All posts related to the 29er side of mountain biking.
On Friday, I received my package from out west. The content of this large box contained everything needed to build the Ellsworth Evolve (Ellsworth’s 4″ full suspension 29er frame) for a long term review. To my surprise, I opened the box at T2 Bikes and inside was a bright pink Evolve!
I took the Ardents up to Pinhoti 2, 3 and 4 up in the north Georgia mountains over the weekend to get some long mile testing in. The Pinhoti’s are known for providing some of the best single track that Georgia can provide. Great tight, twisty downhills with long steep climbs get your heart rate peaked no matter which way you are headed.
I finally got a chance to get the new 29er Ardents from Maxxis mounted the night before I am supposed to be riding the north Georgia mountains. First, these tires go on Stans Flow rims extremely easy. There was no need for tire levers at all.
Today seems like another great day for a custom steel builder write up. Doug Curtis of Curtlo Cycles has been custom fabricating his amazing frames for over 20 years. His reputation for having one of the best riding steel frames on the market has been earned through years of perfecting is craft. Each frame is hand made exactly to each customers needs.
The guys over at Maxxis sent us some of the 29er Ardents to test along side the DH casing 26er versions we are currently running on the Terremoto. So far, we are extremely impressed with the performance out of the 26er version, and we are excited about getting our hands on the 29er set.
Fred Cuthbert of Wolfhound Cycles builds what is considered a true work of art. His fillet brazed, custom steel creations not only look like nothing else on the trail, but they are the best riding steel frames that I have ever had the pleasure of testing. Hambone’s orange Wolfhound 29er rigid is featured on this site.
The hits just keep on coming from Rock Shox/SRAM and it is starting to look like a huge year for the RS line. It also appears that SRAM is paying very close attention to what their end users are asking for. These new Reba’s will also be using the new 46mm offset. This Reba line answers all of the requests that 29er and 26er riders have been asking for all year long. Very exciting news…
Some might argue that a bicycle is simply a tool, a way to get from point A to point B. They’re not wrong, but that utilitarian view misses perhaps the most crucial point: A bicycle, especially one built with passion for passionate riders, is not just a tool. It’s a way out. Out of where? One ride, and you’ll know.
I think we have some great things to look forward to over the next year. These releases should make Interbike very interesting. I expect to see even more 650B offerings along with complete lineup changes from the major fork manufacturers.
I see no place for a long travel 29er. I ride a 36 lbs 6″ bike as my regular ride, and to get a 29er to fit the same bill…the geometry would not work. To get the slack angles required by 6″ + bikes, a 29ers wheelbase would have to be so long that it wouldn’t be turnable in tight dh situations.