Bodhbh
Guru
I came it the other way and stuck a 29er wheel on the front of a 26er (456). The frame can supposedly take 100mm to 150mm suss forks. I had some 100m suss corrected rigid forks on the front, but didn't really like the twitchy handling, and the frame was too stretched out, front too low for me - I didn't really get on with it. The obvious thing would've been to stick a longer travel fork up front, but it seemed overkill as I mostly just ride bridlepaths and the like. So I stuck a 29er wheel up front and it was spot on - brought the bars a bit closer and slowed the handling a bit. I liked it so much I later tried to put a 80mm travel 29er fork up there, but....too much of a good thing - it was floppy up front and started pulling wheelies on climbs. It had a non-trival effect on the BB height too - quite a poke to find the floor.
Wowzer, wheelies on a climb must have been a bit of a shock. ! With this grotty rain and wind, I'm not getting alot of hours in the saddle at the moment, but I'm at the stage of getting a 'good' front wheel and a decent tyre selection, to accomodate differing conditions. I am very pleased with the set up, and glad that I tried it out. Just wishing the weather would pick up ! Like youself, I'm not into serious off roading, I just like to be able to go off piste and search out routes that a "roadie" wouldnt dare to venture along. I have lived in the same area for 30+ years, but since turning towards the muddy bits, i've been places, seen things and discovered villages I never even new existed, as well as getting a whole new lease of life towards cycling itself.
