For the last hundred years, bicycles have rolled around on two similar 26-inch wheels. But more recently, mountain bikers began experimenting with 29-inch wheels -- and the buzz about them keeps growing. Why? The bigger the wheel, the more easily it rolls over rocks and roots, and the more momentum it gives the moving rider. The problem: bigger wheels mean sluggish handling and slower acceleration. The folks at Trek believe they’ve found a solution: a bike with a big 29-inch wheel up front, a traditional 26-inch wheel on the back, and a frame carefully tweaked to handle as if it's on rails.
