29er (bicycle)

The ISO 622 mm wheel is typically also used for road-racing, trekking, cyclo-cross, touring and hybrid bicycles.

So when English off-road cycling pioneer Geoff Apps contacted Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly with news that he had built a prototype off-road bicycle that used large-diameter 28 × 1¾ (ISO 47-622), 47mm wide Nokian Hakkapeliitta snow tires from Finland, they were intrigued.

But the poor supply situation of the larger diameter tires meant the fledgling MTB industry stuck with the smaller wheel size.

[4][5] However the bicycle marketed as the Aventura by Apps' own company, Cleland Cycles Ltd, between 1982 and 1984 used the more readily available Nokian Hakkapeliitta 26 × 2 (ISO 54-584).

Their 1992 product catalog raved about the advantages of the larger wheels and showed three different bikes, the Project 3, 5 and 7.

[9] The original company Klein produced a small quantity of a 29″ wheeled version of their successful "Attitude" MTB racer, and named it the Adept.

A key product release, the first true 29″ tire, was produced by an early supporter of the 29″ movement Wilderness Trail Bikes.

Disadvantages of the 29″ wheel include added weight, perceived sluggishness in handling, and problems with fit (specifically, front wheel/toe overlap and high standover height).

Small scale, unpublished studies (including one done by Pepperdine University, reportedly at the request of Gary Fisher) exist[citation needed] but both proponents and detractors of 29″ wheels are generally unimpressed with their scientific rigor.