So after much hesitation and self argument to accept that my beloved 26 inch wheels still rule...which they do in my opinion I have finally caved in and decided to build a 29er..now my thinking is I am going to build this with parts I already have except the fork and wheels..it will be a budget build compared to going out and buying a new bike...I want to give it a whirl and see what all the buss is..apparently they are hear to stay at least until the 27er becomes the new 29er..

After riding my cross bike on several trails I can understand the benefit of the larger wheels as it pertains to rolling over stuff and keeping speed up once it gets going..I have decided to by pass the LBS route on this one as it seems to me bike shops are getting less and less interested in helping a brother out unless you buy the bike there from them...I have approached several shops about 29ers and either the bikes are not what I like and every shop tells me how great their bikes are and how the other shops bikes suck.,

I have been doing this for over 25 years and bought a lot of bikes..I have used almost every shop around here and honestly there are only 2 I could recommend right now to someone with a good conscious..when a shop forgets to put parts back on your bike it is time to move on...I will assemble what I can and what I can not I will suck it up and go find a shop somewhere to complete the build..

Apparently I am not the only one who has started to notice this..from talking to several other riders we compared experiences and it seems we have run into the same problem..if you are new to the sport and looking to buy a bike or upgrade your current affair do your research and ask around and talk to people who ride...

www.mtbr.com and www.roadbikereviews.com are full of great information and reviews..Craigslist can be a great place to find a good bike on the cheap...but if you go that route know what you are looking at and know the signs of abuse and wear...

A bike shop is still a great place to start but go in with both ears open and never make a compulsive purchase...look..feel...ride....and then read before you buy..

Anyway I will post up stuff as this little build progresses from birth to dirt grinder!