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we just put up brannigan's 29er commencal and he mentions testing in andorra. they were surpised the bike was faster there too. that's a tighter, steeper track - http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/2017-Fort-William-World-Cup-Pit…

All of the above is the same thing everyone worried about with 26 moving to 275. The difference being that this time around 29 has actually been used for several years now in tight, tech, slow, muddy conditions. It's a fairly known quantity, look no farther than Graves, Keene, Calaghan, Ratboy, Loose Dog, Kelly, Strobel. The EWS is far, far more related to DH racing than XC or trail riding and 29ers are everywhere.

You sound hypocritical Loic. You're OK with the suspension constantly improving, OK with carbon prototype everything, OK with an increase from 26 to 27.5, OK with the heaps of technology that keep air inside your tires despite what you do to them, but this is a bridge too far? You get to feel however you want, and you get to race whatever you want. You just don't elucidate good rationale for your decisions.

Thank you Sven for asking all the right questions.

One of the best things about MTB racing (XC and DH) is the lack of regulations on the bikes from the UCI. The lack of regulations is what makes MTB racing what it is, and has allowed this sport to evolve with different types of bikes, suspension used in XC races, have different wheel sizes and suspension and materials raced against each other. I don't remember any XC racers whining about 650b tubulars on a hardtail racing against 29er suspension bikes. The athlete who wins had right equipment, training and luck to take the day. Its part of racing. Whether...

Loic, always been a fan, but now I'm kinda embarrassed for you.

It's almost like we've learned no lesson from the whole 275 entering DH debates of 2013/14. It'll look shit, can't handle tight tracks, will ruin DH racing, not as much fun, I won't watch it anymore, there should be a UCI regulation, it's only a tiny bit faster so what's the point, real mountain bikes are 26. Seriously, search back a few years in various forums and you'll read word-for-word the same arguments used against 275 as we're hearing now about 29 and all of them are based almost entirely on an emotional reaction or personal aversion simply to the...

I love that trail. The Leaping Lizard was my first DH race back in the late nineties.

i keep hearing this argument, but are they really straightening out the tracks? aside from leogang which could never replace schladming, what track on the WC circuit doesn't reward cornering skill? i know MSA had the controversial section last year, but that seemed like a random experiment and half the riders who aren't stoked on 29ers seemed to LOVE that wide open section. some didn't. MSA had 50mph straight-aways in 1999/2000 ( according to trans continental headliners) and no one complained. a good test would be garbanzo at crankworx if anyone runs 29ers there (i know, not a WC).