Wheel Size

[utdrd]

Hi all,

I've been lurking on here for some time and am finally ready to take the plunge. Never fancied myself as much of a biking enthusiast but the more I cycle the more enthusiastic I become.

Now I'm no stranger to cycling and wouldn't call myself a total newbie, however, I have never taken any interest whatsoever in the technical aspect of things before now. I had an inherited hybrid robbed a few months back (2 locks!). I used it for all my commuting needs and it was very reliable albeit a tad on the heavy side. I was told it was bought new for around £500 so not a total piece of garbage (although I don't remember the make of it or anything outside the fact it had 'Viper' across the cross bar). I replaced it with a GT Zum S2 which is holding up fine and a good enough bike for my needs but I've noticed the wheels are smaller than the previous bike (the thieves left me one!) and it has disk brakes which at times make an unbelievable noise.

The wheels are 26inch 150 (?). I know they say size doesn't matter and maybe I'm a bit paranoid but it appears to me that nearly every other bike I see has larger wheels. Do these smaller wheels impact on the bike's performance? I came off the bike for the first time in years before Xmas when trying to avoid a careless motorist. I'm probably imagining things but it seems to me that these wheels are more susceptible to slipping and giving way than their larger counterparts. Again maybe it's a bit of paranoia and it could be that the lighter frame of the bike makes it feel a little more flimsy than what I was used to.

Any advice much appreciated.

 

[Norm]

The old bike probably had 700c wheels, which are, I believe, roughly 28.5" outer diameter (depending on tyres etc), the new bike has 26" wheels which are, obviously, smaller.

Smaller wheels / tyres have a higher rolling resistance, which is why the larger wheels are usually used on road bikes. Equivalent 26" wheels are usually stronger, though, which is why they are usually found on mountain bikes.

I would think that other factors would make at least as much difference to the relative performance, though.

Disc brakes shouldn't be noisy. Are they properly adjusted?

The smaller wheels might make a difference to the handling. 700c wheels are appearing on MTBs as 29ers, because the larger diameter makes them handle rough surfaces easier. I would think that the reasons they feel different is more down to the tyres, although the GT Zum comes with Kenda Kwests which should be fine for the road. What tyres did your other bike have?

 

[cyberknight]

Found it

£379 from halfords


http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_512525_langId_-1_categoryId_165534#dtab

 

[Tollers]

Norm is 100% right.

My hybrid has 26" wheels which i have put slick tyres on. It handles fine and with think slick tyres it's pretty fast as rolling resistance is reduced. 26" wheels also make it quite agile and good for nipping through stationary traffic. Some hybrids come with 700c road wheels, but you shouldn't worry. They shouldn't be any more prone to slipping and your disc brakes shouldnt be noisy (i guess squeaking in the wet).

 

[utdrd]

Wheels on old bike have Bontrager 750 matrix written across them. Breaks not as bad today. Think have sorted the noise out. Thanks for getting back so quickly.