Ellsworth Enlightenment 29er Full Carbon Belt Drive
I have been a fan of the belt drive singles speeds. Unfortunately bikes like the Ellsworth Enlightenment 29er Full Carbon Belt Drive are rarely seen outside of a trade show or a major event like the Sea Otter Classic.
Custom Bicycle Companies
There are some frame builders out there that build truly works of art. Do not get me wrong, there are many very nice factory built frames out there. A frame that every piece is made by hand and then welded by hand has the potential to be something special. Took a look at the frames that Todd Gardner. He is the man behind Proletariat Bicycles.
29er History
Guitar Ted at TwentyNineInches.com has put together a great post on the history of 29ers. They also have a bunch of pictures of a Belt Drive Superfly. Motorcycles use belts so why shouldn't a 29er. Take a look!
Cheap Single Speed 29er
Great deals come and go. The SE Bikes Stout 29" Bike in an 09 model is being sold at JensonUSA.com for under $400! The bike comes as a single speed, but includes a derailleur hanger in case you would it to be geared, drop outs with disc tabs and 29" wheels to triumph over any of your off-road or urban battles. This is one bike that can be taken almost anywhere on or off road. The best part is the complete bike is only $399!!!
- 100% Cro-Mo frame w/ Looptail rear end
- 100% Cro-Mo fork
- 1 1/8" threadless headset
- Gravity Maximum crankset w/ ISIS bottom bracket, 32t
- Weinmann ZAC24000 double wall rims w/ machined sidewalls
- SE disc ready alloy hubs w/ sealed bearings, bolt on, cassette single speed rear hub
- WTB Nano Raptor 29" x 2.1" tires
- Tektro linear pull brakes w/ Tektro 2 finger levers
- SE alloy stem
- SE Racing 2" alloy riser bar 25.5" wide
- Water bottle mount
Clydesdale 29er Wheels
One of the largest problems with 29er wheels is handling larger riders. Enter in a new decade and keeping up with 29er bikes, frames, wheels, and forks can be a full-time job. Let MTB29er.com offer some suggestions for Clydesdales riders and finding the best wheel.
The 3 most important things to consider when buying a 29er wheelset for a Clydesdale:
- The rim
- The spokes
- The builder
First off, chose a strong rim! Many 29er riders have been happy with Gordos, Kris Holm, and Velocity. Second, the spokes and just how many! Going with a good quality spoke and selecting the right number of spokes is key. However, nothing is more important than the wheel builder. I would contact Mike from Lacemine29.com. I would suggest talking to Mike and see what he recommends. He is one the most knowledgeable wheel builders.
Happy 29er New Year!
With the New Year in full swing, the number of 2010 29er Bikes is getting close to 100! Already we have 87 different 2010 29ers listed on the site. When mtb29er.com first came online in 2005 there were barely half a dozen 29er frames let alone complete bikes. So if you are looking to join the "Big Wheel Revolution" start the new decade off on one! The 2010 29er models offer almost every type of mountain bike riding style. Just in case you are wondering how much 29ers have caught on, you can buy them at Amazon.com with free shipping!
2010 29er Pages
29er XMAS GIfts
Park BBB-2 Big Blue Book of Bike Repair- 2nd Edition-2008 Written by Park Tool Director of Education Calvin Jones with repair tips garnered from the author's 30 years as an educator and mechanic. Big Blue just got bigger and better! Freshly updated to include new topics, latest technology, techniques and equipment. Packed with hundreds of photos and hundreds of procedures. From tire repair and derailleur adjustment to wheel truing and bottom bracket replacement. Special topics such as tool selection, bike cleaning, and on-the-trail repairs are also covered, and an appendix at the back of the book provides valuable reference materials the BBB-2 provides both the novice and veteran mechanic the information needed to perform nearly any repair from trailside repairs to complete overhauls. The Big Blue Book is the perfect reference guide and step-by-step repair manual for nearly any bike, including road, mountain, bmx, and single-speed. We wrote the book on bicycle repair.
Niner Bikes Fork Hammering
Niner Bikes than put the fork used to make this video through the testing cycles they require for production products, it passed!
Kris Holm Unicycles 29er Rims
Are you looking for a super strong 29er wheel? Your best bet is to have lacemine29.com build you a wheelset with Kris Holm rims. Kris Holm’s 29er rims are 38mm wide, double wall construction and available in 32 or 36 spoke patterns. They are considered the strongest 29er rims around!
29er 2009 Closet out Bike
The Cannondale 29er 4 Bike is on sale for $833! Just before the holidays start is one of the best times to start looking for deals on 29er bikes, frames, wheels, and basically anything else. The Bike Shoops want to get the 2009 stuff out the door because the 2010 models are already in their showrooms!
Check out our 2009 29er Bike Deal page for others complete bikes!
Why go with a 29er? If you still needed help being convinced, read Why 29er?
Velocity P-35 rims
Everyone likes to trick out their 29ers. The wheel set category has been fairly limited since 29ers hit the main stream. Sure you could get a King hub in any color known to mankind, but rims, forget about it. That was until Velocity USA released the P35. Now you can get a custom colored rim built in a wheel set straight from Velocity.
The P35 is a wide rim, as the name implies, the rim is 35MM wide. How do these rims perform? Guitar Ted did a very detailed test and review over on Twentynineinches.com
29er Wheels
I found this information on Fisherbikes.com, some very good reading! Make sure you stop by their site and see want the Mountain Bike King has cooked up for the 2010 season.
Another Angle on 29ers Imagine a skateboard wheel running over a series of 1" bumps. Since the skateboard wheel has a radius of only an inch, the wheel has to move 1" vertically in just 1" of horizontal motion every time it contacts a bump. This is an abrupt change, or high angle of attack has drastic effects on the rider's motion. With a 20" BMX wheel, that same 1" of vertical motion happens over about 4" of forward motion. This turns what was a radical bump into a mild annoyance. Now ride over the bump on a 26" wheel, and you have almost 6" of horizontal distance to spread out the impact. The bump is hardly noticeable. Not only does the bump disturb your riding less, but it also has less effect on your speed. Bigger wheels maintain your momentum. This effect is somewhat similar to that of a suspension fork, except that it happens on all bumps, regardless of suspension fork tuning. Tire pressure changes the effect somewhat, but with the same results regardless of tire size. Since riding off road is normally on less than smooth surfaces, the effect of a larger wheel is constantly enhancing the ride. If both wheels are larger, the effect works on both ends of the bike. On the Fisher 29ers, you'll notice this effect in two ways. First, the bike will ride smoother and more comfortably. Second, the bike will be slightly faster, especially on broken or rough ground.Bigger Wheels Have a Longer Contact Patch The contact patch is the amount of tire you have on the ground at any one time as the wheels goes through its rotation. As The diameter of the wheel increases from 26" to 29", the shape of the contact patch gets longer. The benefits of this are noticeable. For technical climbs, the added length increases traction as the rider can shift their weight more freely without losing pressure on the contact patch. In addition, the increased contact patch length on a 29er benefits the rider when cornering in uneven terrain as the tire will want to stay in contact with an obstacle and not skip over it. Last, in mud, sand or snow, the longer contact patch can help keep the tire on top of the surface as opposed to sinking in and bogging down. Think about snowshoes. They are designed to keep you on top of the snow, where the going is easy.
2010 GIANT XTC 29er 1
Giant Bikes has put together a nice little big wheeled bike for around $2k. The Giant XTC 29er 1 has great looks, built with a 100mm front fork, and a stable platform right out-of-the-box.
Key Upgrades over XtC 29er 2:
- Fox 32 F29 RL-100, 15mm thru-axle, tapered steerer fork
- Shimano Deore crankset, Shimano Deore XT Shadow rear derailleur
- Fi’zi:k Tundra saddle w/ Manganese rails
- Avid Juicy 3 disc brakes
2010 Niner Bikes AIR 9 Carbon
Niner Bikes has stepped up to the plate with some heavy lightweight hitters for the 2010 season. The AIR 9 CARBON is the ulimate 29er and Niner Bikes has set the frame up to run it as a singlespeed or geared mountain bike.
The Air 9 Carbon features Bio-Centric EBB technology and CYA Bottom Bracket system – the most flexible BB/gearing system available. This feature always you to setup your Niner as a singlespeed or geared mountain bike. You can also take advantage of several BB inserts to accommodate your choice of bottom bracket technologies, including the new BB-30 standard.
Frame Geometry and Sizing
- Seat tube length based on EBB in 6'oclock position
- BB drop is with EBB in 6'oclock position
- Head tube length is including internal headset cups
- All geometry based on an 80mm fork. Frame is compatible with 100mm forks
- Seat post is 31.6mm, 410mm length recommended
- Front derailleur clamp is 34.9 HIGH MOUNT (bottom swing) bottom pull
2010 Marzocchi 44 and Niner Bikes
Niner Bikes has secured another exclusive suspension fork for their 2010 W.F.O. 9. The Marzocchi 44 29er fork will have 100-140mm of adjustable ATA travel, an air cartridge, 15mm quick release thru axle, compression, rebound and lockout . The W.F.O. 9 will also feature a tapered head tube designed to accommodate a 1.5” lower race with a 1 1/8” upper, a first for a 29er. The Marzocchi 44 will feature a steerer tube/crown assembly to match. The 2010 Marzocchi 44 will be available through Niner Bikes!
Scott 29er by Origin 8
A very cool frame that is available as a 29er is the Scott 29” by Origin 8. The Origin 8 Scott 29er is a double butted 4130 air-hardened chromoly frame that can be set up as a geared or single speed. Make sure you check it out if you are in search of a new 29er frame.
The Competitive Cyclist saddle demo program
Something a little different than 29ers, but required equipment on all bikes is a saddle. If you are in the market for a new saddle I would consider the Competitive Cyclist saddle demo program. They will ship out 11 saddles to your for $75 to try for 7 days. A little $$$, but if you buy a saddle from them they will credit you $35. Nothing like trying out a saddle!
Cheap Mavic CrossMax 29er Wheelset
Many of you know I love my Mavic CrossMax 29er Wheelset. Well know you can get them super cheap!
MAVIC CROSSMAX DISC 29ER WHEELSET 08 - $ 689.99
From: Jenson USA
Hope 29er Wheelset
As most of you know I love my high end wheels, but love the price of my cheap spare sets too. I was reading up on bikerrumor and they had a nice pic of a new 29er wheel set that has a Hope Pro III hub with standard 6-bolt disc mounts built with Stan’s NoTubes. The claimed weights for the 29er is version is 843g ft/974g rr. Check out BikeRumor.com to read more!
2009 Schwalbe Furious Freddie 29er Tire
There is a new 29er tire out for cross country racing that is really fast, Schwalbe Furious Freddie. The tire weighs in at 295 grams and at this very second, is the lightest MTB 29er tire. This speed and weigh come with several downsides; it has an extremely thin rubber, limited grip and high risk of punctures. However, use it for your race set of tires and you will not be disappointed.
2009 Niner Bikes Catalog!
If you have not checked out Niner Bike’s website lately then start at their 2009 catalog! You can download here!
Niner Bikes Carbon Fork
Niner Bikes is currently testing the production level Carbon fork that is set to be released at Sea Otter. For more info check out BikeRumor.com.
2009 W.F.O 9 Niner Bikes
Well Chris and Steve at Niner Bikes have done it again with their newest creation the 2009 W.F.O 9. The 2009 W.F.O. 9. is for real but not available to the public until early 2009. One of the coolest things is the fork. The brand new 2010 Marzocchi 44 29er fork will be an OEM exclusive to Niner for the launch of the WFO 9 and will not be available in the aftermarket until later in the year. The fork will feature a custom lower leg color and graphics to match the bike with a crown and steerer tube featuring a 1.5" to 1 1/8" taper design, to match the bike’s head tube. Check out Niner's Press release Here!
2009 Raleigh 29ers
Raleigh has stepped up their 29er offers in 2009 with the addition of the Raleigh Mojave 29er.
Fulcrum Off-Road 29er Wheels
Fulcrum is one of the leading wheel manufactures in the road market and is planning 2009 the year that leadership carries over into the MTB wheel market. Check them out here Fulcrum Wheels
2009 29er Models
The new 2009 model bikes are finding their way onto the internet and pictures are popping up in forums and in the blogs. Here is mtb29er.com’s 2009 29er bikes.
Chainlove.com
Everyone is looking for a way to save money. The prices of oil is killing us at the pump and give it time and everything in the bike industry that uses crude oil as an ingredient will see a huge price jump. Just look at inner tubes, they have already risen. Check out Chainlove. This site rotates cycling products through the day at a criminal price!
Are you looking for the perfect bicycle frame? We have a large inventory to choose from..
Cool Youtube video of 29 vs 26 debate
