rallykid

I had finally decided to go with the Rockhopper base over the Felt Q620 until I walked into the shop today and tried out a 2011 rockhopper 29 comp. The 2012 base Rockhopper 29 is the same as the 2011 comp for the same price. It will take me a little longer to raise the $ as it is a couple hundred bucks more than the base Rockhopper 26 but I think it is worth it. Other than the stock fork which didn't seem unbearable for low end and the entry level Draco Hydraulics which would eventually be upgraded in a couple of years is there any other weak point to this model I should watch out for or should I just go for it and replace things as they break?

ed 

I'd say look out for toe overlap, sluggish acceleration, wheel flex, and a general lack of inspiration to do anything more than a sit.n.spin. On the upside...maybe the saddle will give agood nut massage.

scyclops

Of course, ed's not at all biased against 29ers.

rallykid

I hadn't noticed lol

My reasoning is I am a pretty tall guy and it is a more comfortable fit for me than my current 26" tire 19.5" frame Trek and the 21" frame specialized I rode. Not that concerned with acceleration as if I am riding flats I am probably going to be pulling the trailer with my 13 month old, the downhill stuff I do isn't too extreme and I think the extra tire size will give an advantage on the roots and ruts as I have gotten hung up a few times with my 26 while a 29er rolled over it next to me with just a bump. I also don't do huge drops so not overly concerned with wheel strength and if they get tweaked than it will get fixed or replaced.

It will be my all around bike like my current Trek. Riding it back to back with a Rockhopper 26 I didn't notice an appreciable acceleration difference between the 29. Maybe my legs are stronger than some that complain of major acceleration issues. I am sure against a stop watch the 29 would be fractionally slower but that is not a concern for me as I don't have many stop watches roaming around my neigborhood challenging me to race.

Bethany

My son has a 29er Rockhopper and truthfully I wouldn't buy another. I feel like I'm constantly bringing the bike in for something and if you don't buy something to put around the metal part (sorry I don't know my bike frame parts) the chain will eat away the paint. It's heavy and a PITA. I'd look at some other 29ers for comparison. Trek has some nice ones out as I have a WSD Mamba 29er.

rallykid

Thanks for the input Bethany. Can you tell me what year and model Rockhopper it is, what is his riding style and a few things that have broken? I would like to have all the info I can before I pull the trigger on a $900 purchase.

ed 

I'm not as biased as people think. I just like to stir it up. I actually recommended a rigid, 1x9 29er to my friend just tonight after our ride.

If the price was right, I'd buy a Monocog 9er as a 4th bike

I'd be a little more apt to get a 650b though.

electrik

If you're the jolly green giant then a 29r might make sense. Also, why buy something you're knowingly going to "replace" wasting that money since inevitably you'll be tossin' it before it's used up.

NCMTBIKER

Can't go wrong with a 29er

scyclops

Is this going to turn into another one of those "29ers dominate / no, they suck" threads? Let me know, cause I'm out of popcorn.

Minesbroken

29ers suck! unless you like to ride up curbs with little or no effort. other than that they suck!! I always hit my foot on the fron tire when I turn.... J/k I rode one, one time for about 4 minutes... I am used to 26ers so I like them,
what pisses me off is the manufacturers are takin the choice away from you little by little
my wife wants to buy a wahoo, this year 26er
next year only 29ers
sucks
ride different bikes, whatever feels comfortable to you after you ride a few, go with that.
good luck.

rallykid

I didn't necessarily mean replacing parts out of the gate, I was referring to replacing with better parts as things wear out and break. If those brakes last me 5 or 6 years then great, that is how long I will keep them. I was realistically told to expect to get a couple of years out of them before it was time to replace them but the longer I can keep them the better. I don't like replacing a part unless it is no longer serviceable or not performing up to the standards I need it to.

I have ridden 26 for the last 15 years and just tried out a 29, for me it was a better fit than the identical model in 26 so that is why I am leaning toward it. I have checked out a lot of bikes and really love Specialized as they are quality bikes and I am comfortable on them.

Not trying to add to the 29 vs 26 war, just saying for me at this point I want a 29 and find it a better fit for me and my riding style. Doesn't change my love of 26 1 bit. I am Switzerland in this war, I have love for both sides.

As for the Jolly Green Giant reference, I am almost 6'3" with a 34 inch inseam and 160 pounds. Not necessarily the Giant himself but definitely leaning toward bean pole territory.

Slee_Stack

Buy what you liked better. At the end of the day, there isn't much lost. I like the bigger wheel myself and I'm a hair shorter than you. If price is uber important, you will save coin buying a used 26" on CL. Lots of 'em on there.

Max C.

I'm 5'6" and love my "big person bike." Get what you're comfortable with.