Who made the first modern 29'er?

[dirttorpedo]

I recall a lot of experimentation with 700c wheels on ATB's back in the late 80's / early 90's. I think Bruce Gordon was a big proponent of the 700c mountain bike back then. I think his bike eventually morphed into the Rock'n Road dirt touring bike that he now sells.

First paragraph of this article supports this (although a bit vague).

http://www.cxmagazine.com/bruce-gordon- ... nahbs-2012

Here is a video made by Bruce Gordon discussing the history of the Rock'n Road bike and tire.

http://vimeo.com/19554917

 

[walleater]

I've just had a look at the WTB Nanoraptor, and assuming the tread hasn't changed(?), it just looks like a big hybrid tyre to me. It's even got a center ridge! The 700 x 45c Smoke at least had a proper tread pattern. So one has the tread but not the volume, and the other has the volume and not the tread. As the Smoke was around about eight years earlier, I'm not sure why the WTB tire gets all the credit.

 

[Ductape]

Kinda like the origins of the Mtn bike itself. It all really falls back to to what cave man first invented the wheel. I was looking at a 1988 "Mountain Bike" magazine last night and there was a full page advertisement of a 700c Colnago hybrid.

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

Also, geometry plays a role; some of these early hybrids were more suited for touring than off roading. Though that could be said about many of the early mountain bikes.

So, what's more important: volume or thread pattern, in a 29" tire? I'd say volume.

Nice Bruce Gordon links, dirttorpedo.

This might be more convoluted than the origins of the mountain bike, after all :mrgreen:
guess I shouldn't have been as dismissive of the smoke and diamond backs.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Given the smoke is just a smoke lite width in 700c, probably not quite 29" size though overall... Is is evolution on it way from something earlier to what you consider 29er... To that mnater dfo 29er'as have to be fat-bikes if it's all about volume.

I guess it a 29er first and foremost when it volume managed to get as 700c up to 29" in diameter... At which point years later in cazn increase to fat sizes and decrease to XC skinny/mud sizes, lol.

Actually been quite interesting.

 

[fatandforty]

I thought it was Geoff Apps back in the late 70's early 80's.