Filed under: Anecdotes
Is this another marketing ploy? Or am I missing something?
26″ mountain wheels have an ISO of 559 right? From what I’ve found, 650B wheels have an ISO of 584. Right? And don’t our—fading in popularity?—”29′ers” have an ISO of 622? (Like a road wheel).
Looking at bead seat circumference on this chart seems closer, but still isn’t an equidistant compromise.
26″ mountain: 1755
650B: 1835
29′er: 1955
Looking at this chart, which coincides pretty well with Sutherland’s makes me question what’s wrong with 650A for that “best of both worlds” feel of this new wheel standard? A 650A wheel has a circumference of 1854 or an ISO of 590, pretty much smack between the two.
From this info I can determine that regular mountain tires won’t work, and tubes probably won’t be compatible either. Some forks will evidently; but generally speaking, this all spells out a big re-tooling for manufacturers. New frames, new forks, etc. Right?
Wouldn’t an ISO of 590 or so be a more equal compromise? Why settle for one obscure size over another if everything needs re-tooling anyway? Measure twice cut once, right?
My question is this: how much different does the 650B really feel? Is it really an equitable compromise between a 26″ and a 29′er? I have my hesitations now, but I won’t criticize it—or give it the axe—entirely before I try one out.
I’m sure this subject has been argued about ad nauseum somewhere else before, I just haven’t read it yet or bothered to search for that sure to be overly opinionated argument online. Does anyone have any insight they can lend on this subject? (Anyone that doesn’t have 650B wheels they’re trying to sell that is.)
Basically, is this newest kool-aid worth drinking?
4 Comments so far
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it’s a damned headache is what it is. like i was saying the other day it’s like dealing with all these old school 26″ wheels with different ISO’s and needing to stock 50 different sized tires and tubes in able to properly serve a customer base. BMX went through this a few years back with bottom brackets until a handful of manufacturers had a sit down and tried to decide on a standard to go with and end all the headaches for shops and their customers.
Comment by jimmy 08.12.09 @ 9:49 amWuh? 26″ is the standard mountain bike wheel, right? 29″ is some no-longer-made giant wheel I guess I’ve never heard of. Isn’t 700c / 27″ pretty much between these two?
Comment by Dave Morse 08.12.09 @ 11:10 amnope. 27″ wheels are biggest. 29″ wheels are smaller, though the same size as 700s. the standard 26″ wheel is smaller than that. so…
27″, 29/700, 26″. oh also some people call 700c wheels 28″s. easy right? right? sheesh.
650b is 27.5″ the thought is 29″ was something never really thought threw, we had 700c road rims that we put knobby mountain tires on. 27.5 is right in the middle.
The sweet spot if you would.
Comment by Bike Shop Girl 08.13.09 @ 8:17 amLeave a comment
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