Pinkbike on 29ers

Last year we did a little video with Shrew that shed some light on freeriding a 29er. It got a ton of attention and proved that people are definitely interested in pushing big wheels more aggressively.

Pinkbike has a feature up right now with two viewpoints on whether or not the 29er will replace 26-inch downhill and all-mountain bikes. It’s a great read, with both Niner’s Chris Sugai and Norco’s Owen Pemberton making some great points. Here’s an excerpt of what Chris Sugai had to say:

“Twenty nine-inch wheels are better for downhill for the same reasons that big wheels are better for cross country. The longer tire contact path creates more traction and better cornering. The larger wheel’s roll-over performance is better in rough terrain. In an apples-to-apples comparison, the 29-inch wheel has less rolling resistance than a 26 inch wheel. It’s a fact.”

-Read the rest of the article here.