2009’s Top Ten 29″er Products list marks the third year of the listing of the best products I reviewed for that particular year. It was suggested to me that it might be fun to do a post on what the long term views of each of the products is now. Some of the products/bikes have moved on and some are still in use. Some have been passed by with newer, better technology, and some are becoming timeless classics.

So, let’s take a look at what holds up and what products I totally missed it on with a look at “Whatever Happened To……….

………..the 2007 Top Ten List!

First off, let’s have a look at the final list:

1. RST M-29 Suspension Fork

2. Bontrager’s Tubeless Ready System

3. Salsa Cycles Dos Niner

4. WTB Weir Wolf LT 29″er Tire

5. Willits Brand WOW Fork

6. Bontrager Dry X Tubeless Ready 29″er Tire

7. Geax Saguaro 29″er Tire

8. Velocity Blunt 29″er Rims

9. Raleigh XXIX+G 29″er

10. Michelin XC AT 29″er Tire

I’m going to start with the list in reverse order and give a few comments on each.

#10: The XC AT Tire: At the time, I felt the Michelin XC AT was the best mud shedding tire made for 29″ers, and that tire actually held that dubious honor until recently when the WTB Dissent took over at #1 for that trait. Oddly enough, Michelin didn’t introduce another 29″er tire for three years. (The as yet to be available “race’r” 29″er tread) Anyway, the XC AT is still a decent tire, but the lack of a tubeless ready variant, or any updates at all to this tire (namely a wider variant) make it a tread that is becoming less and less desirable as other tires come to market. In other words, this tire wouldn’t make a Top Ten List today.

#9: Raleigh’s XXIX+G: Back in late 2006 we got wind of a geared only steel 29″er rig coming from Raleigh. Well, it was a geared variant of their XXIX single speed offering. Eschewing the trend back then, (and still prevalent today) of doing single speed/geared, “do all frames”, Raleigh actually committed to a geared only/single speed only model format that they still hold true to in 2010. The frame, little changed since introduction, is starting to grow a little long in the tooth, but still holds appeal for having a specific geared outlook on life, and geometry which has come around to working out better today than it did when it was introduced as a 2007 model in late 2006. With “modern” fork offsets, this rig would probably still score a spot on the Top Ten list in 2009…..or even in 2010! Can anyone say “classic”?

#8: Velocity “Blunt” Rims: Funny, but we did a little review on these again in 2009. The Blunt was “tweaked” in late 2008 by Velocity to better fit 29″er tires and the graphics were toned down a bit. Still a decent product, it is going to be overshadowed by Velocity’s own P-35 rim, which was developed to be tubeless compatible and is wider at 35mm. With technology marching on, the Blunt , albeit a decent enough rim and available in a myriad of colors, isn’t a “Top Ten” product these days.

#7: Geax Saguaro Tires: Well, this tread is available yet today, and is as good as ever. The thing that Geax did, that Michelin didn’t do, is make the tread available in a tubeless ready format. The TNT version of the Saguaro also has a tougher sidewall, and slightly softer tread compound. Unfortunately it doesn’t play well with the most popular tubeless rim these days, Stan’s NoTubes products. If it did, it would probably leap to the top half of this year’s Top Ten list. However; since it is only really compatible with UST type rims, it won’t, since UST rims are still a scarcity in the wagon wheeler format.

#6: Bontrager Dry X TLR Tires: This tire is also still in production under the “XDX” label. (Bontrager thought the “Dry X” label was bad marketing) The first viable tubeless tire available to 29″er freaks, it still is a great all round tread. That said, I don’t foresee the XDX being around a whole lot longer, not like the Nanoraptor from WTB. Is the XDX still a “list maker”? Probably, but it isn’t as spectacular as it was in 2007. Even some of Bontrager’s newest designs are putting the XDX further back on the list of “list making” tires for me. Still, it is a decent tread, and the tubeless ready feature is the real deal. I’d consider it a possibility on the Top Ten List today, but not as high up as I did then.

#5: Willits Brand “WOW” Fork: Wes Williams of Willits Bikes is one of the pioneers of the modern 29 inch wheeled bicycle. Back in 2007 I got the chance to actually try out something made by the legendary torch wielder. The WOW fork, (Weird Or What), is a really lightweight, (for steel), uniquely designed fork that features designed in flex to help mitigate trail features from rattling your eyeballs out. While I wouldn’t term it as “suspension”, it did do a good job of taking small trail chatter out of the picture. With its odd looks, quirky builder, and storied brand name, the WOW fork would certainly be on a list today of Top Ten stuff for wagon wheeler freaks. Would it be #5? Probably not. But there is no denying it is a unique take on a rigid fork for a 29″er.

#4: WTB WeirWolf LT 29″er Tire: Yes, this is a great tire that I still enjoy to this very day. WTB isn’t on the forefront of tubeless tire technology for 29 inch wheels, but if they ever were to make a tubeless ready variant of the WeirWolf, it would be a Top Ten contender with a bullet. (Make a full tread version and that would also be on the list!) Still one of the fattest 29″er tires out there, the “WW LT” as it has become to be known as, is a great all round dry weather tire. Definitely this still would make the list today, albeit knocked down a few notches for no tubeless ready blessing from WTB.

#3: Salsa Cycles Dos Niner: Soft tail bikes with 29 inch wheels are few and far between. (Some would argue that is a good thing) Salsa Cycles has been making the Dos Niner for as long as they have been into 29″ers. Still a great bike, the design is getting a bit old now and is in need of some “freshining up”. That said, this rig is still going to score a Top Ten spot in 2010 just because it is still a great bike with a unique take on suspending the rear wheel. Is it still a top five product? Mmmm………maybe not anymore. Here’s to hoping we see an updated Dos Niner from Salsa Cycles sooner than later!

#2: Bontrager’s Tubeless Ready System: Looking back on 2007, this should have been #1. (More on that in a minute) This tubeless system was a few years in the making, but well worth the wait. Now with an expanded arsenal of compatible wheels and tires, Bontrager isn’t resting on its laurels. The system is bullet proof, (with the notable exception of the Super Juice sealant), and is totally worthy of Top Ten status to this day. My only nit is that it isn’t an “open standard” that is being offered by other rim and tire manufacturers. That said, the “TLR” system from Bontrager is one of my all time Top Ten products for 29″ers without a doubt.

#1: RST M-29 Suspension Fork: Back in 2007 there weren’t many options available for suspension forks for 29″ers. If you wanted a budget priced suspender, the choices were even fewer. RST was a company that serviced the bicycle manufacturers with forks on new bikes, but never really pushed into the aftermarket until 2007 and with that, this M-29 model. It was a great bang for the buck fork, and you can still find one here and there today, albeit as part of a frame deal. Since 2007 RST M-29’s were spec’ed on some Haro aluminum 29″ers, but pretty much shut down aftermarket sales and support. Nothing new had been seen until a Cannondale 29″er model was introduced for 2010 with a “Duece” fork from RST. With the lack of an aftermarket presence, and murky details on servicing M-29 forks available to consumers, the #1 status graced upon the M-29 in 2007 looks like a big mistake in 2009. I admit it. I called that one wrong in hindsight. But in in the context of 2007, it was an outstanding product.

Next on “Whatever Happened To….” we’ll take a look at 2008’s Top Ten List………..