Help wanted with a 29er

Sarnian

I was recently involved in a hit and run accident (the person who was hit not the runner) and my bike written off, it looks like the replacement bike is coming in the form of a Charge cooker 29er ss. Owning a a 29er is not something that's ever entered my head, I have had a good read on the net and reviews but I would like to hear how people who ride them think of them, I've spent the best part of the last 5 years riding hardcore hardtails and the like and I know it would be a lot different from that. I know the answer to the question is to go out and ride it for myself but I could get more money for it selling it new still in the box and not second hand.

I have tried searching on hear but can't seem to find any useful comments

prawny

Eh? How have you ended up with a completely different bike as a replacement? Has this come as an offer from an insurance company? If so refuse it, you should have a bike equivalent to what you had at the time of the loss.

Insurance companies will often try and fob you off with something that costs them less. There's not a lot of point in you accepting a SS 29er if you really want a hardcore hardtail.

Sarnian

Ah I should of explained the bike I was ridding at the time was my cummuter bike a scott 50 ss, the shop I brought it from no longer deal with scott so the charge was the next best thing (the charge does work out a more expensive bike)

rockmonkeysc

I have ridden a Cooker. It's an excellent bike. I generally don't like 29ers, I much prefer 26" wheels and slack angles but the Charge just works really well even when you push beyond what a short travel 29er is designed for.
Charge provided singlespeed Cooker 29ers for the Redbull Weavers event and nearly all the riders were racing on them, a few used their own bikes, but not many. Most of the riders were freeriders and downhill racers so they rode the bikes really hard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lhsCNM1Cq8
The bike I rode was one of these with custom Rockshox Reba's and no front brake!

Sarnian

Cheers for the link, thats helped to sell the charge a bit more.