Recommendations and rationale kindly requested: I'm 5'2" and racing Richmond & Maui. For best performance, which mountain bike is the better option for me 27.5 or 29er? Full suspension or hard-tail? I'm primarily a road triathlete but have decent mountain bike skills and raced Xterra years ago. Ready to upgrade my bike; your experience and advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Re: Xterra bike choice: 27.5 vs 29er? FS vs HT? [tribec]
[ In reply to ]
The one that fits you best, compliments your riding style, and the one you like the best.
I went out in 2012 all set to buy a hardtail 29er. I rode a bunch and hated them all. Bought a carbon fibre hardtail 26er that was absolute love from the 1st pedal stroke and haven't looked back since (even though I crashed it and had to have the frame repaired). It's incredibly responsive and flickable, and probably my fav mtb I've ever owned (out of 6).
At 5'2" you might have trouble finding a 29er that fits you comfortably. Yes, I know there are tiny female pros riding 29ers, but they're riding the bikes their sponsors provide - not necessarily the absolute best bike for them.
Right now 29er tire choice is wider than 27.5/650b, but that's changing.
Here are a couple of articles that may give you some perspective:
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/learn/27-5-vs-29
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/26-vs-275-vs-29-Wheels.html
As for full suspension vs. hardtail, I don't think you're going to find much that requires FS on an xterra course. It's a major price increase to go to FS and generally a sizeable weight penalty. Unless you really think you'll need it, I'd stick with just a squishy fork with at least 100mm of travel. A good quality fork will be customizable to your weight and riding style, and makes a huge difference in ride quality over the cheap junk forks spec'd on lower end bikes.
Cheers!
-mistress k
__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
I went out in 2012 all set to buy a hardtail 29er. I rode a bunch and hated them all. Bought a carbon fibre hardtail 26er that was absolute love from the 1st pedal stroke and haven't looked back since (even though I crashed it and had to have the frame repaired). It's incredibly responsive and flickable, and probably my fav mtb I've ever owned (out of 6).
At 5'2" you might have trouble finding a 29er that fits you comfortably. Yes, I know there are tiny female pros riding 29ers, but they're riding the bikes their sponsors provide - not necessarily the absolute best bike for them.
Right now 29er tire choice is wider than 27.5/650b, but that's changing.
Here are a couple of articles that may give you some perspective:
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/learn/27-5-vs-29
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/26-vs-275-vs-29-Wheels.html
As for full suspension vs. hardtail, I don't think you're going to find much that requires FS on an xterra course. It's a major price increase to go to FS and generally a sizeable weight penalty. Unless you really think you'll need it, I'd stick with just a squishy fork with at least 100mm of travel. A good quality fork will be customizable to your weight and riding style, and makes a huge difference in ride quality over the cheap junk forks spec'd on lower end bikes.
Cheers!
-mistress k
__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
Re: Xterra bike choice: 27.5 vs 29er? FS vs HT? [tribec]
[ In reply to ]
I am also 5'2" (with long legs and a very short torso) and when I shopped for a new bike 3 years ago, I had a real challenge finding a 29er that fit properly (650b were practically nonexistent at that time). I even talked to several builders and they were hesitant about building me a 29er. I ended up with a Ti Ericksen 26er HT and couldn't be happier. I am super interested in riding a 650b after hearing all my friends rave about how easy obstacles are with a 29er and 650b when compared with a 26er. But I am afraid to. I dropped a nice penny on my Ericksen and love her so much that I don't want to feel like I need to add another bike to the stable. I just keep telling myself my 26er is perfect for me and just makes me a better rider than those 29er riders :)
Based on my informal survey at races, you will find most Xterra riders are on a 29er HT. The time of the bike and most Xterra courses do warrant the need for a FS and the extra weight is just a hindrance. And 29er is all the rage (plus I hear it makes riding obstacles a bit easier). There are some newer 29ers on the market (specialized makes one) that give more options to us smaller riders so it might be worth a test rider on some of the newer designs. My recommendation would be to ride as many brands, size, and styles that you can and make a decision. The only wrong bike is one that you are not comfortable riding.
Based on my informal survey at races, you will find most Xterra riders are on a 29er HT. The time of the bike and most Xterra courses do warrant the need for a FS and the extra weight is just a hindrance. And 29er is all the rage (plus I hear it makes riding obstacles a bit easier). There are some newer 29ers on the market (specialized makes one) that give more options to us smaller riders so it might be worth a test rider on some of the newer designs. My recommendation would be to ride as many brands, size, and styles that you can and make a decision. The only wrong bike is one that you are not comfortable riding.
Re: Xterra bike choice: 27.5 vs 29er? FS vs HT? [tribec]
[ In reply to ]
I am in the market for a new mountain bike and specifically targeting a 29er. I have an awesome 26", Specialized S-Works Epic that I have beat the snot out of. The original 29ers were not recommended for anyone under 5'5", but they have evolved quite a bit in the last couple of years. I am going to use it for Adventure Racing, Ultracross and the North Country Endurance Challenge. I am going to demo a Specialized Fate Comp. It's a carbon hardtail. It comes highly recommended from the bike shop. One of the owners is a competitive rider about my height and loves hers as well as another collegiate racer.
Re: Xterra bike choice: 27.5 vs 29er? FS vs HT? [tribec]
[ In reply to ]
I mtb through NICA (scholastic league). Although I haven't done an off-road triathlon yet (doing my first this summer), from what I hear and have read the courses are like those of NICA-untechnical and pretty fast, usually where a 29er shines. There is no need for FS-just adds weight and ends up giving you lower-end components all around for a price point. It also can absorb some energy that you put in the pedals to the shock-depending on the bike and suspension set up and ability to lock out.
The fit can be a huge ordeal. Like you, I am petite 5'3.5" but with a 32" inseam. Ideally, I would have chosen a 650b (27.5") for maneuverability, to make picking tricky lines at our local single track park, switchbacks, etc a bit easier, as well as a bit of weight savings. Because of my budget and the bikes available to me through team/league sponsorships (Specialized, Felt, Trek, Breezer, Cannondale), the most financially-sound options were 29ers (I was adamant about carbon).
That said, after trialing half a dozen different bikes, I settled on a Specialized Fate Comp in a medium to fit my legs-the small was a bit too squished. It is amazing. When I first got on it, my first thought was "This is special" vs the other bikes "This is a nice bike". It is a 29er carbon HT, which is great for the untechnical, fast courses I race. But if you are 'limited' in options as I was, a 29er can do really well, get a fitting(!!!) and if you are a typical short torso/long legs woman, a women's model may be good for you.
The Fate feels like an extension of my body at this point (average 90 miles/week on it) and I absolutely love it. At my race yesterday, the girl who won was on a Fate Expert (5'2" small bike), I was just behind her on my Fate Comp, and third place was on a S-Works Fate (5'4.5" med bike). They are great bikes, and I would very highly recommend it. It is a climbing beast, and covers my mistakes on downhills-things that my other bike a Trek Superfly does not do nearly as well.
This is what my teacher told me when I was shopping. For reference, he is about 6' on a large Ibis Mojo 26"
Part marketing hype, part performance advancement. And there is always a down-side to every decision. A hardtail is lighter but not automatically a better climbing bike than a full suspension bike. Full suspension can climb more efficiently since it soaks up those little bumps that jolt you as you climb. I ride a 26er and I don't worry about how much faster I can roll over stuff. I'm an advanced rider and I can roll over stuff anyway. For twisty single-track and switchbacks, I like a shorter bike with smaller wheels. But I'd consider at my height getting a 27.5, if it didn't compromise the quick handling I enjoy. I'll show you when we ride somewhere. Have you ridden at Tamarancho?
The fit can be a huge ordeal. Like you, I am petite 5'3.5" but with a 32" inseam. Ideally, I would have chosen a 650b (27.5") for maneuverability, to make picking tricky lines at our local single track park, switchbacks, etc a bit easier, as well as a bit of weight savings. Because of my budget and the bikes available to me through team/league sponsorships (Specialized, Felt, Trek, Breezer, Cannondale), the most financially-sound options were 29ers (I was adamant about carbon).
That said, after trialing half a dozen different bikes, I settled on a Specialized Fate Comp in a medium to fit my legs-the small was a bit too squished. It is amazing. When I first got on it, my first thought was "This is special" vs the other bikes "This is a nice bike". It is a 29er carbon HT, which is great for the untechnical, fast courses I race. But if you are 'limited' in options as I was, a 29er can do really well, get a fitting(!!!) and if you are a typical short torso/long legs woman, a women's model may be good for you.
The Fate feels like an extension of my body at this point (average 90 miles/week on it) and I absolutely love it. At my race yesterday, the girl who won was on a Fate Expert (5'2" small bike), I was just behind her on my Fate Comp, and third place was on a S-Works Fate (5'4.5" med bike). They are great bikes, and I would very highly recommend it. It is a climbing beast, and covers my mistakes on downhills-things that my other bike a Trek Superfly does not do nearly as well.
This is what my teacher told me when I was shopping. For reference, he is about 6' on a large Ibis Mojo 26"
Quote:
There's an ad for Giant Bicycles that explains the benefits and trade-offs for each wheel size. I'll see if I can find it for you. A few things to think about though: bikes last a long time and the bike industry always needs something new to sell that is "much better" than what you already have. Twenty-niners came out ten years ago and everyone bought one. Bikes don't wear out that fast. Now the bike industry needs you to buy something new and we have the 27.5 bikes. In a few years there will be something new that's better than 27.5, that's my guess. Part marketing hype, part performance advancement. And there is always a down-side to every decision. A hardtail is lighter but not automatically a better climbing bike than a full suspension bike. Full suspension can climb more efficiently since it soaks up those little bumps that jolt you as you climb. I ride a 26er and I don't worry about how much faster I can roll over stuff. I'm an advanced rider and I can roll over stuff anyway. For twisty single-track and switchbacks, I like a shorter bike with smaller wheels. But I'd consider at my height getting a 27.5, if it didn't compromise the quick handling I enjoy. I'll show you when we ride somewhere. Have you ridden at Tamarancho?
What are your goals for the races? And will you want to ride the bike more and have fun after the racing is done? Are you planning on doing more MTB events besides the Xterras? Those are also big questions to ask yourself when looking at bikes - not just for race performance. Most people can't afford to have multiple mountain bikes in addition to road and tri bikes. While a HT 29er (like a prior poster, I also ride a Fate - but the small since I have short legs and a longer torso) will be faster on most Xterra courses, a FS will be more fun all around. I have two race mountain bikes - my Fate and a Camber FSR EVO (120 front and rear suspension) and if given a choice, I will ride the FS 90% of the time if I don't need power numbers. It's just more fun and that's what mountain biking is all about :) I ride the men's small Camber EVO (5'4") and it fits perfectly. I've done 24 hour races where I can turn lap times the same on both the HT and the FS since while I'm climbing faster on the HT, I'm a little slower on the descents.
Forget wheel size for now and go with the bike that fits you the best. In the long run, that will be the fastest. There is some power lost with the full suspension, but the new CTD suspension from Fox is very efficient - if you remember to switch the settings! At the same point, there is more forgiveness with the FS since you can ride over stuff instead of picking your way around it. On a HT, your legs are your suspension, so there may be extra fatigue getting to the run leg. The trade off for that is that you have to spend a lot more to get a lighter FS bike then a HT bike, regardless of wheel size.
Test ride as many bikes as you can, realizing that the better the component group, the better quality of the ride. Get on some FS 29ers, some HT 29ers and a few 27.5 and see which bike feels more like you.
Vale!
Tracy T
http://www.thelencoaching.com
Some light reading::: http://www.tracythelen.blogspot.com
Forget wheel size for now and go with the bike that fits you the best. In the long run, that will be the fastest. There is some power lost with the full suspension, but the new CTD suspension from Fox is very efficient - if you remember to switch the settings! At the same point, there is more forgiveness with the FS since you can ride over stuff instead of picking your way around it. On a HT, your legs are your suspension, so there may be extra fatigue getting to the run leg. The trade off for that is that you have to spend a lot more to get a lighter FS bike then a HT bike, regardless of wheel size.
Test ride as many bikes as you can, realizing that the better the component group, the better quality of the ride. Get on some FS 29ers, some HT 29ers and a few 27.5 and see which bike feels more like you.
Vale!
Tracy T
http://www.thelencoaching.com
Some light reading::: http://www.tracythelen.blogspot.com