Fox's 29'' DH Fork... and Mondraker's 29er DH Bike?
It doesn't get much more obvious than this, does it? Fox mechanic Kolja Schmitt posted a photo of the company's upcoming 29er DH fork to his personal Instagram page yesterday, all but confirming confirming the non-stop off-season rumors that many of the sport's largest teams will be moving from 27.5'' to 29'' wheels for their World Cup DH race effort.
![Fox 29er DH fork]()
Fox had no official comment when questioned, but it's a safe bet that the new fork, which has the not so creative name of the '49,' will use the same RAD internals as the 27.5'' 40 that their racers have been on. The 49 will have a different offset compared to the standard 40, and surely a bit less travel as well - 29'' wheels generally don't require as much stroke, and its axle-to-crown length would be massive if it were sporting 200mm of travel. My guess is that most riders on the 49 will run around 180mm or 190mm. Remember that photo of Santa Cruz's Greg Minnaar on a long-travel 29er with a dual-crown fork from back in December? The new 49 pictured above is the outcome of that, and many other test sessions, and the whispers of a 29'' wheeled V10 have to be true.
The other thing to note is the bike that the 49 is bolted to. Check out that distinctive shadow that looks a lot like a Mondraker Summum - will we see Danny Hart and the rest of the team on 29'' wheels this season? It sure looks like it.
Fox had no official comment when questioned, but it's a safe bet that the new fork, which has the not so creative name of the '49,' will use the same RAD internals as the 27.5'' 40 that their racers have been on. The 49 will have a different offset compared to the standard 40, and surely a bit less travel as well - 29'' wheels generally don't require as much stroke, and its axle-to-crown length would be massive if it were sporting 200mm of travel. My guess is that most riders on the 49 will run around 180mm or 190mm. Remember that photo of Santa Cruz's Greg Minnaar on a long-travel 29er with a dual-crown fork from back in December? The new 49 pictured above is the outcome of that, and many other test sessions, and the whispers of a 29'' wheeled V10 have to be true.
The other thing to note is the bike that the 49 is bolted to. Check out that distinctive shadow that looks a lot like a Mondraker Summum - will we see Danny Hart and the rest of the team on 29'' wheels this season? It sure looks like it.
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www.pinkbike.com/news/Opinion-Mitch-Ropelato-Wins-Fontana-DH-on-a-29er-Trail-Bike.html
...also,
Anyone remember Sam Hill winning twice in 2014 on a 26" aluminum bike?
Nothing better than watching the" 26FL! "crowd slowly and permanently run out of tire options!
Waaah!
29er is your Father!!
Complete and total enjoyment.
1. Industry sees that we've taken the wheel size expansion thing too far
2. Every 2019 bike will be riding on 20" bmx wheels
dirtmountainbike.com/bike-reviews/downhill-bikes/inside-trek-rd.html
If you like to bitch on new trends and standards, go ahead noone actually gives a shit about people's opinions online
That seems like a good rough sketch of Internet Gravity League For Preservation of Genuine MTB Values.
As an enthusiast of options that do feel different (unlike 26 vs 275) I personally love the idea that DH 29ers could become a reality just like I was super excited for long travel 29" Enduro bikes or plus bikes.
i can't buy another bike... SAD
Not true why they racing 29 in enduro ...
And 26 inch wheels - it's not dead yet right. It may be slower than other wheel sizes but it isn't completely dead yet.
At the end of the day instead of arguing about wheel sizes and saying gay this and that - get on and ride your f*cking bike
The industry keeps innovating. I find it surprising that so many people complain when the industry creates something better. We know it is better because it will be run this season, as it is faster. However, if it doesn't work for you, Or you don't like it don't buy it. Simple. I wonder why so many people get so angry over anything non 26. The bike industry isn't going to produce outdated technology because people won't buy it.
NO one is forcing you to buy the new bike. You don't have to at the end of the day.
On another note, it's not like we've attached jetpacks to the bikes. The world cup tracks are still rough and people will fall off. 3 seconds quicker isn't exactly smoothing out the track. If needs be, they could become a bit more technical, I know many people believe they are already turning into more bike park style tracks so I'm sure we shall see rougher stuff in the future.
However I take your point about uci contradictions a bit - skinsuits would be faster as are 29 wheels clearly. It's all about the overview and look of the sport, I personally think 29 wheels aren't nearly as bad as skinsuits but I see what you mean. Perhaps the uci will say something in the future about their standing on this. Who knows.
All I know is I can't wait for the start of the season in the next week or two!
I'm not sure how to explain it, but I tried. It's like when the old top gear crew do rallying on a budget and have the most fun - cheep and cheerful I find.
Oh yeah and the other thing I say to myself is - right well I can have a better bike etc, but it will be marginally better. However I can improve my skills a lot more. So I will work on that. If you are racing world cups as a privateer then yes this is annoying however for most people like me it really isn't as bad as everyone makes out
Its great for very tall and heavy cross country pedalers and grandma in town.
Faster? Yes 29 is faster on smooth tracks, everyother scenario - they are not. Most of this can be attributed to perception because the stored force in the rotating wheel lets you plow a little further without pedaling than with 26. 29 and flat headangles - not good - slugger.
Hucking with 29 is not fun. Personally I dont like 29. I makes a bike look weird.
For most of us that do not compete it comes at the price of a new bike that is heavier and with components that wont last as well as what you had before.
UCI - mainly roadies. They have nothing to add to the discussion. I blanked them out a veeery long time ago.
26 is pretty close to dead. Fewer product choices every season and LBS not stocking anything 26 except as one brilliant employee pointed out "we have lockon grips that fit 26ers".
26ers are going the way of the Penny-farthing, which looks incredibly like Penny-farting if your scanning fast.
Now we "race with the air brakes on" while trying to look like MXers so that clothing companies can profit.
"Skin suits are gay" the drones cry.
Yeah, because everyone's laughing at bat-shit-crazy downhill skiers...
What size tire do you think 99% freeriders will be riding once their current rig breaks?
26... You think they don't allready break bikes.....
You saw the darkfest slams right?
My passion for the last number of years has been off-roading, and in that arena there is excitement in seeing the sport develop. When the pros come out to the races with new high dollar, blinged out, technically advanced super parts, as enthusiasts we all rejoice knowing that the trickle down effect will eventually reach the consumer at a price point that we can afford to bolt on to our rigs. Doesn't mean that I'm going to run out and buy it - but it sure is nice to know that I now have the option to if I so choose to open up my wallet.
Same thing in the mtb world, just because a new piece of tech comes out, doesn't mean you have to run it on your bike but we should all be stoked that the industry is continuing to push the boundaries of our sport and give the average consumers options that allow them to push their ability and enjoyment to new limits.
Once we all have factory spec suspension where's the advantage? None? So we should just say f*ck it and all ride rigid road bikes. Your argument makes absolutely no sense and is based on an absurd hatred of big wheels which I seriously doubt you and most other nay Sayers have ever ridden since you seen to fundamentally misunderstand how they change the characteristics and capability of a bike.
I have a fokin BRO key on my keyboard brah!
Manufacturers want winning results regardless of wheel size to drive sales and racers in DH will now have similar choices that Enduro riders currently enjoy. 29 and 27.5 will share the podium and we will all benefit.
"...to answer than it'll simply level the playing field and let the riders abilities shine and dominate over their equipment" - how is this not true for using bigger wheels?
If a team rocks up at a race venue and see the conditions are producing little grip, they'd tune the suspension accordingly and if they have a setup that will allow more grip (i.e. Larger wheels) they'd try that too...maybe the team next to them in the pit has a big wheeler too but it delivers a different ride characteristic and their athlete prefers to ride the 27.5 at this event. Some of the riders will use a firm setup and others a softer one to try and find the fastest way down the mountain, I don't see how that is any different from a racer making the choice between two wheel sizes.
As for marketing...although I have ridden and seen the merits big wheels bring to the table I strongly believe that a 29er dh bike would be such a specific tool that unless you're racing at the highest level they will be useless. I don't see them being very popular outside of WCDH. 27.5" dh bikes are gonna be far more versatile for those who want to race at the weekend and slap corners in the park after work. I'm sure the manufacturers realise this too so the notion that they're trying to push us all onto bigger wheels is a load of tin foil hat crap. They want their athletes to achieve and to do that they'll give them everything they ask for, what they won't do is force them to ride something they can't perform aboard.
Contrary to the notion that big wheelers will smooth out tracks and lead to more bikepark races; the big wheelers will shine on the roughest tracks with the flattest corners. I wouldn't be surprised to see tracks getting some extra chunk thrown in to test the big wheel bikes. It would lead to a better spectacle for the viewers and it'd be interesting to see if any athletes can show us how to do it without the advantages of bigger wheels.
I don't see how teams using bigger wheels at WCDH level is a bad thing in any way. Why would you not want them to try and go faster?
29+40= 69
errr their fully sponsored/ paid up pros.
dam sure they havent had to spend any of there hard earned money on any bike or component at full price or at all for a long time
My point was, all these dudes, who are setting the bar in big bike freeriding, are all riding modded 26 inch DH bikes that their companies no longer make available to the rest of us.
you pointed out the financial and sales contribution of pros on 26ers.
i pointed out otherwise.
companys make money to pay those pros of the back the back of none 26 bike and component sales not enough people are buying 26er stuff end of.
if there was enough people continued spunking money on 26er bikes and components then manufacturers could sit back without doing s@#t and cash in as they already have that stuff done.
"We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that, one way or another."
MOAB option Waki... times are bad...
All rules in time trial sports are in place to prevent unfairness (no cutting off courses, etc), so that's a difference to games with their somewhat artificial rules. Who would it be unfair to at WC level to let em decide freely which wheel size to use?
Btw, it still is a myth that 29ers are automatically faster on ALL tracks. If they prove to be, even privateers will switch instantly. Arms race over.
Instead, the discussion for WC is in dire need of focussing on track layout. That's the big issue, not 29ers in DH.
Mtb is still a cheap sport to compete in. Even as a privateer if you had to own multiple bikes, it would still be cheap.
My friend races moto at a regional level, 2 bikes, one to train, one to race. multiple engines and gear. Last year it was 30k to go racing.
If you actually have the talent to be a WC pro then like any sport you need some sponsorship. If you want to complain lets talk about bike company's throwing money at their "ambassadors" rather than at a DH team.
Do you see any sport with restrictions is not dominated by big teams? May be those who want's to avoid an arm race should try marathon. Just buy a pair of shoes and run till the sun sets... happily ever after.
Don't turn mtb into another sport where the bat stays the same for eternity. It'll be fuboring.
Problem of turning 9er in tight turns is not problem of the bike, but problem of the rider not knowing how to do it properly.
In my opinion, many DH courses have evolved as an attempt to capture more viewers through tighter racing, as close times produce a more exciting and less predictable race. Fast speeds and big jumps translate well on screen and create this super tight racing. Ultra steep, sometimes slow and precise, technical and full of rocks and roots is what So many of the pro's prefer, and what we as riders can relate to and want to see, but it can lead to bigger time gaps, and appearance wise does not always translate well to the screen, both of which can hurt viewership.
Such is the nature of racing or anything remotely competitive, we will look for an advantage over our competitors anywhere we can find it, and the often ultra fast wide open nature of some of the current tracks might just lend themselves well to the bigger wheels. Only the clock will tell.
I know it's not racing but I think it is comparable to the sport evolving to appeal to a larger audience having a negative effect.
TV/streaming coverage for MTB racing has always carried a substantial risk with limited return on investment for those involved and as a result, prize money for the competitors has remained relatively stagnant for the past 25+ years, especially when considering rising costs and inflation.
I welcome and very much look forward to seeing 29ers in the DH racing mix.
Regulating and standardizing and limiting the equipment in DH would be terrible for so many reasons. Where do you draw the line? Are we going to standardize the track too? Think about how much the track changes from the beginning to the end of a race. Is that fair for the last man down? What about weather and environmental influences?
Just like with the rampage analogy, the demand for a change in the track layouts has to come from both the riders and the viewers. Live broadcasting of a DH series is expensive, hosting a WC DH is expensive, having a deep field of riders at these races is hard on the mountains hosting them as the tracks get hammered. So they begin building them to handle more traffic, easier to broadcast, and hopefully more attractive to viewers.
Understandably, everyone Needs to see a return in order to make a race series sustainable, and in the end, that's what we want isn't it?
I have been racing DH since 1997 with 26 inch bikes last year I got a 27.5 DH bike and I thinks it's amazing and big enough, I'm 1.86m and I hit my but in the rear tire on steep trails much more in the 27.5 than in my old 26. So I don't see myself riding or racing with a 29 DH bike...
As for hitting the rear tire thing that will depend on size of bike and style of riding rather than terrain. If you ride a long bike then you won't be hanging off the back "old school" style and your tire won't hit you. I'm 1.8m and I would like to try a 622mm DH bike.
I am not the king of the truth like you to say what others should do and how they have to ride...I am just giving my opinion just that.
just look at images of DH and enduro races lots of riders with tires marks in the but showing they are hiting the tire.
now imagine a longer wheelbase DH bike with 29 wheel!!! will be the shitiest bike ever impossible to make a turn.
but you like to follow me right? just to be against me, OK have a great Easter.
As I recall from previous interactions I have always tried to stay civil and it was you who started with the insults. I don't celebrate Easter but thanks anyways. I hope you enjoy yours though.
do you imagine yourself riding Champery WC track with a long wheelbase 29er???
dirtmountainbike.com/bike-reviews/downhill-bikes/inside-trek-rd.html
Also, the Mondraker team is riding for Sram, on the Picture you can clearly see a Saint Break.
That said, we knew a 29" would come to DH eventually.
your setup is probably wrong, or your frame is a smaller sized large/XL
#26aintdead (at least in my workshop it aint)
Who gives a s#@t what wheel size you ride, the main purpose of mountain biking is getting out there and havong some fun. Let the pros who GET PAID to ride their bikes ride whatever the comapnies that sponsor them PAY THEM TO RIDE. Thats the whole purpose of a sponsored ride......RIDE WHAT THE SPONSORS PAY YOU TO RIDE. To the rest of the plebs out there like me and everyother average Joe, STFU and go ride you bike!
If everyone all rode the same wheel size there would be people moaning that there wasn't enough choice. Now there's tonnes of options and people are bitching about everything.
The truth is most people that hate other wheel sizes do because they have f*ck all experience with them. Bikes need to progress and be more advance, otherwise it would be like football. f*cking dull.
Give it 2 years and we'll have 28.5 ????????
29ers do not have higher terminal velocities. If you started a 26" wheel and a 29" wheel rolling at the top of a (smooth) hill, the 29er would get to the bottom last and would be moving slower. This is because 29ers have higher rotational enertia.
What a 29er does do better than a 26 is roll over things. That same higher rotational inertia means the 29er is harder to stop. This is why they appear to have higher speeds - after plowing through a bunch of crap on the trail, they slow down less.
Seriously how far will you guys go? Please for the love of god stop buying into whatever they come up with. Riders get better faster every year even if they stayed on the same gear. Courses are geared toward current trends, you know that right?
I'm starting to loose faith in the bike community. Again...
Maybe that motivated Mondraker to put 29" wheels on a downhill bike.
I am very stubborn and still prefer 26", so for my downhill bike, a Mondraker Summum 2013, I laced myself new 26" Notubes Flow mk3 rims on Hope pro 4 with 2.5 wide Magic Mary Vertstar. I don't think it can get much better than that.
I do think that 29er dh bikes will work but they won't actually improve the sport or the riders experience. I think there will be reliability issues and there is such a thing as too big when it comes to building a bike that needs to be thrown around like a dh bike does. I predict that the top riders will win no matter what wheel size bike they are on. Would be the same if there were 26, 27.5 or 29" wheels in the mix. Sam Hill and Jared Graves have already established that.
Certain wheel sizes are keen to certain environments, I know where each excels.....from experience. Maybe listen to people who actually have it.
By all means proceed with the old guy jokes.
Que Enduro, do you see 29ers dominating Enduro, No why the tracks, if ever it was going to be about wheel size it would be Enduro first, this is a reflection of the state of DH and DH tracks and Red Bull TV and the ghey UCI...
That's said I am on 29ers lol... but that's because I'm old and broken down!
The next step is E -bikes, but Ill die before I swing a leg over that crap for general riding on trails built by real people.
In MX use same wheels of MOTOGP????
Not!!!!
DH world cups are fast becoming like F1. All the latest tech so riders can gain tenths of a second. Thank f*ck for young riders Ike Bruni who are willing to send it or die trying
\M/
....... and then you just have to hope it doesn't go beyond the butt and reach your "precious" ......
....... else people are gonna start needing some crotch protectives
Bet the YT Mob are not on 29ers. Recon its Gwins season in the bag as the other riders battle those windmills and wobbly rims :-) .
Bring it on!
Don't jump too quickly on the 29" DH bandwagon, as 27.5+ is gonna be right behind it
26" parts will be even more cheaper !!!!!!!
Not enough strength.
Bluemountain and mountain would claim, 29 29" wheels the every weekend.
www.rootsandrain.com/rider795/danny-hart/photos
Lol...