Sometime next spring, Stooge Cycles will launch their new Speedbomb 29+ rig. 450mm chainstays. 66° head tube angle. 459.6mm Reach. 604.5mm Stack. Rigid-fork specific. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Well, at the very least it’s going to look a lot of fun hanging on your wall if you don’t track down some rubber.
I’ve had correspondence with a few folks already who are planning to buy one and the only real advice I have is to grab some rims and tires now. I mean, yes, the bike is going to be lots of fun. I know because it’s very close to my Waltworks V1 which I rode on all kinds of proper-janky mountain bike trails with a giant smile on my face.
The problem, as I see it, is no brand is stepping up to – quite literally – own the next chapter of the aggressive 29+ tire market. Schwalbe is doing some awesome rubber in 27+, including their sweet Magic Mary, but as it stands right now the only Speedbomb-progressive front tires you can buy are the Surly Dirt Wizard and Maxxis DHR II, both in 29×3″. For those that, like me, live somewhere the trails are damp and greasy much of the year, neither of those tires has particularly soft rubber.
Some folks will opine that it’s not worth the investment. How many aggressive 29+ tires will you sell? All of them. Sure, 29×2.5″ is a way more popular size but the number of companies trying to eat Maxxis’ pie seems to double every two years. I’m positive there are going to be enough riders looking for a proper-mean 2.8″ or 3″ tire with sticky rubber and some sidewall anti-slash tech because I’m positive the 50,000:1 Mountain Bike Club is going to keep growing. Rigid-forked, skinny tubed, steel rigs with Enduro geometry are an answer to what enough folks are seeking from their unique mountain bike experience.
Back to your Speedbomb shopping list. Low pressure is more fun, and weight doesn’t matter, so don’t forget some tire inserts. I’d add a set of CushCore Plus while you’re stockpiling parts. There are scant few i40 rim options but both the Race Face ARC and WTB KOM are good. I’d still really like to try the Chromag Magna40 but they’ve been sold out for an age.
As more and more companies go (even) cold (er) on big 29″ rubber, or are only (luke) warm on big rubber for smooth trails in flat locales there’s an increasing chance that tires for the rigid-Enduro application are going to go extinct. If there’s a bike like Stooge in your future be sure to let companies know. I know they’re all tired of hearing from me. HA!