29ers have been slowly gaining acceptance with the xc race crowd in the past 5 years. The bigger wheels roll over obstacles with ease and get more traction than the standard 26in wheel. They used to be slow and heavy but now companies like Gary Fisher have turned these into light, maneuverable machines. I first started to take notice when my friend and sometimes training partner Pete Glassford raced a Fisher Superfly to great success 2 years ago.
More recently GF riders Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Heather Irmiger won both xc and marathon US championships aboard 29ers and Willow Koerber placed 3rd at Worlds!!! This includes both hardtail and dual-suspension bikes.
More and more companies are getting into the 29er field such as Specialized, Felt, Jamis, and to a lesser degree, Giant and Scott, but Gary Fisher remains the leader of the pack. I think this is because of their Genesis G2 Geometry and their ability to make crazy light and stiff frames eliminating the stigma of heavy bikes from the equation.
Here is more about the Gary Fisher hardtail and dual suspension 29ers.
So why are 29ers better ....
This is best explained on the Fisher website.
Bigger Wheels Have a Longer Contact Patch
Contact patch is the amount of tire you have on the ground at any time and as the wheel diameter gets larger the patch becomes longer. This is turn increases traction, especially on technical climbs and during corners, by allowing more of the tire to keep in contact with the ground. Also, this larger "footprint" performs better in mud and sand allowing the tire to stay on the surface, much like a snowshoe.
Long Story Short ...
I'm racing a Gary Fisher Superfly for my 2010 season and couldn't be more excited for it!!!
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site looks good
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