geschrieben von Matt Chester:
Advantages of 29" wheels
* Lower rolling resistance from the larger wheel diameter = greater ease in carrying speed.
* Greater stability over faster and rougher terrain as a result of the larger "gyroscopic" effect coming from the extra three inches of wheel diameter.
* The ability to push a larger overall gear with shorter cranks due to the first two points. This is a godsend for the road sections!
* Smoother ride.
* Greater ease in rolling over objects due to the shallower angle-of-attack of the tire.
* All in all...the reasons add up to SPEED! You'll be a juggernaut on this thing! A true all-rounder!
Disadvantages of 29" wheels
* Higher wheel weight. Get fit!
* Some sacrifice in lateral wheel strength. Learn to steer!
* Lack of multitudes of choices for tires and suspension (this is changing as we speak). Personally I think the need for twenty different tires and suspension forks is about as necessary as 50+ different kinds of breakfast cereal at the supermarket.
* Some sacrifice in initial acceleration and turn-in speed. Good frame design with attention to aspects like trail can quicken the front end a bit.
* Some frame design issues and constraints, especially for smaller (sub-5'6") riders...e.g. preventing toe overlap with the front wheel, excessive wheelbase for the rider's size, standover clearance, etc. Careful frame design and component selection can minimize or eliminate these worries.
* The perception that a "problem" with the 700c/29" wheel exists. It does only in the minds of those who haven't spent time actually riding big wheels but have spent an inordinate amount of time running their collective mouths on the internet. The thought that a dual suspension bike with a ton of proprietary parts (usually with a massive chainline error in the drivetrain), proprietary pre-built low spoke count wheelset, and every other marketing driven bell-n-whistle imaginable represents a step forward from a proper fitting, simple, reliable, light, versatile machine meant for long-term ownership and usage is absolutely laughable. I suppose the fact that you actually have to ride (you know...steer) the bike rather than just hang on to it would be regarded as a liability in today's society. Being obsessed with empirical performance overall and making things as easy as possible pretty much belies the point of simple and reliable human-powered transport. The bike can't do everything for you! It will feel different initially...but I feel the performance improvement with 29" wheels is tangible across the board for a wide range of riding.