Do I Need A 29-Inch Mountain Bike? (Let's Find Out)

Many bikers enjoy exploring the great outdoors. Many take an interest in the forests, fire roads, and even mountain trails.

Unfortunately, you will have a poor experience using a regular bike in these parts. This is why many have chosen to purchase mountain bikes.

There are several mountain bikes, and you can differentiate between them by paying attention to their wheels. There is a recent clamor concerning the recent wheels, the 29 Inch bikes.

You need a 29-inch mountain bike if you’re a tall person. However, shorter people find it difficult to use the 29er. Hence, I strongly advise that short people do not need the 29er. Nevertheless, your choice to use the 29er depends primarily on your height.

In this article, I will show you a few details concerning your height and your 29-inch mountain bike, and the advantages and possible downsides of the 29er.

By the end, you will know if you should use the 29er for your biking experience or if you need a smaller bike.

Do I Really Need a 29-Inch Mountain Bike?

You need a 29er if you are tall enough to use it. However, if you are short, then you do not need the 29er.

Height is very necessary when considering which mountain bike to pick. If you pick a bike incompatible with your height, you will have a terrible riding experience.

Worse still, you could get involved in some major or minor accidents. Hence, I strongly recommend you pick your bike according to your size.

Short riders choosing to ride a 29er might face the following problems:

#1. Toe Overlap

You have an overlapping toe if one of your toes extends over the adjacent toe. This serious health condition can lead to severe pain and discomfort.

29ers have larger wheels. Because of this, it will be difficult for short riders to compensate, which could cause them to experience toe overlapping.

#2. Standover Clearance

Standover clearance is a fancy way of describing how tall you are when standing over a bike.

Their standover clearance would represent a huge gap for tall people using short bikes. However, it is more difficult for short people to use tall bikes.

A short person may find it even difficult to stand on the bike because he can barely keep his feet on the ground without feeling uncomfortable downwards.

Moreover, he may not get enough breathing room to stand well. Also, for onlookers, it would not be very comfortable.

This is the most noticeable problem of a short person using a 29er.

#3. Inaccurate Handlebar Height

The handlebar should always be on the same level as your saddle or a few centimeters below.

Short riders using tall bikes may need to adjust the handlebar so much that it does not tally with the saddle. Unfortunately, this will only lead to more problems.

Recommendation: For short people, the 26er is better. You do not need a 29er mountain bike, or you may cause problems for yourself.

Here are some differences between the 29-inch mountain bike and the 26-inch mountain bike:

The 26er	The 29er
The 26-inch bike is suitable for persons below the height of 5’6	The 29er is most suitable for persons of the height 6’0 and above
The 26-inch bike performs excellently as its parts are strong and stiff	Compared to the 26er, the parts of the 29er are considerably weaker and could wear out.
The 26er does not perform very well on mountain trails	The 29er is excellent for climbing activity and performs beautifully on mountain trails

How Tall Should You Be for a 29-Inch Bike?

To be comfortable riding a 29-inch bike, you need to be 6’0 tall. However, persons between 5’6 and 6’0 can ride the 29er.

Persons taller than 6’0 and even up to 7’0 can ride the 29er. These persons would be most comfortable riding the 29er.

As already noted, persons shorter than 5’6 can still ride the 29er, but they would be uncomfortable.

What are the Benefits of a 29 Inch Mountain Bike?

There are many benefits of the 29er, which offer these bikes an advantage over their counterparts. They include speed, traction, and so much more.

#1. Speed

Research has shown that the bigger the wheels, the faster the bikes will be. The 29ers have the largest wheels, and thus, you can guarantee they as the fastest.

Hence, the 29-inch mountain bike is very fast due to its size, and if you are a rider with a thing for races, you will have a better advantage.

#2. Traction

Traction refers to how tightly your bike wheels grip the ground when you ride. If your bike loses traction, you tend to fall and sustain major injuries.

One of the primary concerns of bikers is their safety. With the 29er, your chances of losing traction are slim, which means you are considerably safer.

Hence, you need not worry about getting into many accidents. Also, if you have older kids, the 29er will save you the stress of worrying about their safety.

Note that this advantage does not prevent you from being cautious when you ride.

#3. Amazing Climbing Experience

Many riders enjoy using their bikes to climb mountain trails, and sadly, the 26er makes the climbing experience a bit tedious.

However, several sources have confirmed that the 29er climbs considerably better than the 26er. Hence, the climbing experience is positively memorable.

If you ever avoided mountain tracks when you had your 26er, you may need to revisit them with your 29er.

#4. Bike Tire Clearance

Bike tire clearance is the distance between the tire of the bike and other components of the same bike. Any inefficiency in this could lead to friction between the affected components.

If you experience this friction, you may have an accident. Hence, the 29er provides better bike tire clearance and fewer chances of getting into an accident.

#5. Slim Chances of Hitting Rocks

Whenever you ride a bike, there is a 75 percent chance that you will hit some rocks along the way. This occurs especially if you are riding in the forest or on mountain trails.

If you have small wheels, rocks will serve as a concerning obstruction in your path. However, the bigger your wheels, the more your concerns will fade.

With your 29er, you can easily roll over tiny rocks as you ride along the way. Moreover, the bike clearance allows you to evade rocks and roots more efficiently.

Also, the wheels of the 29er are highly compatible with sand, and you would not face many issues riding on sand.

Is it Harder to Ride a 29 Inch Mountain Bike?

Despite the numerous advantages of the 29er, some riders have noticed it is considerably more difficult to ride. However, this subject is purely subjective and depends on the rider.

Nevertheless, there are a few reasons why some riders consider the 29er harder to ride.

These reasons include the following:

#1. Weight

Riders have complained that the 29-inch mountain bike is considerably bigger and heavier to handle due to its increased size.

Nevertheless, it takes time to get used to the heavy nature of the 29-inch mountain bike, but some riders have gotten used to it.

#2. Braking Experience

We have already noted how the 29-inch mountain bikes are heavier. The brakes of the bike also contribute to this extra weight.

As the brakes are heavier, you will need extra effort to get them to work effectively. And thus, using your brakes may not be as comfortable as you would want it to be.

Nevertheless, despite these few downs, the 29er is a very good bike, and I would recommend it to any biker who meets the height specifications.

Author
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Josh Matthews

Born in the 80's and raised on the plains at the foot of the Colorado mountains. I went to the University of Denver before giving 100 percent to my passion: outdoor cycling. That's the reason I created this website : I love speaking and sharing about my hobbies. I also travel around the world and really like alternate travelling ways like RV or kayak.

Do I Need A 29-Inch Mountain Bike? (Let’s Find Out)