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And Trek doesn't buy pre-laced wheels. They own Bontrager.

I better go check my Ksyrium wheels on my road bike to make sure the didn't collapse under the weight of my 16lb road bike, since they are such large wheels! Laffin'

Yeah can you get any chittier then Bontrager? Still buy them pre-laced too. I know a few guys that work over there.

If your 29er wheels are flexing you need to buy better wheels.
26" bikes have a place, and so do 29ers. Most MTB races take place on maintained single track and without as much technical rocky sections (like the pictures montacreek posted). a 29er will walk all over a 26er on rocky technical trails and vice versa. There is no "one is better than the other" it is all about what kind of terrain you are planning to spend most of your time riding. Bottom line, if you do not do a lot of technical riding in rocky terrain you will not have the skills to take real big advantage of a 29er, you will get off it and walk those sections.
I have a ironhorse Azure expert, love it and the DW link. however I will build a sick 29er this winter. I rode some rocky technical stuff on a Friends spare 29er this summer and could not believe how much easier it was to clear the rocks on the 29er. I like the technical stuff, it whats make MTB fun for me. Some like racing, if you race trails with not a lot or rocky technical stuff a 26er turns tighter, accelerates faster, and climbs better with smaller wheels and less rotating mass.
But, my advice is if you are a novice at MTBing you would be better off with a 29er. Your skills are not going to notice "wheel flexing" of junk 29er wheels. but the larger wheels will help your novice skills get over any technical stuff.

Buy better rims??? Haha now that is funny.

I forgot to add, if you going low budget and do not want to flip for full suspension a 29er will ride much softer than a 26er will.

Why is if funny?? do tell. I said better wheels not rims. Also part of the reason you have wheel flex is your 265lbs my friend. I am 195 and upper end 29er wheels dont flex under me to worry.

I suppose she is too fat too. She rides for Fisher/Trek. You may have heard her name a time or two, Willow. If her wheels flex they all flex.

Next time I see Todd Wells while riding in Durango, I will tell him he can't win on his 29'er.

No don't put words in my mouth! I never said they can't or don't win with them. Willow has done great on her 29er. But facts are the wheels flex, I watched a great vid that was shot in slowmotion and man you could see the difference.

Now add the use of the bike for hunting and carring extra loads and well they wouldn't be my choice.

The 29 is what I would want when carrying extra loads! They handle so much better in rutted fire roads/trails than my old 26. To each their own I guess.

If they were as strong as 26" then all the freerider Pro's would be running them. But none of them are because they are not as strong. Nobody is agruing that 29" have a shallower rolling angle. That is just common sense. Any circle that gets bigger is going to have a shollower rolling angle then its smaller counter part. But with that comes the trade offs of flex, strenght, and more weight.

Why are all your posts so aggressive when someone disagrees with you? I guess all the bike companies should fire their engineers and hire you as a consutant, LMAO. You're right, I have only been riding a mtn bike since 89, but I don't sit around in a circle jerk with "bike racers." Bwahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

bike racers??????????????

dogtroll223 strikes again....

Anyways, my stance remains unchanged. Everyone needs five bikes. (none of which are suitable for hunting)

A road bike. (you can't make me wear Lycra)
A 29'er hardtail, weighing in at around 24 lbs (Giant Xtc)
A 26" full suspension XC/All Mountain bike (Yeti ASR-5)
A freeride bike - single crown fork (Giant Faith-Intense Uzzi)
A downhill bike (Yeti 303RDH - Commencal Supreme DH, both with Fox 40's or Marzocchi 888WC)

Norco Bigfoot. It's pretty great. Trailer helps when camping or hauling meat.

Norco makes some great bikes.

I have the road bike Sarotta
I have a Fixie Surely
I have a DJ Diety
I have a Hardtail 26" Rocky Mountain
I had 2 29er's sold them They were both Niner's
I have a Full Suspension single crown Rocky Mountain
I have a Full Suspension Double crown Santa Cruz
I have a 24" BMX Intense
I have a 20" BMX for the park and halfpipe DK

North61 you from Canada?

cornstalker I hope to make it out to ride Trestle's next summer. Maybe I can get Wade to come along. Would be fun on the big boy toys.