Eating my words on -some- MTB 29ers, and my Litespeed Cohutta review

I’ve been a mountain bike cross country racer for more years than I want to admit. When I started, we were all on rigid forks and steel frames. It was big news when the Scott suspension fork came out. But the fact it was basically a spring left a bit to be desired in the realm of front squishy. Then I got a lugged aluminum/steel bike with a Marzocchi fork. And then RockShox hit the scene and my world changed.

The reason I bring this up is that I grew up learning how to handle a bike—toss it around, lift it over obstacles and avoid the rough stuff. Really man-handle it...with finesse, of course. Now with full boing, tubelss wheels, and long travel you can get away with more mistakes and with a lot less finesse and skill, and the bike can take it without knocking you back or losing your energy too much.
But you still lose energy when you ride through and over obstacles rather than handle the bike around of over them. And this is the mindset with which I write this.

I’ve been a fan of 26” wheeled mountain bikes for a long time. I raced as a pro and elite amateur cross country and XTERRA racer for years on 26” wheels and 4 inches of max-speed-rebound squishy. Yes, 29ers hit the market, and although their ability to roll over the bumpies was promising, the inherent physics of larger wheels, a longer wheelbase, a longer rear end, and a shallower head tube means the bikes are slower to handle. What I saw with very few exceptions were companies taking a 26” frame and making it bigger and slapping on 29” wheels. Fail. I want a bike I can toss around. One I can feel like I can manipulate. A Ferrari, not a Chevy truck. And not just a Ferrari, but a 599 GTB Sport. Ferrarri Red. Black leather. …But I digress.

When the 29er craze hit, I went in with an open mind, but admittedly with a little heartburn from the 650c wheel tri bike craze and a bit of apprehension in what I’d find. So I rode a bunch. A lot. Demos, friends’ bikes, Interbike Outdoor demo. They all felt like trucks. Yes, I could go over the little pebbles and baseballs a bit easier, but acceleration was slower, braking required more forethought, and maneuvering required more time and anticipation (read: truck). I’ll keep my 26”, thanks.

At Interbike Outdoor demo this year (Sept 2011) I again tried a few new 29er bikes. Five more brands. Bleh.

Then I went over to the fellas at Litespeed and checked out their Cohutta. I’d seen a photo but hadn’t seen one. I like Litespeed. I did my first three Ironman races on a Tachyon tri bike, had a Ghisallo, and now ride a C1R. I told them this, but followed it with “I’m going to tell you right now, I’m not a 29er fan but I want to give yours a try.” The rep started to say something, but stopped and told me to go ride and report back.

Result: Ferrari meets Star Wars Land Speeder.

Not only did this bike handle like a dream, but if I closed my eyes I thought I was on my 26. It cornered well. It descended great, and I had to hit the brakes at the top of the short steep climbs to keep from running into my friends. The 29 inch wheels indeed make you feel as if you're floating over the ground, not riding on it. I’m going to need more space in the bike room—and a marriage counselor—after riding the Cohutta.

I’ve always been a fan of Jim Felt, so I went over to ride the Felt Nine carbon hardtail. I was also impressed there. As with the Cohutta, it had a steep front end and a short chainstay and it handled equally well. It was lighter weight than the Cohutta. I did notice, however, the minor bumps and chatter from the fire roads and fast cruising quite a bit more.

I went back to the Cohutta again. This time I got a flat and was running late. I fixed it quick and hammered it home on the fire roads. That was when I decided the Cohutta was a better overall bike even with the weight penalty given the smooth titanium small-bump-eating frame.

Mine’s on order. Don’t tell my wife.