Sizing yourself for a 29″ vs 26″ frame?
January 5th, 2007 by Tim GrahlFor me, sizing a frame has always been about top-tube length.29ers have longer top tubes compared to 26 of same seat tube sizing - should I still size myself to a 29er frame the way I’m used to by top tube length? Is there something about a 18″ 29er frame that makes the effective top tube feel shorter than 23.5 inches for example, compared to a 18″ 26 inch bike with top tube of 22.7?
FYI: I’m leaning towards buying the 16″ Soma Juice 29er?
– Pete
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I think the longer top tube has something to do with toe over lap, I could be wrong. My top tube on my 29er is about an three quarters of an inch longer than my 26″ top tube. What I did was run one size shorter stem to compensate for the longer top tube. The biggest problem I had to deal with was stand over. Make sure the frame you purchase has plenty of room for the boys.
My experience is that a size smaller frame actually works better for a 29er. With a 26″ bike I ride a large, but my medium 29er is perfect. The shorter wheelbase and top tube make the bike more resposive and that’s important since the big wheels tend to slow things down.
I agree with a Bruce on the sizing. I ride a 19-19.5″ in a 26″ wheeled frame. But run in the 18″ world on 29ers. All my 29ers have all been a “size” smaller than my 26ers. That keeps my stem length and cockpit feel pretty similar. I jumped on a couple of “Larger” 29ers and felt like a little kid on a ten-speed.
Hello. I am trying to post a question but cannot figure out where to put it. I am looking at 29ers and the ones i’m looking at right now are single speeds the Bianchi Rita, Kona, and the Redline Moncog Flight 29. Can anyone on here help me here. I also Like the Gary Fisher Rig. My situation is strange because I work in the action sports industry and have a hookup on the first three but not the gary fisher. So the price thing is no big deal. Anyway can anyone on here help me out and give me the pros and cons of each of these bikes. Which one do you all think is the best bike? Thanks and if someone can help me figure out where to post this that would be great. Thanks and i’m new to this whole 29er thing but i’m way into it. Its really a great concept.
Johnny29
I have the Kona Unit 2-9 and love it. My friend has the Rita and does not like it. He feels it is to tall and turns to slow for his taste. I have not ridden the Redline, but it is a great bike for the money. Lastly the Rig, is a good deal for the money as well, I am not a fan of the EBB bottom bracket, but the bike rides well. I would look at the Kona, Redline, and Rig. You may also want to consider the Raleigh as well, good bang for the buck as well. I also stumbled onto another bike the other day that did not look to bad. http://www.vassagocycles.com
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