I have been guilty of observing this post from a far without commenting, but I felt the need to comment today. I think some may be forgetting the most basic fundamental reason why we all mountain bike…too have FUN!!. I am never going to be a super skilled trials-esque rider nor am I going to win the Leadville 100. I ride to have fun. I rode a hardtail for 4 years, now I ride a FS. Riding my full suspension rig is 100x more fun then riding my old hardtail. I can ride tougher sections, I can climb better, I can ride harder, I can ride faster, I can ride longer. The same effort on my part yields superior results, ie longer, faster, more fun rides. Sure, my skills are not going to be on par with the rigid single speeder who rides the same trails as I do, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m more into fun than into pain.
As far as the 29er debate, I’ve never actually ridden a 29er so I am in no place to comment. If you test one out and it feels good, do it.