a 29er front end on a 26er is all wrong generally speaking as it will rake out the bike.
But if you took something designed around a 130mm 26" fork and put a 80mm 29" fork and wheel on would it keep a reasonable geometry?
Say something like a DMR Switchback?

shouldn't be a prob - say the bike that takes a 130mm fox (500mm a2c), whack a white brothers rocksolid 425mm on (which allows for the additional 40mm axle height of the bigger wheel and gives the same effective geom as you'd have with the fox and 25% sag)

True I forget about sag. Doable though.

nostromo wrote:

danose wrote:

nostromo wrote:OK, so putting a 29er front end on a 26er is all wrong generally speaking as it will rake out the bike.
But if you took something designed around a 130mm 26" fork and put a 80mm 29" fork and wheel on would it keep a reasonable geometry?
Say something like a DMR Switchback?

shouldn't be a prob - say the bike that takes a 130mm fox (500mm a2c), whack a white brothers rocksolid 425mm on (which allows for the additional 40mm axle height of the bigger wheel and gives the same effective geom as you'd have with the fox and 25% sag)

True I forget about sag. Doable though.

easily - lots of trials oriented rigids are 405mm if you want even steeper

Did a couple of laps of McLeans this afternoon on a FS 29'er. What a revelation. 1st time around there with kids, 1st time riding a bike with disc brakes, 1st time on a bike with decent front suspension, 1st time on a bike with rear suspension. All in all, much goodness. Might have to get me one. Any ideas for where I should take up on the hills tomorrow, bearing in mind that I'm a weak roadie and other than looking down on the trails from the Summit Road, have really no idea where to go?

Spyder wrote:Did a couple of laps of McLeans this afternoon on a FS 29'er. What a revelation. 1st time around there with kids, 1st time riding a bike with disc brakes, 1st time on a bike with decent front suspension, 1st time on a bike with rear suspension. All in all, much goodness. Might have to get me one. Any ideas for where I should take up on the hills tomorrow, bearing in mind that I'm a weak roadie and other than looking down on the trails from the Summit Road, have really no idea where to go?

going to be hard - nearly everything is closed according to the CCC track status page. Maybe take it up/down Kennedys (it's open and will give you an idea how well it climbs, and some fun on the descent - only other option is rapaki which is just like riding up the road now, too smooth)

shame we didn't time it better - SLG was out at Macleans yesterday arvo too, christening her 29er rigid SS

Up Rapaki this morning first time up here, quite a climb. 25min from Centaurus Rd, not sure how that stacks up. Only a couple of stops - purely to admire the view Again really impressed with the FS 29er, good traction on the muddy sections, smooth on the bumps, great brakes. Then I went out to the mud-bath that is Bottle Lake. Again, fantastic. No pedal-bob on the "road" sections, plenty of traction on the muddy climbs. It's just so easy. There was a particularly rooty section on the first trail off to the right and it just rolled over them so easily. Think I'm sold! Much more fun playing in the mud on a wet crappy day than being out on the roadie, even if there is more cleaning up required.

slidecontrol wrote::thumbsup: for the conti mountain king 29er.

my bonty XDXs are lightning fast in anything up to mild dampness, but don't seem to hold on too well when things get slushy. Enter the big hoop mountain king in 2.2.

bags of grip and very predictable when they break loose ( usefull as I suck at drifting the bike ) the rolling resistance seemed ok, 45kph down redtank road while tucked up and coasting.

why were you riding down red tank rd when you could have gone down bunny jugs or be rude not to

I'm looking forward to building up my 29er and riding it next week

Im riding a k-monkey at the mo to. Its lotsa fun after years of racing the 1x1 surly I finaly have converted to 29nr.
i rode down the whole of captain thomas the other week fully rigid, I put it down to the wheel size it just rolls better over the close nit rough stuff like those rock sections that seem to get worse every season. Good gearing for me is 32-18 took that to the nats and struggled but at every day pace its fine it does just about any track chch has to offer. Its not far off a 26" ss gearing of 34-17 or 2-1 =52 inch. 32x18 on the 29nr =51.5 inch. Just chuck on a 14 or 15t and your good to go in the forests
if thats what you like.

Captain Thomas on a rigid 29er? Did you ride it all or chicken out on the gnarly bits?

Sometimes that real dodgy rock section is a hit and miss but this time there was an audience of runners waiting for me to pass right at that section sooo it was do or die!! I did! I put it down to them big wheels. There is a set line through all those rock sections if you hit them right it can be done easily enough.

Thought I might as well post in here seeing as the wheels are the right size.

Recently replaced a few bits. The saddle is a Fizi:k Tundra (replaced a SLR), rims are Notubes 355 29er in white, hubs are CK in pink, stem is FSA OS115 (110mm, White) and bars are Syntace Duraflite. I also flicked the Middleburns and replaced them with dirty ol' XTR, running a single 32T and a MRP Mini-G. The wheels have been built with DT Revs and alloy nips, to try and cut some weight from my old wheelset (Using DT Comps and brass). I've also gone to a layback post since I built the bike originally, and now with the longer stem it feels about right. Might look at a wider bar shortly though.

The 1x9 has been good, a little less maintenance for me and good at this stage of the season for me in terms of the training I've been doing. Some people have given me shit for running "only" a 32T - but I'd love to see them huss up the tip track on big wheels and a 32:32 .