{"id":132672,"date":"2015-12-22T11:06:37","date_gmt":"2015-12-22T11:06:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/?p=132672"},"modified":"2016-05-03T08:15:33","modified_gmt":"2016-05-03T08:15:33","slug":"choosing-wheels-size-is-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2015\/12\/22\/choosing-wheels-size-is-everything\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing Wheels? Size Is Everything"},"content":{"rendered":"

Few subjects are as divisive among trail riders as wheel size. You can\u2019t put a 29\u201d wheel on a 26\u201d frame without cutting your frame and welding it back together, so your choice of wheel size is the first decision you should make when choosing a bike.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today we are going to answer a simple question that we\u2019re hearing a lot lately:\u00a0What wheel size should I go for when buying a MTB?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here we look at the standard 26\u201d as well as the larger 650b and the tank-like 29\u201d.<\/p>\n

Why 26\u201d is the baby of the group but also the strongest<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The 26\u201d are known as wheels of the most common size to see in first and second hand bike shops and big brand stores. The smaller wheel is inherently stronger, and easier to make lighter \u2013 spoke for spoke. Wheels add a lot of weight to your bike, not just due to their size but due to the fact they spin. It\u2019s called rotational energy – remember those roundabouts you played on as a kid?<\/p>\n

The closer you were to the middle, the faster they\u2019d spin. 26\u201d are stronger, and lighter. On flat land they\u2019ll use less energy to accelerate and they\u2019ll be faster than the larger wheels.<\/p>\n

650b is the pretender to the throne<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Slightly larger than 26\u201d, 650b won\u2019t zip away from the pack on the flat. On rocky and gritty terrain it\u2019s another story. The arc of a 650b wheel is \u201cflatter\u201d than the smaller 26\u201d\u00b4s which means it suffers less from dropping into large gaps or holes in the terrain and keeps you moving.<\/p>\n

\"Red<\/p>\n

Arguably this compensates for any speed lost on less forgiving terrain, and keeps you zipping along where it matters the most \u2013 off road. That\u2019s probably why this wheel size has captured the imagination of big names like Danny MacAskill, who used 650b Enve wheel upgrades in The Ridge.<\/p>\n

Is 29\u201d too big?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The manufacturers have been trying to get 29\u201d right for some time now. Big wheels have been around since the Penny Farthing, but you\u2019ll note that only the front wheel was big, and the seating position didn\u2019t exactly invite pelting off road.<\/p>\n

The biggest problem is making a frame that will fit 2×29\u201d wheels and still be possible for someone under 6\u20195\u201d to ride. Orange have been making their Clockwork range for 25 years, and the latest 29er rides like a tank. It doesn\u2019t fly around a trail, but you barely have to lift your weight off the front to mount a curb, and it trundles over rocky debris without skipping a beat.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pick the wheel size you\u2019re going to use the most. The most common 26\u201d bikes are easiest to get spares for \u2013 they\u2019re everywhere. But all my local bike shops stock at least one of every wheel size bike, and you can order parts easily \u2013 if not from your LBC, you can order online.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Few subjects are as divisive among trail riders as wheel size. You can\u2019t put a 29\u201d wheel on a 26\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":132674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[328,329,335],"tags":[],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-132672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outdoor-mountain","category-road-cycling","category-safety"],"yoast_head":"\nChoosing Wheels? 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