Regardless of whether you’re a creationist or evolutionist, you have to admit that we humans are pretty good at continually pushing the limits of our society, and our gadgets, in order to keep things moving forward. In a mountain bike sense, we first rode balloon-tire cruisers offroad, then came dedicated mountain bikes, followed by suspension that grew to lengths rivaling motorized dirt bikes. Shortly thereafter, the pursuit of something big and better then delivered 29″ mountain bikes, and we’re back to pushing the limits suspension bikes–this time with 29″ wheels.

Here’s where Niner’s WFO 9 enters the picture. Many of you are likely familiar with Niner and their dedication to 29″ wheels, but if not, check out their website here.

Offering 140mm of suspension travel, the WFO 9 is Niner’s third, and longest travel, dual suspension bike in the line-up with the JET 9 offering 80mm, and the RIP 9 delivering 120mm of travel. Niner is targeting the WFO at all mountain riders, enduro types, and freeriders looking for burly 29″-wheeled bike.

Call me lucky, but I’ve been fortunate enough to spend the last couple of months riding the WFO, at least when the weather cooperated. Going into this test a lot of folks, myself included, wondered if a 140mm travel 29er might just be too much? Prior to the WFO I had just tested a very nice 140mm travel 26″ bike (Gary Fisher’s Roscoe) that planted a seed in my feeble little brain; perhaps 140mm of travel is the tipping point for the 29″ vs 26″ battle. I was thinking that below 140mm travel I’d go for 29″ wheels, while around or above 140mm travel I might prefer 26″ wheels.

Have to say the WFO has made me realize the error in my initial assumption. After riding this bike I have absolutely no reservations about longer travel 29ers. Let me tell you, this bike is blisteringly fast on rough downhills. The combo of big wheels and plush long-travel suspension allowed me to descend at speeds that felt imprudent without body armor.

Fortunately this bike also pedals pretty well for getting to the top of those descents.

Special thanks to Speedgoat for arranging this test bike and outfitting it with their Limited Edition X.9 Signature Build.

What’s the worst place you could ride a long travel 29er in terms of trying to make it feel too big, too long, and too heavy? Probably a skate park…

…which is precisely where I took my WFO test bike on its maiden voyage. What better place to kick this test into high gear? Much to my surprise, the WFO felt good in this environment, the wheelbase is short enough to keep the bike from feeling like a tank, and the suspension didn’t bat an eye at repeated launches to flat landings. Picture above of my friend Rick putting the WFO through its paces in the bowl.

Don’t be alarmed, I certainly spent a lot of time on this bike in the environs for which it was designed. But, you’ll have to tune into issue number #148 of Dirt Rag for the full bike review, subscribe by February 24th to receive issue #148 in the mail!

Also, stay tuned for issue #147’s Skills Series article on Cornering. The WFO was my trusty sidekick for this feature. Here’s a teaser photo for the advanced topic–riding nose wheelies around switchbacks!

Subscriber copies of #147 are printing currently and will mail on 1/26, but you’ll be able to pick up issue #147 on the newsstand starting February 16th. You can also call 800.762.7617 to order #147 as a single issue.

With the printing of each issue of Dirt Rag, we offer selected product reviews on our website. Calendar year 2009 provided a fine collection of product reviews, which are compiled below for your reading pleasure.

[Ed note: As 2009 comes to a close, we’d like to thank our print subscribers for another great year. Thanks to your continuing support, we are able to provide these handy web reprints. If you do not yet subscribe, please consider clicking here and joining the party.]

Eastern Woods Research OWB29er
Compared to the other 29ers that I’ve ridden, the EWR has a decidedly sporty nature. The OWB29er’s handling is well-mannered, yet there’s a playful streak that’s available when you choose to tap into it. More…

Mongoose Otero
No two ways about it, this is a lot of bike for the money. The frame is worthy of a few upgrades in the future. Entry-level full suspension just got easier to afford. More…

Yeti Cycles AS-R Alloy
The AS-R is Yeti’s cross country race offering with 3.89″ of single-pivot rear travel. The AS-R provides a smooth, fast ride with a lot of control, and it pedals efficiently. More…

2009 Fox TALAS 15QR 140RLC
The TALAS fork feels great in each travel setting; just turn the dial and the fork easily switches from 100 to 120 to 140mm of travel, each just as plush and buttery as the others. More…

Shimano XT Wheelset
Shimano has designed a great set of wheels for Fox’s new 15QR thru-axle standard. They are light enough for cross county use and can hold up to a good thrashing from the all-mountain folks. More…

Jeff Jones 3D Spaceframe
This is the kind of bike that turns the heads of both riders and casual observers, with its graceful lines masterfully executed in titanium, but this bicycle is about much more than good looks. More…

Ellsworth Evolve
The Ellsworth Evolve is the company’s ground-up foray into the 29er world of cross-country mountain bikes, designed to ride similarly to their highly regarded 26″-wheeled models. More…

Commencal Meta 6.2
The Meta 6 is classified as a marathon downhill/enduro bike. For me, this translates into a bike that is tough enough for the tortures of bombing down hills, but that also pedals uphill decently. More…

Magura Durin Marathon 120
The Durin lead the way through technical rock gardens with all the precision that I’ve come to expect from a top-notch fork. It’s a solid choice for the epic rider and/or racer. More…

RockShox Reba 29
The original Reba was a solid fork, and the new Team model by far eclipses its performance in every way. The 2009 Reba has a much plusher, far more bottomless feeling than the old fork. More…

Everti 29R
The 29R lived up to my expectations of what a titanium frame should feel like: vibration-damping, responsive, solid, and light. It has a compliant, all-day ride quality that provided me with endless comfort. More…

Diamondback Mission 3
As one could guess, the rougher the better for this bike. The big tires, stiff front end and well-damped Fox fork goaded me into picking the bad line or stuffing it hard into a rough corner. More…

Truvativ Hammerschmidt AM
I like the Hammerschidt system. If and when the time comes to add a big-hit bike to my collection, a Hammerschimidt drivetrain would be a big positive on my pro/con list. More…

Salsa Cycles Fargo
With the Fargo, Salsa is attempting to walk the tightrope between rigid mountain bike and touring bike-something they are aptly calling an adventure touring mountain bike. More…

Scott Genius
A high-end bike we have here, but with something to offer that you can’t get anywhere else: zero to six inches of travel in a very light package. More…

Haro Beasley
With Haro’s 2009 offering of the 650B Beasley 1×9, a 650B riding experience is now available to those who are disenchanted by a custom-build price tag. More…

Fulcrum Red Metal 29 SL
With fine Italian lineage and at a reasonable price, the Fulcrum Red Metal 29 SL wheelset is a good choice for a mid-range wheel upgrade. More…

Gary Fisher Roscoe 2
Overall, I think Fisher hit their target well. This is a bike you can pedal all day long, while delivering 140mm of supple, predictable, and supremely competent travel. More…

Singular Cycles Swift
I’ve taken the Swift on Boston area trails and killer singletrack in northern Vermont, and I haven’t found a weakness. For the type of riding that I do—long trail rides—it’s perfect. More…

Trek Top Fuel 9.8
The Top Fuel lives up to its billing. This is a high performance machine that’s built for going fast. The Top Fuel combines high efficiency pedaling with a high performance, race tuned suspension. More…

Turner Sultan
This bike should appeal to riders with a preference for quick steering and higher speed in rough terrain, and the dw-link should appeal to just about everyone who likes suspension. More…

Specialized Epic Expert Carbon
Racers and riders looking for one hell of a fast race machine should consider the Epic Expert Carbon. The payoff for experimenting with suspension is a lightweight, efficient bike that climbs like a champ. More…

Pivot Mach 5
The Pivot Mach 5 has a lot going for it: an incredibly plush suspension, great pedal feel, all-arounder geometry, and a stiff, well-made frame. More…

Norco Jubei 1
The Norco Jubei 1 is a 29er hardtail with Pacific Northwest attitude. If you’re looking for a fun, comfortable 29er that isn’t afraid of nasty technical sections, then the Jubei 1 is for you. More…

Been to a few press presentations, some of which have been pretty hilarious in their use of props to amuse the audience. Like when the old GT used dry ice to introduce the I-Drive suspension design in Brian Head, Utah back in 1990-something. The bike was fine but what I remember most was trying to keep up with Hans Rey on the fine Brian Head trails and winding up at the local clinic for several stitches in the old knee. This latest stunt from Cannondale was reminicent. One early Las Vegas morning during Interbike, a group of journos was loaded into the back of a Mercedes Unimog and taken on a blindfolded trip to C-dales secret compound deep in the desert. Well actually, they closed the door to the Unimog, leaving us in total darkness as we four-wheeled to a local self-storage unit. Out of the darkness we hear a garage door opening, we back up, the door closes, and we are suddenly blinded by bright lights and surrounded by men in hazmat suits.

Here’s some happy campers in the back of the Unimog. One guy was using his phone togather gps data.

Then we were offered a light breakfast as we watched the indoctrination video.What Cannondale has been working on for the last five years is supposed to change the way we ride mountain bikes. And here I had thought it was all about spinning pedals in circles to move the bike forward. Ok I’m a smartass. My mind races back to the “Smart Shock” that pro Flex came out with a long time ago. We always said, “Just gimme the dumb shock, willya?” So here we are again. But seriously, folks…

This new thing is called Simon, and what it is is an elaborate damper and computer for your suspension, designed to achieve whatever suspension response you can imagine. This is interesting stuff. You got yer accelerometer on the hub that’s measuring bump forces. And an optical position sensor in the fork leg measuring the shock position. These two devices are hooked up to a computer CPU inside the steerer tube that collects all the info on shock position and bump impact, and thus controls a micro-motorized shock damper. There are 10,000 terrain-response maps built into the computer, plus a high level of self programming for you to set things up to your own liking. Here’s what the CPU and damper motor assembly looks like on a tv screen…

We all then went out into the daylight to ride the Simon-equipped bikes around the parking lot…

So here’s the first screen you would see as you begin to program Simon. Using the 5-position joystick, you program your rider weight in, and Simon tells you how much to pressurize the shock.

Then you pick what type of riding you’ll be doing, from five options: XC, All Mountain, Downhill,Travel Management and lockout.

Here’s a picture of what one control screen looks like. In the downhill mode you’re able to control high and low-speed compression damping, rebound damping and bottom-out.

So there’s lots of input the rider can put into the system, but the heart of it all is this fluid control system, rather than attempt to explain it,I’ve simply cut and pasted from Cannondale’s press materials….

And another graphic showing the whole system…

So what’s it good for? Another smartass shock? All cynicism aside, I think it would be pretty nice to really get control of my suspension setup while riding. I’m always on that quest for the one mountain bike that can do anything, and Simon just might do the trick. I’m imagining riding a completely locked-out bike to the trailhead, doing some cross country riding and maybe even long-travel stuff as well. Cannondale’s Simon could potentially do it all. When might you be able to purchase Simon? Time will tell. What we saw was a high level prototype, it may be some time before Simon hits the market. I think it’s easy to assume that the plan would have to include control of the rear shock as well as the front, this was nowhere in sight at this press trip.

I almost don’t want to jinx us by talking about it, but good golly we’ve been having a nice fall, weather-wise. Best summer in recent memory too. What better way to enjoy it than a ride in the woods on a new test bike?

I’ve been excited to try the Altitude 29 since it was unveiled in prototype form at Sea Otter in April. Fast forward to Outdoor Demo and Rocky Mountain had a small fleet of demo Altitude 29’s ready for test rides. I picked out the only large size available, and some guy named Wade decided he wanted to tag along, maybe he would learn a thing or two (yeah, right).

A month or so later, what I suspect was the same bike I rode at Outdoor Demo showed up at the office. I had some great rides on it already.

In the photo below, we’ve got the Race Face cranks, direct mount SLX derailleur, Fox Float RP23 shock, and the upper linkage.

I set the sag at 25 percent, and I’m still experimenting with rebound and ProPedal settings. the Boost valve seems to be working well, no noticeable bottoming, even after some harsh landings.

Hard to see from the following picture, but that is the new Shimano 12-36 Deore cassette, mated to a new, stronger Shimano hub to handle the increased torque generated with the big rear cog.

Easton flat bars, 27″ wide. Perfect width for the spacing of our local trees.

Formula R-1 brakes. I think the front pads are a bit contaminated with something, they ran very hot on the first ride. Whatever it was seems to have burned off. I might try some replacement pads anyway, these are still a bit noisy.

My favorite spec so far? Continental Mountain King 2.4 tire. They look a little narrow for 2.4’s to me, but hands down, the best late season east coast 29″ tire I’ve ridden to date.  We’ve been riding some muddy and wet moto trails, full of deep ruts and deep leaves. These tires instill confidence rather than fear in these conditions.The handbuilt wheels with Stan’s Arch rims are not at all shabby either.

Full specs on Rocky Mountain’s website.

Too soon to talk about the ride, but I will say I had one of those zen moments out on the trail yesterday. Feeling the flow is a great thing.

Giant’s entry into the world of twenty-nine inch wheeled bikes comes in the form of an aluminum hardtail. The XTC 29er begins with a stiff looking hydro-formed ALUXX SL tubeset with rectangular seat and chainstays, a rectangular tapered top tube, oversized tapered head tube, and hexagon-shaped down tube. It’s finished off with two 9-speed build kits resulting in two models— the top spot XTC 29er 1 ($2125) and the base model 29er 2 ($1350), which I’m testing.

Giant uses their new line of house brand components for the saddle, seatpost, stem, and handlebar, Most impressive are the deep-V Giant P-29 rims laced with 32-spokes in a 3-cross pattern to a Formula rear hub and a Giant Tracker 15mm thru axle front hub. I’m excited to put some trail miles on the wheels to see how the rims hold up and perform. A Marzocchi Forty-Four TST2 29″ fork with a tapered steerer supplies 100mm of forgiveness up front. The fork has a nice big lockout switch on the right upper and a plastic rebound adjustment on the lower left. The fork feels a little sticky but I’m hoping it becomes smoother with more use.

I’ve ridden the bike a few times, but am still dialing in the roll of the handlebar and placement of the Shimano Deore shifters and Alivio brake levers. I’ll also need to swap the Kenda Karma 29×2.0 tires soon for something more aggressive, because the trails in this part of the country are already covered with leaves and the mud is sure to follow. Both wheels have Alivio hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors that are breaking in nicely after my initial brush against a tree on the first downhill I encountered.

This size large XTC 29er 2 has a 71.5° head tube and 72.5° seat tube angle with a 24.2″ top tube and fits me well. So far the bike feels flex-free and stiff while climbing and heading downhill. It takes corners well and the 17.3″ chainstays brings the rear around quickly. This Giant registered 28.9-pounds with pedals on our scale, which is on par for an entry level 29er. It’s available in two colors— brushed smoke (pictured) or black and seems like a decent bike for the price. The full review will be in one of the early 2010 issues of Dirt Rag, so keep an eye out. Giant is online at www.giant-bicycles.com.

The idea to do a long race of some sort had been kicking around in my brain for a while, and the stars aligned such that I had both a ride to the Shenandoah Mountain 100 and the time to do it this past August. The only thing I didn’t have was a test bike. One quick call to Davis Carver at Carver Bikes took care of that. (Thanks to Adam of A Circle Squared and Rob of West Liberty Cycles for the ride.)

The idea to try a 650B bike had also been rattling around in my noggin, and Carver makes a bike with the “tweener” wheel size by the name of Killer B, so that’s what I got. Carver is apparently unafraid of bucking convention, being a pioneer not only in messing with wheel sizes other than 26”, but in mixing and matching—a review of the aluminum-frame 96’er from issue #118 is here. The idea of a 650B rear/29” front (or should I say 27.5”/29” to avoid mixing units) was appealing, but since I’d never swung a leg over a tweener, I figured I should go with that for simplicity.

The bike arrived a mere two days before the SM100. Normally a race of that magnitude on an unfamiliar bike would be a big mistake, and one of the more careful planners in the office shook his head at my folly (that would be Justin of course), but as this is a fairly straightforward bike aside from the less-common wheel size, I figured it would turn out OK. The geometry measurements on this titanium hardtail were not too different from those of my Moots Mooto-X 29er singlespeed. I did swap out the Magura Louise brakes it came with for some previous testers, the Hayes El Caminos, that had a more favorable range of lever reach adjustment; good advice from Eric, since I would be squeezing those levers for hours at a time on the hundred-mile course. I also borrowed the Carver MyTi bar that Eric had recently tested (issue #144) for some comfy alt-bar action, and was damn glad I did. “Normal” straight bars feel strange to me now, and months-old wrist injuries speak up unless my bars are sufficiently bent.

The Killer B and I got along well right off the bat. (Whew.) The SM100 course is a mix of road, gravel, dirt and some of the most fun singletrack I’ve experienced, which made all the rest worthwhile. This being Virginia it has some rocky sections, but also some smooth and fast-flowing sections. The Killer B fit right in and handled it all with assurance, and I couldn’t help but think in Goldilocks terms about the wheel size: not so small as to feel sketchy and get hung up like 26ers can in the bumpy stuff, but not so big as to give up any quick-steering control in tight turns. Since drinking the 29er Kool-Aid I’ve maintained that their steering is not so much slower that it takes away from their sure-footedness, but I have to admit—it was nice to be able to fling the bike around with more ease, rather than needing to mindfully pilot it in tight sections, if that makes any sense.

The wheels on my tester were a little on the beefy side, with Velocity Blunt rims laced to Shimano XT hubs. For racing I wouldn’t mind a lighter pair. But the 28mm rim width gave the Pacenti NeoMoto tires a nice wide footprint. I tried not to think about the extra weight while climbing the mountain ridge.

Singlespeed World Championships in Durango, Colorado. This frame comes equipped with sliding dropouts (an EBB is also an option) so it was an easy task to lose the gears. I usually use a 32×18 gear combo on my Moots 29er, so asked around for a 17-tooth loaner cog to stick with the in-between, just-right theme; but none was to be had, and I heard dire warnings of the steepness of the SSWC course, so I settled for the 32×18 for an effectively smaller gear given the smaller wheels. Good choice—the elevation effects were brutal. Still, I was glad to have the Killer B as my weapon of choice. In singlespeed mode, the frame stayed nice and stiff, but not harsh, as one would expect from fine titanium. The SSWC course was fairly difficult even aside from the elevation (the Durango peeps really tried to give us the worst they’ve got, in the grand SSWC tradition), with a ridgetop slabs-of-rock section and some very tightly winding parts. There were moments in the big rocks when I felt like the medium-size wheels were getting sucked into the divots more than big wheels would have. The tight twisty parts were fun though. The Killer B’s top tube has a slight dip to it, and the rear end overall is fairly compact; the bike feels like it has a nice low center of gravity, and getting off the back and using body English is pretty easy.

One test for the bike, and the 650B wheel size for me, is just beginning – performance in the sloppy stuff. It had been unusually dry in the weeks leading up to the SM100, and Durango wasn’t too muddy despite some rain before that race. Only in the last couple of weeks have I been able to try the Killer B in some proper mud. Add to that a lot of fall leaves for extra slip-n-slide action. So far the bike has behaved about like I thought it would, slightly more likely to lose traction, but not so much that it’s jarring. On wet roots, I still might prefer to go big (in wheel size, that is)

The next event on the radar is not so long, but the conditions can be harsh: our own Punk Bike Enduro. We’ll see how the Killer B and I fare. Winter, here we come.