69er MTB

tacollie

Glamper
I am in the process of ordering a custom Sycip mtb(hardtail) and am seriously considering a 69er and just wanted to see if anyone here had anything to say about them. I have had minimal experience with them. Manualing and coaster wheelies are near impossible for me on a 29er so I am not going that route. Plus they are so slow in technical sections. The 29" front wheel is appealing because you can roll anything with ease. I do a lot of tight technical trails.

Options:
1. 69er with a 120mm F29 fox
2. 26" wheels with a 140mm Fox Vanilla(I have road this set up a lot)
 

dieselcruiserhead

16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
I have quite a bit of time on 69ers as hardtails including the Trek G2 geometry 69er with the 100mm fork. I like them a lot but also messed around with 650b/29er and even though it's only 1" larger and feels like a 26er cadence wise, it rolls over and feels like a 29er in the rear; balanced.

The 26ers were great but you could feel it in the rear. I think good for a race bike but it was a little annoying to me otherwise but it might have just been a pet peeve coming off 29er where you don't feel a thing. The Trek 69er frame has big openings and that 650b wheel would fit just fine in the rear if you wanted to try that. It would slightly lift the BB by about a 1/3/-1/2" but slightly steepen up the head angle which would be a nice thing in my opinion.

A friend has one of these frames in an XL and a cheap 100mm Reba to match it if you are interested. Fits about 6'2 to 6'5 or so. I also probably wouldn't consider more than 100mm with a hardtail 69er otherwise you'll wheelie out. I messed around with a 110 fork on a 69er and it was huge in the front, but a shorter fork like a Fox or Reba would counteract that (mine was a White Brothers fork).

The chainstays of the Trek 69er are nice and long at about 16.95" and this is what keeps the front of the bike down; which they do a great job of, climbs like a goat, very powerful front end with that 29er up front and the slack head angles. I would consider those longer stays on any 69er I was building.

hope it helps! Andre
 
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bigreen505

Expedition Leader
This is hearsay as I don't have one, but a colleague has a Trek dual suspension 69er and says it transformed his riding. He is coming of a dual suspension 26 and it is very good rider. He is about 6'3", 200+ lb. (big). Just based on his experience, if you are reasonably big and ride technical trails, a dual suspension 69er seems like the way to go.
 

dieselcruiserhead

16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
I've seen those and have a friend who works at a shop that has one. I was also very impressed with it having not been on it either. Ventana also has a killer 69er full suspension they're making too that is very aggressive. Very expensive but one sweet bike :)
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
I came sooooo close to buying the original Trek 69er and I'm very glad I didn't. I think the best 69er quote was pulled from Bike Magazine, "The front wheel writes checks the rear wheel can't cash."

Another similar quote at about the same time read, "Comparitively, the rear wheel dragged behind the front like a water buffalo carcasse."

I think those sentiments are a bit harsh, but to me, they made sense. If the big diameter helps the front hoop, why wouldn't it help the hiney hoop? With 29er builders now doing a much better job of tucking the rear wheel under the rider, the 69er seems like a whole new set of solutions looking for a problem. But that's me.

Plus, my memory of Cannondale's Beast of the East remains fresh in my mind and those were pretty weird to all but...the weird themselves.
 

dieselcruiserhead

16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
funny. Basically my opinion too but in more PC terms. Again though any one of you might want to try 650b in the rear, particularly with a Neo moto. It is the oddest thing, just a little bigger but makes a big difference. Yet still sort of feels like a 26er in the rear. Feels great :)
 

Cackalak Han

Explorer
I think 69er's make as much sense as a 96er. :jump:

Perhaps on a FS, it might make more sense, since the rear suspension will at least soak up the “bigger” bumps that the fron 29” just rolled over, but on a hard tail, what you roll over with the front wheel, your rear will not feel the same. Just my opinion. I personally haven’t had any problems in the technical sections, but then again, I’m not a fast rider, either.
 

tacollie

Glamper
Very interesting hearing you guys thoughts. I like super short chainstays(16.75 is long for me). I try to use some trials techniques in my riding and that just sucks with a 29" rear wheel. I also like short wheelbases. Also I will have a 13" high bb and if I use a 120mm fork that sags down to 80 or 90mm I don't think I will be upright. Definitly sticking with a hard tail no matter what my bum tells me. FS take to much energy away when you are hoping up stuff. I know a couple guys who say they are the only way to go in tight technical trails.

For reference my ss has 16.5 stays, 12.75 bb height, 70 degree HT with a single crown shiver. Very twitchy but goes through switch backs like a champ.
 

29er

Observer
I too have heard other people say the 69ers felt like the rear wheel was slowing down the rest of the bike, but haven't been on one myself. I'm willing to bet I'd be dissatisfied with one.

There are several frame builders making killer 29er frames with chainstays just as short as any 26" bike. The most interesting and extreme example would be the Black Sheep 29er, which has chainstays as short as the ones on my Spooky Junebug, which were ridiculously short. I had to practically bite down on the stem on steep climbs to keep it from tipping backwards.
 

tacollie

Glamper
I have rode 29ers from Moots, blacksheep, groundup, desolvo, garyfisher, surly, and titus. They just don't seem to like to be thrown around like a 26" wheel. Maybe its just my riding style. I am going to get a 69er. He said it should me ready late febuary, 8-10 weeks which is nice. My blacksheep took 6 months.
 

29er

Observer
Sounds great. Anyone who would tell you you're going wrong by ordering a custom Sycip is either nuts or just has cheap taste in bikes. Can't wait to see the new ride!
 

dieselcruiserhead

16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
That sounds killer and I'm all for it Tacollie, sweet man. Again I really liked that 69er but it did sort of bounce in the rear. But other than that it ripped, it stayed down in the front and I ride a couple other super XC bikes and this was probably the most powerful out of the breed. Like anything the 29er really woke it up in the front... My only vote though is even with the shorter stays, try to have them leave some room and width as you might want to try 650b or at least mess around with it... Just my $.02 and 650b is rare and unique. But again, it really balances it out and still feels like a 26er...

Also they are Chinese or Taiwanese or whatever, but Carver makes some sweet 650b and 69ers etc, super cheap (relatively) and Ti. I have a hook up on these if you want to order one... This and Viscious cycles too (these are bling bling too) ...
 

gearguywb

Explorer
I have not ridden a 69er but have been on 29er's for the last three years, currently a MootoX YBB. Very interested in trying the 69er thing though.....please keep us posted on how she does. Moots is now offering just about every Mtn bike in 69er configuration.
 

tacollie

Glamper
I am stoked just to try something new. That and maybe I won't go over the bars as often. My shoulders have seen better days. Just for the record I am a super bike snob. I see a lot of frames and have dealt with a lot of small builders. Jeremy Sycip does great work and is a cool guy.
 

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