A 29 inch full suspension mountain bike has many advantages, such as being faster on rough terrain, and better cornering. However, finding good quality 29 full suspension mountain bikes is not easy. Hence, this article will give you some references.
- Part 1: 29 inch Full Suspension Mountain Bike Products
- Part 2: Specific Things About The Products
- Part 3: Products Specification
- Part 4: Frequently Asked Question
- Part 5: Conclusion
Part 1: 29 Inch Full Suspension Mountain Bike Products
The Nukeproof Giga 297 Elite Carbon Bike (SLX) ($4,100)
The Nukeproof Giga 297 Elite Carbon Bike (SLX) is a great super-enduro bike with a carbon frame, long-travel Fox Float Performance suspension, Shimano SLX 12-Speed groupset, and hydraulic disc brakes. At the same time, the Giga 297 Elite Carbon has a carbon frame and fantastic components for an excellent performance bike at a reasonable price.
It also sports a Shimano 12-speed groupset, Fox Float suspension, and a mixed wheel standard with a 29″ front and 27.5″ back. Furthermore, This beautiful and capable bike has a full-carbon frameset with a long-travel Fox Float 38 Performance Series suspension, a Shimano SLX M7100 12-Speed groupset with 10-51-tooth cassettes, and SLX M7120 4-Pot hydraulic disc brakes.
This all-terrain monster truck bike has Nukeproof Horizon V2 Boost wheels with Maxxis Assegai and Minion DHR Tubeless Ready tires. Moreover, the Giga 297 Elite is fast, stable, and has a good grip on any off-road surface on Earth.
Pros
- Geometry that is perfectly balanced.
- Well-measured suspension.
- Incredibly quick through the turns.
- Solid parts package.
Cons
- The fork isn’t as forgiving as some.
Cannondale Scalpel SE 1 ($6,100)
Cannondale Scalpel SE 1 keeps the speed but changes the bike’s geometry to make it a strong contender in the downhill bike market. A RockShox fork and rear shock round out the 120mm suspension platform. This makes it easy to pedal and gives it great sensitivity on technical trails. Meanwhile, Shimano gives you a built kit with an XT drivetrain and XT brakes that can stop you even on the steepest slopes. This bike will make you want to ride both flowing and challenging trails all day long, and since a dropper post is included, it won’t limit your confidence on rough terrain.
Pros
- Effortless pedaling and climbing.
- Smooth and responsive RockShox suspension.
- Powerful Shimano brakes.
- Reliable dropper post.
- Confident and predictable handling.
Cons
- Geometry could go slacker and longer.
- The chain guide is extraneous and vulnerable.
Specialized Epic Evo Expert ($6,100)
For many years, the Epic has been Specialized’s premium XC bike, and the Specialized Epic Evo Expert is suitable for those who desire a bit more travel and handling prowess. The suspension is 120mm front and back, and it is controlled by a RockShox SID combination. You’ll also get a 150mm dropper post from X-Fusion to keep the seat out of the way. An SRAM groupset and brakes go with Roval wheels wrapped in Specialized tires. The Epic Evo is on the lighter side of the downhill bike category, yet it can still compete on tough race circuits.
Pros
- The Specialized Epic Evo Expert is lightweight.
- RockShox SID suspension combo.
- Confident handling.
- Great suspension tune.
Cons
- Tall seat tube.
- Slow freehub engagement.
- No SWAT downtube storage.
Part 2: Specific Things About the Products
The Nukeproof Giga 297 Frame and Suspension
The Giga Frame is made entirely of ultra-strong 700/800 carbon fiber. Hence, it enables Nukeproof to optimize the frame’s stiffness and compliance individually. The front triangle is stable and precise, and the back triangle is flexible to help with tracking and grip. The carbon rear triangle also has a lower unsprung mass, which helps the suspension work better. Meanwhile, The Giga is now available with every possible combination of wheels (27.5in, 29in, or mixed with a 29in upfront and 27.5in at the rear).
Furthermore, this bike has a great Fox 38 Performance Fork and an X2 Performance rear shock that make the suspension work well. The 12-Speed 10-51 SLX groupset from Shimano exists for the drivetrain. At the same time, Shimano’s SLX 4-Pot hydraulic disc brakes exist to stop the bike perfectly. Moreover, the award-winning Horizon V2 wheels from Nukeproof and Maxxis Tubeless tires give the all-carbon frame top-notch speed, stability, and grip in all weather and terrain conditions.
Nukeproof Giga 297 Climbing Performance
You’d expect the Giga to suffer on the climbs, given its massive capacity for travel. However, it does climb well enough for a bike of this type. I’d rather have had an EXO+ casing upfront than a heavy MaxxGrip DoubleDown tire when it comes to grip. When pedaling hard at lower speeds up steeper inclines, the Giga can also burrow down into its travel.
In these situations, you better use the shock lever to tighten up the back end. There’s still a little movement in the shock, which is good if you’re going up a steep hill. With the shock fully open and limited suspension bob, you may sit and spin gear with the steep seat angle, making the most of the steep seat angle on less severe hills. With your hips over the bottom bracket, you’re seated nicely.
Nukeproof Giga 297 Descending Performance
There’s no disputing that the Giga 297 is a big bike. It doesn’t appear tall or bulky in any manner. Thanks to the low-slung center of mass. However, the relaxed head angle, large wheelbase, and extensive travel make it feel similar to a downhill bike in many ways. However, it is a bike that provides enough urgency when you put the throttle down and the required support through the suspension to ensure it isn’t a soggy mess when riding fast, smooth, flowy terrain with jumps and berms.
You can confidently lift the front wheel up, fling the bike around from line to line, and make shapes in the air. Indeed, it will take a little more muscle to execute this than others. However, this does not imply that there is a significant enough difference.
Cannondale Scalpel SE 1 Frame and Suspension
The build kit for the Scalpel SE 1 comes with a RockShox SID Select+ RL fork and a RockShox SIDLuxe Select+ shock that both have 120mm of travel. Also, Shimano XT takes care of shifting, and XT brakes do the same for stopping. With a 32T chainring, the Hollowgram cranks from Cannondale fit into a PressFit30 bottom bracket. A chain guide is also near this part of the bike. It is attached to the end of one of the lower pivot bolts on the frame.
The hubs and spokes of the Cannondale HollowGram 25 carbon wheels are from DT Swiss. A tire Maxxis Recon Race and Ardent Race are great for XC riding. In Addition, you can change the front tire to a chunkier Maxxis Aggressor, which will give you more grip when turning. A Cannondale DownLow Dropper with a stroke of 150mm is what helps this bike handle smoothly. It’s a cable-actuated dropper that works wonderfully and provides a considerably smoother descent.
Cannondale Scalpel SE 1 Climbing Performance
This bike is overall efficient, especially on climbs. The combination of a lightweight frame and modern plus spacious XC geometry provides the rider with a comfortable cockpit in which to ride upwards for hours. The Cannondale Scalpel, on the other hand, prefers to leave the suspension open and functional for technical climbs, allowing the wheel to remain attached to the soil for better grip. Whereas other cross country bikes sacrifice suspension performance for weight savings, Cannondale appears to have found the best of both worlds with the Scalpel, Making a bike that feels like a road bike when it’s “locked out” and improving technical climbing skills with a suspension that works to push you up the hill with traction.
Cannondale Scalpel SE 1 Descending Performance
When the trail goes downhill, the Cannondale Scalpel handles technical parts with high precision rather than plushness. The 120 mm of travel is enough to handle rock gardens and rough terrain, but the pilot must use the razor-sharp handling to pick through lines instead of smashing over them. Like a surgeon’s blade, the bike handles the path just as its name implies. Cannondale’s Scalpel is precise, and If you’re an aggressive descending rider who needs to know exactly where the tires’ cornering edges are, Cannondale’s Scalpel is the perfect mountain bike for you. Meanwhile, the 120mm mountain bike is capable. It will let you know when you’ve reached the limit of travel.
Specialized Epic Evo Expert Frame and Suspension
First of all, Specialized deserves credit for committing entirely to a trail-suspension design. Instead of transitioning from Brain’s “auto lockout” to a manual lockout setup, as could be expected, Specialized has opted for manual. On top of the fork’s Charger damper is a low-speed compression lever, but the rear shock just has a two-position – essentially on and off – compression lever. This may not be everyone’s opinion, but it keeps things light. Specialized has also collaborated with RockShox to add a slightly stiffer tune to the SID Select+ front fork and SID Luxe Select+ rear shock, resulting in the RX XC designation. The fork is also the 120mm travel, 35mm leg version, instead of the 100mm travel, 32mm leg version like the pure racing bike.
Additionally, the fork has a 60mm stem and a 750mm flat bar. At the same time, the brakes are G2 four-pot brakes instead of the lighter but less powerful Level brakes. Also, you sit on an X-Fusion dropper post (125mm stroke on smaller bikes but a trail length of 150mm on the larger sizes). The short-nose Power Sport saddle is also a good place to put down power and grip.
Specialized Epic Evo Expert Climbing Performance
When you step on the pedals, the Epic EVO feels fast, efficient, and sporty right away. It moves like an e-MTB in turbo mode, and every bit of energy you put into it comes out the back tire. When you slow down and mash the pedals on the climbs, the Epic EVO sits into the beginning of its travel, but not as much as the Scalpel. Especially when you stand up, it makes you feel more stable and supported. Even though the effective seat angle is only a little bit steeper on the Epic EVO, because the rear end stays higher in its travel, you feel like you’re in a more comfortable, efficient position on the bike to take on the climbs.
Specialized Epic Evo Expert Descending Performance
The solid feel of the frame makes it easy to get speed, so pumping through bumps or down the backsides of jumps really gets the Epic EVO moving down the trail. At the rear, the Fast Trak rolls easily, but when it’s damp, it’s not the best at stopping, so you’ll need to be careful about how much pressure you put on the G2 brakes. If you use the rear brake too hard, it doesn’t take much for the rear tire to start snaking across the trail. Moreover, the Epic EVO feels very capable on more challenging trails, but it’s best to ride it carefully, precisely. Even though it has less travel than some, and the bike’s back end feels more efficient than forgiving, it’s really impressive how fast it can cover ground.
Part 3: Products Specification
The Nukeproof Giga 297 Elite Carbon Bike (SLX)
Material: T700/800 Monocoque Carbon Fibre
Fork Travel: 180mm
Axle to Crown: 594mm
Fork Offset: 44mm
Rear Travel: 180mm
Wheels Size: 29″ Front / 27.5″ Rear
Shock Size: 205x65mm
Shock Hardware F: TRUNNION
Shock Hardware R: 30x8mm
Sizing: S/M/L
Headtube: 44-56mm Tapered Semi-Integrated
Headset: ZS44-28.6 – T2 / 40 – B8
Seatpost: 31.6mm
Seat Clamp: 36.4mm
BB: 73mm BSA
Rear Hub: 148x12mm boost
Rear Axle: SRAM UDH Maxle Stealth M12x1.0 180mm (Thread Length 13mm)
Chain Guide: ISCG05
Brake Mount: 200mm Direct Post
Protection: 3D Contoured Rubber Frame
Cannondale Scalpel SE 1
Frame material: Carbon
Sizes: S, M, L, XL (tested)
Wheel size: 29×2.5in
Suspension: RockShox SID Select+ RL 120mm, RockShox SIDLuxe Select+ 120mm
Drivetrain: Shimano XT chainring, shifter, also 10-to-51-tooth cassette. Shimano SLX chain
Cranks: Chainring for Cannondale HollowGrab, 32T
Brakes: 180/160mm, Shimano XT
Cockpit: Cannondale 1 carbon handlebar, 780mm; alloy stem
Wheelset: DT Swiss spokes and hubs, HollowGram 25 carbon rims.
Tires: Maxxis Ardent Race EXO, Maxxis Recon Race EXO
Seat post: Cannondale DownLow Dropper, 150mm
Saddle: Fabric Scoop Flat Elite
Specialized Epic Evo Expert
Discipline: Cross-country/Trail
Head angle: 66.5-degrees
Seat angle: 74.5-degrees
Size: Large
Weight: 11.14kg
Wheel size: 29-inch
Stem: Specialized XC, 60mm
Shifter: SRAM X01 Eagle
Seatpost: X-Fusion Manic, 125mm
Saddle: Specialized BG Power Comp
Rear Shocks: RockShox SIDLuxe Select+
Handlebar: Specialized Alloy, 750mm
Bottom bracket: SRAM DUB
Grips/Tape: Specialized Trail
Frame: 11m full carbon, 110mm 4.3in travel
Fork: 120mm (4.7in) of travel on the RockShox SID Select+
Cranks: SRAM X1 Eagle
Chain: SRAM GX Eagle
Cassette: SRAM GX Eagle
Brakes: SRAM G2 RS (180mm/160mm rotors)
Wheels: Roval Control Carbon
Part 4: Frequently Asked Question
Is a full suspension mountain bike worth it?
Mountain bikers who are worried about their injuries will always feel better on a full-suspension bike, no matter the terrain. The full-suspension mountain bike is a much safer way to move up for riders who want to improve their skills and want to try more difficult trails.
How long does a full 29er full suspension mountain bike last?
Your bike can endure for more than twenty years with good care and maintenance. Also, they are designed for crossing tough terrain, and some are constructed to withstand significant damage.
Is it possible to ride a full-suspension mountain bike on the road?
Yes, you can ride a mountain bike down the road. But, many people prefer to have a mountain bike instead of a road bike or hybrid bike because they like being able to ride off-road if they want to.
Part 5: Conclusion
There are a lot of 29 mountain bikes full-suspension on the market, but not all of them are the best. This article gives you several options for a full-suspension mountain bike with a 29er that you can use as a reference because they are explained in detail.
