Tags:

• 29er
• buyers guide
• drivetrain
• Health
• shifting
• training
• Wheels

29ers vs. 26" MTBs
There’s a new trend going in the mountain bike world, mountain bikes with larger 29? wheels instead of the standard 26? wheels. A lot of big brands are coming out with more and more 29? model in their range. But what differences do they offer to 26? MTBs?

Mountain Bike Cassettes- Shimano or Sram?
When you look in the pro ranks, even Sram sponsored teams/riders have used Shimano cassettes and chains. Why? Sram cassettes and chains didn’t shift as well, and their top road cassettes were noisy and didn’t clear dirt as well (which has been fixed for 2012). But the Sram RED and 1099 and 1090 cassettes are works of art and weigh a lot less.

Should you buy a chain brand other than Shimano?
Recently I did a report on Shimano v Sramcassette, and my conclusion was that with out a doubt most riders out there would be best off sticking with Shimano cassettes. Price, shifting, and in most cases weight are all in favour of Shimano's line of cassettes. But unlike with cassettes, there are a number of Asian companies competing in the chain market. Yes Sram sell road and MTB chains, but even thier sponsored pros tend to fit other brands so I'm not even going to worry about them!

Electric integtration on a Mountain Bike
I've looking at the latest developments in Mountain Biking recently, and the biggest things of late have been 29ers, 10x2 drivetrains, and just more variety. There hasn't been anything major from Shimano, Sram, Rockshok, Fox or frame innovations from the Major frame manufacturers for a while.