29 Vs 26 Mountain Bike Tires

For years 26 wheels were the only option for mountain bikes until 29 wheels came along and changed the game completely.

29 vs 26 mountain bike tires. When you are taking a look at the 26 vs. In mountain biking choosing a wheel size is akin to choosing a sports team. Designs that fall into this category utilize both 27 5 inch and 29 inch wheels although the former is the far more popular option at the moment. Today they still find their place on children s bikes bikes for smaller riders and on more aggressive bikes that require lighter tires for better control.

Even the former xc world champion jose hermida praised the new features brought by the 29 inch wheels only to swap them a season later for a 27 5 inch model the irony of it all being that the single rainbow striped jersey he won as an elite rider was riding a 26 inch mountain bike. Which is right for me. Improved traction and stability. If you typically run 30psi in 26 inch wheels you should be able to use 26 5psi with 29 inch wheels.

This all started to change around 2010 when 29er mountain bikes came onto the market and even more recently in 2013 when 27 5 mountain bikes also became a popular alternative. 29er mountain bike there are several personal questions you need to ask yourself as you make your decision. As with all things there is no right answer that fits all people. Of course you can mount 11 5 fatter tyres on a 26 inch bike and drop the air pressure to match.

A 3 5psi drop in tyre pressure will undoubtedly help to improve traction but it won t make you float on water. The bike s overall design and geometry varies as well. 26 mountain bike wheels were the old standard. I have a 27 bike as does my wife 27 and bfat were my preferred wheel sizes for the past couple years.

A 29er is more than just a wheel size. Not since dual suspension mountain bikes debuted has there been so much controversy and confusion surrounding a mountain bike technology. I wanted to go faster bigger and have more stability so i went back to a 29er plus semi plus. The tires are designed to roll over obstacles while making more contact with the ground.

Mountain bikes have traditionally used 26 inch wheels but the introduction of the 29er. 27 5 and 29 plus mid fat. Wheel wars 29 vs 27 5 vs 26. There are advocates for both 26 inch and 29 inch wheels and the debate continues in manufacturing and competitive arenas.

26 mountain bikes have for decades been the standard size for most mountain bikes. Mountain bike tires are much thicker than a 700c with widths typically falling between 1 8 to 2 4 inches. If you haven t shopped for a bike in quite a while chances are your last mountain bike had 26 wheels.