Reply To: Short Travel 29er – Heavy XC/Light Trail Advice?

#520117

On one hand, this is a great time to buy a short travel 29er because there are so many great bikes out there.  Any of the bikes you’re looking at, plus those Bike Nerd mentioned should blow the grips off an 8 year old 26” xc bike.

On the other hand, it is a terrible time to buy a new bike because you can’t really demo and not much is in stock.

I would wait until I could demo before making a major purchase, unless I was going with a brand I was familiar with.  For instance, I know I would be happy with a Ripley or a Trail 429 because I have ridden earlier versions and I trust the brands.

Even if there are better short travel 29ers, I doubt I would ever second guess my choice.  However, if I was choosing from new brands and fairly different bikes, I would probably end up with buyers remorse and always wonder if I made the right choice.