Video: Flying 29ers in a Land of Dinosaurs

Feb 13, 2015 at 9:51
by Reilly Kintzele  
Victor Smith - 29ers at Dawn

by ReilShiftMedia
Views: 38,813    Faves: 451    Comments: 25


While the internet warriors were tearing apart the industry's movement towards larger wheels, Victor Smith was in the woods using those larger wheels to tear apart his local trails. The guys at Transition Bikes ( @TransitionBikeCompany ) have since dropped the Covert from their rotation in favor of the new Giddy Up bikes, but the Smuggler, Scout, and Patrol still boast 29 and 27.5 inch wheels respectively. If you're still a hater of the "bigger is better" theory despite evidence that 29" and 27.5" wheels can rip up a trail, they've kept 26" wheels in rotation with the Suppressor.

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Member since May 11, 2012
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116 Comments
  • 103 0
 This is the coolest trail I've ever seen.
  • 23 0
 2 minutes of absolute trail porn!!
  • 4 0
 Cupid got me good on this one, I am in love. You can't see me but my feet are flapping and I'm floating around the room with my hands perched on my cheeks.

Anyone know what kit he was wearing?
  • 11 0
 and probably "best unmuted video"... AIC....
  • 6 1
 Most epic 29r to exist. ever
  • 1 1
 Could someone illuminate the name and location of this trail? Doesn't look like much a secret!
  • 4 2
 Sorry man its actually a pretty well kept secret..
  • 58 1
 Is this guy a magician or something? According to the Pinkbike comments it's impossible to jump and rail a 29" like that.
  • 4 0
 Magical!
  • 4 0
 M ahh-jikle
  • 4 0
 that trail is "perfect"
  • 6 1
 Pinkbikes laws of physics have been broken. Sweet riding. Trail looks awesome
  • 3 0
 29er's Ruled the dinosaurs! PS: land of the dinosaurs this is NOT Alberta. eee
  • 2 0
 C'est le Montana Wink
  • 3 0
 Guess it has more to do with the rider than the bike.
  • 3 0
 Transition must have somehow stuffed a antigravity device in their 29ers!!!
  • 4 0
 Or maybe... Just maybe its the rider that is good.
  • 1 0
 Thats a Covert not a Smuggler.
  • 23 3
 Take notes kids, you can never go wrong with AIC as your song choice. Great looking trail and ride.
  • 6 0
 this!! ^^^
  • 2 14
flag owl-X (Feb 16, 2015 at 14:25) (Below Threshold)
 Hi. I wholeheartedly disagree. This song would ruin any band's discography, and it's barely worse than the rest of Alice In Chains's's's's offerings. It is very bad. I have downvoted your comment. Please understand that I had to. This song, this band, the pointy little goatees and the dirty baseball caps that went along with them...as a society we must denounce these horrible transgressions...LEST WE REPEAT THEM. Never forget.
  • 6 0
 i hope they play Justin bieber at your funeral.......
  • 1 1
 I'm pretty sure I'm going to live forever. Did you hear something?
  • 18 0
 HERE COMES THE ROOOOOOOOOOSTERRR!! YEAAAHHHHHH!!!!
  • 2 0
 shhhhhhhhh
  • 7 1
 ooops.. sorry man. got carried away. Smile
  • 17 1
 RIP Layne.
  • 12 1
 Victor and his friends built that trail www.pinkbike.com/video/222479
  • 4 0
 @mtb-mech Thanks for the link
  • 1 4
 actually, wasn't that the trail had been logged away..
  • 1 0
 www.pinkbike.com/video/151942
  • 11 0
 Not a single pedal stroke until 2:16.... I thought he filmed this chainless....
  • 1 0
 YES! I noticed that too!
  • 2 0
 Props to the trails builders on building that sick trail with ultimate flow so no need to pedal
  • 10 1
 Its because its a 29r lol
  • 1 2
 Nope, Covert 26
  • 11 0
 Does this mean transition doesn't have the "one less 29er" stickers anymore?
  • 8 0
 29ers will convince every doubter / hater as long as you try the right one (at the right place). I own a Transition TransAm for several months and I'm loving it so much. Had a 26" steel hardtail 2 years ago... It was OK and fun but that small wheels didn't help in many circumstances. 27,5"??? In my opinion, it's a half revolution, but why not.... Better keep an excellent 26" but with good wheels AND good fat tires 'cos that's the war nerve (Banshee Spitfire V1 personally) and have a 29" beside. (PS: And who said that 29ers are ugly? Unless you're blind, ill-educated, or simply stupid and dishonest, look at the Transition Smuggler, Banshee Prime or Phantom, Rocky M. Instinct 950 BC Edition, Chromag Surface, Stanton Sherpa... etc... etc... and dare to say that they're ugly!!!!)
  • 1 0
 banshee phantom!
  • 14 3
 Who gives a crap about wheel size - that was awesome.
  • 2 1
 I have upvoted your comment. Mostly because I follow you on instagram.
  • 8 2
 I have no words.... Other than HOLY CRAP!! I must ride this trail!! Someone please send me to this slice of heaven on earth!! I want my ashes scattered along that trail when I die. Simply beautiful, both the trail and the riding.
  • 15 5
 29'ers are super cool.
  • 6 4
 I laughed at this
  • 8 2
 Me too, and I ride 29er's, but I'm fast, I'm faster than you...
  • 5 0
 I dont race, so it doesnt even matter...
  • 3 0
 I can vouch from experience, the covert is a rad bike. Its a little heavy, but if you can deal with a couple extra pounds while climbinb, it shreds on the downhill. Ive got a pike and a float x on my covert 29 and the bike absolutely loves downhill sections. Great video.......glad to see the covert got some love one last time after they scrapped it.
  • 5 1
 Some people say 29er's can't climb, some say they can't shred......Well they're full of s***
You keep moaning whilst I'll pop motowhips all over town and overtake cyclists on the hills.
-Yours truly.
A wagon wheel rider.
  • 9 2
 Great song choice.
  • 2 0
 Awesome riding, amazing trail, righteous song. But... I couldn't care less what wheels are under him. Put a highly skilled rider on a sick trail and he'll make a huffy look like it could have a chance at a world cup. Marketing is marketing and bike manufacturers need marketing to make money but as a vertically challenged rider and someone who has been there tried that, it pains my heart to see more and more 26s getting dropped or fewer models offered.
  • 6 0
 Ricockulous riding and trail. AIC forever.
  • 9 8
 You can go "Bigger" on a 26, which is "Better"! Haha
Just kidding, guys go big no matter what they ride!
Big wheels are for sure the faster way to go, but that does'nt mean they are better, just depends on what type of riding you are doing and what you are more comfortable with.
  • 7 0
 I assume your comment was ment to be in a 26 vs 29 discussion from a couple of years ago. Pinkbike must have accidentally placed it under this cool vid of a guy who is mountainbiking...
  • 7 0
 yah, I read the caption underneath the video, The video was sick! and my comment was supposed to be funny, but for some reason when i make a comment then go back later and read it, it sounds stupid! haha oh well.
  • 5 2
 Those bikes may be sweet and all, but the stars of the vid are those trails and the rider who does them justice. Sick video. Sick tune, too.
  • 5 1
 The brown pow shot at 1:28 really shows how 29ers can be whipped around just as well as a 26er.
  • 1 0
 I mean 1:18
  • 3 15
flag xCri (Feb 14, 2015 at 23:09) (Below Threshold)
 No they can't.
  • 1 3
 Hey #chromag, this local thinks your Surface and Rootdown suck @ss. Go on, tell Ritz and JH why they're the worst bikes out there, I'm sure they'd love to hear from an industry insider.
  • 2 10
flag xCri (Feb 15, 2015 at 0:56) (Below Threshold)
 Hey they're great for rolling down some trails.
But don't try an tell me they're the best machine for "shredding"
Even they won't tell you that.
  • 1 0
 That was awesome! If that doesn't get the blood pumping to go riding then choose another hobbie. As far as the whole wheel size conversation, all my money and financial options have already been invested in 26", although sometimes it would be swell to monster truck over terrain when your tired. Just kidding.
  • 3 0
 That's what I call riding perfection. Not a foot wrong, that guy is dialed. Tell us your secrets...
  • 2 0
 Motocross
  • 2 1
 I'm confused, I've been led to believe by all u die hard 26" wheeled haters that anything bigger than 26" was unplayfull and boring, that looked pretty awesome to me, but then again, I do ride a 29er so what would I know
  • 2 0
 Nobody seems to remember the On One Codeine vid!?

www.pinkbike.com/news/on-one-codeine-video-2014.html

thats going mad with 29ers
  • 1 0
 I hadn't seen this video before. Those guys are working the #&%$ out of those big wheels!
  • 3 0
 damn I want to ride this trail! looks awesome!
  • 3 0
 Where is this. I must ride it.
  • 3 0
 Cali
  • 3 0
 A damn nice trail thats for sure.
  • 3 0
 If that is all the same trail.......... WOWZA!!!!!
  • 1 1
 It is all the same trail.
  • 2 0
 Best edit ever Reilly! You're killing it. But then again, so is Victor. Nice job on a soon to be VOD!
  • 2 0
 SOO much better than Kanye. Gives me pride that I ride a Transition as well...
  • 1 0
 Actually, I build and tru his wheels and the last time I saw Victor we were building trails... Maybe he has a new mechanic, but I doubt it.
  • 3 0
 smooth rider!!
  • 2 0
 agree with MCMbiker-kickass trail. where is that? me want some.
  • 2 0
 Where is that trail? That's one for the bucket list.
  • 1 0
 I'm gonna say Washington state but don't know exactly
  • 4 0
 Utah. Don't come
  • 4 2
 bigger is better and faster...all the rest is bullshit Smile
  • 1 0
 Stopping by philly? Community bikes and boards will have demo Transitions this spring !!! Yes, we have killer trails!!!
  • 1 0
 Great trail, and it prove one thing : its not the wheel size, its the rider that does the difference... great édit!!
  • 1 0
 29ers f@ckin rock i have a track like that and 29ers do the job cool videos buddy
  • 1 0
 just wow, im not moving another log that is across trail, just rip a bit faaster!!
  • 2 0
 Sick filming and riding boys! The trail never looked better!
  • 2 0
 Hell yeah on the song choice, sick vid!!
  • 2 1
 A crooked visor must be the secret to unlocking the 29er's true power!
  • 1 0
 what stunning riding landscape and trail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 2 0
 Sick Trail!
  • 1 0
 Is he riding the smuggler?
  • 2 0
 It's a covert.
  • 7 10
 I think I'll get a 29er when I'm older. Seriously. Not too much older. 50 maybe. This guy is pinned and all but....the bike experience (even at this really high level of riding) looks a bit more passive than what I've come to love about mtb.
  • 3 27
flag xCri (Feb 14, 2015 at 23:08) (Below Threshold)
 Awesome You nailed it. And you get negative propped. The guy looks like he's driving a bus. Bigger wheels are for road bikes you frigging idiots. Just because you can. Doesn't mean you should. Get this kid some smaller wheels and let him rip like he should. This is what happens when you're sponsored. You have to ride whatever stupid thing your sponsors are trying to get some street cred on.
  • 12 1
 @xCri Why do you have to be an antagonistic douche in nearly every thread you comment on? Lighten up dude, life's more enjoyable when everyone's nice to everyone else Smile
  • 2 15
flag xCri (Feb 14, 2015 at 23:35) (Below Threshold)
 No sense in calling a horse a unicorn bud.
  • 7 0
 hahahaha @xCri I thought you were being sarcastic through "Bigger wheels are for road bikes" then I realized you were being a dick. Way to go!
  • 6 1
 Scott, because if it has 29" wheels, just 3/4" more on each side of the hub, magically makes the entire bike suck somehow, regardless of what independent reviews say. Bike says Evil's Following was crazy fun, well they're wrong because.... well, um, they're forcing the bike on the pros, making them cry, yeah, that's it.
  • 3 14
flag xCri (Feb 15, 2015 at 0:49) (Below Threshold)
 Just watch him ride.
He doesn't do anything. He just rolls along as docile as can be. Bike riding is supposed to be exciting. Not docile.
dont try and tell me that the biggest wheel they make is the best one for shredding.
If it was they wouldnt also use that size wheel for endurance/xc bikes
And then he'd look like he was having a good time and not like he was driving a bus.
You silly tools.
  • 1 11
flag xCri (Feb 15, 2015 at 0:50) (Below Threshold)
 Yes, you're right. Being a dick.
  • 2 0
 xCri - didn't they use 26" for endurance/xc bikes? And I'm pretty sure there are 27.5" XC and endurance bikes...
  • 1 0
 OMG Shut Up that was so smooth . Fluid man 29 or not Great vid! More Pls
  • 1 0
 Where are the dinosaures ??????????
  • 2 1
 Chasing.
  • 1 0
 That was good
  • 1 0
 So sick.
  • 1 1
 Looks like the most fun trail ever. Anyone know where it's located?
  • 1 0
 That was Amazing
  • 2 5
 ......and then he went to the LBS to have his wheels trued and some spokes replaced, but an awesome video none-the-less.
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