[davereo]

I had a Cannondale Trail SL4 29er. It had lugs for mounting a rear rack and provisions for a rear fender. The aluminum frame was very robust with a 1.5" steerer tube. The fork was adjustable with a full lock out and 80mm of travel. I had a set of 700 X 35's that I used for road riding. The only thing which I have mentioned before is that it is geared very low and you need to crank quite a bit to get anywhere with it. I paid 649.00 for it brand new. This bike can go anywhere and is affordable.

[katz]

dave,

Did you sit fairly upright on that Cannondale? (judging from the seat/handlebar height)

On my Motobecane, the seat seems like it is jacked up to the sky in the pics, yet it feels super comfortable to ride, and my arms don't get tired/hands don't go numb.

I guess it seems that way because the top tube angles down so much at the rear.

I'll have to get some better "straight in from the side" pics & also measure the difference in seat height as compared to the handlebars. I would think this is an important consideration to be aware of, especially if you are prone to hand issues.

[davereo]

katz that's the reason why I got rid of it. When I test road it I road a medium frame. I really liked it but felt I needed a larger frame so I would sit up right a little more. I ordered a large and after a year I decided I needed a smaller frame.
I swapped it for a road bike on CL. I ride the road bike a heck of a lot more than the 29er so it was a good deal for me.

[DisabledCyclist]

Originally Posted by Industry_Hack

You may also want to check out the Trek Marlin and Wahoo. I went with the Trek over Giant because Giant specs a 700c wheel, while Trek offers a true 29er. I can run tires from 1.5 to over 2 inches, with no fear of bad roads. The same cannot be said for the 700c wheels.

29"er wheels are (technically) 700c wheels (which is why the 700c x 35mm tires mentioned will fit ) ...it's the tire size that gives the 29"er it's namesake Granted,29"er mtn bikes often have wider rims,but it's still 700c size (BTW,other than my Xtracycle and 700c CX'er,29" mtn bikes are all I ride).

[Industry_Hack]

Originally Posted by DisabledCyclist

29"er wheels are (technically) 700c wheels (which is why the 700c x 35mm tires mentioned will fit ) ...it's the tire size that gives the 29"er it's namesake Granted,29"er mtn bikes often have wider rims,but it's still 700c size (BTW,other than my Xtracycle and 700c CX'er,29" mtn bikes are all I ride).

I was trying to make the distinction between wheels designed for skinny rubber and smooth roads, vs. wheels designed for fatter rubber and rough trails.

[Industry_Hack]

Originally Posted by katz

My bike was advertised as a "29er", but it is actually a 28 Incher/came with 700c wheels, although the specs state;

"Kenda Happy Medium 700x40C / Standard valve clearance for up to 29x2.0" (most brands of tire)"

2013 Motobecane Elite Adventure ~ Havin' lots of fun with it!

That's just those crazy Europeans. One of my project bikes has some Kenda tires that are also marked 28 x 1-5/8 x 1-3/8. They're just 700x35 tires that are really tall.

Oh, I got a Motobecane 29er as well.

[DisabledCyclist]

Originally Posted by Industry_Hack

I was trying to make the distinction between wheels designed for skinny rubber and smooth roads, vs. wheels designed for fatter rubber and rough trails.

Sorry

[Industry_Hack]

It's all good.

[katz]

Oh, I got a Motobecane 29er as well.

Sweet! Which one do you have?

[Industry_Hack]

Nothing too fancy, just the Fantom29 Sport. I needed a spare to my wife's brother could go mountain biking with me.