modern Bikes?

[Gaddmeister]

Re:

To much choice to confuse the punter! Much like modern cars. Nothing wrong with it, but too much choice instigates fear and people stick with what they know best! Manufacturers are running out of ideas and literally trying to reinvent the wheel! If it ain't broke why fix it?

 

[fagin]

I agree totally. We should all be driving Model Ts and riding penny farthings.

 

[02gf74]

I dont see bigger wheels as a marketing ploy. The basic bicycle with two same sized wheels and two triangle frame has been around since victorian times.

Over time innovations come and go but the mtb has evolved into a pretty reliable and capable beast at an affordable price.

I have thousands invested in 26 ers but plan thay my next mtb will be 29 ..... although there is a nice 27.5 saracen on the bay that is tempting me.

Bigger wheels roll better but become slightly less manoevrable, the top xc racers are on 29 mostly and some on 27.5 which says something.

Ride one before deciding it is marketing hype.

 

[DrJo]

650b a new thing? A marketing ploy? Invented by the americans? Not in these parts mate.

 

[cybernck]

I dont see bigger wheels as a marketing ploy.

I do, because 27.5" label is simply misleading:

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/artic ... ype-38058/

 

[02gf74]

Hmmm interesting, just measured front wheel 2.1 tyre on my cannondale

Rim dia just over 22.5, overall tyre dia slightly more than 26.5. Until now i had assumed the 26 in referred to rim dia.????!!!!??

 

[danson67]

Re:

Until now i had assumed the 26 in referred to rim dia

Sadly, all that inch stuff only refers to a nominal outside diameter....and is next to useless really.

To actually work anything out you really need to use the metric ISO/ETRTO system. Look for something like '58-559' or '22-622' marked on the tyre or rim. The big number second (in the hundreds) is the tyre bead and rim seat diameter in millimetres. The small number is either the approximate height of the tyre when fitted, or the internal width of the rim cross section. Match the big numbers and the tyre will fit the rim.

26" wheel bead seat = 559mm ETRTO diameter
650B wheel bead seat = 584mm ETRTO diameter
29er wheel bead seat = 622mm ETRTO diameter

So, given the same fattness of tyre, a 650B combo will be 25mm larger diameter than a 26", and 38mm smaller than the 29er. So not really half way between the two sizes as the marketing name suggests.

To work out the actual diameter of any combination of any wheels, add the ETRTO diameter to 2x the tyre height...

-Let's take your Cannondale's 26" wheel and fit the 2.1" tyre, probably marked 54-559...It's 559mm for the rim diameter+(2x54mm for the tyre fatness) = 667mm (26.6") when fitted.
-The same fattness of tyre on a 650B/27.5er will be 584 + (2x54) = 692mm (27.2")
-Again on a 29er it'll be 622 + (2x54) = 720mm (28.3")

So generally a 26" wheel is a bit bigger than 26" and the 27.5er and 29er are a bit smaller that you might think, just going by their big ticket names. :roll:

Not really sure why Kirk Pacenti went for the 650B/584mm to revive, rather than going for 26 x 1 1/4 sizing, which at ETRTO 590mm actually does falls right on half way between 26"/559 and 29er/622mm. Both these middling sizes were just about as dead as each other at the time...Presumably influenced by all those Portland porteurs with their Randonneur copies.

All the best,

 

[Rampage]

All modern ideas seem to be to try and smooth out the ride!
Might as well ride on the road.

 

[The History Man]

An interesting take on 'halfway'.

 

[Gaddmeister]

Re:

Smoothing out the ride spoils the fun, in my opinion.