Holy 29er batman!

This past Sunday I finally got out my new moutain bike, a 2009 Gary Fisher Paragon. I was previously riding/racing a 26" full suspension bike so this was a big change for me. I rode at the bike at the Kickapoo state park mountain bike trails, a trail system with which I am intimately familiar. I was generally pleased with how the bike performed and definately came away with a few surprises, both good and bad.

First thing that I noticed was that the position of the bike was pleasantly familiar to what I have been racing the past 4 years. Although the bike is physically longer due to the larger wheels, the wheelbase is actually the same as most 26" bikes which I confirmed by meauring when I got mine. Once rolling, it is easy to see what everyone talks about with 29ers. Rolling resistance over rough surfaces is very noticibly reduced. So far so good.

Getting further into the singletrack, my initial excitement begins to tame down a bit. It becomes apparent that this bike definitely handles differently than my old race rig. Acceleration is admittedly not as snappy as my other bikes, espeially not my SS hardtail. Also the cornering is a bit more labored. I wouldn't say the bike corners slower (in fact the just opposite as I'll discuss shortly) but changing directions definately takes more rider input and during the first 30 minutes of riding I consistently found myself overcooking corners. As such, I would say the bike "feels" slow, if that makes any sense. Also the really tight switchbacks require more concentration to negotiate with the bigger wheels.

As I got more familiar with the handling of the bike I started pushing its limits a bit more. Now I'm having fun. For whatever reason this bike can corner HARD. There really is a traction increase over my old setup. I quickly found that the harder I rode the bike the better it responded. I simply cannot get over how planted it feels in the corners and the bike inspiress confidence to go even faster. If I can corner faster I have to accelerate less at the corner exit and will save energy and go faster. Cool.

Climbing was amazing with the new bike. I made it up all the climbs, including the new in the new downhill section (which is looking great. Good job KMBC!) I attribute this solely to the size of the wheels. In no other place is the benefit of the larger diamter of the wheels more apparent than on the slow, bumpy uphills. I'm not even in good shape and I climbed all these more effortlessly than I can remember in recent times. Double cool.

I don't have much saddle time yet, but I think this bike has the potential to be faster than my previous machine. Hopefully the handling woes go away as I get more experience with the new characteristics. I'm pretty sure I can save over a pound in wheel weight with a new set of wheels/tires which I'll want for racing anyway. This should help make it a bit snappier.

CONCLUSIONS:
-29ers are not slow.
-29ers are not superbikes, you still have to ride hard to go fast.
-I want lighter wheels/tires to make the bike snappier.
-I want a new saddle to make my butt happier.
-The benefit of a 29er will depend on the type of course and the skill/fitness of the rider.
-I'm still working out the bugs on my bike.
-I need to buy lots of tires and experiment with them.
-I need to ride more (out of shape).
-I don't think I'll miss my full suspension bike.
-I need to lube my chain.
-I need to help with a KMBC trail maintenance day. I was blown away at the effot put into the new section and I think they did a really good job with it.

If all goes to plan I'll be heading out to my first mtb race this saturday. I haven't decided if I'll do the DINO race or head down to Missouri. I'll follow up with my post-race impressions of the bike. -Nick

BIKE SETUP
19" stock paragon except:
-1x9 Shimano XT drivetrain 32t /11-34
-wheels setup tubeless.
-24psi front / 26 psi rear
-23.7 lbs w/o pedals