29plus

Tester: Eric McKeegan Age: 43 Height: 5’11” Weight: 160 lbs. Inseam: 32″ There is no getting around it, the Deadwood SUS is perhaps the weirdest full-suspension bike released by a major player in a long time, for a number of reasons. There is little that is normal about this bike. The name, geometry, suspension travel, wheel ...

The hardtail renaissance continues with Niner’s all new SIR 9. Niner bills it as a “do it most” bike, and that sums it up pretty well if you ask me. And if you are reading this, it is easy to assume you are asking me. Some highlights from Niner: Reynolds 853 steel provides the supple, comfortable ...

“Salsa—you have made some risky decisions before, but this time you have gone too far.” That quip is a sample of the feedback that Salsa received after the Woodsmoke launch. The company’s marketing manager admitted that the Woodsmoke pushed the boundaries as to what people expected from Salsa. He went on to say, “Mountain biking ...

The year 2016 was all about going “YUGE”, and no other bike I rode last year inspired me to go big like the monster Jones Plus. For the uninitiated, Jeff Jones has been designing his own brand of “non-suspended, off-road bicycles” for years, first by hand and now in full production overseas. The secret sauce ...

Words and photos: Emily Walley and Justin Steiner The mountain bike market is a flurry of activity right now as frame, wheel and tire manufacturers strive to sort out where the current evolution and specialization of mountain bikes will end up. On one end of the spectrum, we have enduro bikes with descending capabilities that ...

Last week RockShox announced new sizing for rear shocks, which it dubbed Metric Sizing. This has create some confusion among consumers, but the idea is to consolidate shock sizes into fewer options, while improving performance and longevity. RockShox isn’t alone here, with many other OE manufacturers following suit. The Deluxe and Super Deluxe are the first ...

It was with some excitement that we read this press release. John Parker? Missy Giove? Frank the Welder? 27plus and 29plus bikes? Yes to all those things. John Parker’s new bike company will debut at Sea Otter 2016. Here’s the press release that got us all excited: John Parker, founder of Yeti Cycles, announced his return ...

Ponyrustler Spotted as a prototype at Sea Otter, the new 27plus full suspension bike from Salsa made its official debut today with two carbon fiber models and an aluminum model built around the excellent Split Pivot suspension. If you’re ridden the Horsethief 29er and enjoyed it, you’re likely to feel right at home on the ...

Deadwood Somewhat surprising is this 29plus touring bike that Salsa says will be produced in somewhat limited numbers. More evolutionary than revolutionary, it’s kind of like what you’d expect to get if a Fargo and a Mukluk enjoyed a little too much bourbon around the campfire before snuggling into a sleeping bag together. It’s built ...

By Eric McKeegan Since the original introduction of the 29plus platform with Surly’s Krampus, riders in love with the plus-size concept have been wishing for/hoping for/ demanding a more aggressive tire than the all-purpose Knard found on that machine. While there are more plus-size tires in the pipeline, these two tires are the first we’ve ...

The Wayward from Why Cycles is a plus-sized bikepacking bike from Carbondale, Colorado-based Why Cycles. Why was founded in 2016 by Adam Miller and Greg Herman who were previously behind Borealis, a brand that sold innovative super-light carbon fat bikes at a time when most fat bikes were steel and weighed more than a barrel ...

Tire selection is a very personal choice. Bontrager understands that.  The company’s website says, “The first step in finding the right tire is deciding how much tread you need.” That’s solid advice. I find that few components choices are more personal than tires. Bontrager classifies its tires on a 0 to 5 scale (plus a ...

Trek’s Stache 29plus hardtail has opened many eyes to the wonderful weirdness of 29plus tires. Ever since the introduction of the SE4/XR4 29×3 tire in the Fall of 2017 I’ve been wondering if there might be a bike designed around the capabilities of this tire. I stopped wondering a few weeks ago when this weird ...

I’ve been a fan of Bontrager’s Chupacabra tires since they first hit the market. For something so light and fast the Chupas manage to provide predictable traction in conditions that should stymie its pattern of small tread blocks. But that lightness comes at a price. I’ve punctured these tires a fair number of times in ...