Jamis Dakota D29 Review

This summer I test rode the Jamis Dakota D29er for a few months. Previously I had been riding the Jamis Dakota XCR a 26" bike. After a few rides to get used to the cornering I set up a short XC loop with lots of terrain variety to test one ride against another. The first hard lap I rode the 26" felt sharp and pulled out a good time. On the second lap I rode the 29er, while at race pace it 'felt' harder, like I was pushing a bit more dead weight, my lap time was actually about 20sec faster.
So I compared both bikes on sustained super tight downhills, the 26" came out much faster with more sharper handling. However on straight sweeping descents the 29er came out to play, and I could free wheel more yet hold speed.
Climbing was also a similar story each bike suited different terrain. The 29er was great on rough climbs and fine on long climbs. The 26 felt more responsive on punchy climbs.
I really liked the 29er for the fact that it rode rough single track with ease and made drop offs seem smaller. I also liked the fact that the BB clearance was slightly higher and I felt I could really lay the bike down around corners. The 26" was superior for tight, fast, quick reaction downhills and had faster acceleration.
Overall I would say each bike suited different terrain and different riding styles. I would recommend the 29er for endurance racing and rough open terrain. However I prefer the 26" for XC racing as it feels more responsive and twitchy which I like. Though it would be a hard decision on which bike I would take back to Colorado as the 29er would suit the back country terrain well. For the NZ races you will be seeing me on the 26".