BoTM BotM November 2021 non 26" wheels - The Vote

Bike of The Month

Pick your winner

  • LGF 1992 Centurion

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bawgixer’s 1991 GT Quatrefoil

    Votes: 4 4.4%
  • Lhatch4's 1985/86 Raleigh Mountain Tour Grand Mesa

    Votes: 2 2.2%
  • WimVDD's 1991 Scott Junior Team

    Votes: 3 3.3%
  • SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum (aka gm1230126) 1995 GT Zaskar 24"

    Votes: 2 2.2%
  • joglo's 1991 Diamond Back Overdrive

    Votes: 6 6.6%
  • doctor-bond's 1988 Cannondale 24"x24" SM700

    Votes: 2 2.2%
  • 24pouces 86 Hanebrink SE Shocker

    Votes: 40 44.0%
  • GrahamJohnWallace's 1981 Cleland Range-Rider

    Votes: 18 19.8%
  • DrGooGoo's 1986 Cannondale SM600

    Votes: 2 2.2%
  • Kevhls Minitou HT kids bike 20"

    Votes: 3 3.3%
  • REtrouble's 1982 English Cycles Range Rider

    Votes: 6 6.6%
  • RetroJIM's 1991 Marin Sausalito

    Votes: 3 3.3%

  • Total voters
    91
  • Poll closed .
I think its a no Brainer this month really....
  • 24pouces 86 Hanebrink SE Shocker​

Yes, I almost postponed my build when I saw that.
I didn't think any existed anymore.
It's a shame it doesn't have the front suspension fork as the one in the magazine picture posted in his thread.
 
Yes, I almost postponed my build when I saw that.
I didn't think any existed anymore.
It's a shame it doesn't have the front suspension fork as the one in the magazine picture posted in his thread.
it wasnt about a catalogue/mag spec for me this month, the heard is too thin for that, it was the bike in the list that captured "for me" the essence of this months comp. :cool:
 
Yes, I almost postponed my build when I saw that.
I didn't think any existed anymore.
It's a shame it doesn't have the front suspension fork as the one in the magazine picture posted in his thread.
The bike is 1986/87 and the front suspension Edge fork came later ;)
 
Nice to see some early stuff getting an airing, and something for everyone be it exotic, minter or rider.

(sweet little yella Canny, Doc)
 
Great to have such a wide variety of non 26" wheeled bikes.

The history of mountain-bikes has been influenced by the economics involved in creating new tyre sizes.
In the case of larger diameter mountain-bike tyres: Why invest in the manufacture a larger tyres, when they will not fit existing bicycles?

The commercial dominance of the 26" size between 1982 and 2000+ was more a matter of what was commercially expedient for manufacturers than what was optimal from the rider's point of view. However, on the fringes of the MTB world there was much more interest in alternative wheel sizes.

A brief History of US mountain-bike wheel sizes:
In the US mountain-biking starts with John Finlay-Scott built one 26" bike and several French 650b based roughstuff bikes in the 50s and 60s.

The Marin and Larkspur rider's used 26" Uniroyal knobby tyres on their Klunkers in the 1970s.

In the 80's Fisher Kelly and Ritchey chose this size for their bikes because the tyres were readily available and less expensive than larger sizes because they were taxed as children's size. They had access to knobbly Finnish Hakkapeliitta 650b and 700c tyres from 1980 but import costs from the UK and US taxes made them much more expensive. These winter snow tyres were not produced all year round, so supplies were unreliable.

Gary Fisher on the history of MTB wheel size

US frame-builder Bruce Gordon solved this problem in 1988 when he had copies of the 47mm wide Finnish tyres manufactured. Other US frame-builders chose these Rock'n'Road tyres in preference to 26", and in the 1990's one of them, Wes Williams, persuaded Gary Fisher to fund the manufacture of a 52mm tyre. A size that rounds up to an overall diameter of 29".

Gary Fisher was influential enough on to encourage the development of the early 29er bikes and components from the late nineties onward. In 2007, Kirk Pacenti reintroduced the 650b (27.5") size, because he thought that the 26" wheels were too small and the 29er wheels too big. He was unaware that Ritchey and other US frame-builders had made 670b mountain bikes in the early 80's.

The history of UK off-road bicycle tyres was very different, but apart from promoting the 700c size, the Brit's did not have any long-term international influence.
interesting but I not totally agree about big wheels. Gary Fisher was a roady and CX man and he’s very tall. But he lived in the west coast were mtb philosophy was high speed and DH. In the East US coast, things were different and pionnier like John Olsen prefered trial bikes, built for climbing and steerin. he developped first 24” Cannondale concept and the Raleigh Edge. and there were some little wheel concept like the Mountain Machine and full 20” wheels. And Dan Hanebrink developp his bike in full 24” wheels to. On other hand, in the mid 90ies, some builder thought to developp 25” wheel diameter
 

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