Kirk Pacenti was already an accomplished frame builder by the time the 29er was gaining traction as the cure for all of the perceived ailments of the original 26-inch mountain bike. Pacenti could see the collision course that big-wheel developers were headed towards as the 29er evolved from its hardtail roots to gain acceptance across the entire spectrum of the sport. That traffic jam was designing the 29er to be a viable long-travel, dual-suspension platform. He predicted well in advance, that a mid-sized wheel would make more sense. To back up his well-supported theories, he designed and produced wheels and tires made in the existing 650B size at his own expense, and then visited any bike company or publication that would listen to explain the concept. This is the story of Kirk Pacent’s one-man battle to insert a sensible, more user-friendly wheel standard between the existing 26-inch wheel and the relatively new, 29-inch size … More