29ers demo???

ditchit

Does anyone know of any event/company this year where you can demo a 29er? Keep hearing both sides of the story (26 v 29) but only way is to find out for yourself.
Will

ric7481

My LBS will 'hire' them for the weekend, approx. £30...refunded off a purchase

mattv

Spesh concept or elite stores have access to a full test fleet of full sus and hardtail 29ers in all sizes.

ddraver

Yep, as Matt says - they re free too...

ditchit

Thanks for the info.

Clank

Swinnertons at Cannock will rent you a 29er for a few hours. Advantage there being you're alrady at the trail centre - always best to test a bike in it's proper environment.

rockmonkeysc

Clank wrote:

Swinnertons at Cannock will rent you a 29er for a few hours. Advantage there being you're already at the trail centre - always best to test a bike in it's proper environment.

Surely the "proper environment" is out in the hills not on a nice smooth, man made trail which makes any bike feel better than it really is.
Most bike shops have a demo bike or two you can take out to your local riding spot for a few hours.

Clank

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Clank wrote:

Swinnertons at Cannock will rent you a 29er for a few hours. Advantage there being you're already at the trail centre - always best to test a bike in it's proper environment.

Surely the "proper environment" is out in the hills not on a nice smooth, man made trail which makes any bike feel better than it really is.
Most bike shops have a demo bike or two you can take out to your local riding spot for a few hours.

For sake of clairty: some shops can be very reluctant to let you out for a few hours, or stick bikes in a car and drive to somewhere, if say, you live in the middle of a major urban centre. Some shops will only let you out on very local roads for a short period of time. This is certainly the case where I live. So, the chance to get a bike out on trails, with variable grip, up, downs, worsening braking bumps etc, could be a good thing.

And for info, the 'natural' trails local to me are smoother than most trail centres I've been too. But heck, what do I know, eh?

ditchit

I'd jump at the chance to get one out on a trail, you can always find a few 'offtrack' beasties here and there to make it work for its money. Just wanna get the feel of the ride on steep decents and climbs as well as on the gnarly bits. I'm in Wales and not anywhere near Cannock but you never know! cheers

ddraver

I think the Forest of Dean bike shop place thingum had an Orange 29er demo, there's another place near there that I ve forgotten the name of too that had some, but they were in the larger sizes and booked out v quickly...

Cannock's quite easy to get to though and a decent little trail centre if you do go there