29er (bicycle)

29er rims have an interior diameter of as a compromise between the 26 inch and 29 inch sizes. The 650B size is called 27.5″. The name "29er" comes from a bicycle called the Two Niner, which was offered by the Fisher bike company in 2001, according to 1998 Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee Don Cook. The original company Klein produced a small quantity of a 29″ wheeled version of their successful "Attitude" MTB racer, and named it the Adept. It failed to find a market and was discontinued. A key product release, the first true 29″ tire, was produced by an early supporter of the 29″ movement Wilderness Trail Bikes. The company introduced the first true 29″ tire, the Nanoraptor, in 1999. At about the same time, White Brothers produced the first commercially available 29″ suspension forks. Before then suspension forks used were forks designed for trekking bikes or hybrids. For many years, 29″ frames and bikes were usually only available from small little-known manufactures like Niner Bikes.{{cite magazine ==Cyclocross comparison==

A tire with a tread width of less than in width is sometimes considered a cyclocross tire by 29″ enthusiasts, even though in cyclocross any tire wider than is not a cyclocross tire. Although they are both intended for off-road use, and typically use a 622 mm rim, cyclocross bikes and 29″ wheeled MTBs differ in their basic handling and geometry, construction methods, durability, and intended lifespan. Bikes exist that blur the distinction by combining attributes of both, however. One example of this is a Monstercross bike, often using a standard mountain bike frame intended for use with 26″ wheels with 700c wheels and 700 × 38c-45c tires, disc or cantilever brakes, MTB or cross gearing, and the drop bars of a cyclocross bike. ==Performance==

The advantages and disadvantages of 29ers are often debated in the mountain bike community. Disadvantages of the 29″ wheel include added weight, perceived sluggishness in handling, and problems with fit (specifically, front wheel/toe overlap and high standover height). Advantages include reduced rolling resistance , perceived increased stability while retaining quick handling, and an enhanced ability to roll over obstacles. One item that is often raised is tire contact patch size and shape. All else being equal, such as tire width, rim width, inflation pressure and rider weight, the contact patch of a 29″ wheel has the same area and is slightly longer (~5%) than that of a 26″ wheel. Most of these claims have yet to be objectively investigated. Small scale, unpublished studies (including one done by Pepperdine University, reportedly at the request of Gary Fisher) exist but both proponents and detractors of 29″ wheels are generally unimpressed with their scientific rigor. Long debates over how to conduct a "fair" test of the efficiency of 29″ vs 26″ mountain bikes have raged online, but no serious efforts have been made to conduct a large-scale, scientific study. Drawbacks • Increased wheel weight (larger tire, tube, rim, and spokes) makes the wheels slower to respond to acceleration and braking, ==96 or 69 variations==

One variation is to have a 29″ front wheel and a 26″ rear wheel (commonly called a "96er"). Using the smaller rear wheel allows shorter and quicker handling frames, more options for rear suspension designs and lighter bicycle weight. ==See also==