I am not yet convinced that '29 is a must. For mfrs, I have raced XTERRA on a Titus Ti FS (old one called a Cyborg) and an Intense Spider XVP. Both fabulous, high-quality FS bikes. The Spider even carried me through the Leadville 100, so you know its good on long events. If the XTERRA is roadie-friendly (smooth, fast course) like XTERRA Last Stand, ride a hard tail. If it is like XTERRA EX2 Rocky Gap or XTERRA Richmond, ride the FS. If I can get to Nationals next year, I'm taking the Spider.

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“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work” - Thomas Edison, Inventor

My understanding is that you have to be fairly tall (>6') to really get the best use from a 29er, and for those of us under maybe 5'8, it ceases to be merely "suboptimal" and becomes "a bad idea". I could be wrong, but that's what I've heard.

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
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I am 5'8 hardtail all the way whether Xterra or anything else. I just did a 6 hour race this weekend on my hard tail and loved every minute of it. Good tubeless tires and saddle and you will be flossing and flying. I had FS for a few years before switching to a hard tail, I have never regretted it.

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http://talesofthemissing.wordpress.com/

I worry my input is too limited to be of great value but there will at least be another fan of hard tail 26er to check off.

I've never ridden full suspension beyond a Specialized S-Works for about 2 hours during a photo shoot. You can't really get to know a bike riding the same 20 meters over and over again. I've only ridden a hard tail and only 26 and I've ridden it long (off road ironman in Park City with what was a competitive bike split of .....wait for it....10 hours and 49 minutes) and I've ridden short & fast (top 3 AG at a few XTERRAs and a decent day in Maui). I can't see myself changing to an FS bike. With attention to tire pressure it feels good on all courses and lets me run off too.

Ian

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Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan

Sweet. Finally a ST question up my alley. (I'm an XTERRA specialist, regional champion, pro mtber, and tri coach. I'm also a mecahnical engineer with experience in bike suspension.)

You're too short to 29er--the geometry will limit you and the whole 29er thing is not as easy as "a 26 FS is just like a 29er HT."

I rode both FS and HT for a very long time and for a few seasons had both FS and HT bikes (including the Titus Racer X and ti HTs). My take is (and my own and my atheltes TTs prove it) an efficient, short travel FS is faster than HT in almost all situations. HT let you feel fast; FS feel slower but in reality they are faster. The rougher and rockier the trail, the more the advantage. Now, XTERRA tend to be easier trails, but still FS are faster than HTs--again, I've had both bikes on courses (same mfr, same components, etc) and FS are almost always faster even though I've felt slower. Add to that that your legs are fresher froma smoother ride (even micro-bumps induce fatigue from muscles trying to stabilize) and you have 2 reasons to go FS.

I dropped the Titus and went to a Cannondale Scalpel and love it. The short travel rear end is the best I've ridden. I'm on my third Scalpel and use it for all racing--the only time I wish I had a HT is in short track!

[By the way, I'm selling last year's Scalpel under the ST calsssifieds if you're looking...'07 frame and wheels, new /08 everything else.]

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Brian Grasky
Grasky Endurance: World Championship Triathlon Coaching; Professional Training Camps
RETUL fitter, Biomechanist, USAT Level 3 Coach, USAC Level 2 Coach

I am also coming in as a mountain bike racer, I raced semi pro on the NMBS circuit last year. 29'ers are more of a US phenomenon, barely a blink in Europe. I have tried a 29'er hardtail, and liked some of the way it rode, but at 5'6" I had issues with the front end height of the bike. It is also not a substitute for suspension. If you look at the world cup racing, 29'ers are rarely seen, and never on the podium. I can see their point for taller riders, I remember watching Ryan Trebon at Nationals he is 6'6" and just looked wrong on a 26" bike.
I also raced last year on a Scalpel, although for doing some longer races this year I will probably ride a Cannondale Rush as its a little more forgiving and pedals well without having to use a load of compression damping. Brian is right,6+ years ago when first contemplating racing FS I used a powertap wheel swapping between a Titus Racer X FS and Titus FCR Ti hardtail on laps of the Nationals course at Fountain Hills. (this was in the days of v-brakes where you only needed an axle swap to convert the powertap). The FCR felt faster, but on the Racer X I was using less watts to ride the same speed.

Kevin

 
Cannondale Scalpel. It climbs, it corners, it accelerates, it rules.
(Mine is a 2003 model, I don't know if it has changed.)

With all respect to Brian G. how tall you are makes not difference on how you will perform on a 29er. I know quite a few guys that are smaller 5-6 to 5-10 that ride HT 29ers and rock them. If 29ers they weren't made for smaller riders they wouldn't make small frames for them. There are are advantages and disadvantage to both FS and 29er so that is left for you to decide, I would love to own both a HT 29er and a FS 26 if I could
Just like on a road bike you need to choose a bike that fits and feels correct underneath you. I would say that it is more important that it feels right and handles how you expect it and want it to than a road bike because the handling is that much more important. The courses can vary in the Xterra from the tame to some fairly technical and difficult courses, nothing is to crazy though.

I have been riding the Orbea Oiz for the last year and it rocks, the full suspension is just enough to take the edge off, with the propedal you don't feel any pedal bob but still soaks up everything nicely and keeps the rubber side down. I know a few guys that are riding the Alma 29er as well and love it, only complaint is that they can't ride that wide of a rear tire, 2.0 max. A friend loves his Felt 29er and lays the miles down on it during the winter, before he hits the road full time for the rest of the season.
If you are looking at FS I highly recomend looking at the new Trek Top Fuel, it is a great bike, I got to demo one and it really rides very smooth, and climbs very well. The technology behind the new rear suspension is great, the ABP and floater shock are what are advertized.

Branden

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"Here's to the finely tuned athlete on the verge of greatness"-Romeo, Tin Cup

No intent to hijack...

Kevin--what races this year? MBAA? Norba? XTERRA? I'm up for 24OP solo, select MBAA marathons, and XTERRA Deuces Wild, Snow Valley, 4 Corners, and West Cup. See you there?

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Brian Grasky
Grasky Endurance: World Championship Triathlon Coaching; Professional Training Camps
RETUL fitter, Biomechanist, USAT Level 3 Coach, USAC Level 2 Coach

I can echo what Brian said...even on so called 'hardtail' courses a FS bike is faster and here's why. When putting power to the pedals on a continual basis on a 'smooth' XC course you are going to be able to obtain quite respectable speeds (in the neighborhood of 20mph). Most people consider this hardtail terrain, but sit on a hardtail's seat while putting out constant power and you'll feel the undulations in the ground ejecting you from your seat continually which ruins your rythm and causes you to stop pedalling nearly continually.
A FS bike on the other hand could/should let you sit and continue your pedalling rythm while absorbing these undulations.

I'm more tempted to ride my hardtail on a 'technical' course because you're out of the saddle so often anyway.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'll try and get out to ride both styles, hopefully during the same ride to get some idea. Trails were hardpack snow just a couple of days ago but now everything is slick as snot since the pineapple express just arrived.

I'm holding an XTERRA training camp in warm and sunny Tucson March 8-13. The Cannondale demo fleet will be here so athletes can try out their entire line. Might not be a bad idea for you.

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Brian Grasky
Grasky Endurance: World Championship Triathlon Coaching; Professional Training Camps
RETUL fitter, Biomechanist, USAT Level 3 Coach, USAC Level 2 Coach

Here's my take, FWIW. FS is potentially a faster bike, provided you know how to ride it right. Even then, it does take away your ability to stand up and grind it hard when you want to, which is a definite possibility when racing. Also, being 5'6", I imagine you ride a 50cm bike? That is pretty much the bare minimum to even run a 700c wheel on a road bike. You're probably best off with a 26 HT, unless you have the money for a Scott Genius, which can lock out the rear suspension, or give you 80mm or 150mm rear wheel travel, on the fly. The only 29 I could see you on is the Trek 69er which is a FS bike with 29 front and 26 rear, which I still have yet to see the benefits of. Next time I race an Xterra, I will probably steal my wife's Kona blast (26 HT) and leave my Jamis Dakar Comp @ home.

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Lead, follow, or get out of the way...

I think it takes more to know how to ride a hardtail 'right' then a full suspension bike.

I also see that most rear shocks have an easily accessible lockout switch you can flip just under your seat with some having a cable up to a handlebar switch.
Properly tuning the rear shock allows you to get up and grind hard without much problem....yet the best racing has you pacing yourself better and not getting up for 'attacks' in the middle of the race...in MTB racing 'attacks' are done up steep climbs anyway where you will probably be out of the saddle on either type of bike.

Many FS bikes these days climb better than HT bikes in some situations (ie. rear wheel up over a rock/root without losing traction).

Any of you XTERRA-type folks see anyone riding a single speed MTB during a race? I have never done an XTERRA before, but that will change this summer. There are three races here in Michigan, so the plan is to do at least a couple. I was half considering riding my SS in one of them. Just for kicks.

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I remember Julien Absalon kicking some tail on his Orbea hardtail during the Olympics XC event. A bunch of guys on full suspension rigs were left in his dust.

I have raced in over ten Xterra's and have yet to see a single rider on a SS. I say go for it, I give those guys and gals the RESPECT at the mtn bike races, that takes skill and ability.

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http://talesofthemissing.wordpress.com/

I know that there was a woman riding singlespeed at the Schiff Xterra on long Island last year and I think that she was the overall woman's winner. Singlespeeders are usually fast in spite of their equipment not because if it.

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

With all respect to the FS supporters, I still believe an HT is faster. Both the male and female Olympic champions were on HT's and that course was not flat nor smooth.

Until I see a comprehensive study of identical riders over identical courses showing the FS advantage, I'll still believe in HT. Yes you have to ride more 'actively' on the HT, so you could be skimming away watts and effort here and there. I just don't think the evidence is in that this tradeoff is not worth the weight and efficiency gains you get on the climbs and flats. Particularly on Xterra length races. The balance certainly tilts to FS on rough and long races, but most Xterras are not rough or long. Long being 3+ hours on the bike.

This last season I did my first cross racing, but I used my HT. The HT was faster on really twisty courses when conditions were bad, but in pretty much all other conditions, I was losing time. I could just feel the drag on the straights. I see much the same thing with FS vs. HT. I know that on rooty fast twisty sections I used to pull away from the HT's on my FS, but I'd lose time again on the straights and climbs. There just weren't enough rooty fast twisty sections. Plus with tubeless and disc on the HT, I regain much of the advantage.

I have a team mate who rocks the SS at XTERRA events. Although after Richmond last year, he said he may be looking to get gears. I've seen a few SS's here and there at races.

I like this line. :-)

I'll give it a go on my SS, it will be fun no matter what.

I am a huge beleiver in FS bikes. I have been riding/racing FS bikes since about 99. The technology has come so far that it really makes no sense to go on a hardtail.

To start looking at professional race results is a lost cause, if you look hard enough you will always find what you want that is the whole idea of paying someone to ride your bike. 2008 mtn. bike World Championships Go Sauser! on a FS.

You can get a FS bike to about 20-22lbs out of the box now so there is no real weight penalty.

You gain control overall wether you are climbing, descending or braking by keeping both wheels well planted on the ground.

Then there is the whole beating up the body and losing watts over a course that is hard to measure but I think we all beleive that you do exert more energy when you are on a hardtail. The debate about how much energy I beleive is an open ended question but there is definately some energy being used up there.

Then there is the ability of the rider. Over the years I have seen lots of people try mtn. biking and some have stuck with it while lots of others have not. If a newbie got a full suspension bike that was properly fitted you could instantly see the difference in how well they would pick up the sport. (Example: shaped skis, you wouldn't ever put a newbie on straight skis anymore it makes no sense! Technology is everywhere in our lives use it.)

Yes there are those that are undbelievable mtn. bikers that usually come from a BMX background that may not need the help of full suspension but I tell you what I still see most of them riding FS b/c they can take better, smoother, faster lines.

Everyone is going to have an opinion when it comes to FS or hardtail the problem is often there opinions are swayed by there pocket book.

Hope you enjoyed my rant about FS bikes and let me leave you with this question if Suspension is so bad how come were not debating Front Suspension?

I was racing FS from '00-'05 and went back to HT. I used to be on the other side of this argument until I started doing much better on the bike vs my competitors when I started taking my HT out. After a full season of HT, I found I liked the HT much better and was riding faster than ever. I have no doubt that beginner riders can take on tougher terrain with an FS, but for the expert level rider, I feel that the HT is still faster.

All of your arguments are perfectly reasonable, but none of them lead to the conclusion that FS is faster. I'm sure it could be faster, I just am not convinced that it definitively is faster. I'm not arguing against front suspension. That's a totally seperate argument, as pointless as my asking why no FS road bikes.

..and mt HT was about $6500 (retail) in parts, so it was definitely not a pocket book choice. I'm certainly not anti-tech. I have disc brakes and tubeless tires. Although my Ti frame would be considered by some to be old school.

For kicks ok, but expect doing some hike a bikes on the courses. Fort custer and torn shirt, lots of single track with hills. If you are a bullit swimmer and good on a ss you will be able to keep the speed up...... but if you are joe average swimmer you will get caught in traffic, no place for a ss