Three Major Players: 25 Years Of 29"ers

Yesterday I wrote about "The Tire" and wheel diameter as it relates to 29"ers and off-road bicycling.  Today I wanted to highlight three major players in the early 29"er movement that, I believe, without whom the 29"er was doomed to the dust heap. 

The Karate Monkey by Surly as shown at the 2002 Interbike show. (Image courtesy of Surly Bikes)

The Karate Monkey:

In my opinion the Surly Karate Monkey was probably the most influential 29"er ever made. One, because it was the first, widely available, affordable 29"er option that was well thought out. This design was so well done that it inspired a slew of other 29"er models in its wake, not to mention a bunch of custom builders as well who were brazing and welding up new 29"er frames as fast as they could. 

However; the affordability provided by the Karate Monkey maybe was the biggest influence here. One could buy a frame and fork, then pull together the rest of the build from inexpensive parts, parts bin finds, or in whatever way one desired. This provided the 29"er curious an avenue to try bigger wheels before they were forced into plunking down big money for a rare bike shop model or custom build. 

Because Surly built their reputation on versatility, single speed capability, and value to the customer, there perhaps was no better company suited to "evangelizing" the 29"er. You could go a hundred different directions with your build, which was probably another part of why this bike caught on as quickly as it did and was responsible for many converts to big wheels in the early 2000's. 

Niner Bikes was solely focused on 29"ers in 2005. (Image courtesy of Niner Bikes)

The Big Revolution - Niner Bikes:

In late 2004 an advertising banner appeared on the 29"er forum at mtbr.com ballyhooing a new company no one had ever heard of before called Niner Bikes. All it said was "The Big Revolution". No bike was shown. The previous banner for the forum was from a small custom builder called WaltWorks, a builder that had been an early champion of big wheels off road. 

This stirred up a lot of interest and speculation. Was this new imposter really behind 29'ers, or was someone just trying to make a buck on a new trend? Such was the sentiment of many 29"er fans back in the day, earning all of the 29"er crowd the derogatory "29"er zealots" tag from the rest of the MTB community. 

But Chris Sugai and Steve Domahidy were dead serious about this venture. They bankrolled their future success on the big wheels and never looked back. This eventually had a major impact on the 29"er community. By the way, I interviewed both Chris and Steve from Niner Bikes at the time in this "Ted-terview" from 2006.

Niner pushed the boundaries of what 29"ers were capable of from being just a niche, single speed bike to full-on 29"er down hill type rigs. Niner was so confident that 29"ers would eventually be the first choice for wheel size amongst off-roaders that Chris Sugai made the bold statement that 26"ers would be extinct in the near future. 

The bold, forward-thinking direction that Chris and Steve had for 29"ers was a major influence on the cycling industry and showed riders that no off-road discipline was off limits for 29 inch wheels. "Big Revolution" indeed! And what of Chris Sugai's bold prediction? 

You tell me where all the 26"ers are in 2024. 

A titanium Gary Fisher prototype circa 2000. (Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles)

 From The Godfather of Mountain Biking - Gary Fisher Bikes:

Of course, no discussion of this type can be had without the mention of the importance of Gary Fisher and his namesake company. Gary Fisher is also one of those important figures in mountain biking and his influence came to bear behind the scenes in the late 1990's which was critical in the push to get a true 2" wide 29"er tire. Fisher, himself a racer at the time, was interested in how such a larger diameter tire could be utilized to gain an advantage in racing, specifically XC MTB racing. 

Even after "The Tire" was made, Fisher's effervescent personality and endless energy came to bear on Trek, the parent company, and he was convincing enough that by 2002 Gary Fisher Bicycles had a 29"er MTB in their line up. Keeping the foot in the gas, Fisher convinced team racers to try a 29"er, and by the mid 2000's he saw results as Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski became the first successful 29"er XC racer. More results followed and other brands, teams, and athletes began to take notice. By the time the 2000's came to a close, XC MTB racing was starting to see many more 29"ers on the start lines. This all thanks to Gary Fisher's inestimable influence on big wheels. 

On the retail side the road was bumpy, but Trek stuck behind the 29"er and with the coup Trek pulled by getting Rock Shox to give Fisher Bikes the exclusive on the Reba 29"er fork for a year, sales skyrocketed. Soon 29"ers were outselling 26 inch MTB's at Fisher Bikes, and again, brands were taking note. By the close of the decade you could more easily count those companies who were not offering a 29"er than you could count those who were offering 29"ers. 

Perhaps even less known than all of the above was Fisher's influence on women and 29"er acceptance. By offering 29 inch wheeled MTB's to the woman's team, Fisher encouraged the switch to women riding on 29"ers in races all throughout the world. This very thought, that shorter people could ride 29"ers effectively, was a major criticism of big wheels in the 2000's and this eventually was blown away as well by the late twenty-teens. 

Sadly, Trek folded the Fisher brand into its Trek brand in 2010 by saying "The Gary Fisher Collection" will give Trek retailers acces to a unique product line up of 29"ers". In reality the Fisher brand name disappeared and the legacy of Gary Fisher was hidden from view afterward. Whether Trek honestly believed its own marketing hype, or if it was a veiled attempt at killing off the Fisher brand, I don't know. But in my opinion, it is a travesty on Trek's part that they have erased the Fisher brand from the consciousness of the mountain biking public. 

In Closing: All three of these brands built their legacy in 29"ers off the introduction of the 29" WTB Nanoraptor 25 years ago. Had that tire not happened, and it nearly did not, the landscape of MTB would look radically different today. 

Next: Why "The Tire" Matters Today