In our last 29er Questions from Readers, we saw how far a $3,000 budget went towards a hard tail with an emphasis on light weight. The answer was; pretty far, with several good options in carbon fiber or steel. In this installment, the challenge is much greater – full suspension on a tighter budget.

Meet Tom. He is an experienced rider – he tackled Moab – and he has been on a 2009 Santa Cruz Blur LT that he build up himself. He recently tried out a 29er and is hooked – welcome to the club! He rides because he loves to ride, likes being in nature, challenging his skills, and exploring new trails. He knows his $2,000 budget is tight but he wants something he can ride now and build up over time into a great machine.

Basically, Tom’s riding style is that of most enthusiast bikers and fits our philosophy here at 29eronline. He is passionate about it, and challenges himself, but he does not feel the need to beat or compare to others, like a racer. It is a much more personal experience. When folks like us ride a technical section of trail the reward is the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from cleaning it. However, we are not willing to risk serious injury for that thrill – no wanna be Redbull videos from the folks at 29online.

Tom has been looking at the Trek HiFi Plus which lists for $2,309 and the Niner Jet9. The Jet9 is admittedly way over his budget at $3,000 plus, but he heard the Niner handles better than the HiFi, so we will include it in the discussion.

29eronline has very limited time on the Trek HiFi Plus, but the time we do have was pleasant. It handles quickly and the ABP was a nice feature. Local riders have complained that the handling was too fast at times.

We would put Tom on a Specialized Camber at $2,050. Tom is who the Camber was designed for and the price is spot on for his budget. It is a XC bike tuned to be plush and have reliable handling. Call it an XC bike with a playful side. For $2,050 he is out the door, and living his 29er dreams. Given his experience and willingness to be his own mechanic, he will definitely want to upgrade over time. This is a frame that will justify the investment. The wheels would be the first recommended upgrade. The bike is noticeably faster and smoother with a high-end wheel set. That being said, there is nothing wrong with the stock wheels and they will serve him well while he saves for new ones. Our initial review of the Camber includes more thoughts on potential upgrades.

What about the idea the Niner Jet9 handles “better” than the Camber? We would argue (nicely of course – see our review of the Jet9) that it does not handle better. Rather, it handles completely differently. These bikes, despite having similar suspension travel, are completely different bikes. The JET9 feels faster, has tons of traction for an 80mm bike, and is plush enough to save you from getting too beat up. It needs to be steered from the center of the bike and it responds to fairly subtle weight changes. It is a very fast handling bike; it feels like an XC race bike. The Jet9 requires you to trust the bike and not panic by over-steering or exaggerating body positioning. If the downhill is steep, you still need to stay fairly centered. Leaning too far back makes the front end light. The JET9 is great for covering lots of ground fast and taking the edge off the hits. It is definitely trail-worthy but it does not hide its race heritage. The Jet9 is probably better compared to the Specialized Epic than a Specialized Camber.

The Camber is looser as far as geometry than the Jet9. It’s feel is a little softer than the JET9, but, surprisingly, not a ton. The Camber’s handling is much more forgiving. It does not feel as fast, but has excellent downhill manners. It really likes to play. From a handling perspective, we have an easier time comparing it to the 110mm rear travel, 120mm front travel bikes then the 4″ (100mm) bikes we have ridden. Imagine a trail bike with a bit less travel; that’s the Camber. On the Camber, your weight feels closer to the back of the bike and your torso sits a bit more upright. The front wheel is a little more in front of you than on the JET9, which, in contrast to the Camber, sets the front wheel slightly more under you. If you ride the bike on the trail you will immediately know the difference.

We prefer the Camber in the more technical trails and the JET9 on the the more buffed out trails to moderately rooty, rocky trails. Here are some comparisons that might help:
Moab Utah = Camber, High altitude Colorado = JET9
Arkansas Womble trail = JET9, Ouachita Mountains = Camber,
Edge Loop Epic, Fruita = JET9, Mary’s Horsethief = Camber.

Finally, we should say that to compare a Camber at $2,050 to a JET9 at a minimum buy-in of about $3,000 is a little unfair. So, the above comments are really about geometry alone. I have had the privilege of switching almost every part of the Camber and switching out and riding Jet9 bikes with everything from a $6,000 race set up to a $3,099 SRAM X-7 kit. Long story short, Camber = playtime in an upgrade worthy package and Jet9 = efficiency and relative comfort over long distances with fast handling and a more pure XC feel.

This is a sample build to build a MCR9 frame for $3000. This is just for a general idea.

We want you to spend money where it counts. The Wheels, The suspension and of course the right frame for how you ride. Please read this post to see the riders profile.

All riders are slightly different and we of course have to leave room for preference.

We hope this helps

FatBob and Writer Bob collaborated on this.

The real world total looks to be $3028.00 this includes an extra bottle of Stan’s Sealant and SPD pedals. Alot of bikes do not come with these items. The Stan’s alone gets  us really close to $3000.00 Next since the bike is tubeless you don’t need the $6.00 in tubes. Now we are under budget.  We chose to show these items as this is really what you will end up needing. Some items are on sale there will always be some deals to be found so I am not bothered by this.

The Carbon post and handle bar an be cut for more affordable choices. I would recommend keeping the Easton parts. They are reliable and add a level of comfort to a hard tail bike. It is about comfort not weight as there are aluminium posts that weigh less.

Frame: Niner MCR9 $800

Fork: Rock Shox Reba RLT (RL from Niner bikes)$555

Headset: Cane creek s-3 $35

Seat Post: Easton EC70 $130

Saddle: WTB Rocket v OE $25

Stem: Easton ea-30 $3o

Bars: Easton EC70 flat $99   riser add- $30

Grips: ESI Chunky or slim depending on hand size very subjective budget $20.00

Shifters: Sram X-7 2 x10 $85

Brakes Set: Magura Louise $260 set Front and rear. Both ride excellent for the money

Rotors: Magura Storm. Specify size $25 each+ $50 set

Adapters: Leave $40 just in case.

Rear derailuer: sram X-7 $85

Front derailuer: Sram x-7 2x 10 speeed Top pull top swing or traditional 28.6mm clamp $47

Crankset: Sram X-7 2×10 $171

Chain:Sram pc-1031 10 speed $37

Cassette: Sram Pg 1050 10 speed 12-36 $50

Wheelset: Sun Ringle Black Flag pro, or for heavier riders Sun Ringle Charger Experts (ton of wheel for the money. Look for our review) $388-$500

Tires: $100 a set

Cables and Housing: Jagwire complete kit  $28

Sealant: Comes with Sun Ringle Wheels extra bottle $25

Tubes: Tubeless but always carry a spare. $6 for 2

Pedals: Shimano SPD $35

Total Cost $3028.00

Meet JW – he is looking for a new bike. He is 62 years old, does not race, and enjoys up & down rides in the Las Vegas area. The climbs are not really ultra long – twisty hard pack with a sandy top layer. He wants to be efficient for going uphill.

Right now he rides an old Trek Y-11 full suspension that weighs about 26 lbs. and he would like his new bike to be something that light or lighter. He also rides a Redline single speed, rigid fork, hard tail which he finds quite rough when going over rocks and the occasional 1-2 ft drops. Given his $3,000 budget, and preference for a light bike, he is leaning towards a hard tail.

In our last Questions from Readers, we were looking at heavy duty trail bikes that could handle big drops, rooty trails and generally and stand up to lots of abuse. Here, the emphasis shifts to keeping the weight down but staying within the budget.

It would be hard to do full suspension and stay within JW’s weight and cost parameters. Luckily, his trails seem well suited to a hard tail. There are a number of good options worth considering within his budget. A carbon fiber frame is very light and great for damping vibrations, so either a carbon Specialized Stumpjumper or a Jamis Dakota D29 Pro would do a great job helping smooth out the ride. Carbon is extremely strong but in the game of rock versus carbon, rock wins most of the time. Best case, it ends up being a tie. JW’s rides have some rocks, but not fields of baby heads that are getting kicked up into his bike, so carbon seems like a safe option in this regard. Steel tends to be cheaper, and is also good for damping vibrations. The Niner MCR is a great steel frame worth JW’s consideration.

The Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon Comp lists for $2,900. This bike from Specialized is a great value and a great price. The 2x gearing with a 38 tooth chain ring and a 36 rear cog is actually easy to pedal. It’s not for everyone, but for most strong riders it will work well. The 26 tooth front chain ring is super low with a 36 rear. Super low; as in hikers will pass you and laugh at you slow. Super low; as in maybe go up a vertical wall. The Reba fork is also a strong selling point combined with an SRAM X7 and X9 blend of components that is really good for the money. It’s hard to justify spending more.

The Jamis Dakota D29 Pro lists for $3,000. It comes with a solid component mix of SRAM X9 shifters/ derailleurs and Avid Elixar 3 brakes, to name a few. 29eronline does not have direct experience with this bike, but it matches up well in geometry and components.

29eronline does not have a ton of experience with carbon frames – plenty of experience with carbon fiber components and parts, just not frames. We are open minded, and would like some questions answered definitively through ride experience. We hope to be able to answer these questions with future tests. All that said, keep this perspective in mind as we give the next, and final, recommendation.

To get the most for his money we would lean towards steel for JW. The Niner MCR9 is really nice and a great value – a hair under $800 for the frame. It will give him a decade of good service if he treats it well, especially in his dry climate. It has a lively ride, but absorbs trail chatter beautifully, and it definitely handles quickly. The Reynolds 853 steel front end is what steel is all about. It is stiff, but has a particular feel that is hard to understand unless you have ridden it. It is more comfortable then most aluminium frames but it is still stiff when you mash on the pedals.

JW is 5 8” and worried about stand-over on the MCR, but this should not be an issue, proving 29ers work for all different sizes. Overall then, there are few downsides and, for $3,000, JW can get a ton of bike with the MCR.

Let’s look at how to build it up. The fork will smooth things out compared to the ride on JW’s Redline – look at a Reba RLT or, for money savings, buy an RL model from your Niner dealer. Invest in wheels and make sure they can be run tubeless with a sealant. Next, get a carbon fiber handle bar and/ or one of these seat posts; Easton Ec70 or Easton Ec70 Zero Offset This is not for looks. In these spots you can add lots of comfort through the vibration damping abilities of carbon fiber.

If JW is going to save money on the bike, he should do it in a modest drive train. The new X7 10 speed stuff is really nice, and functions very well. Invest in suspension and wheels. Click here for the complete build we recommended to get JW on an MCR within his budget.

In the end, all three bikes would probably be great for JW. Personal preference on the differences in geometry and the feel between steel and carbon fiber will play a big role in the decision. With the Jamis and Specialized, he gets some value benefit by getting a complete bike, since package deals tend to be cheaper. Also, he gets a cutting edge, latest and greatest frame. Conversely, going with the Niner let’s JW pick and choose his components to his exact liking and gets him a time-proven and safe frame material in steel. Finally, on a less rational note, does JW see himself as a high-tech, carbon fiber kind of guy or does it seem cooler to be on old-school steel.

A few years ago,  if you wanted a 29er to use as a heavy duty Trail Bike or an All Mountain bike, your choices were somewhat limited. Not so today. Recently, we had some correspondence with ZB, a reader in British Columbia looking for advice on a bike that reminded us how awesome riding out there is and how well suited to it several 29ers are.

Although they may call them XC trails, most of us would not consider the Trails ZB rides as XC – too steep and rough. Check out the videos he shared of his local trails. Video posted by gutsploadermaps on youtube.com In the second video by vedder mountain cam When the Lincoln park song comes on they drop a big ol F Bomb, you may want to mute the music…Just an FYI

ZB wants to ride the bigger lines and try some of the drops – he has clearly outgrown his Trek 6700 hard tail. Here’s the conversation

ZB:
XC here does not look like the nice pictures in California etc. Very little flowing single track here. You get short pieces and then it always gets nasty in parts. I try to test myself with steep features, but my current bike does not fill me with confidence to stop…no disc brakes…so I get a little nervous sometimes and take the easier route. Certainly plenty of rooty trails though. I am not the greatest climber, but I enjoy climbing for the workout and am improving.

FatBob:
If you want to ride the biggest lines in those videos – looked like there might be some 5 foot drops –  we will need to add quite a bit of beef to be able to handle this day in and day out with 200 LBS of you plus gear. I weigh 213 LBS so I understand your needs.

ZB:
I’d love to build up to the bigger lines, but realize it may take some time to build my skill or nerve. I have done a few on my hard tail and got through but took a pounding on the landings. crashed on one and took out a small tree. My buddy had a great laugh all day.

FatBob:
I am a big fan of full suspension for saving abuse on the body – can’t imagine doing that stuff on a hard tail! I think that your best bet will be the Niner WFO9 or the Specialized Stumpjumper 29er Expert. Three wild cards that I will throw into the mix for consideration; Intense Tracer 29, Norco Shinobi(Canadian Company) and Banshee Bikes Prime.

Niner bills the WFO9 solidly as an All Mountain into Freeride. It has 5.5 inches of travel and lots of options on how you set up the suspension. The frame lists for $1,899 (135mm rear) and an SLX build puts you around $4,200.

29eronline's WFO9 with the release of the Rock Shox Reba 140 a fun bike got better.

The WFO9 pedals really well, is super stiff and can be used with a 12×135 rear axle with a Rock Shox maxle rear end. I don’t believe that going to a 150mm spacing is really necessary and getting a 150mm rear wheel may be more expensive and harder to get in some locations.

I recommend you spend money on suspension, given the hits you are asking it to take. You have options for rear the rear shock. I would look at the Rock Shox Monarch Plus. It is fairly light and has a piggy back shock so the performance will be more reliable and fluid. It has lots of tuning options, if you get the high-end version.  In the front I would look at the Rock Shox Reba RLT  140 fork with a tapered steer tube.

With the right wheel set and parts you could get this bike to about 32 LBS or less and I think you will be amazed at it’s ability to climb. To be realistic, it is still a 32 pound bike but that is the price for the ability to withstand the abuse of the terrain you are riding day in and day out. I would look at an SRAM X7 kit or Shimano SLX kit to save some money along with mid grade cockpit parts and SLX brakes with 200mm rotors.

The second bike worth serious consideration is the Specialized Stumpjumper Expert. The Stumpjumper falls solidly in the Trail category and lists for $4,000 with a solid mix of SRAM and Specialized components.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52820&scid=1000&scname=Mountain

The Stumpjumper is a great value, has bomber handling and, with the Brain set up correctly, it can pedal with the best of them. The frame is not as stout as the WFO9, and you are limited to the one rear shock (a good one, but just one). Since it is proprietary, the rear shock needs regular service by a trained tech. The front shock is pretty much the same that I recommended for the Niner. The fact that it comes with the Command Post drop seat is a real bonus for the kind of terrain you are looking to tackle. Drop it down for the gnarly stuff and keep it raised for the climbing. 29erOnline has spent a fair amount of time with this bike and the Command Post so you can also check out our reviews for more details. (link)

The Intense Tracer 29 is a bit of a wild card in this list because it is probably better known for it’s ability to go down than up. It is a surprisingly good at climbing, but the weight and suspension catch up to you(same as the WFO9). The frame lists for $2,289 and has adjustable rear wheel travel between 5 and 5.5 inches. The geometry is great in the shortest chain stay setting. However, like most high performance items, this comes at a cost as it does require regular maintenance to keep the VPP rear end lubed and moving freely.

My Spreadsheet Killed My Dream

I have always harbored secret dreams of becoming a cycling weight weenie. I have never been into racing (the name Slow Bob was already taken), where it can be argued losing grams to gain seconds can be the difference between victory and defeat. Still, it seemed like a lighter bike would ride and perform better and, I’ll admit it, have a higher cool factor.

What started as an abstract exercise to see the relationship between cost and weight for potential upgrades became more real and immediate when a deal on a frame popped up and I began figuring out how to build up my own bike from scratch. Then, my secret desire met my spreadsheet. Blast you spreadsheet for bringing cold numerical logic into things!

Having a super light bike still has a mystical cool factor. However, I can no longer find much room in my heart for it once money enters the picture. Simply put, once you take the frame out of the picture, the difference in weight between building up a light bike and an average bike is too small for me to justify.

My spreadsheet is pretty simple and not easily swayed by cool factor or long held secret fantasies. Basically, it shows the weight difference between going low end vs high end and the corresponding cost difference. For example:
High end derailleur - $168 and 180 grams
Lower end derailleur – $42 and 260 grams
Difference = $126 and 80 grams
High end carbon handlebars – $130 and 135 grams
Basic aluminum handlebars – $30 and 300 grams
Difference = $100 and 165 grams

To make a long story short, based on the components I selected, it costs $1,800 more to use high end, light parts compared to heavier, average to low end parts. The total difference in weight? A little over a pound and half – a dozen Crispy Creme Donuts that get eaten in no time flat. Wow. I’m sure one could quibble over my high and low selections. Still, even if you doubled the weight savings (unlikely) and cut the extra cost in half (maybe with used stuff), you are still looking at $900 for  a tad over 3 pounds in savings. Double wow.

What about lighter wheels? There is a good argument that wheels are an exception, and, as such, durable, light wheels are worth serious consideration. Spending an extra $800 for higher end wheels (1,750 grams, $1,000 wheels) over basic wheels ($200, 2,400 grams) can save you almost 1.5 pounds. That’s the same as the weight lost in our high end component scenario for less than half the cost. Because wheels are rotating weight, losing 1.5 pounds there provides a greater benefit than weight lost elsewhere.

Even with wheels though, the benefit, when quantified, seems underwhelming. Here is what I found in an article on Wikipedia. “The formula for power suggests that 1 lb saved is worth 0.06 mph (0.1 km/h) on a 7% grade, and even a 4 lb saving is worth only 0.25 mph (0.4 km/h) for a light rider.” Check it out of you want to delve deeper and are not scared off by formulas with strange symbols: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_performance. The article does point out that lighter wheels aid in acceleration. However, since I don’t know anybody that does standing start drag races on their bike, this is probably pretty hard to quantify in a way that is meaningful.

A liter of water weighs 2.2 pounds. I don’t typically drain my 3 liter hydration pack, so by the end of an average ride, I have probably lightened the load by maybe 4 pounds and have 1 or 2 pounds worth in reserve. So, if I planned my water consumption a little better, I’d have room to stuff the $1,800 I saved in my pack. Money is pretty light; I doubt it would slow me down.

My riding buddy has a Specialized Enduro and watching him cruise over the rough stuff gave me bike envy all last spring. With Significant Other budgetary negotiations complete, it was time to shop for a 29er (check out 29erOnline’s article on this topic – it convinced me). I like to think I’m reasonably bike savvy, having been riding with various degrees of seriousness since my teens. However, when I started shopping, it was clear I was out of touch with all the options and terms related to what type of bike I wanted.

First off, there are all the marketing terms that manufacturers and reviewers use to categorize bikes – Cross Country, Trail, All Mountain, Downhill/Freeride.. If I were going to ride across the country, I’d probably rather use a road bike of some sort. What kind of trails does a trail bike excel at – if you’re riding XC, you’re still riding a trail aren’t you? All Mountain sounds good, then you can ride the parts the other categories leave out, but can you ride where it’s flat? As for Free Ride/ Downhill, I like going downhill as much as the next guy. However, those guys in the Red Bull YouTube videos – that’s not down a hill, it’s off a cliff! They don’t need health insurance, they need pre-paid health-care plans.

Humor aside, what I found is that there are lots of measurements and technical information but not much description of what those different categories, measurements, and angles translate to on the bike. Sure, they eat up bumps, never flex, pedal great, and have state of the art tubing, but which type will I like best for my weekend rides? Is 130mm of shock travel overkill for me? Does 10mm really make that much difference? Should I worry about how steep the head tube is? It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae and hype when trying to get a feel as to what will work best and, ultimately, be the most fun to ride. Getting some saddle time may not solve much since, frequently, a test ride means tooling around the parking lot. Worse, you may be thinking you will have to order sight unseen because your local bike store does not stock many 29ers.

To try and find some answers, I started looking at web sites for a variety of types of bikes – some larger manufacturers and some smaller. Most use the same 4 categories and provide suspension travel information in addition to describing why their particular suspension solution and geometry are the best. I knew I wanted something that would smooth out the bumps more than my old ride, so I focused first on the amount of travel. Here’s a summary of what I found related to suspension on 29ers.

Cross Country – hard-tails with 100mm up front up to 100mm suspension front and rear

Trail – Full suspension with 100mm to 140mm travel front and rear

All Mountain – Full suspension 140mm to 160mm travel front and rear.

Free Ride/ Downhill Race – Full suspension 160 + mm front and rear. There are really not many 29ers in this category other than the Lenz PBJ(Lenz Sports has really been one of the pioneers of long travel 29ers other notables Intense and BCD).

These travel ranges really refer to 26ers. Look at the lower range of the travel for 29ers in each category.

The funny thing is, most of the manufacturers do not really describe what they mean – you’re just supposed to know, or maybe figure it from the information on suspension travel they provide (get your conversion calculator ready though because they can’t agree on inches or metric). Specialized has some decent descriptions if you happen to mouse over the chooser option – go straight for a bike and you are on your own though. Turner has the most informative approach – a simple graphic showing a series of rolling hills that grow steeper. It starts with Cross Country and Ends with Downhill. Cool, now we’re getting somewhere.

Small hills  = Cross Country,

Bigger hills = Trail,

Mountains = All Mountain

Ski lifts and Red Bull guys = Downhill

Since I doubt most readers see themselves hurtling down a mountain in body armor, I’ll set Downhill aside for the most part. So, it seems like we can agree on a continuum starting with XC and continuing up steeper and steeper hills to All Mountain  But wait, what if your small hills are really bumpy and your mountains are pretty smooth? Where I ride it’s pretty flat, but the washboard of roots is what got me interested in full suspension and some of the climbs and descents on the World Cup XC series look pretty steep. With this in mind, this XC to All Mountain continuum also probably needs to take into account the roughness of the terrain and how it will be ridden.

I imagine most readers live and ride somewhere between XC and Trail as far as hills and XC and All mountain as far as roughness of the terrain. Maybe that’s why Rocky Mountain divides things up even more into XC Marathon, XC Racing, XC Performance and XC Recreational. Wow, I guess that’s why people talk about having a “stable” of bikes if you need one for each purpose! Might be useful to some extent, but sounds like mostly marketing shorthand for different parts specs to me.

RMB also varies the travel between 100-120mm depending on the Marathon or XC, still as of now only applying to 26” bikes. For instance the Altitude29 is “trail/all-mountain”  but only has 115mm rear travel, confused yet!

Instead of describing the terrain, let’s flip it around and say what the bike will do

XC – light bikes including hard tales and full suspension bikes up to around 4 inches front and rear. The suspension is aimed at improving traction and taking the edge off the terrain enough to increase speed. Most of the time, the shocks are valved so that they lose small bump sensitivity in favor of crisp pedaling that at least feels more efficient. Overall then, when it comes to bumps, XC bikes tend to sacrifice comfort for speed and the ability to climb better (because its easier to lug a light bike up a hill than a heavy one).

Trail – more suspension travel allows you to feel the bumps less, but that added travel leads to heavier bikes and may mean the pedalling feels less efficient. Feeling the bumps less also means a less racy, less precise feel, but more confidence on technical sections or drops and more comfort over the long haul. You start using the word “plush” with trail bikes. If you can only have one bike, these are the ones that are sturdy, comfortable, and tuned to tackle most types of terrain reasonably well.

All Mountain – Bumps, what bumps? Let me at the rough stuff, especially when it involves going down! However, all that travel (or plushness) means there is a price to pay when going up the hills in terms of weight and pedalling efficiency.

So, hopefully, we have a handle on our categories as they relate to suspension. Next, Geometry. You know, hypotenuse, angles, stuff most of us have not thought about since high school. All the manufacturers have some kind of snazzy picture of their frames with all kinds of measurements, lines and probably lots of words saying why their particular lines and angles are better. Taken together these figures make up a bike’s geometry.

Niner stands out for an entire page dedicated to the special geometry of each bike, but they all have a graph and or picture with all the angles and tube lengths/measurements. Each bike will feel and fit differently based on these measurements. The end goal though is something that will accomplish whatever handling and fit parameters the designers are after. In terms of this discussion, what does geometry have to do with where a bike falls on our continuum? Does the geometry matter in what type of bike someone will want?

No one part of the geometry decides how a bike handles. Short chain stays contribute to making a bike handle more quickly by shortening the wheelbase. Top tube length, stem placement, and seat tube angle all impact where the rider’s center of gravity falls. How the designer juggles all these variables ultimately determines how a bike rides and performs. That said, one of the biggest factors, especially with regard to this categorization exercise, is head tube angle. On paper, the difference between 65 degrees (Downhill territory) and 71 (XC numbers) seems like a “so what.” If you are arguing over half a degree you are a very educated rider. For the rest of us, as you peer over the precipice of a steep descent, a few degrees could mean you are going to separate from your bike in an ungraceful manner. More likely though, 2 or 3 degrees will change how the bike feels to you.

There are certainly other considerations in terms of geometry, but head angle is the most obvious in terms of where a bike falls on the classification from XC moving towards All Mountain.

Most folks speak in terms of how slack the head tube is. The more slack, the smaller the number of degrees, and the more like a chopper motorcycle the bike looks. It’s not about cruiser attitude though, it’s about handling the bumps at high speed while headed down the hill. I’m pretty sure it all has to do with physics, but my high school physics teacher was fired mid semester and the chemistry teacher filled in, so I’ll take it on faith that the slacker angles allow the front shock and steering to work better when the focus is on handling rough terrain and downhills. Conversely, steeper angles move the front wheel closer to the rest of the frame and work with the other parts of the frame’s geometry to prioritize climbing and nimble steering in flatter, smoother terrain.

So, if XC bikes are about sacrificing comfort for speed and performance, it logically follows that XC bikes will tend towards steep head tubes (70 plus degrees) for quick handling. Heading towards the opposite end of the spectrum moves you towards the progressively slacker angles (64.5 degrees on the Lenz PBJ) that favor comfort and handling that will inspire confidence when headed downhill.

So, we’ve figured out what some of the marketing terms mean and dissected what goes into each category. That said, how does all this information translate into the type of bike you want to ride? How you ride and what type of rider you see yourself as is probably as important as where. Watch some of the Downhill races and you’ll realized that you might ride some of that stuff, you’d just do it much, much slower – those guys never seem to brake!

Based on the experience of folks at 29eronline, here are some generalizations that might be helpful. Please note that we are fully aware that stereotyping can get you in trouble – a talented rider can take a XC hard-tale off a 10 foot drop and a fast rider on an All mountain bike could whip an average rider on a super light, efficient XC bike. In the end, what type of bike you enjoy the most will probably have more to do with what type of rider you see yourself as.

Try these on for size:

XC rider = If he’s not racing now, he is hoping to in the future. He times his laps and is geared towards fitness and speed. He’s not just out for a ride, he’s training.

Trail Rider = A trail rider just gets on his bike and rides. He rides so he can drink a beer or 5 and eat some wings while he talks about his favorite rides with his riding buddies. Fitness is not the ultimate priority but definitely a motivating factor. The only reason he times a ride is so he knows how many miles he can do and not be late for the beer (after-party) or other family obligations.

All Mountain = An All Mountain rider is different from a Trail Rider because he is more of a risk taker (or lacks common sense, depending on your perspective). An All-Mountain rider looks for the most technically challenging natural obstacles to ride. He looks for opportunities to get airborne and pumps every divot in the trail. You have to be fit to ride this style but fitness is not the objective. Skill and conquering the trail is what it is about.

Downhill = It’s all about speed and taking it to the edge.

Hopefully, if you are trying to figure out where you fall on the off road spectrum and lost in the marketing, measurements and numbers, this will help a bit.

Writer Bob grew up near where Fat Bob and his tester crew ride, but currently does not live anywhere near 29erOnline’s not-so-secret lair. Therefore, his contributions to 29erOnline will be of a somewhat more grammatical and philosophical nature.

We know gear can be pretty personal but we’ve come up with some ideas that may fall outside your list of wants (yes we know you’ve been eyeing those super light wheels and new derailleur and a swing out hitch rack). Here are some things you probably already have but you might not have thought about how much an upgrade or extra option would be a welcome change.

Dropping  Seatposts: There are 2 I really think are setting the standard: the Rock Shox Reverb and the Specialized Command Post. There are a couple of criteria I look for.  I want at least 4 inches of height adjust and the ability to set it at a couple of levels remotely. Sometimes I want a little bit of clearance, but still need to pedal and other times I want as much clearance as possible.

Both posts are great for a trail rider. The added control when the saddle is out of the way is the real bonus to riding with one of these posts. Cross Country racers will probably not like the weight penalty.

The Reverb is a hydraulically actuated unit. I really don’t want to have to bleed  a system more then I absolutely have to as far as maintenance goes, so my personal preference is cable actuated. Cables are clean and easy. If you are the type that is comfortable bleeding hydraulic units, then the Reverb looks great. If not, look at the Specialized Command Post.

Helmet: If you are like me, your helmet smells like a badger took a leak in it. I always want a back up! My choice is Giro. I like the Xen helmets, which this year has been replaced by the Xar. I choose this helmet because it covers more of your head then traditional helmets. Both are light and have a great retention system. Another helmet worth considering is the iro HGex, which has the same features as the Xen, but in a more affordable package.

Gloves: Maybe it’s just me, but this year I am on my 4th pair of gloves this riding season. It’s easy to forget how much difference a decent pair can make, so having a couple of pairs around is a must. I have been riding with 661 Raji gloves. They are light, fit great, and come in XXL. The downside is that they do wear out somewhat quickly. My next pair is looking like a pair of either 661 401 gloves or Giro Remedy gloves. Both of these gloves are built a bit tougher, although they will be hot in North Carolina’s warmer weather than the 661 Raji gloves. Then again, what glove won’t be hot in the North Carolina summer?

Hydration pack: If you don’t already have one, what are you waiting for? Yes, they can be hot, but, for me, having a place to keep phone, keys, and wallet, tubes etc, even on shorter rides, is worth it. For longer rides, especially in the winter, it’s nice to have something larger that you can pack away extra layers in or stow a jacket in after you have warmed up. I’ve used Camelbaks for years and have been happy with them. The Lobo is a nice size for shorter rides with minimal gear. Osprey also makes nice packs that have a good hip belt and ventilation system.

Tools: Everyone should have a good multi-tool when they ride. Beyond that, take an inventory and see what might make your bike related tasks easier. For me, a pedal wrench made a big difference in the number of curse words used when swapping pedals around.

Small Stuff: How are your cleats looking? It might be time to get some new ones. Is your patch kit from another decade? Got enough CO2 cartridges and tubes or sealant to get you through a rash of flats?

For  a few months we have been allowing our readers to ask us questions on buying advice for 29ers. I wanted to post a few up with some answers that may be helpful to our readers. Periodically I will post some of the questions.  Names addresses, countries etc will be kept private .

I do want to thank the people that asked these questions. There are many great questions.

The first question is from Dom. Dom is 6’5″ tall and 192 LBS from Los Angeles California. At the time of the build or bike request he was riding 1997 Gary Fisher Kaitai. Here is what he say’s about his riding style. ” I love to climb, but most of my riding these days is at Mammoth going downhill. Big hucks are not my thing. Singletrack is what I’m after”

Here is my suggestion.

This a Continuation of the trail bike build suggestions in answer to Steve. Steve submitted a build request to “Bob Builds Bikes’. I thought it would be helpful to post my answer to the world as I am sure many people wonder about this kind of thing.

What should we talk about next? I think the next subject should be wheels and brakes.

First lets discuss brakes. 29eronline specs Shimano SLX brakes on the test rigs. I have been a long time supporter of Shimano Brakes. My affection started out with Shimano four piston XT brakes that came out in about the year 2000. they have since improved the design of course.

Why I like Shimano? They are easy to bleed. They use mineral oil, which is pretty harmless stuff if it gets on you or on your bike. This is as opposed to DOT fluid which can burn your skin, ruin the finish on your bike and is environmentally not good. Shimano brakes offer plenty of power and excellent modulation. they are easy to align when you install them. Last but not least they are pretty affordable and easy to get parts for. I would say if you are traveling, almost any bike shop will have brake pads and be able to service these brakes.

The cons? They are heavy. That is the only con I can think of.

I have a set of Formula R1 brakes and have ridden Magura Marta SL brakes for  a couple of years. Both of these brakes perform well. They are both light. They are both very expensive. They are both more expensive to maintain. The Formula R1 brakes will be harder to find parts for. I recently snapped a bolt in the Formula R1 brake levers. I had to send the whole brake back to Formula to get a new master cylinder. Formula had excellent customer service and fortunately had what I needed to fix my brakes. The retail of this would be well over $130. For that much money I could buy a complete Shimano brake set! Needless to say I went to the hardware store and bought 4 steel bolts and replaced the pretty anodized red ones that were sent with the brakes. The Marta Brakes are excellent feeling and I really like them. I did snap one of the carbon levers. If this ever happens to you read the directions on how to change the levers. I did not. Evidently doing it wrong can screw up the brake. Again the cost of the brake lever assembly cost about what an SLX brake set(front or rear) can be bought for online. Plus this was a special order item. It took a week to fix.

Long story short. The high end brakes work well but are harder to service unless you go to a well equipped shop that keeps the small parts in stock. It is also debatable that they work better then Shimano  brakes that cost half the amount. If you don’t mind a little bit of pork the Shimano’s are hard to beat. I don’t have much to say about Avid except I have little experience with them. I have had  a couple of warranty items from them recently and I finally gave up trying to get the warranty’s taken care of. I am not sure if Shimano is any better which is another topic all together.

As far as rotors go. We use 180mm Front and 160mm in the rear. If I had to do it over I would do 180mm front and rear. This seems to be plenty of rotor for XC and trail use in most locations I have been in. I went through a 200mm rotor phase but feel it is really overkill for most riders needs. Take it for what it is, just an opinion.

Wheels: This topic is huge! I can not possibly cover it all. I guess we can talk about custom hand built and pre-built. A pre built wheel to me is a wheel set that has been factory built as a dedicated wheelset. Typically they require special proprietary parts. The problem with these types of wheels is that typically it is harder to get them serviced. The parts  usually have to be ordered directly through the company. The spoke gauge and strength is  picked for a “standard” weight range and and a dedicated purpose. This is where  type casting riders comes in. Do you ride all mountain? Cross country? Enduro? Freeride? Light freeride”? Aggressive all mountain? Light all mountain? Aggressive trail? Down Hill? Who Knows!  I guess all of us ride trail. So trail bike it is.

Typically I use the marketing type casting to pair a wheel set to a rider weight and riding style. If you have a 250 LBS rider that likes to jump every indentation in the trail or lives for rock gardens stay away from wheels that advertise light. This is where “all mountain” wheels come into play. If the 250 LBS rider loves rock gardens and brags about all the parts he breaks then this is where a custom wheel set comes onto play.

Alternatively if I hear of a light rider that wants a wheelset that can handle “trail riding” and admits to being a little timid I want him on a fairly light wheelset. Donn O is about 150LBS. He runs Stans 355  rims, light spokes, alloy nipples and DT-240s hubs,rides aggressively and does not have wheel problems.

I am 215 LBS and rode a similar wheel set and hated the flex.

Basically a custom wheel set can and should be specifically designed and built by some one familiar with the terrain that you ride and is willing to listen to your needs and wants and come up with the best compromise. There is no easy way to do this and no generic answer.

The dedicated wheel sets have their place. They are typically loaded with technology. Also bang for the buck you usually get that technology for a very competitive price. As far as budget wheels bang for the buck there are some killer looking wheels on the market. I have no recommendations as I have not ridden any for any length of time.

Yes I know this wheel information is vague. I would love to test dedicated wheelsets and give our feed back  when we get them we will post and tell you who would get the most out of any given wheelset.

What about Carbon rims? Again we have not ridden any so have nothing to add. Does if freak me out? YES! would I try them. YES!  They offer a lot of promise but to me need to be proven by someone who is not sponsored by the company. I will not throw my money at them. Before I get some comment by a carbon zealot I know that Steve Peat races them Down Hill on the world cup circuit. I dont care. He gets free wheels any time he wants. It only has to make it down the hill one time. In defense of carbon wheels, under Steve Peat aluminium wheels wont hold up either. I would test them if a company sent them to me. Does any body want to know about carbon rims? If so I will see if I can get set.

Another big Con of carbon wheels is that if they do break it will cost a small fortune to replace. If I destroy a Stan’s rim it will cost $85 to scrap it and $35 or so to get it rebuilt plus max $60 for spokes. Those would be some expensive spokes. So total $180.  Do that to a carbon rim! You still need to buy spokes and pay labor plus $850 for a Edge Composite rim!   The edge rims are 450 grams and Stan’s Flow rims weigh 470 grams(claimed)  If the Edge rims puke do you want to pay $850 to replace one of them? Will they fail?  Who knows? We will see in a few years and at those prices I will want to have them on my bike for a few years.

So there are pro’s and cons to factory built and hand built. at this point as long as you maintain either set, check your air pressure in your tires, use adequate air pressure in your tires(protects your rims) you should be able to get good service out of either type.