Wheel sizes

Alex3se · Oct 29, 2006

good day! I am very new to the riding community. I am looking at buying my first roadbike soon and I would like to get your recommendations about frame and wheel sizes. I stand 5"8" tall but weigh 195 lbs obviously on the heavy side thats the reason I want biking so as to get my **** off and get busy instead of surfing the net as what I am doing now ha ha ha

in inches how big is the 650cc tires?

will it suit me for my needs and weight?

what do you guys recommend as a good roadbike to use for my purpose of training and fitness?

are litespeed bikes ok?

Thanks!

otherworld · Oct 29, 2006

As you are a beginner…. Any half decent road bike will be fine.. What name it has stuck on the frame doesn’t make any difference.

Forget 650c wheels, they are an odd size and only for very small frames and a few people with strange ideas. They will severely limit your choice of tyres apart from other things.

You need 700c wheels. This is what 99.9 % of road bikes have. I can guess why you want to know inches but inches have nothing to do with it. The size is 700c. and 23mm or 25mm tyres will be best. 23mm is most common but 25mm will give you an advantage at your weight.

At 5’8” you’ll need a 53cm or 54cm frame. Not bigger than that.

Good Luck Jay.

Alex3se · Oct 29, 2006

otherworld said:
As you are a beginner…. Any half decent road bike will be fine.. What name it has stuck on the frame doesn’t make any difference.

Forget 650c wheels, they are an odd size and only for very small frames and a few people with strange ideas. They will severely limit your choice of tyres apart from other things.

You need 700c wheels. This is what 99.9 % of road bikes have. I can guess why you want to know inches but inches have nothing to do with it. The size is 700c. and 23mm or 25mm tyres will be best. 23mm is most common but 25mm will give you an advantage at your weight.

At 5’8” you’ll need a 53cm or 54cm frame. Not bigger than that.

Good Luck Jay.

thanks jay really appreciate your reply.

CDAKIAHONDA · Oct 29, 2006

Check out some local bikeshops, and look for knowledgable folks who support the sport. Ride some bikes (lots), and discuss the type of riding you'll most likely do. Make sure the fitting process takes all that, and your physical dimensions as the primary concerns, not what bikes they need to get rid of. A good fit is the most important factor in bike selection, followed by appliction and budget.

Here's an opinion I found entertaining on the internet about 650 wheels:
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"It may be appropriate to point out the term "650c" is not a measurement of any dimension on the wheel itself. If you measure a 650c wheel you find it is roughly 58 centimeters in diameter. 650c wheels are also sometimes erroneously referred to as "26 inch". You may also discover the 650c ("26 inch") wheel measures 22&15/16ths inches. As you can see, the wheel isn't "650" of anything, and I have no idea what the "c" stands for. I've been in the bike industry 23 years and I've heard three or four different interpretations of what these numbers mean. In general, they aren't a dimension of the wheel or measurement of any kind. More so, they are a somewhat arbitrary designation for the size of the wheel. Interestingly, the so-called "26 inch" wheels on a triathlon bike are not the same size as the "26 inch" wheels on a mountain bike- which also don't measure 26 inches.

This opens a huge question: What size wheel is right for you and, what is the difference anyway?

Triathlon bikes originally had 650c wheels due primarily to mechanical considerations. It had nothing to do with weight or aerodynamics. On early examples of 78-degree seat angle bikes a larger 700c wheel simply wouldn't fit in the rear triangle. People often ask me what is "faster", a 650c wheel or a 700c. The only truly correct answer is "Neither is faster". Both have minor differences in aerodynamics, weight , rolling resistance and lateral stiffness that almost exactly cancel each other out. "

Review by Tom Demerly.
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So, in the end, since you're new to the sport, find a good bike shop and invest a bit of time in making sure you end up with a bike that's right for you, not a bunch of guys in cyberspace you'll probably never ride with.

Yes, lightspeed makes some very good bikes.

gclark8 · Oct 29, 2006

My advice if you are concerned about weight is to go for a MTB (rigid forks) with 26" 36 spoke wheels and slicks.

Here in Aus the Giant Upland fits that bill very well!
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?model=10107

RickF · Oct 30, 2006

gclark8 said:
My advice if you are concerned about weight is to go for a MTB (rigid forks) with 26" 36 spoke wheels and slicks.

Here in Aus the Giant Upland fits that bill very well!
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?model=10107

At 195 pounds (88.4 kg), there is no need to be concerned about 26", 650c or 700c wheels. As long as you stay away from the ultra light designer wheels, you will be fine. I started riding a Specialized Crossroads Elite with 700cx38mm tires when I was 265 pounds. When I got down to 200 pounds, I bought a Specialized Roubaix Elite (700cx23mm tires). I am now down to 187 pounds. I have put more than 2000 miles on the Crossroads and 1000 miles on the Roubaix, and I have never had a problem with wheels going out of true or with broken spokes. I have had exactly one flat in 3000 miles.

Bottom line is that at your weight the OEM wheels on most bikes are fine. Ride as many bikes as you can and buy one that fits you and is in your price range. Within the same price range, any of the current offerings from Cannondale, Felt, Giant, Specialized, and Trek are going to be of comparable quality. The most important thing is getting the correct fit.

Alex3se · Oct 31, 2006

RickF said:
At 195 pounds (88.4 kg), there is no need to be concerned about 26", 650c or 700c wheels. As long as you stay away from the ultra light designer wheels, you will be fine. I started riding a Specialized Crossroads Elite with 700cx38mm tires when I was 265 pounds. When I got down to 200 pounds, I bought a Specialized Roubaix Elite (700cx23mm tires). I am now down to 187 pounds. I have put more than 2000 miles on the Crossroads and 1000 miles on the Roubaix, and I have never had a problem with wheels going out of true or with broken spokes. I have had exactly one flat in 3000 miles.

Bottom line is that at your weight the OEM wheels on most bikes are fine. Ride as many bikes as you can and buy one that fits you and is in your price range. Within the same price range, any of the current offerings from Cannondale, Felt, Giant, Specialized, and Trek are going to be of comparable quality. The most important thing is getting the correct fit.

thanks guys I really appreciate your valuable replies.

its probably best to go to the local bikeshop so as to get fitted.

On an entirely newbie question, why is it that time trial tri-bikes are usually fitted with 650c tires? whats with the 650c tires that triathletes prefer? just wondering thats all.

RickF · Oct 31, 2006

Alex3se said:
On an entirely newbie question, why is it that time trial tri-bikes are usually fitted with 650c tires? whats with the 650c tires that triathletes prefer? just wondering thats all.

Time trial and triathlon bikes are designed to minimize wind resistance, but at the expense of comfort and maneuverability. Those bikes are not designed to ride in a group or for long distances. The wheels are more aerodynamic, but more difficult to control when you encounter crosswinds.

CDAKIAHONDA · Oct 31, 2006

It has been thought that 650c wheels would aid in aerodynamics, and "spin-up" faster etc... It is said that while 80% of the aerodynamic drag associated with biking is created by our own bodies, nearly half of the remaining 20% is attributable to the bike's wheels. If you put 650c wheels on a very large bike you'll probably get a really large head tube that negates some of the aero advantage for example, and so on.
This topic is debated "ad nauseum" over and over, and has been tested in wind tunnels etc... But, I believe that for most of us, 650c or 700c wheels should be used only with respect to how they fit "into" the frame that you best fit "on to." 700c wheels will give you more options, with wheels, tires etc... but there are plenty of choices in 650c as well. As manufacturers begin to address more need for smaller bikes etc.. for women for example, those choices should grow. Given your size though, I doubt you will be fit to a frame size that dictates 650c. If it does, go for it.
Time trial bikes are exactly that, and as stated above are really not well suited for everyday riding.(and not legal for mass start bike racing in most cases) The rider position for this discipline mandates these compromises, and often results in the use of a very small frame. I race a 56 frame road bike and a 53 time trial bike. (we could get into lengthy discussions now about frame sizing, seat tube angle, virtual frame sizes, etc...but let's resist shall we?) Small frames often require small wheels, and voila' smaller 650c wheels are used.

Get fit, get riding, and start racing!

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