barefoot wrote:I'd say just the opposite.trailgumby wrote:Don't waste your time with a 26er if going hardtail. There are some spectacular deals going at the moment ... because nobody wants them.
Everybody is buying in to the big-wheel fad, so there are some spectacular deals going on 26"ers. Unless you're absolutely convinced you need a 29"er, you'd be mad not to take advantage of the bargain 26"ers that can be had.
I haven't bought in to 29"ers - I'm more than happy with my 26" MTBs. That also means that I don't have a valid opinion of whether one is better than the other, because I've never even ridden a 29"er. From basic physics it's obvious that, all else being equal, a 29er will be heavier and slower to accelerate, and arguably less manoeuvrable, but will roll over things better. Pros and cons... maybe the balance is tipped a little one way or the other. But I'm not convinced the balance is tipped enough to make 29"ers worth the extra you pay for them (compared to a bargain priced 26"er).
I have to agree, just because all the magazines have finally jumped on the 29er bandwagon does not mean that 26in wheels are crap.
4-5 years ago the magazines hated 29ers.
Myself, I ride both 29er and 26er and enjoy both.