Editor’s Note: For several years now I have closed out the year with a Top Ten List. However; with the proliferation of gear, complete bikes, and now our broadened focus on non-29″er related stuff, this approach made less sense to me. So this year we decided to bring you our thoughts on what we found significant, odd, or what ever it was that struck us as important to comment on from the past year. Each of us were free to choose whatever it was we wanted to write about.
I hope you enjoy these opinion pieces. Thanks for reading Twenty Nine Inches, and we all wish you a Happy New Year.
2012- A Look In The Rearview Mirror: Euro Edition- by c_g
OK- 29″ers are here for good, that is a fact by now … even here in Europe. In 2011 you were looked at strangely if you were riding/racing a 29″er. Now, in 2012, you were looked at strangely at a marathon event if you were not on a 29″er. Funny how things change.
This year also has shown how the pace of technological refinement is catching up with the long established 26“ offerings – some of the 2nd generation 29″er bikes we had on test from Euro companies (e.g CUBE, BMC or BERGAMONT) are bikes we would consider ‘near perfect’ (several made it into our Best of 2012 we did on the German TNI site … all in German but easily translated electronically). If you are looking for great handling 29″er Bikes, the field is no longer dominated by US companies … and we are happy about this 
2012 showed how 29″ers continued diversifying over here. First predominantly accepted in the marathon and endurance crowds (hard tails and short travel bikes) – which is likely to stay the ultimate stronghold for 29″ers – we saw more and more bikes appearing that were definitely trail-oriented. Though there may be a constructive limit to the maximum effective travel on a 29″er (widely accepted to be around 130 to 140 mm), I see this trend of more aggressively riding 29″ers and 29″er components to continue for 2013.
But there is another trend I see: With 29″ers becoming mainstream here in Europe we seem to have left the beauty of simplicity behind. 29″ers started out with hard tails, rigid bikes and lots of steel, ti frames – Now when we hear news, it is mostly carbon and the latest in suspension technology that come through. And as a mirror of that 29″er scene, we are walking the same lines more often than not. I see that technological advancement has done a lot to enhance our fun (and safety) when riding, but as a tester, I sometimes find myself reaching out for the roots of simplicity again, which I do by getting on my completely outdated rigid steel bike from 1999.
Somehow this experience helps me … rediscovering both the ‘small kid’s fascination for biking and the appreciation for the current bike technology, because really things were not necessarily better ‘back then’. This helps me to recapture the conscience that it is not the technology behind the bike that has me go out and ride, but a factor that cannot be measured in numbers.
It is the RIDE of a bike, that should be the essence of riding. As long as this is the case, I don´t care whether the bike is made of steel or whatever space age material – if a bike puts a grin on my face, then this already is a huge step, and it is our goal here at TNI when reviewing to look beyond numbers and figures, but let you have a look into the feel of a bike or component.
Sure, all the other things need to be right too, numbers are important, ( as a German I am probably fed with numeric milk from babyhood on ), and here at TNI our small team tries to cover these grounds with as much depth and expertise as we know how to. However; it is this certain search for the ‘Perfect Ride’ that has me do what I do and enjoy it … and in doing so I try not to forget why I go out and ride in the first place.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 and great riding to all of you,
c_g
ps: Interestingly it is a Carbon framed full susser, featuring the latest technologies, that ticked all our boxes (including that certain RIDE FEELING) and was crowned the „No. 1
Editor’s note: For several years now, the most interesting thing we’ve done on twentynineinches.com is our top ten list of favorite products. This year, we decided to eliminate the most interesting thing we do entirely.
@Npw: Really? That’s the most interesting thing we’ve done?
One has to wonder why a person that feels that way would even bother to visit here at all, if that truly is the case. But maybe you mean that it is the most interesting thing on top of other worthwhile things. If that is so, then I have to point out that with such an overwhelming wave of product now available for 29″ers, and with our limited resources, I think a Top Ten list is a bit presumptuous, wouldn’t you agree?
Either way, we also realize that it is impossible to please everyone, and change is often seen as a negative by certain people. If you fall into this category, I am sorry, but we felt it was high time to let the list thing go by the wayside.
Thanks for your comment.
I’m a longtime regular reader- I have no problem with no 10-best lists. More products and ideas can get a fair appraisal if we don’t have a canned label for everything. I’m guilty of this myself- tell me what the best rocky race tire is, tell me which value frame, what XC fork. In 2007 there was so much less 29er product. Now I can walk into my local big sporting goods store and find reasonable entry-level hardtail 29ers displayed next to the soccer equipment. Judge what you do test, and I’ll keep reading.
Sorry, Guitar Ted, for coming off so nasty, at least more than intended. I read the site regularly and read all the articles I can. I don’t catch them all, and the links provided with your top lists were valuable. Interesting means going back and seeing the “out-of-the-box”, “mid-term”, and final thoughts. I don’t think a “top” list is presumptuous at all. I’ve never understood the “anti-list” mindset, aside from the ubiquity. However, you guys get your hands on way more stuff that your readers. Who cares if you can’t test everything. Maybe you’ll think about doing some writer/editor’s pics?
Having been a long time 29er fan and owner I have been sniffing around here and on the demo trail for a ‘long travel’ 29er for some time. The closest I got to what I wanted was an SB95 with a fox 34 120mm fork.
Yet it didn’t feel right.
I recinded and didn’t return to the kiddie wheels but whent half way to the fence sitting 27.5 and 140mm travel. So how does it make me feel. Well I feel that 29ers and long travel do not lead to a fun bike or ride. My liteville 301 is more fun in more challenging conditions than I have enjoyed for a long time.
So what am I on about ? 29″ I must agree are the dominant wheelsize for overall speed in short travel, mild to moderatetrail conditions and marathon racing but the trend of ever increasing travel may well end abruptly when riders discover that there are lighter and far more fun formats than 29ers in the longer travel arena.
Still own both my 29ers but I’m not so sure if I will want to go to them as often now.
Happy holiday riding everyone (if you are not snow or icebound!)
@ Professed: As you know we have tested several long travel 29er and even done a direct comparison of three near identical NICOLAI Helius AC bikes (in 26″, 27.5″ & 29″er) and I can surely see your point.
One of my conclusions has been that at short travel you can get 29er bikes that will please every type of rider, but from 120 mm upwards things get more “specialized” and you will find bikes that favour one riding style or the other – bikes that to me seemed more polarizing.
The more travel you get with a 29er, the finer the line between a good and bad handling 29er gets.
If it had not been for the CUBE Stereo SHPC which by feel and handling are spot on and just as universal and pleasing (and partly the SC Tallboy LTc, that IMO only suffers from granny gear bobbing), I would have drawn the line for 29ers even below 140 mm. Now I am not so sure anymore and I am eager to see what the future brings.
With the advent of the 1×11 SRAM XX1 (and the likelyhood of other dedicated 1×10/11 drivtrains) I again see a way around such limitations and could imagine a bit more travel, but I agree, while the limits may be pushed a bit more (150/155 maybe?), there ultimately will be a limit to travel in a well handling 29er and that is the big chance for the Mid-sized wheels.
But as I gather from your comment, and as I wrote above – as long as your bike gives you more fun riding and puts a smile on your face – then this is the right bike for you.
RIDE ON and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all,
c_g