are 29ers getting easier to find in asia and sub continent

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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V17L
Posts: 11
Joined: 9 Aug 2010, 12:18pm
Location: Alice Springs, Australia

are 29ers getting easier to find in asia and sub continent

Post by V17L »

hi
Over the past few years there has been a change from 26" to 27.5 or 29" wheels on mtb. Obviously this means an increase in the number and type of tyres, tubes and wheelsets around to choose from.

This got me thinking about what is happening in countries like Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia, India etc, where 26" wheels were the rule.
Has anyone travelled over there recently to provide first hand experience on the 29" availability.

My reasoning for asking is that the traditional touring bike for non first world countries is based upon the 26" wheel size, but is there perhaps a changing of the guard going on, where buying / building a touring bike for non first world countries means you would go 29" rather than 26".
Maybe the changeover may take years. I don't know, hence the question.
My question is more about availability than the discussion of whats best for touring.
cheers
stevet
2014 Giant Defy 1
simonhill
Posts: 5227
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: are 29ers getting easier to find in asia and sub contine

Post by simonhill »

Sizes like 700 have never been a problem in big centres like Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It is in outlying areas of any of these countries that you have problems.

As their economies develop so people buy more expensive toys and so you are starting to find better quality, but again only in bigger centres and then very limited. I found a shop that stocked Surly LHTs and disc in Krabi last year. There are a couple of half decent shops in Saigon.

The point about 26 is they are what are on cheapo bikes and can be found in most places.

Maybe a more worrying trend is that bicycles are become much less common as a form of utilitarian transport in many of these countries and so not every town has a bike shop nowadays, instead it probably has half a dozen motorbike shops.

I'm sticking to 26 for the time being.
mattsccm
Posts: 5101
Joined: 28 Nov 2009, 9:44pm

Re: are 29ers getting easier to find in asia and sub contine

Post by mattsccm »

Are you looking "29 inch"MTB wheels or 700c road wheels.? Yres there is a cross over point size wise but they are not universally the same. From a MTB point of view they have missed the boat in Europe. Whilst still around most MTB bikes as new are27.5. 26 is near dead except on chreap mtb's in the western world. I wold think that MTV's in Asia etc would skip 29" . 700c, doubt it will change outside centres of population.
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