Editor’s Note: In our first and second installments, (which can be found here and here) , we had some reactions from four women, Michelle, Laurie, Londy, and Kendra, on 29?ers in general and on the Myka 29 from Specialized Bikes in particular. Here is Grannygear’s last installment with one new test rider, and a video short featuring Specialized pro rider, Rebecca Rusch. Let’s see what they have to say…..
Our last test rider is also our most accomplished and experienced test rider. Her name is Paula, and here are her answers to our questions on 29″ers and the Specialized Myka 29″er.
Twenty Nine Inches: What is your background in cycling?
Paula: I have competed in road, track, Triathlons, Biathlons, mountain bikes, adventure racing, and cyclocross.
TNI: Tell us about your level of experience:
Paula: Cat 2 cyclocross, Cat 1 mountain biking.
TNI: How long you have been riding?
Paula: Since 1986.
TNI: Road VS. MTB, etc.
Paula: I ride equal road and mountain.
TNI: What is your main interest in cycling now and in the future, such as fitness, recreation, sport, racing, or as many as fit your situation.
Paula: I coach a high school mtb team with 16 riders. I race mtb and cyclocross. I will continue coaching high school for 3 more years as the head coach.
I always ride for fitness and to be with my friends. I have raced for 24 years. My riding and training is always part of a bigger life plan. I ride for my health. I want to spend more time on my bike and as little as possible in the doctor’s office. I feel the need to pass my experience on to teach kids and women the sport of cycling. I have a lot of patience.
TNI: What kind of bike are you riding now?
Paula: I have Scott CR1 road bike, Ibis cross bike and a Santa Cruz Blur SL, I had a S Works Epic for years and had a terrible experience with my rear shock.
TNI: Up to now, had you heard of a 29er mountain bike?
Paula: Yes I have heard of them.
TNI: Had you ever ridden one?
Paula: NO.
TNI: What are your impressions of the bike? Did you notice anything different in the way the bike felt compared to your past experience? 29″ wheels lend a certain feel to a bike that is unique. List both good and bad impressions.
Paula: The bike felt really great getting on and riding. I liked being up a little higher in the saddle. The first thing I noticed was how much faster it was climbing the fire road with the bigger wheels. It was very stable on the single track downhill. I was not as fast in the tight single track. The bike I rode was a HT and the wheel size felt like I had an FS bike. The bike did not seem to corner as well as a 26 inch bike. I have never ridden a low end bike, however I have taught several women’s clinics and this bike could take a rider all the way to the expert category. I will recommend it to the girls on our high school team.
TNI: What do you think about the concept of women’s specific bikes?
Paula: I think it is extremely necessary. Most women do not fit on a men’s bike. I was in the bicycle industry for 15 years and this was one of the biggest complaints I heard. The women end up spending time and money to try to get the bikes to fit. They should be out riding.
TNI: Is this a plus for you?
Paula: I have always raced and rode a men’s bike which I prefer. Most women need a women’s specific bike.
TNI: Would you seek that out in your next purchase?
Paula: No but I would look into the S Works 29er.
TNI: Based on the brief ride you had on the 2011 Myka 29er, would you look at a 29er for your next mountain bike?
Paula: Yes.
TNI: If so, why and, if not, why not?
Paula: I like the stability and the speed of climbing.
TNI: Any other thoughts?
Paula: For the price and the ride of the bike I will suggest it to my friends.
Notes from Grannygear:
I have known Paula for many years now, back to the days when she was married to a pro MTB racer and was a serious competitor. I could not even keep her in sight on a long climb. An accomplished road and mountain rider, Ironman finisher, and all around athlete, Paula brings a pretty good resume to the table.
A recent chronic health challenge has limited her ability to compete these days, but she has turned her skills towards others and now coaches the local Jr High/High School MTB team and works with women to help them meet their goals as competitive cyclists.
Paula has not let her challenges stop her and that earns my respect most of all. Paula rocks.
The wrap-up of the Myka:
We come to the end of the testing process of the 2011 Specialized Myka 29er, a 29er hard tail for women. This bike, and others to come, represent an important departure from the commonly held belief that 29ers are too much for the ladies; too big, too heavy, too too…..
Rubbish.
With the right design and the correct geometry, a rider down to the low 5’ level can make a 29er work for them, guy or girl. This year has seen significant victories in the pro racing circuit for men and women. For instance, see the You Tube video where we catch some comments from Rebecca Rusch in Colorado, last year’s Leadville 100 women’s winner, as she ramps up to this year’s Leadville race. (See below)
The Myka shown here differs a bit from the production models you will see for 2011 as it was a pre-production model, so some of the parts are not quite right for color or brand. However, the level of component is comparable on the for sale model and it did not change the results of any testing.
Some things that did come across from this experience:
* The benefits of 29” wheels, like stability and smooth rolling, are good for all levels of riders, but really are appreciated by a recreational or beginner rider.
* The Myka came across as a ‘high-value’ bike, in that it performed above it’s pay grade for anyone who rode it. Will there be a Safire or Era 29er some day for those looking to step up a notch or two? Bet on it.
* It is a lot of fun opening rider’s eyes to a better ride experience and I had as much fun as anyone during the testing.
* My wife does not want to give the Myka back. I could be in trouble here.
grannygear
Following is a quick video synopsis of our experiences with the Specialized Myka 29″er.
Following is a quick thought from Specialized sponsored rider Rebecca Rusch on riding big wheels and how that changed her racing.
Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Specialized Bicycles, Nic Sims, and Rachael Lambert for making the Myka 29″er available for these test riders and Twenty Nine Inches at no charge for test/review. We were not paid nor bribed for these reviews, and the test riders received no compensation for their participation or their input. We believe that the reactions from the test riders are their honest opinions, and are not biased. We did not coerce the test riders in any way to provide an opinion that was positive or negative about the Myka 29″er.
Great job on the review. And I appreciate the different point of view. And a great back story regarding the test rider. You can tell the people who really love bikes because no matter what they stay involved and its great to see a racer who saw that it wasn’t all about “ME”, and is giving back big time to the sport. Reall,y the bike is secondary to this story. Thanks again for the great work.
+1 – it’s great reading stories about people. That’s what makes this sport so great, the people.
How about a series of articles/interviews on some of the people who are heavily involved in the 29er movement? Some of the pioneers, some of the new guys (owners of Niner/Vassago/etc), racers, etc. Would be very interesting!
@dman: So noted.
In fact, I have interviewed the Niner guys before. But I get what you are saying, and I agree. It is the people of the sport that make it so cool, and Grannygear and I remark on this fact all the time.
Well those Myks FSR would bring more women. Why starting with HT always first to test the waters? There is a huge amount of clientele which would never nuy a HT, but FS only. Making a Myka FSR 29er dependent on a HT version is hard to justify. Me wanting an FS would not purchase a HT to show the accounts that I need an FS. Poor strategy in my opinion.
And well what about negative risers for short women?
DC: A lady will buy an expensive bike when she’s a long-time racer, or if her boyfriend insists. FS is expensive, and often unnecessary, more so in 29″. These bikes exist, and mostly guys are buying them. Guess what, most bikes are bought by guys anyway. And trails that “require” FS, are usually not the kind a lady prefers. There are exceptions, and they’ve already found their bike by now.
Well, why bother with front suspension for ladies then? Rigid geared might do the trick.
I really enjoyed this point of view. I feel like I can really trust Paula’s opinions based on her level of experience- she knows what she is talking about, and I hope someday to be half as good as she is. I found in interesting that she was not as fast in tight single track, which is mostly what I ride with my Myka FSR Comp (26inch wheels), so I would definitely like to demo a 29er on my home trails before making the commitment to purchase one. My current Myka is only about a year old, so I doubt I will be replacing it any time soon.
@Melissa C
I was with Paula when she was talking about this and she was feeling the difference in the bigger wheels on tight singletrack. There is a ‘timing’ adjustment that is typical when going up (or down) in wheel size. I find that I need to initiate turns earlier with the bigger wheel rather than waiting a second longer. The flip side is that I do not need to slow down as much entering the turn with the 29er wheels.
She could have been feeling that or her bike, being pretty stretched out and racy, may simply be a quicker steering bike, period. The Myka is tuned more toward stability and comfort over quick response.
Just my take on it. I was not immediately faster on a 29er. It took a while to get into the groove. Some things were immediately a benefit and others came over time.
I am glad you feel that way about Paula, she is pretty bonafide. Another thought on a person’s feelings: We all can be deceived as to what is better or not. ‘Better’ can be pretty subjective. But if a rider with even a lower level of experience rides a bike and feels like they are more comfortable, more secure, or are having more fun, it is hard to discount their feelings completely. They may not know everything yet (if any of us do) but they do know some things.
In any case, I really like how this testing brought out the comments from our woman readers. Heck, I am just happy to know we HAVE woman readers!!!
grannygear
And if ladies like 26er mykas fsr then make them 29er version. Just skip the superfluous HT transition.
The Myka 29er is still not on the Specialized website. Are they making this bike, or is it just a prototype?
@BearSquirrel
You won’t see all the new bikes for a while yet on the website. It is a production bike.
grannygear
DC: “Superfluous HT”?? Since when are HT bikes superfluous? Lots of riders will never see the need to go FS. I would think particularly in the 29er circles. This bike is perfect for my wife and I think it’s great that a major supplier like Specialized isn’t overlooking a price point that can bring a great riding experience to a new audience. Perhaps the ladies that buy a Myka HT 29er will go on to show some brand loyalty and buy a more expensive Specialized some day. And maybe they’ll just ride the hell out of this one and not ever need an FS.
I also find the notion that introducing a Myka 29er FSR is somehow a must. Hardtails are expensive enough. The full suspension version would absolutely be more expensive. Hardtails make up the bulk of sales volumes in MTB.
Please share the details when they come. I’d like to know if there will be the “equivalent” of a Men’s large for my 6’2″ girlfriend.
@BearSquirrel
19″ is the top size here on the Myka. I am not sure about 6’2″ on that size frame. I can see if I can get TT specs, etc if you need them.
grannygear
HT okay, yet FSR sgould be made at the same time, it would bring all those 26 myka fsr rideresses on 29er without a tradeoff being the lack of rear shock. It’ like saying that a 29er doesn not need more travel than 4″ and it would imply that AM riders of 6″ 26ers ought to be trade 2″ of suspension off for bigger wheels and ride XCish bike- why? Do we really need to take this route just because HT is the cat’s meow for someone?
If Specilized jots down some 26 FSR myka sales, so it would at 29er fsr myka. Bigger wheels are not a replacement for suspension.
By the way a 6’2″ that’s a lot of a girl friend!
Michele has a Yeti 575 and rides it very well, it is the only bike she has ever owned, she did demo other bikes as well and did not even consider a HT. Yes, that was on my recomendation. After rideing the Myca HT 29er, she has said that she still would not consider a HT. But if they come out with a FS 29er than she would definitely consider it.
From what I could see Paula does not own a HT.
grannygear,
Yes, a top tube number would be great. I’m pretty sure her closest fit in a Men’s fit is a large.
@Bearsquirrel:
19″ = L, generally the Womens will have a shorter TT at the same height.
I know this post is a bit old, but haven’t found many other sources of info online. My wife is 5? 6.5? with 31? inseam and I’m trying to figure out whether the 17? or 19? Myka would be better for her. For reference, she briefly tried a 17.5? Trek Mamba in a shop, and it seemed to be a decent fit. It seemed anything smaller would probably be cramped in the cockpit.