A 29er with a big tire is tough enough to push. The advantage to the 29 is that with a 2.5 Dissent it can still be piloted with 150s. The 26 x 3.8 is a bit too much. I’ve ridden and raced both sizes pretty extensively on races up to 15 miles or so. The Dissent does pull a bit, but maintains traction on off camber slop. A 26 x 3.8 pulls a whole lot more, hence the need for 160s or so.
A set of dual hole 127/150 Spirits makes the 29er a very versatile machine. I don’t think 137/165s would make the 26 quite as nice with the big tire. The 3.8 pulls a lot for short cranks.
My 29" Knard is on order. Getting it into a frame is going to be the bit of a problem. I guess I’ll go down a 36er for a bit.
The biggest problem with 29ers has been tire selection. It’s good we’re getting the Knard. Other than the Hans Dampf (I’m speaking from 2nd hand knowledge) and Dissent, the options were really limited for when the going gets tough. The 26" wheel has had great selection for quite some time. With the plethora of fat bike tires hitting the market it’s good for the over 3" and under 3" crowd.
If I need to cover ground, the 29" is the choice (at least until the 26" Schlumpf is built).
Not to confuse folks by my comments comparing a 26 x 4 to a 29 x 3, but they are not alike in regards to being fat tires. The 26 x 4 is really big, takes a lot more effort to start and stop than a smaller tire, tends to have a mind of it’s own, so they serve best in sloppy conditions where a skinnier tire would slide around. On a 4" tire you can tractor through, float upon, all kinds of conditions that would have you walking on a Gazz or Duro 3". The casing is double the volume of a Duro Wildlife!
The 29 x 3 Knard is nowhere near as big as a 4" tire, but it does have a big casing so it shares some flotation and stability characteristics of it’s big brother, but it is not anywhere near as hard to start or maintain momentum, nor does it have serious autosteer issues. Think of the Knard as a supersized Racing Ralph. I would ride the Knard on all day rides without a second thought, but I would not choose a 4" for an all day ride unless it was on snow.
Word on the street is that Surly has some big tread versions of the Knard (29+) coming out in the Fall, so it may be time to ante up and get an Oregon …
For those folks looking at the Oregon, it may be possible to get a custom build if you prefer a 29" to a 26" wheel, at the minimum if you were to call UDC and express interest in that combination, it could spur a new Oregon combo…
There will be an Oregon hub with 32h, which will mate to a Surly Rabbit Hole 50mm rim. I already have an RH rim on order, just waiting for the hubs to arrive in the next week or two (fingers crossed). I’ll post pics when it’s up and running.
Once I get my Rabbit Hole built, I will have for sale my current wheel, an Oregon 36h hub built with a Nimbus Dominator 29" rim, and it will be available complete with a Knard 120 tpi. PM if interested.
i was looking at the rabbit hole rim and for the price the extra 3mm vs the kh rim doesnt seem worth it. The ony time i have ever noticed a rim making a difference is single wall vs double wall. For one the single wall is like paper and dies a lot faster. Second the MOST IMPORTANTLY is that you get a lot more volume with the single wall. Its crazy how it feels.
I bet kris is gonna modify his 29’er frames in the future to fit the larger size tire. It seems like the 29inch is gonna be a popular choice size for many riders. It has seem to made a big impression on the bike community regarding mountain riders.
I got my Rabbit Hole rim earlier this week, it weighs an astounding 650gm!!
Unlike the Nimbus Dominator 2 which is supposed to be 42mm; actually measures out to 40mm, the Rabbit Hole is 50mm on the money. The D2 weighs 900+gm, so between the lighter rim and tubeless, I’ll reduce rotational weight by 300+gms!
I’m still waiting on the Oregon 32h hubs to arrive, then I’ll build the wheel and do some proper testing. I expect significant flatening of the tread with the ~10mm wider rim, also a little more supple ride with tubeless.
To go tubeless I’ll be using a wide (DH/Freeride) presta tubeless valve strip over the stock Knard rim strip, with Stans tape to seal her up…
Really lovin’ my Knard
I believe the updated Oracle 29 frame and completes are in stock, Knard ready
Okay, it didn’t happen, i just stayed up till midnight building a shed, yeah a shed that’s round, has thirty two spokes, is black and shiny, with this odd label that says something like nimbus chromoly steel 32h …
It’s a really sweet shed, rides a lot like a fat 29er
However, there is a big problem (wait for it…)
The tire and rim are so friggin huge that they will no longer fit on my rack
I’ll post pics tomorrow, I’m tired from riding my shed
