Wheels: Wisconsin (650 vs. 700)

Wookie Kim said:

A couple general questions:

1) Can a bike with 700c wheels be changed to 650 wheels? If so, what
are the drawbacks?

2) What is the so-called problem of "toe overlap" when referring to
switching wheels

I am 5'4" 127lbs and looking for a wheelset for the IM Wisconsin. Taking
into account the windy course, I am thinking that deep-rim wheels are
not the way to go. Neither are the HED tri-spokes.

I am looking into these wheelsets:
Mavic Ksyrium SL (I like them but they dont seem very aero)
Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL (very cool, but are they too aero for me?)
HED Alps (very cool, but are they too aero?)
Zipp 303 (these seem pretty reasonable)
Zipp 404 (too aero?)
(any other suitable ones?)

I think I would prefer clinchers.

Which wheelsize should I go with, and which wheelset would best fit my
needs (I am short and light, but want to be faster than my current
Easton Vista wheels...)

Thank you for your help!

I forgot to add that I would like to join my school's cycling team next
year, so please take this into consideration (what are the drawbacks of
having 650 for road racing?)

In article <[email hidden]>,

Wookie Kim said:

A couple general questions:

1) Can a bike with 700c wheels be changed to 650 wheels? If so, what
are the drawbacks?

2) What is the so-called problem of "toe overlap" when referring to
switching wheels

I am 5'4" 127lbs and looking for a wheelset for the IM Wisconsin. Taking
into account the windy course, I am thinking that deep-rim wheels are
not the way to go. Neither are the HED tri-spokes.

I am looking into these wheelsets:
Mavic Ksyrium SL (I like them but they dont seem very aero)
Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL (very cool, but are they too aero for me?)
HED Alps (very cool, but are they too aero?)
Zipp 303 (these seem pretty reasonable)
Zipp 404 (too aero?)
(any other suitable ones?)

I think I would prefer clinchers.

Which wheelsize should I go with, and which wheelset would best fit my
needs (I am short and light, but want to be faster than my current
Easton Vista wheels...)

You have not told us why you want to change. Are the
wheels too big for your bicycles's frame size? Look into a
bicycle specially constructed to take a 700c wheel in back
and a smaller wheel in front.

--
Michael Press

Michael Press said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Wookie Kim said:

A couple general questions:

1) Can a bike with 700c wheels be changed to 650 wheels? If so, what
are the drawbacks?

2) What is the so-called problem of "toe overlap" when referring to
switching wheels

I am 5'4" 127lbs and looking for a wheelset for the IM Wisconsin. Taking
into account the windy course, I am thinking that deep-rim wheels are
not the way to go. Neither are the HED tri-spokes.

I am looking into these wheelsets:
Mavic Ksyrium SL (I like them but they dont seem very aero)
Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL (very cool, but are they too aero for me?)
HED Alps (very cool, but are they too aero?)
Zipp 303 (these seem pretty reasonable)
Zipp 404 (too aero?)
(any other suitable ones?)

I think I would prefer clinchers.

Which wheelsize should I go with, and which wheelset would best fit my
needs (I am short and light, but want to be faster than my current
Easton Vista wheels...)

You have not told us why you want to change. Are the
wheels too big for your bicycles's frame size? Look into a
bicycle specially constructed to take a 700c wheel in back
and a smaller wheel in front.

The only reason I was considering switching to 650 was that I heard that
650 is better for people with shorter stature. I am buying a new
wheelset just because i want to go faster, not because the wheels are
too big. Will it feel really different if I used 650 vs 700?

Wookie Kim said:

A couple general questions:

1) Can a bike with 700c wheels be changed to 650 wheels? If so, what
are the drawbacks?

The drawbacks are that your pedals will grind into the road on the
corners, which you'll be taking too fast since the brakes don't
actually contact the rims any longer. Other than that, no problems...
;-)

Quoted message said:

2) What is the so-called problem of "toe overlap" when referring to
switching wheels

On some bikes, set up for some riders, the toe can make contact with
the front tire in a very sharp turn (possible to turn the bars that
much only at very, very low speeds). Some people lose sleep over it,
but it's generally not a problem once you practice dropping your heel
to clear the interference, or simply avoiding getting your foot in the
way of the front tire when turning very slowly.

Quoted message said:

I am 5'4" 127lbs and looking for a wheelset for the IM Wisconsin. Taking
into account the windy course, I am thinking that deep-rim wheels are
not the way to go. Neither are the HED tri-spokes.

Horses for courses. It's all a trade-off...

Quoted message said:

I am looking into these wheelsets:
Mavic Ksyrium SL (I like them but they dont seem very aero)
Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL (very cool, but are they too aero for me?)
HED Alps (very cool, but are they too aero?)
Zipp 303 (these seem pretty reasonable)
Zipp 404 (too aero?)
(any other suitable ones?)

I think I would prefer clinchers.

Probably. Tubies are great if you are willing to suffer the potential
downside for the weight savings (not a big deal in an IM race).

Quoted message said:

Which wheelsize should I go with, and which wheelset would best fit my
needs (I am short and light, but want to be faster than my current
Easton Vista wheels...)

Not familiar with the Easton wheels, but unless you go with a pretty
radically aero wheel, you probably won't be making much of a change in
your velocity (and even then, not as much as you might think). A set
of nice semi-aero rims with bladed or oval spokes would be a good
choice it seems.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

Quoted message said:

Thank you for your help!

On Wed, 03 May 2006 07:58:36 -0400, Wookie Kim <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

The only reason I was considering switching to 650 was that I heard that
650 is better for people with shorter stature. I am buying a new
wheelset just because i want to go faster, not because the wheels are
too big. Will it feel really different if I used 650 vs 700?

Are you happy with your bicycle, overall? If not, buy a complete bike
that fits you and your needs. If you are happy with your bike, and it
has 700 wheels now, stay with 700. There are too many variables to be
changing wheel size. The benefit of a second set of wheels is that you
can swap back and forth. With different sizes, that can't easily be
done.

A new set of wheels isn't going to make you faster, in any meaningful
way. Unless, you are getting everything possible out of your current
equipment. With rare exception, you can't buy speed. You need to work
on the real variable, the engine. The engine is you.

Contact a respected wheelbuilder and have them design a set of wheels
specifically for you. I personally recommend that you contact Peter
from Vecchio's. He will build you a set of problem free wheels, that
will serve your needs. And most likely for less than the other wheels
that you are considering.
http://www.vecchios.com/

Is competitive bicycling a new endeavor for you? Your questions
indicate that it is. Your best bet will be to just make sure that your
bike is problem free, and then compete, get some experience. While
doing that, look for some experienced people to learn from.
Be careful about taking advice from people online or who you don't
know. There are lots of "experts" out there, who really don't know
what they are talking about. If it sounds unbelievable, it probably
is.

Life is Good!
Jeff

In article <[email hidden]>,

Wookie Kim said:

A couple general questions:

1) Can a bike with 700c wheels be changed to 650 wheels? If so, what
are the drawbacks?

No. Your brakes won't reach to the rims.

Quoted message said:

2) What is the so-called problem of "toe overlap" when referring to
switching wheels

Means your foot can hit the tire if the bars are turned sharply enough.
Not a problem at speeds over about 5 mph.

Quoted message said:

I am 5'4" 127lbs and looking for a wheelset for the IM Wisconsin.
Taking into account the windy course, I am thinking that deep-rim
wheels are not the way to go. Neither are the HED tri-spokes.

Windy depends on the weather on the day of the event.

Quoted message said:

I am looking into these wheelsets: Mavic Ksyrium SL (I like them but
they dont seem very aero) Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL (very cool, but are
they too aero for me?) HED Alps (very cool, but are they too aero?)
Zipp 303 (these seem pretty reasonable) Zipp 404 (too aero?) (any
other suitable ones?)

The benefits of "aero" wheels really only come in at high speeds- 30 mph
or so. Can you ride that fast long enough to benefit from such wheels?

Quoted message said:

I think I would prefer clinchers.

Easier to fix, better tire selection, you can get 'em anywhere.

Quoted message said:

Which wheelsize should I go with, and which wheelset would best fit
my needs (I am short and light, but want to be faster than my current
Easton Vista wheels...)

IMHO 700C wheels are generally the best option. There are a few
exceptions for specific circumstances, but relatively few Americans ride
under those circumstances. 650C has become popular with triathletes for
reasons that are really unknown to me, and I think the drawbacks far
outweigh whatever benefits these wheels are thought to have. I think
it's telling that pro bike racers have not switched en masse to 650C
fort TT bikes.

One thing, when you say "650" wheels, do you know there are THREE sizes
of 650 wheels?

650A (590mm) usually found on English cruisers
650B (584mm) usually found on French touring bikes and currently being
revival by Rivendell, Jan Heine as a "sensible" size for "country
bikes."
650C (571mm) usually found on triathelete bikes.

IF you want to go faster, than you need to follow Eddy Merckx's advice
and "ride lots"....

In article <[email hidden]>,

Wookie Kim said:

Michael Press said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
Wookie Kim <[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You have not told us why you want to change. Are the
wheels too big for your bicycles's frame size? Look into a
bicycle specially constructed to take a 700c wheel in back
and a smaller wheel in front.

The only reason I was considering switching to 650 was that I heard that
650 is better for people with shorter stature. I am buying a new
wheelset just because i want to go faster, not because the wheels are
too big. Will it feel really different if I used 650 vs 700?

What reasons did you `hear' for changing wheel size? Could
it be that a 700c wheel is marginally too big for a
bicycle frame fitted to a rider whose height is under
5'6"? My advice: either buy a bicycle built for short
riders with a 700c wheel in back and a smaller wheel in
front; OR keep your current wheels. Do not change the
wheel size on the current bicycle frame.

--
Michael Press