I used to be consider a not-so-agile bike handler. I struggled to keep up, not be in the way on tight singletrack.
I switched to 29", but 26" is a kids size. That was in 2002. Guess what happens? I could not find anyone to stick on my wheel anymore in the twisties. There were multiple occasions, even Dutch nation races, where I was the sole person to clear a climb. Know that I am 6'4" and in shape 185lb. Usually well more.
At a large race, Gieten, my progress trhough the field was limited by my utter lack of fitness. I reached a group that was not gaining on the group in front, and my pulling didn't help. In fact, the dull 90º corners were wrecking the group buddies. I took a 2-3 lengths lead in each of them. Just by not lifting, finding the apex, and just staying in the seat. They were lifting, sliding, and they standing on the pedals to use that wicked 26" acceleration, just to reach my wheel again. No-one would take over anymore at one point, and they'd just be in the way. I tried to up the pace and jump the gap, but failed. Finished in the group. They were all clearly fitter riders, but a group of me's would have crossed the gap for sure, and powered by.
I see people switching to 29", and failing to be faster. I know why that is. soft pedaling and scared cornering. One guy, a national top level master, just my height, borrowed my Cube prototype 29"er (this was in 2005 I think). I took his 26" Santos race bike, which was aweful to me. He was crazy slow on my bike. Felt like he was going to understeer-to-faceplant all the time, due to the utter heaps of grip. He was looking for warning from the front tire, but he never got past half the load it would take while napping.
29"ers need to be ridden hard. When I first rode my, for a month I was doing exactly as on the 26"er, not a millisecond faster or slower. Then I figured out I needed to use the grip up front, make it to good use. It took courage to go faster than before, but I got used to it.
In several race situations, I would be riding with a guy on a 26" bike, and they'd hang to my wheel (obviously). I'd corner as fast as I sensibly could, for instance on a sandy MX course, loooongcorners, and the other guy would just crash on his face trying to copy my line and pace. It's simply not possible, when I have similar quality front tire and correct pressure on a larger rim. 26" riders in groups can copy lines, I even got to copy Brentjen's lines when he lapped me or I was warming up during his race. A 26" rider cannot copy a 29" rider (who knows what his bike can do) and expect to keep the rubber side down.
After going 29", this clumby giant dropped all his singletrack guru friends on their absolute favorite courses. And that was when 29" tires were very so-so. Bontrager XR versus Schwalbe and Conti super tires in 26".
I've not been racing much, but I bet the better riders are getting the hang of 29" now. I don't expect to be able to hang with them anymore in the technical stuff. I was never a better rider, just a so-so rider on a too small bike. I was used to instable bikes (no stable 26" XC bikes exist when your inseam is 39"+), trying to climb and descend them. Exploring my bike's limits with 29" rendered very different results.
I switched to 29", but 26" is a kids size. That was in 2002. Guess what happens? I could not find anyone to stick on my wheel anymore in the twisties. There were multiple occasions, even Dutch nation races, where I was the sole person to clear a climb. Know that I am 6'4" and in shape 185lb. Usually well more.
At a large race, Gieten, my progress trhough the field was limited by my utter lack of fitness. I reached a group that was not gaining on the group in front, and my pulling didn't help. In fact, the dull 90º corners were wrecking the group buddies. I took a 2-3 lengths lead in each of them. Just by not lifting, finding the apex, and just staying in the seat. They were lifting, sliding, and they standing on the pedals to use that wicked 26" acceleration, just to reach my wheel again. No-one would take over anymore at one point, and they'd just be in the way. I tried to up the pace and jump the gap, but failed. Finished in the group. They were all clearly fitter riders, but a group of me's would have crossed the gap for sure, and powered by.
I see people switching to 29", and failing to be faster. I know why that is. soft pedaling and scared cornering. One guy, a national top level master, just my height, borrowed my Cube prototype 29"er (this was in 2005 I think). I took his 26" Santos race bike, which was aweful to me. He was crazy slow on my bike. Felt like he was going to understeer-to-faceplant all the time, due to the utter heaps of grip. He was looking for warning from the front tire, but he never got past half the load it would take while napping.
29"ers need to be ridden hard. When I first rode my, for a month I was doing exactly as on the 26"er, not a millisecond faster or slower. Then I figured out I needed to use the grip up front, make it to good use. It took courage to go faster than before, but I got used to it.
In several race situations, I would be riding with a guy on a 26" bike, and they'd hang to my wheel (obviously). I'd corner as fast as I sensibly could, for instance on a sandy MX course, loooongcorners, and the other guy would just crash on his face trying to copy my line and pace. It's simply not possible, when I have similar quality front tire and correct pressure on a larger rim. 26" riders in groups can copy lines, I even got to copy Brentjen's lines when he lapped me or I was warming up during his race. A 26" rider cannot copy a 29" rider (who knows what his bike can do) and expect to keep the rubber side down.
After going 29", this clumby giant dropped all his singletrack guru friends on their absolute favorite courses. And that was when 29" tires were very so-so. Bontrager XR versus Schwalbe and Conti super tires in 26".
I've not been racing much, but I bet the better riders are getting the hang of 29" now. I don't expect to be able to hang with them anymore in the technical stuff. I was never a better rider, just a so-so rider on a too small bike. I was used to instable bikes (no stable 26" XC bikes exist when your inseam is 39"+), trying to climb and descend them. Exploring my bike's limits with 29" rendered very different results.
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