I can't speak to Kona's wheels specifically, but you will find that Gary Fisher MTB's have a 29 in (read 700c) wheelset that is designed specifically for rough terrain. You may want to check out the reviews on the Mt. Tam for a comparison.

eh?

quoi! 700c = 28". Normale, c'est une fille. Une photo si'il te plait - moi, je suis trop laid et j'aurais honte.

Who are talking to? Because as already said you're mis-informing them!

and the bull said "take off your pyjamas and I'll show you".

Seriously though, Gary Fisher can't measure. To get 29" on a 700c rim you need a 2.3" tyre. This combination won't go round on anything but an inverted fork and a huge rear triangle. Fisher's stuff is 28" if you can be bothered to measure it and has been called cyclo-cross for the last 70 years or so.

A real case of reinventing the (cyclo-cross) wheel.

and then the elephant flew away...

But then where's the 26" on an MTB wheel taken? Not the diameter or the circumference, i'm fairly certain!

A 2.3" tyre on a 26" MTB rim gives a diametre of almost exactly 26". Slight variations among manufacturers but 26" is OK by me. Find me a 2.3" tyre that fits a 700c rim and I'll accept 29"

Fair enough, don't really see what your problem is though John? If you're implying that Fisher's 29er mtbs are just cross bikes then you're an idiot!

It was never a disguised fact that they had 700c wheels, they just called them 29" to make it sound less like a cross/road bike. Maybe they did measure the outside diameter with something like this

It's all very silly, just get a CX bike FFS!

But the 29ers really aren't CX bikes, they're MTB's with bigger wheels, not road bikes with knobblies!

I really don't think a CX bike and a 29er are interchangeable, horses for courses etc.

Not that I'm supporting the idea, it's stupid, what's wrong with 26" after all!?

Anyway, back to the point, what was the original post all about or was Susan just talking to herself?

You win Nick, the Jones ACX 29 2.2" on a 700c is probably nearly 29" - learn something every day eh. I'll accept the idiot bit too. Still cross wheels though!

Hmm, it's just one of those really stupid things that's just never going to take off and didn't need to be developed in the first place IMO!

I can see the thinking behind bigger wheels on an MTB, just don't see why Gary Fisher went any further than a thought!

I'm not fussed what size wheels Fisher fits just calling his calling 700c 29". Ertos the way to avoid confussion but Fisher's marketeers want to make their product desireable and 700c sounds far too European and roadie to sell to MTBing Yanks.

It took me years to get my head round 28" sprints being smaller than 27" tourers. Now I've got to stetch to 29" (622erto) being smaller than 27" (630erto if my memory serves me right).

I'll keep on riding 24" or 26" MTB If only coz I'm a short arse and would look a right nerd on 29"