death of the 26HT

Interesting article In velo news on the death of the 26er HT


I agree that a short travel XC dually is probably the best. Especially if you can make it really light out of carbon and it has efficient suspension that doesn't require any fiddling with lockouts or knobs. Imagine a carbon short travel DW link. Of course it would probably cost 3000 for the frame alone.

I think the key from this article was that the 26 dually and 29er become weapons of choice when the weight can be brought down enough and the suspension technology is good.

Can't make any statement on the 29er as I've hardly thrown a leg over one. Seeing those pictures of Heather Irminger's small 29er make me think some more abou it. I like a really high bar, so the naturally high bar created by a larger frame might work well.

Regardless, two things I know. I still love my 26er HT. Riding it is still fun, and even just the look of it, the proportions, the lines. And they are affordable for most. A cheap 29er is going to weigh a ton. Hence you'll need to spend a lot more to get the weight down.