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My entire mountain biking career has taken place while seated on a 2009 Giant 29er Talon 2. I’ve not drunk any wagonwheel koolaid and it wasn’t any conscious decision that put me on this bike. I own that bike because my brother bought it initially and realized his back required a full suspension rig, so he sold it to me for what he paid and allowed me to make payments. If he hadn’t done that, I would still be walking in the woods and not riding. I had no experience on a modern 26 inch bike so I was initially blissfully happy on my 29 hardtail with a near-rigid fork.
The issue I began having was the fact that the lack of suspension front and rear on the bike was really wreaking havoc on my back and neck. My brother kept offering to let me try his Anthem, but knowing I would never be able to afford one, I opted to stay on my hardtail.
Yesterday, my brother asked me to ride the Giant Yukon FX he bought for his girlfriend on a shakedown ride. For those not familiar with it, the Giant Yukon FX is a 26" entry level full suspension bike. By equipping it with Suntour and entry level SRAM components, they’ve made it possible for you to own a full squish bike for around $1,000.
We planned a 20 mile loop in Ocoee, Tennessee consisting of Brush Creek, Boyd’s Gap and Copper road, then back. This allows you three distinct types of riding. Brush creek is incredibly fast singletrack with lots of tight turns, Boyd’s Gap is a true downhill run in one direction and a grueling uphill in the other and copper road has sections with root and rock beds that span long distances. Our intention was to see how the bike would handle the different environments.
Brush Creek: After getting used to the new cockpit(and the fact that the frame was a size small for me), I started having some fun. Immediately, I noticed the primary difference between the two wheel sizes. On the Talon, I get the bike up to speed and pretty much attempt to maintain it through the turns. Leaning the bike wasn’t enough to get it to make the tight turns at top speed, but required me also pushing on the bars and navigating through the whole corner. I would liken it to steering a boat. Slow and steady changes because it may take a moment for the bike to respond. The Yukon however, was like the bmx bike I had as a kid. You ran into a corner as fast as you could, packed it into the apex and it took off like a bullet out the other side. It was effortless. When on the Talon, my brother and I are evenly matched. On the Yukon, he couldn’t keep up with me through the twisties. The difference was simply absurd.
Boyd’s Gap(dowhill): To be honest, the limiting factor on any downhill is me and not the bike. I could be on a 1960’s Schwinn Stingray and I wouldn’t reach it’s limits on a downhill. That being said, having so much bouncy bouncy on a bike was intoxicating. It definitely was the fastest I had ever made the run and at the bottom, I didn’t feel like I usually do. My normal downhill runs feel as if the trail were lined on both sides with people holding boat oars with which they would beat me about the head, neck and shoulders, ensuring that I couldn’t move my head any more than 4 degrees in any direction once I reached the bottom. On a fully suspended bike, I felt as good at the bottom as I did at the top.
Copper road: On the Talon, I have to prepare for rock beds and the long root run. I stop pedaling, lean back trying to get away from the bars as much as possible and I just do my best to take the beating, allowing the bike to roll through until it makes it past the obstacles. Then I start pedaling again. On the Yukon, I prepared for the first run of rocks the same way. At the other end, I could still see straight and could feel my fingers so on the second portion, stood up and kept pedaling. That worked really great as well, so by the third set, I didn’t even stand up. I just kept pedaling as hard as I could. It seemed that I could do no wrong. On the way out, I picked my good line through the roots. On the way back. I ran straight down the middle of the run, hitting and rolling over roots sticking 5-6 inches above the ground. Each path worked equally well. I felt like Superman.
Boyd’s Gap(uphill): Into each life, a little rain must fall. I’ve never been an iron man on uphills, but on the Talon, I simply leaned over, kissed the bar and pedaled until I got to the top. With the Yukon, I begrudged the suspension stealing my forward motion and the additional weight I was burdened with. When I hit the really steep portions, I simply couldn’t keep the front wheel on the ground and ended up walking up after pitching the front wheel either to the left or right and having to stop. Clearly, I wasn’t the climber on it that I was on the Talon.
Overall: On anything flat, downhill or slightly to moderately uphill, I was faster on the Yukon than I am on the Talon. I could sense, however, the speed being shaved off on all the uphills. Normally, I could just pedal through and downshift one gear at a time as it’s needed. On the Yukon, I found myself dumping multiple gears, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to maintain the speed and just allowing it to slow down to my new gear. On the whole, I’m definitely faster on the Yukon.
So, I was in love. This morning, I decided I must have one. I searched Craigslist and found a 2010 Yukon FX in Atlanta. It had quite a few upgraded components, like WTB Speed Disc wheels, 9 speed SRAM 7 setup in the back and Avid Elixir CR’s. Asking price was $750. So into the truck I piled. Three hours later, I was looking at the bike. The bike doesn’t have 100 miles on it and looks brand new. As an added bonus, the guy(who no longer had an interest in riding, it seems) threw in a full face MTB helmet, pump and a pair of Specialized gloves. I paid him his asking price and drove my new bike home.
Total time from deciding I wanted one to owning one: roughly four hours. And on Easter Sunday.
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Great! Have lots of fun with it!!!
The issue I began having was the fact that the lack of suspension front and rear on the bike was really wreaking havoc on my back and neck.I knew this as well. At a crash, I damaged 3 intervertebral and riding a HT became a torture for me. After I got my FS, I never had any issues while riding.
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Way to go man, and welcome the 26er family. In my main riding group we’ve had some guys convert to 29er, and there is a lot of ribbing that goes on both ways. In the end, it’s all about what you like (and what you have). I roll 26er.
I recently moved to FS and am loving it. Yeah, I notice a little bit on the uphills sometimes, but it makes up for it in other places. And I no longer jar my teeth, and back, and neck like I did on the HT.
iroll26.com
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Congratulations on your new bike. Sounds like a good deal you’ve got. Have fun on the trails 😀
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Congratulations on the new bike you trend breaker. 😆 Most of my riding buds have drank the 29er coolaid. They make fun of my "baby wheels" too. Not saying I won’t go there when the cash reserves look a little better, but I really have been satisfied with my full squish 26er.
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Thanks a bunch guys. I’m totally stoked about it and looking forward to the first ride on it 😀 It will be like riding a Serta Sleeper matress through down the trail 😀
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"CraigCreekRider" wrote
Congratulations on the new bike you trend breaker. 😆 Most of my riding buds have drank the 29er coolaid. They make fun of my "baby wheels" too. Not saying I won’t go there when the cash reserves look a little better, but I really have been satisfied with my full squish 26er.
I’m sure I would be super happy on a 29" suspended bike, but I really like the flick of the smaller bike. I don’t think I’ll ever have a bad thing to say about either size, but for personal preference, it seems the smaller wheels fit my riding style and needs better.
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Congrats on the new ride, looking forward to ride reports!
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Congrats on the new bike!
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Come on Schwim ????? You’ve been around enough to know that when you get a new bike you gotta post up some pics 😃
And congrats on the bike
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I have to say, I’m a big fan of dual suspension MTBs. My ideal ride has 5-6" of travel.
4 hours between deciding you want one and buying one… crazy! Kind of sounds like an impulse buy, but since I approve… hard to fault ya!
+1 on the pics request!
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Congrats on the new ride! My FS acquisition was very similar!
Sunday, October 10, 2010:
– Went to NEMBAFest
– Rode 3+ hours
– Tried out a Trek Fuel 9.7 FS
– Drove home
– Stopped by Belmont Wheelworks
– Bought a Trek Fuel 5 FSBeen a happy rider ever since!
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"schwim" wrote
I’m sure I would be super happy on a 29" suspended bike, but I really like the flick of the smaller bike. I don’t think I’ll ever have a bad thing to say about either size, but for personal preference, it seems the smaller wheels fit my riding style and needs better.
I can see your point but have you test ridden any of the new 29’ers? The new 29’ers are coming with shorter chain stays and a steeper headtube geo to shorten the bike. I recently purchased a 2012 Cannondale Flash 29’er and the bike handles better than my full squishy 26’er Titus Motolite. I thought much like you did until I rode 10 or so different 29’er models. Congrats on the new bike though I am sure you will love it! There is something about a new bike isn’t there…
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