A few years ago, it was a common thing to find “The List”. You might remember “The List”. It was a run down of all the companies offering complete 29″ers. It was pretty easy to rattle off the names back in 2006. Folks with memories running back even further will recall being able to put all the frame builders into 29″ers and the sole mass manufacturers of 29″ers on “The List” with ease. Well, eventually “The List” got too big for most of us and the fun in remembering those companies on it was lost. Now it’s easier to name those not on “The List”.

Conspicuous companies missing from the 29″er ranks have dwindled to a very small, easily remembered “list” of thier own. Trek, (albeit with Fisher in the fold, some might argue they do have 29″ers) and Giant being the biggest names here in America. Specialized was on that list until just recently. With these two companies conspicuously missing from the 29′er ranks, will we ever see them make a 29″er?

I think that it might be far more likely to see a Trek 29″er first, and here’s why: The Trek dealer base that doesn’t also carry the Fisher line is a bit envious of the sales being racked up by Fisher dealers. This is especially true in the Mid-West where 29″ers are doing quite well. I have heard whispers from Trek insiders saying that they wish they could offer 29″ers. Will it ever happen? I think it could, but in a way it may not be a good idea for Trek to offer a 29″er.

Trek would be unwise to cannibalize sales from the Fisher side with a 29″er offering that wasn’t different enough to warrant attracting a different customer. Perhaps Trek would be wise to enter with a $1000.00 and less line up, leaving Fisher the “upper” end. However it would play out, it would be a tough nut to break and not hurt Fisher sales in the process. That said, a 9.9 Trek OCLV carbon hardtail would be a fun bike to see on the racing circuit. Or a 29″er Fuel. Possibilities there for sure.

Giant, on the other hand, probably will not enter the 29″er market until something happens that until now, hasn’t shown any signs of happening at all. That being the 29″ers acceptance by Europe and the rest of the world market. Giant has a much larger prescence in these places than it does in the U.S. and outside of the American borders, 29″ers are not quite on the radar screen yet. While some inroads are being made in Europe, the progress is slow, and it may be that 29″ers never catch on at all in many Old World locations. I think Giant may be the very last in line, if they ever do a 29″er at all.

Finally, one has to wonder, does it matter? So what if these companies and others never introduce a 29″er? It’s not imperative to the future of the wheel size. 29″ers are certainly an established part of mountain biking now, albeit a small part of that establishment. I think in the final analysis that if Trek, Giant, or any other company not into 29″ers does in fact join “The List”, then it will most likely be a high quality, well engineered product that will be a great addition to the 29″er arsenal.

At least it had better be!