Hey folks! Twenty Nine Inches has been getting a lot of great “Reader’s Choice” award nominees. Instead of keeping you all in the dark here, I thought I would update you all on the early leaders in the voting. (By the way, you can still continue to vote by e-mailing your suggestions via the “diggers@twentynineinches” e-mail link in the right hand margin)
The early leader so far is the Specialized Epic Marathon 29″er which is getting raves from several of you out there.
Running second in the voting now is Niner Bikes Carbon Fork which also won an award recently at Eurobike.
Other notable vote getters that are close include the Salsa Cycles Titanium El Mariachi, the Ragley Bikes TD-1 titanium rig, and Stan’s Crest Rims, which have all garnered votes above and beyond anything else ya’all have suggested so far. I have received votes for two dozen or more products, so the range of items is impressive that have made an impression on you, the readers, this past year.
Once again, here are a few things to keep in mind for The Reader’s Choice Award for 2010: First- The product in question must have been available for purchase during the calendar year of 2010. So, no new “unobtanium” frame sets, bicycles, or components. Okay? Second: The product must not be marketed as a 2011 product. Anything available now, but marketed as a 2011 product will go on next year’s list for a possible Reader’s Choice Award. Third: The product must be 29?er specific. So, it will be limited to frames, forks, wheels, rims, tires, and complete 29 inch bicycles. Fourth: I will be the final judge on the voting. The ideas for this award will be accepted by sending an e-mail via the link at the right margin- (diggers@twentynineinches.com). Keep it on track and keep it fun. Your choice will be revealed just before the #1 Top 29?er Product Of 2009 is posted.
And Finally: A big thanks to the many of you that voted the site as the #1 29″er Product of 2010. We’re humbled and appreciative, but we also must remind you that we are not for sale. You get us for free and all that comes with it, so we do not qualify under the rules of voting. 🙂
Keep voting! We’ll be tallying the vote here at TNI headquarters and we’ll update you once more before the results are revealed near the end of the month! Stay tuned for the Top Ten 29″er Products Of 2010, which should start kicking in to gear next week here.
I have to say the El Mariachi Ti has been my favorite 29″er-specific product I’ve used that was introduced in 2010. It’s a bike that I can easily see being in my regular rotation for many, many years to come. And that makes me a very happy guy…
Particularly when running a quality ti seatpost like a Moots or an Eriksen, the El Mariachi Ti is an absolute magic carpet ride… It’s my favorite hardtail I’ve owned in 21 years of riding and racing mountain bikes, so for me, it sets the current high water mark.
And what’s cool is that, as you saw at Interbike, we’re just starting to see the beginning of the cool stuff from our friends at Salsa Cycles. The future is bright indeed!
Another vote for the Roval wheelset. I added a set to my Stumpjumper this past year and it’s the best upgrade to any bike that I’ve made in years. Light S-works tires and a good cassette and I dropped pounds from the OEM spec. It made the bike a whole different beast.
Honestly the Top 2 products I’ve been blown away with in 2010 we’re just pictured above – well sort of.
1. Based on your report of the Epic Marathon, I was intrigued to finally test a Specy 29er w/brain. I had the recent opp to test the 2011 Epic Comp and quite honestly was floored on how much I loved not only the geo but the brain technology.
2. Niner Carbon Fork – Simply awesome!!! Ran one on a Sir 9 – Wow!!! thats how a SS should ride in its simplest form!!!
I’ve been riding a Scott Scale 29er all summer. It took a while to get the turns correct, but now it’s my favorite ride. Nice set of components with a decent price.
+1 for Notubes Crest.
After the abuse of a Transalp Challenge I have complete trust in what is a very light product.
add another vote for the epic..in fact add two
Ragley Carnegie’s bar! Wide enough for SS, flat, + and- rize, comfortable, reasonably priced.
Geax Saguaro TNT’s. awsome tread pattern and rubber compound. great all around 29er tubeless tire.
two tires that have really surprised me that i would buy again (both used rear) – tubeless:
specialized fastrak control 29er 2bliss
michilen wild race’r 29er
not really 29er specific, but if you think about it, it kinda is – 2 (or 1) X 10 drivetrains.
did 29inches do a review of the Stan’s Crest 29er? Would love to see that, with some comparisons to other Stan’s rims, and real world recommendations for different riding types. cheers!
@uknat: Actually, we just received a test bike to be announced within the next couple of days that was equipped with the Stan’s Crest rims. We’ll give a brief comment or two on the Crest, but at this point, a full review has not been planned for those rims.
Specialized Epic 29er. I have the Comp one. I think it’s the perfect machine for endurance riding.
Like others, I vote for the Specialized Epic (mine’s the Comp). Got a bit over 2k miles on it, and I love it as much now as I did when I first threw a leg over it.
I think that the carbon fiber dual suspension 29er is the product of the year.
Too many to mention them all but the short list in alphabetical order would be :
Epic carbon
Superfly 100
Tallboy
I ride a Superfly 100 but from what I have heard the other 2 are also awesome rigs.
I vote for the Giant Anthem X 29er.
Salsa El M Ti – Loving it!