Why 29ER ?

There's a few very good reason's why so many of us ride and race 29er mountain bikes. It's all about the big Mo, Momentum, that is... You see, 29" wheels are bigger than 26" wheels. And the bigger the wheel, the smaller (relatively speaking ) the stuff the wheel rides over, thus decreasing your angle of attack. Why is this important or why should you care? Reducing the angle of attack lets you roll over obstacles faster, smoother and easier than you can with smaller wheels. Another great thing about the 29er wheel is how it creates a longer contact patch with the trail. (think snow shoes) Now the longer-contact-patch is very key, this helps you float through mud, sand, SNOW, and also improves traction when climbing. Not getting bogged down helps you maintain your momentum, this is a very good thing. Which brings us back to momentum. The great science type people of Pepperdine University found that 29" wheels ride 6 percent faster on uphill courses and 3 percent faster on cross-country courses than their 26" cousins.* This happens because 29er wheels are less affected by dips, bumps, roots, rocks and soft terrain than smaller wheels. Oh, and the Fisher design helps stability by lowering the rider's center of gravity in relation to the axle. (Complements of Fisher Genesis geometry - a tale for another post. So, to summarize , 29er wheels equal increased momentum. Increased momentum equals more speed. More speed equals profound joy and happiness due to more singletrack ridden by sundown. And to clear up one myth, 29er bikes fit riders of all sizes, tall or short. After all I should know and I'm not tall!

*Source : Summary of the Gary Fisher Bicycles Two-Niner Project by Holden S-H. MacRae, Ph D.