To all you 29er's out there!

just found this on Rick Moliterno's FB page- a Standard 29er cutom build- liking the Hutch Trickstar front gusset!

Just got back from sherwood forest, where I've been lolling in a hot tub, and test riding this....

I'm in love!
It's a salsa El Mariachi...... I need to work out how to afford one now! Before I go down that route though, are there any similar, steel 29'ers I should have a look at?

Loads of other options out there for steel 29er frames. I'm not sure you'll get much better a ride for your pennies than Salsa.

Are you looking for both geared and singlespeedable? if so, the first few that spring to mind are

Singular Swift
Surly Karate Monkey
Cotic Solaris ( Geared )
Cotic Simple ( Singlespeed )
Kona Unit

If you're after a slightly more hooligan 29er, there's

Singular Buzzard
Kona Honzo
Canfield Nimble 9

I'm sure there are quite a few out there now.

^^ What Smallfurry said. A lot of it comes down to small preferences, such as whether you want sliding dropouts, horizontal, vertical with ebb, etc

And of course cost.

If price is restrictive, you probably cant do better than an On One Inbred.

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FROO29VD/on_one_inbred_29er_vertical_dropout

Or if you to buy a complete bike & aren't adverse to a bit of aluminium, this is looks pretty good!

£599 complete, or £549 for last years model.

http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=1872&category_id=158

That cannondale has loads of potiental.

The US market has even more options Niner bikes, Vassego, Spotbrand, Somafab etc.

soma juice is another 29er

what size are you?

Thanks for those!
They give me a few leads to be looking into ;0)

As much as I love the look of the 'dales, I can't be doing with aluminium......I just don't like the ride characteristics of aluminium.....and I had a very nice, lefty equipped one.

Ideally I would prefer a rigid rig, with gears, with the option of putting forks on if I felt the need and single speeding if necessary! I want it to be my only mountain bike...

I'll get reading!

I'm 6' (183cm) and about 14 stone since I've been traing hard......I've lost a couple of old man fat stone recently.....weight of the bike isn't an issue ;0)

genesis does a nice looking one too.
I chose the kona unit partly because of the paragon style sliding dropouts that allows me to run gear, ss or adjust wheelbase. and it was the cheapest locally.

http://www.ninerbikes.com/sir9

Cannot be ignored. Ve
One of the few options that allows for a tapered fork steered. Plus the carbon niner fork is very nice too.

+1 for On One - although I don't ride mine nearly as much as I should, it is a nice ride

If you have a few spare hours & can cope with slightly evangelical Americans. These guys are mad about them.

http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/

I look on here quite often too.

http://twentynineinches.com/

Unfortunately the exchange rate, customs etc.. does no favours to the price of anything American*.

• Otherwise I would have bought a Gunnar roadie by now :-(
  

Bought my Spotbrand off US EBay. Twas a bargin, and the seller lied horribly on the customs forms.

Niner bikes are available in the UK. Also check Charliethebikemonger.com. Great guy, great section.

Or if you to buy a complete bike & aren't adverse to a bit of aluminium, this is looks pretty good!

£599 complete, or £549 for last years model.

http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=1872&category_id=158

Hmmmm.

I just ordered an SRM for the CX bike, so that's the bike account emptied.

Starting on next years budget?

^^ I didn't even realise that bike had been around for the past 2 years. I do like it & I'm well aware that I'd most likely end up spending another £500 + on it.

Unless I sold all the bits & rebuilt with nicer stuff.......

Would it suit someone 5'6.5"?

Not many 29ers work for shorties. My spotbrand is known for handling well in the small size. But ultimately, getting a 26" hardtail is more likely to net a nicer ride.

For some reason, the geo chart isn't showing for me..? ( My internet speed is painfully slow this evening! ) Should I eventually find it, what ett & stem length do you have on the Dale & Boardman. I could make a rough guess from that.

^^ I can't comment on this. I love the handling of my 29er, but then I do live at the top of a beanstalk!

Hmmmm.

I'm with Dammit on that. A cheap ss 29er for the occasional blast off road?

Hmmmm indeed.

Small road bikes have shorter wheelbase. This balances with a slacker front end, which shortens the ETT, and keeps the front wheel away from your toes. Not so easy with a 29er. I have mms of toe clearance. Pretty sure I'd have to measure before changing shoes.