# To Two Niner or To Not?



## CycleMainiac (Jan 12, 2004)

This has been on my mind a while but could I really have one in my size? 

Can I get a 29er in an XS frame? Like a 14" or so? I can't go rigid so anyone have a fork recommendation? SS or gears?


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## wooglin (Jan 6, 2004)

Here's a tiny Waltworks owned by Erinna. You can probably contact her directly through PisgahProductions, who typically posts on the North Carolina board.


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## moonbeam (Dec 21, 2004)

I am 5'2" (actually a little shorter than Erinna) with a 28" inseam, and I ride a couple of non-custom 29ers. I must say, I lust over Erinna's steed every time I see it. 

I have a small Soma Juice www.somafab.com , which I love. I have it set up single with a rigid fork... I've thought about putting a suspension fork on it, and I'm pretty sure the Reba or White Bros fork would work without much change regarding stem rise/negative rise. It's not a ss specific bike, so if you wanted gears you could go that route with the same frame.

Several companies are paying attention to the trend that smaller riders are into the idea of big wheels. KHS has a new 29er that would fit me, actually the small Rig is an ok fit, Impy just got the small Niner, etc.

I will say too, that the big wheels have made me a much more confident rider...I sometimes intentionally pick crappy lines to see what the bike can do.  And if people start talking to you about toe overlap, I haven't had a problem, and I don't think Erinna has either. Folks don't think about the fact that a short girl doesn't wear size 44 shoes. I'm not one of those people who think the world should convert to big wheels, nor do I think that every short person can find a good fit. But, I know it works for me, and I love em!! 

FYI, I checked into several small builders who would build me a small bike with good standover, etc. so if you want that info, I'm happy to pass it along.

Let us know what you decide. 
Carol Ann


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## e_eejit (Oct 5, 2006)

Erinna is very impressive on hers. And very nice, so figure she'd be more than willing to give you any advice that helped in her decision. There appear to be a lot of custom shops willing and able to build bikes for those of you of smaller proportions.

Would love to add a 2-9er to my corral, but since I'm about to purchase a road bike for winter riding, I'm not sure the husband would see that as a "necessary" expense.


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## LyndaW (Jul 22, 2005)

I'm 5'2" and ride a 16" GF Rig 29er. No toe overlap. It is a bit on the heavy side coming in at 26lbs but it was cheap and it is really, really fun to ride. I notice a big difference when moving between my 26ers and 29er. It's my play bike (well one of them anyway).


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## CycleMainiac (Jan 12, 2004)

Thanks you Ladies for the info. My lust for a 29er is becoming un-ignorable. Now it's a matter of $$$. 

How much did they raise my credit line too?


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

Yea, 5'2" here and really love my niner (small sir9). It is a SS and it is 24# - I'd love to weight weenie it at some point, but it is comparable to my 26" ss. I have a reba on it with 80 mm of travel, but I was riding with 100 for awhile and really can't tell the difference standover wise. 

I'm hooked on the big wheels. I need to get a geared 29inch bike now.


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## ima_bleeder (Aug 25, 2006)

I'm a little taller at 5'4", but I don't really consider myself tall in a normal crowd. And I'm absolutely in love with my niner (e.m.d.). In fact, I'd say the big wheels have fueled my very recent love of mountain biking. My niner is the reason I ride.


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## e_eejit (Oct 5, 2006)

Out of curiosity and with the thought of a 29er possibly making its way into the corral in the future, how do the bigger wheels change/alter the way you feel on technical downhills. Techy DH is my touchy spot, the one thing I want to work on most in future. Thoughts? Comments?


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## moonbeam (Dec 21, 2004)

Impy said:


> I'm hooked on the big wheels. I need to get a geared 29inch bike now.


    
Yes, yes you do.


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## namrita (Jun 1, 2005)

Question for those of you that are 5'2" ish and riding 29ers....are you able to get the handlebars lower than the saddle? Seems like the ones I've seen lately (pictures only) have the handlebars higher than the saddle. 

I'm 5'8" so don't have a problem with the fit, but since I've been doing professional bike fits, I'm curious from that perspective.


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## ima_bleeder (Aug 25, 2006)

e_eejit said:


> Out of curiosity and with the thought of a 29er possibly making its way into the corral in the future, how do the bigger wheels change/alter the way you feel on technical downhills. Techy DH is my touchy spot, the one thing I want to work on most in future. Thoughts? Comments?


Well I'm still kind of a newbie, and I'm strictly XC, but from that perspective ...
The big wheels made a huge difference in riding technical stuff. For the better, obviously. When we were first test riding 29ers we would go for a ride one day on the 26" bikes, and ride the same route the next day on the 29ers. We also found a short loop and in one evening did one loop after another to compare the feel of the bikes. I find that I'm much faster on the 29er, while feeling much more stable. Picture a wheel the size of a dinner plate rolling over a 3" rock, then picture your 26" wheel rolling over the same rock. The dinner plate wheel actually has to climb over the rock, while the 26" wheel barely notices it. So as far as going over stuff, the 29ers are definitely smoother and easier.

I've heard the concern that switchbacks are more difficult with the 29ers, but I haven't personally noticed it. In fact, I'm able to do much tighter switchbacks than I was at the beginning of the summer. But like I said, I'm still kind of a newbie. That's all part of my learning curve.


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## soly (May 29, 2006)

Can you ladies share your inseam measurement too? I know some of you said that you are 5'2" and 5'4". Anyone have trouble with a long TT length?


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## moonbeam (Dec 21, 2004)

namrita said:


> Question for those of you that are 5'2" ish and riding 29ers....are you able to get the handlebars lower than the saddle? Seems like the ones I've seen lately (pictures only) have the handlebars higher than the saddle.
> 
> I'm 5'8" so don't have a problem with the fit, but since I've been doing professional bike fits, I'm curious from that perspective.


Hey Nam--
My handlebars are level with my saddle. I don't have a pic b/c I'm stealing time from the job on the work computer...but I can send some build pics of both the Airborne and the Soma from home later. Even on my 26" bikes I ride level bars w/ saddle, so I suppose that's the position I prefer.

ca


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## soly (May 29, 2006)

*Ladies who have 29er's*

can you comment on the climbing performance. Is it more effort to crank or turnover the bigger wheels? A friend of mine likened it to riding through sand when trying to power up hills? Is that an accurate description?


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## Guest (Oct 15, 2006)

not a lady here, but your friend didn't do the big wheels justice!

the first time i climbed on my Niner, my comment to the wife was "this is like cheating!"

the current selection of tires are anything but slow rolling (i can't wait to try the new Rampage as i am willing to give up some rolling resistance for actual traction)

29" wheels are no harder to pedal, although you might want to adjust your gearing to get the correct gear/inches for the new tire diameter.

one other complaint is the rotational inertia from heavier wheels. women are so much less abusive to the wheels and stuff, you can probably get away with a 29er wheel that is almost as light as a standard built 26" wheel. this is not the case for guys like me!










I still hope to get my wife on a 29er, it is just hard to buy her ANOTHER bike.


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## ima_bleeder (Aug 25, 2006)

I didn't at all have the 'riding through sand' feeling. For me, the only down side at all was that the gearing wasn't adjusted for the bigger wheels, and since I live in granny on the uphills (especially at the beginning of the season) I had to push up the hills in effectively a higher gear. I really needed the lower gears to compensate for bad knees (need to 'spin' a little more, and push a little less). So the only adjustment we made was to replace my small ring with another one with a couple fewer teeth. Perfect.

Next enhancement, lighter wheels! Can't wait!


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## soly (May 29, 2006)

For those who are riding geared 29er's what gearing are you using for the larger wheels?


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

After I rode a 29er, the first thing out of my mouth was 

"well I suck just as much on a 29er as on a 26er, but some things (downhill) seem a little easier"

In the end, a bike is just a bike. No bike can make up for lack of skills or poor conditioning. 

If you love your current bike, keep it. But if you love trying out new stuff & can afford to, get a 29er.


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2006)

there are some situations where a niner really does have an advantage. ledges and steps are one place where a 3" larger wheel OD makes things better.

it is true, a bike does not a rider make.

if you want to know my opinion on the fastest way to be a better rider: ride lots, ride as many different types of terrain/trails that you can, ride different bikes, practice bike skills in the driveway. 

the biggest factor here IMO would be riding different places, especially when you are still in beginner to intermediate skills area. when you ride somewhere new, challenges can sneak up on you. after riding through it you might think, "wow, i didn't think i could ride that." that exposure to something new just expanded your scope of competence. (providing you don't fall on your face and set yourself back!!!)


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## SCHomer (Sep 6, 2005)

*Gearing*



soly said:


> For those who are riding geared 29er's what gearing are you using for the larger wheels?


To get close to the same gear inches as a 26 inch wheel bike you would need a 20-30-42 crankset instead of the standard 22-32-44. I am still running my 22-32-44 and really can't tell that big of a difference. Oh I am running an 11-34 cassette. If you live in the Rockies or places with really steep climbs the smaller crankset would be of benefit.


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## Guest (Oct 17, 2006)

not everyone is the same when it comes to gearing though. I ride everywhere and climb lots with a 1X9 (32T front, 11-34 cassette). it just takes some getting used to. metering your effort is important since you can't dump down to granny and spin.

i don't necessarily think 1X9 is for all women, but if you can SS then you can probably rock the 1X9 too.


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## soly (May 29, 2006)

mechmann_mtb said:


> not everyone is the same when it comes to gearing though. I ride everywhere and climb lots with a 1X9 (32T front, 11-34 cassette). it just takes some getting used to. metering your effort is important since you can't dump down to granny and spin.
> 
> i don't necessarily think 1X9 is for all women, but if you can SS then you can probably rock the 1X9 too.


I am currently riding a ss with 32x20 gearing. I looove bikes and would love to add another to the stable. I don't want to build another dedicated ss. I really love the one I have. I like the idea of a 1x9 though.

Thanks for all the input.


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## Guest (Oct 18, 2006)

if you get something like the Niner SIR9 (EBB and interchangeable dropout) you can change the bike from SS to 1x9 in less than 15 minutes. i used to change mine over occasionally.

i am pushing the wife toward 1x9 29er for an all day ride. maybe she will embrace it, maybe not, but it will definitely be something different for her to try. she doesn't ride her SS very much, she claims she isn't strong enough to ride it on longer rides. (self imposed limitation IMO)

time to sell her white Surly 1x1.


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## pacman (Jan 16, 2004)

*You can see it*



mechmann_mtb said:


> there are some situations where a niner really does have an advantage. ledges and steps are one place where a 3" larger wheel OD makes things better.


To build on what mechmann said - when rolling off a ledge the larger wheel makes contact further from the edge. So the 29er bike does not tilt down as much as a 26er! I'd draw a picture if I had a chalkboard. 

29er's are harder to endo. When a bike is pointed downhill its weight (and yours) moves the contact patch forward relative to its level ground position. On a large wheel the contact patch moves forward more than on a small wheel. (a matter of geometry)


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## sheilar (Jan 21, 2005)

I'm just under 5'6 and ride a Dos Niner small. The handle bars are about even or just below the saddle.
s



namrita said:


> Question for those of you that are 5'2" ish and riding 29ers....are you able to get the handlebars lower than the saddle? Seems like the ones I've seen lately (pictures only) have the handlebars higher than the saddle.
> 
> I'm 5'8" so don't have a problem with the fit, but since I've been doing professional bike fits, I'm curious from that perspective.


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## aword4you (Jul 25, 2005)

I'm in the process of building up an 06 Dos Niner. We think that the handlebars will definitely be lower than the seat (even with adding spacers). It should be a great bike, though. The estimated weight is right above 23lbs. I'm 5'9, but still worried about the standover on the Salsa. It's quite a bit taller than my current Stumpy, which of course has the dip in standover. Hopefully it'll be all right.

I'm just waiting for the rims to come in so we can finish the build, but I'm chomping at the bit for it to be finished!

BTW, building it up as a 1x9. I can't SS to save my live. Until we get the 28T ti ring it's gonna be a 32T with the regular rear cassette gearing (9 speed, I think).


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## soly (May 29, 2006)

aword4you said:


> I'm in the process of building up an 06 Dos Niner. We think that the handlebars will definitely be lower than the seat (even with adding spacers). It should be a great bike, though. The estimated weight is right above 23lbs. I'm 5'9, but still worried about the standover on the Salsa. It's quite a bit taller than my current Stumpy, which of course has the dip in standover. Hopefully it'll be all right.
> 
> I'm just waiting for the rims to come in so we can finish the build, but I'm chomping at the bit for it to be finished!
> 
> BTW, building it up as a 1x9. I can't SS to save my live. Until we get the 28T ti ring it's gonna be a 32T with the regular rear cassette gearing (9 speed, I think).


Sounds nice. What size rear cassette are you going to use? Would love to see some pix when the build is complete.


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## aword4you (Jul 25, 2005)

soly said:


> Sounds nice. What size rear cassette are you going to use? Would love to see some pix when the build is complete.


It's an XTR cassette. Normal gearing I assume? Currently just waiting on the rims and the spokes will be ordered today. I would've liked to have had the bike this weekend (my Fox fork on my Stumpy hasn't been right since it was rebuilt about 2 months ago and just keeps getting more and more harsh to ride on), but I don't think I'll have all of the parts by then.

Photos next week, hopefully!


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## Guest (Nov 2, 2006)

soly...

the cassette will be a 12-34 XTR cassette. I figured she wouldn't use the 11T much and having the ratio spaced a bit closer together on the smaller cogs might make them more usable. with all the climbing she will be doing on the bike, i figured that having a 28T Boone chainring up front will ease her pain. not much pedalling necessary on the way down tight/twisty single track, so having a bigger chainring or taller gears wouldn't help her much.

i am really excited about the build. it is by far the best build i will have done to date. the component list is off the charts. hopefully it will somehow compell her to pedal harder during vision quest in the spring!!!


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## soly (May 29, 2006)

mechmann_mtb said:


> soly...
> 
> the cassette will be a 12-34 XTR cassette. I figured she wouldn't use the 11T much and having the ratio spaced a bit closer together on the smaller cogs might make them more usable. with all the climbing she will be doing on the bike, i figured that having a 28T Boone chainring up front will ease her pain. not much pedalling necessary on the way down tight/twisty single track, so having a bigger chainring or taller gears wouldn't help her much.
> 
> i am really excited about the build. it is by far the best build i will have done to date. the component list is off the charts. hopefully it will somehow compell her to pedal harder during vision quest in the spring!!!


You sound super stoked about your wife's build. Tell her to post a ride report once its is complete. Would love to hear what she thinks of the gearing.


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## Guest (Nov 2, 2006)

some pics of the parts so far...

Juicy Ultimate Brakes, Middleburn Cranks, FSA Ti BB, XO Med cage RD, XO shifter









Race Face Next SL bars and seatpost, FSA Stem, Reba SL, WTB Laser SLT









Some things that have arrived but are not photographed...

King Dreadset
King Red Ano spacers
DT 240S hubs
Salsa Rasta skewers
XTR cassette
ESI grips (red)
Rohloff chainguide (in the process of modifying this for better fit/function)
SRAM hollowpin chain

Things ordered but not in yet...

Boone Ti chainring
Stans 355 29er rims
DT Aerolite spokes
DT Prolock Aluminum nips


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## soly (May 29, 2006)

mechmann_mtb said:


> Some things that have arrived but are not photographed...
> 
> King Dreadset
> King Red Ano spacers
> ...


Nice attention to detail.


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## Guest (Nov 10, 2006)

soly...

bike is finished. weight is a hair under 22.5 lbs. i am still waiting for the Boone Ti chainring, after that gets here i am going to modify the Rohloff chainguide a bit more.


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## soly (May 29, 2006)

mechmann_mtb said:


> soly...
> 
> bike is finished. weight is a hair under 22.5 lbs. i am still waiting for the Boone Ti chainring, after that gets here i am going to modify the Rohloff chainguide a bit more.QUOTE]
> 
> Very nice. That is one fine lookin' bike. Make sure your wife writes up a ride report.


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## CycleMainiac (Jan 12, 2004)

Dear Santa, CycleMainiaChas been a very good girl this year. Please bring me a little squishy pretty 29er for Christmas. 

I finally got to ride a 29er yesterday. The big shop had a Trek/Fisher demo day at the local urban park. I went to take my dog for a run, but when I asked if they had a little 29er, they said yes, a 16. I thought a 16 might be way too big, bit it seemed just a little to long in the TT. 

OMG it was fun!!! I took off at high speed, cornered hard, lifted the front and jumped a little. I was TALL!!!!! 

Then I interupted a gun trade on the trail  WTF?!?!?! A gun in the park?

My ride got cut short since I called the law and headed back to the parking lot to meet them. 

But, I rode enough to know I want one. I was only on the bike about 35 minutes, but when I got back on my bike it felt way too small and twitchy. 

I'm in luv again


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