The effect of 26 versus 29-inch wheel diameter in the transmission of vibrations in cross-country mountain biking

Current Perspectives of Cross-Country Mountain Biking: Physiological and Mechanical Aspects, Evolution of Bikes, Accidents and Injuries

“…Moreover, the 29" wheel bike seems to promote more benefits in passing obstacles. More recently, additional evidence supports the idea that the 29" wheel increases vibrations, but results in better performance when compared with the 26" wheel bike [68]. Although the findings reported the superiority of the bicycle equipped with a 29" wheel, this benefit was not found in the study by Hurst et al [66].…”

“…For both men and women, the silver and bronze medals were won on 27.5″ and 29″ wheel bikes, respectively. Despite such subjective discussions, some studies were developed to clarify whether a 27.5″ or 29″ wheel has a beneficial impact on off-road cycling performance, when compared to a 26″ wheel bike [65][66][67][68]. However, controversial results were found.…”