Best pedaling long travel 29r

PB Forum :: 29ers
Best pedaling long travel 29r
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flag grandpahucker
Posted: Jul 1, 2018 at 8:12 Quote
grandpahucker wrote:
The Pivot Firebird 29r keeps coming up in conversation.

The Firebird 29r is spec’d w a 170 mm fox 36 up front and an x2 rear w 162 mm of travel. By my count that’s a 6 and 7”. That’s what we need here for the descent but it has to pedal well too.

Running a one by system w no front derailleur permits short chainstays. This feature along with a shaped seat tube puts the back tire right under the seat.

combined with low(ish) standover, a steep (ish) seat angle and a pretty long reach seems to promise a bike that will climb well.

The head angle is quite slack as well so it’s exciting to imagine how this bike will ride. My gut tells me that it’s almost the perfect bike for shore riding where we’ve got lots of long approaches, plenty of very steep trails that are full of roots, rocks, ramps rolls, and miles of technical x country trails.

I took a tape measure out and compared the Firebird 29r to my 2012 enduro expert w 26” wheels. The chainstays on the pivot are an inch shorter, the wheelbase on the Firebird is only 45 mm longer. This is promising because a super long bike would be a disadvantage on some of our tight technical trails.
Dunno. Not going to rush into anything. I was out yesterday riding in our wet misty rainforest on my punched, tortured 26” enduro and all was right with the world.
Liking the feedback. Thanks.
flag Kepper
O+ FL
Posted: Jul 4, 2018 at 14:52 Quote
Hey if you are still looking give Evolve bikes a good look. I bought the Alpha 29 (im 6' 200lbs) and am running the DVO Suspension. Ive been riding the shore as well as a good chunk of riding at whistler. Couldnt be happier with it. Pedal position is efficient and this thing shreds on the downs.

Take a look! It could save you a bunch of money too.
flag KennyWatson
O+
Posted: Jul 8, 2018 at 11:10 Quote
grandpahucker wrote:
Looks like The Firebird 29r is basically a 6 and 7 bike. Who else is doing that?

It runs w a 1x, short chainstays (1” shorter than my 26” bike) with low(ish) standover, 74* seat angle, long reach, 29” wheels, a 65* head tube angle. The wheelbase is only 45 mm longer than my 26” enduro.

These new bikes are so radically different from even a few years ago.

Did you check one out? Just curious if you found somewhere in town that has some (I'm on the shore as well). Obsession bikes maybe?
flag grandpahucker
Posted: Jul 10, 2018 at 5:24 Quote
Yep last time I was there obsession had a medium on the floor. Would be interested in your take on it.
flag KennyWatson
O+
Posted: Jul 16, 2018 at 9:02 Quote
I was by obsession yesterday and the pivot reps size large was there so went for a quick pedal.

"Big" sums up this bike. Pedalled well and obviously just immensely capable, but man it feels like a huge piece of machinery underneath you, for good and bad. If my Bronson is a sniper rifle, the pivot is an RPG!

I kinda felt along for the ride, very safe, very comfortable, but I don't feel like it really wanted much input from me (it also doesnt need it).

I see it appealing to two ends of the spectrum:

1) Really fast really agressive riders who want to burn cypress laps and go huge in Whistler but need to be able to pedal, or Enduro racers.

2) the other end of the spectrum - wheels on the ground riders who want to be able to plow.

Personally I don't ride hard enough to fit into the 1st group but I like to bob and weave enough that I don't really fall into the second category either. I'd still like to demo one but I'm not sure I could throw such a big bike around how I'd want to.

Amazingly capable though.
flag grandpahucker
Posted: Jul 17, 2018 at 17:14 Quote
KennyWatson wrote:
I was by obsession yesterday and the pivot reps size large was there so went for a quick pedal.

"Big" sums up this bike. Pedalled well and obviously just immensely capable, but man it feels like a huge piece of machinery underneath you, for good and bad. If my Bronson is a sniper rifle, the pivot is an RPG!

I kinda felt along for the ride, very safe, very comfortable, but I don't feel like it really wanted much input from me (it also doesnt need it).

I see it appealing to two ends of the spectrum:

1) Really fast really agressive riders who want to burn cypress laps and go huge in Whistler but need to be able to pedal, or Enduro racers.

2) the other end of the spectrum - wheels on the ground riders who want to be able to plow.

Personally I don't ride hard enough to fit into the 1st group but I like to bob and weave enough that I don't really fall into the second category either. I'd still like to demo one but I'm not sure I could throw such a big bike around how I'd want to.

Amazingly capable though.


That’s a pretty even-handed review.
Thanks for that.

It’s too early to get a good demo ride on a Firebird 29 I guess.

A ride up cypress to hit sterlings would be very telling.

The bike I want would do that well.
flag KennyWatson
O+
Posted: Jul 17, 2018 at 18:37 Quote
Obsession said demo is no problem. The large was the local reps demo bike apparently so needed to call in a bit in advance to book it. The large was what I was interested in so I forgot to ask what sizes they had. I did see at least one and maybe two others on the rack though.

Side note that was my first time visiting obsession bikes, seemed like great guys.

If cypress is the most relevant demo location for your typical riding the firebird 29 just might be the ticket.
flag KyleBurke
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 20:29 Quote
Ridegg.com “The Smash”. 160/140 custom American hand welded race machines. I’m 220 and top 5 in just about all my Strava segments. Only people ahead of me are 10k epics and 150-180lb riders. GG’s Moto is “I like to go fast”. Check them out
flag sbrdude1
Posted: Jul 31, 2018 at 10:28 Quote
KyleBurke wrote:
Ridegg.com “The Smash”. 160/140 custom American hand welded race machines. I’m 220 and top 5 in just about all my Strava segments. Only people ahead of me are 10k epics and 150-180lb riders. GG’s Moto is “I like to go fast”. Check them out
I've ridden a few of the GG bikes and they're a lot of fun. Not as efficient as my Yeti or Orbea but very stable on rough terrain. You definitely don't have to baby them.
flag sinaerfani
Posted: Jul 31, 2018 at 10:29 Quote
Enduro 29 fatti is a pretty good one.
flag BeaverCreaker
Posted: Aug 4, 2018 at 20:01 Quote
Transition Sentinel or Hightower LT
flag sbrdude1
Posted: Aug 4, 2018 at 21:51 Quote
BeaverCreaker wrote:
Transition Sentinel or Hightower LT
I've spent some time on the new SC High Tower LT with full DVO aside from the pedal feedback it was a great trail bike.
flag SeaLegs26
O+
Posted: Aug 6, 2018 at 14:01 Quote
BeaverCreaker wrote:
Transition Sentinel or Hightower LT

I'd be curious to hear a comparison from anyone who has rode both of these bikes. Both models tend to be mentioned often when discussing this category of bikes.
flag BeaverCreaker
Posted: Aug 6, 2018 at 17:12 Quote
I have ridden both. There is a little more pedal feedback from the Santa Cruz, but the Hightower LT is also quicker to accelerate. The sentinels suspension feels like it is more supple and has more traction climbing up and over rocks and roots on steeper climbs. If smooth, I think the Hightower LT is more efficient, but that could have been because of weight. The Hightower LT feels lighter under your legs.

The sentinel is still very efficient, because the long reach and steeper seat tube angle of the Transition makes for a better pedaling position. You can just sit and spin and it’s so much better than all mtn bikes from 5 years ago.

On the downs, the Sentinel wins for me, hands down. Its longer, lower, slacker, and it feels like a mini downhill 29er. The suspension on both bikes feel great, well balanced between supple and progressive on the downs, but the geometry of the Sentinel wins for me. The Sentinel is still easy to flick around and change your line, but the Hightower wins there, and the High LT wins in more moderate trails at slower speeds for fun and messing around on flats too.

If you want more of a “trail” bike feel for slower speed trails, the Hightower might be better, but I think the Sentinel can pedal uphill nearly as well. If you want a mini DH bike on the downs, the Sentinel is better for that.

I actually like to jump alot on bigger bikes, but havent jumped either of these bikes. I got a feeling the Sentinel will jump better though. It just feels more natural to me.
flag BeaverCreaker
Posted: Aug 6, 2018 at 22:07 Quote
One thing of note, on mellower trails you do have to weight the front wheel on the Sentinel more like a downhill bike. It’s just long. Once you do that, it handles easy going trails just fine. I am used to riding DH bikes, so it was second nature. For someone who is coming from more of a trail bike background, the Hightower Lt might be better.

I never thought I’d like such long bikes pedaling uphill. But I so, I really do.

 


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