Well, the Top Ten 29″er Products of 2009 have been revealed. If you want an easy place to refer to the list for 2009, this is it. Following are links to each post:
Number 1: Salsa Cycles Fargo
Number 2: Rock Shox Reba Team/Maxle Lite
Number 3: Milwaukee Bicycle Company 29″er
Number 4: Misfit Psycles diSSent
Number 5: Bontrager 29-3 Tires
Number 6: Continental Race King Tire
Number 7: Salsa Cycles Big Mama
Number 8: Lynskey Performance Ridgeline
Number 9: Easton XC-One Single Speed Wheels
Number 10: Specialized 29″er Tires
Bontrager 29-3 Tires Reader’s Choice Award
Top Non-29″er Related Product Of ’09 Ragley Bikes Carnegie’s Bar
Once again, congratulations to all who made the list in 2009. Thanks to you readers out there for stopping by and especially to those of you who took the time to vote for the first annual Reader’s Choice Award won by the Bontrager 29-3 tires.
Hi Guitar Ted,
I know the Panaracer Rampage 29er tire isn’t on this list, but I was just wondering if you know how it’d work on a Bontrager Rhythm rim set up tubeless. Would you be able to use Bontrager’s plastic rim strips? I currently have XDX tires set up tubeless on it, and am looking for a more loose conditions/snow tire for my X-Caliber (2008 frame, so I know it’ll fit).
Thanks in advance for any advice/experience you’d have with this combo.
Mike
@Mike: It will work great with the TLR rim strips installed. Rampages are a bit fussy to get the sidewalls sealed, but once they do, you shouldn’t have any issues with them. I have a set of I-9′s laced to Duster rims, (same as the Rhythm rims), with Rampages on and they work just fine.
So ted, I have to ask you, what is from your experiences your favorite 29er RACING harpack/ to semi loose condition tire setup tubeless or ghetto tubeless? I’m New to 29ers, I live in Wisconsin, and I am 130 pounds…….I’m just trying to get a good idea for next year.
@Greg: So are you asking what my opinion is on “ghetto tubeless” versus a tubeless system like Bontrager’s?
If so, I would vote for a tubeless system. less variables to go wrong.
I guess tubeless or tubeless ready, Ted………….
@Greg: So you are referring to tubeless tires versus tubeless ready ones?
Well, true tubeless tires were tried by Geax and they were about 300 plus grams heavier than their folding bead versions. Tubeless ready is a bit heavier than folding, but the weight penalty is minimal, and the reliability is high.
Regular folding bead tires can be converted, but that gets into a “gray” area that may cause issues dependent upon the actual tubeless method used and the rim /tire combination.
Success can be had with “regular” tires converted to tubeless, but one should ask a lot of questions first before diving into a race season with an unknown system/tire combination.
OK lets make this easier, what is your favorite race tire for hardpack to medium loose conditions.
@Greg: Bontrager 29-3 rear on both ends or Hutchinson Pythons followed by the as yet unproven Maxxis Aspen.
@Guitar Ted: Thanks! Yeah i know a guy who runs the Bonty 29-3 rear tire front and rear, but I just can’t imagine it would have good cornering because of the lack of side knobs…..
@ Guitar Ted: One last question Ted, the 29er I will be getting is the fisher superfly (with the bontrager tubeless strip). Do the pythons TLR system work fairly good with that system?
@Greg: I have done that exact tire on a Bontrager Race X Lite 29″er wheelset and it works just fine tubeless with the TLR plastic rim strip.
I own, 2-4-6 and love them all! So I guess I came out ok for 09!
Hey Ted, just throwing some thoughts out there…
1. Wasn’t the Big Mama a 2008 model? It didn’t make the list for 2008, but did for 2009, however nothing changed. Were the 2009 contenders so lackluster that a bike that didn’t make the list with its inception, made it the next year?
2. I’m sure Milwaukee makes an excellent bike and the GunKote really sounds like a great thing, but aside from your review(s) I really never even knew the bike existed. I’m suprised the (limited edition) Superfly SS didn’t make the list. I realized it wasn’t supposed to be available for public consumption, but my assumption would be that there are more of them running around out there than the Milwaukee 29er. I don’t know the numbers, this is just an opinion.
*To me*, the Superfly SS was the attention whore of the year, even though I decided to pass on the opportunity to buy one for a Selma instead.
Anyhow, please don’t take it as a knock. I’m just asking the questions and throwing out the opinions, for nothing more than the sake of conversation.
@aaron: #1: The Big Mama was introduced June ’08, but it wasn’t available for sale until March/April of ’09.
#2: The Superfly SS did not meet all the criteria for making my top ten list. (Again- read the top of each Top Ten post.. )
@GT #1. March/April 09? Really? I have a pic of one from late July/early Aug 2008, but it maybe it was a pre-production bike.
#2 Fair enough. I guess you can’t review what you haven’t tested.
I still dig your reviews and reports nonetheless.