just bought my first 29er

[frylock]

thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and got a singlespeed. I'll be upgrading to the Hayes discs; probably the HFX 9 or Sole, but definitely hydraulic. Wouldn't mind having a set of the REBAs too, but those cost more than I paid for the bike itself, so that will have to wait. I'm hoping it arrives over the next week -- I can't wait!! Anyone else have a 29er? Do you use it for commute or fun? Street or trail?



2007 Redline Monocog 29er

[Blue-Jay]

1. Honestly, I don't like it.

It looks like a nice bike, but unless you're going to be riding mostly on dirt/limestone trails, you don't want the knobby tires or the single gear. If you're going to be on pavement, you'll want some thinner, slicker tires.

It looks like an OK bike for downhill dirt trails, but you'll kick yourself if you want to use it for commuting/shopping/short city trips.

[frylock]

2. try not to laugh too hard, but..

this is what I use to run down to the grocery, bar hopping, throwing on the trolley and riding around downtown, and just general cruising.



It's a Mirra Icon 20forty 24" BMX cruiser. Single speed (36x17) with street/dirt treads. It can be a bit of a challenge on the ascent, and I get a lot of hill training; I have a good 400' climb just to get back to my place from the trolley station. I just get out of the saddle and crawl up the hill, no rush. Most of my so-called commuting is under 10 miles (I can't commute to work due to MCAS Miramar) and I managed a 12 mile cruise without getting too fatigued.

The 29er will be used predominantly on trails; leisurely bombs around Sweetwater Reservoir and the like, but I'm sure it will see some cruising action down along the wharf. I just hope I can wrangle that horse onto the trolley!

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a former BMXer who has been riding XC/trail for about 25 years. I tried riding a road bike for about a month, but just couldn't get comfortable on it. The speeds were nice, but I like the luxury of being able to hop up on the curb, or cut through vacant lots, open fields, etc. Happy riding!

[Fovea]

3. Your gearing looks a bit higher than the other bike.

Not that I am a single speed expert.

[frylock]

4. the gearing differs significantly..

I ran everything from a 32/14 to a 32/20 on that 29er. The cruiser was geared at 36/13. Of course, the gearing was much taller on the 24" v. the 29". In any case, I enjoyed my experience on the 29er so much, that I decided to sell it and upgrade to the Flight frameset. I can't say enough about this bike; liteweight, aggressive and agile on the singles, and climbs like a goat. I've made a few upgrades to the componentry (Thomson Elite set-back seatpost, Thomson stem, Avid Juicy Seven...), and hope to have a set of Chris King ISO hubs (red anodized, please) installed in good order. I've already purchased an SRAM X0 rear derailleur along with a Redline OEM derailleur hanger for the eventual 1X9 conversion. Currently geared at 32/18.