Can You Put Smaller Wheels on a Bike
What is the consequence of wheel size on speed?
When someone in the manufacture (people in the industry should know better) tells a smaller rider "small wheels are slower", what I hear them saying is "riding with genu pain, discomfort in your shoulders, neck, dorsum and numbness in your easily on a cycle that's harder to control can brand yous ride faster." This doesn't audio similar good advice to me. Specially when there's so much proof that their "smaller=slower" claim is completely faux.
The truth is, when someone tells you "smaller wheels are slower", what they are maxim is "I have nothing with proportional wheels to offering you". At Rodriguez, we'll offering yous either size, and give y'all the facts about both.
In that location'southward really two myths that people are told about why 650c (or 26 inch) wheels are slower than 700c. Nosotros can easily put the facts together to show that both of these both these theories, while having some truth in them, ignore several other aspects of the differences. Those differences easily offset the reasoning that is used past so many in bike shops effectually the state to effort and scare petite riders into bigger wheels.
Related Articles:
In depth written report of the unavoidable compromises involved in using 700c wheels on small bikes
Graphic illustration of handling and performance compromises by using 700c wheels on small bikes
Earth's Fastest Bicyclists - What wheel sizes do they ride?
Warning: Severe Facts Ahead
Tiresome myth 1.) Salesperson says "Smaller wheels have to make more rotations to travel the same distance."
This part is truthful. A 650c (or 26 inch) wheel has to turn 823 rotations to travel one mile, while a 700c wheel has to rotate 763 times for the same distance. Salesperson says "More rotations = more friction in the bearings and that causes you to go slower." .....non exactly. All other things beingness equal, this would be true, only at that place's more than to the equation.
What the salesperson doesn't know, or has neglected to inform you of is that the 650c wheels are 8% lighter than the exact same wheels built in 700c. Call up virtually information technology. A smaller rim, shorter spokes, smaller tire, tube and rim strip all add upwardly to big weight savings for the smaller wheels. Only for fun, enquire that same salesperson if heavier wheels are faster than lighter wheels? Nosotros all know of course, that lighter wheels are the best mode to speed upwardly any wheel. That'south because of those darn facts over again. This time it's rotational mass....read on and see what I'one thousand talking about.
Friction, Bricks, and Rotational Mass
When an object (similar a bicycle wheel) is spinning, information technology is subject to the laws of rotational weight. Rotational weight is the 'evil' that everyone with any size of wheel is trying to get rid of. This is considering of rotational mass. Imagine a brick tied to the end of a cord. Pretty easy to hold up right? Now swing the brick around in a circle. It feels much heavier. If the brick is lighter and the string is shorter, then it'due south easier to spin. Rotational weight of a wheel is magnified in this same way. As a bike starts to spin, all of the weight out at the end of the spokes is 'the brick'. Less rim, spoke, tire, tube, etc. equates to a 'lighter brick' to spin, and a smaller diameter equates to a shorter string. A lighter cycle is much easier to spin upward to speed than a heavier one.
Need more than scientific evidence than a 'brick on a string'? Here's a scientific article detailing the issue of weight and size on the rotational mass of a spinning object.
"C'mon Dan! That article was way techo-geek speak!" "How nearly some piece of cake proof that everyone can understand?"
How about a spinning ice skater? Here's a quick article of how an ice skater speeds upwards their spin. By pulling their arms closer to their body, they choice-up speed right?
In curt
The viii% weight savings for the 650c wheel sizes hands negates the added friction in the bicycle bearings because of the additional rotations.
Dull myth 2.) Salesperson pulls out a gear nautical chart and illustrates to the client "Smaller wheels mean that yous have to turn the cranks more than revolutions to travel the aforementioned altitude. You accept to work harder."
Rant Alarm
I'm sorry, only I have to pause here to say, if a salesperson ever says that to you, observe a way to politely leave the store. Yous're either dealing with someone who's trying to mislead you, or they really don't know what they're talking about. Either way, I recommend finding another shop. I've had people come to my shop who've been told this very thing by dealers (and builders) who know ameliorate.
OK, rant time is over and now information technology's time to educate you on why gearing shouldn't even be an issue in this topic.
Gearing
We've already established that i rotation of a smaller cycle is a shorter distance than one rotation on a larger wheel, right? So wouldn't i rotation of your cranks results in less forward motion too? Actually, it has all to do with gearing ratio, and nothing to practise with wheel size. Now, if you put exactly the aforementioned size gears on the two unlike bikes, then the statement would technically be true, simply that would exist stupid. The gear ratio is selected for your style of riding and your strength. It's the same on a car. A Porsche with pocket-sized wheels is geared higher than a dump truck. The Porsche with smaller wheels is faster than the large cycle dump truck because the Porsche is geared for higher speed. Does that make sense? We use college gearing to conform for smaller wheels, and lower gearing to adjust for larger wheels. We tin make any wheel size whatsoever gearing.
In the bike industry, gear inches are calculated the post-obit manner:
(Front chain ring size) ÷ (cog size) x (bicycle diameter). For 700c x 25mm tires, use 26.77 for the wheel size. For 650c ten 25mm tires, use 24.8 for the cycle size. For 26 inch ten 1.five", also apply 24.8 for the bike size.
As you lot tin see in the sample below, a elementary change of 1 molar size on the cog or chain band is all that is required to gear the bikes almost identically. Really, in the sample below, the 650c wheel wheel is geared higher than the 700c. Any store worth dealing with is going to work with you to determine the right gear ratio for your riding way and strength anyway. If they don't, and then telephone call us.
Here's a quick sample of a common road wheel gearing for iii unlike wheel sizes
You can easily see now that it's misleading to assume that all bikes accept to utilise the same gear sizes when showing someone a gear nautical chart. Gearing is a not-issue when information technology comes to speed and wheel size.
Deadening myth 3.) All serious riders ride 700c. Nobody fast rides small wheels.
"OK, these are all dandy facts, but are in that location any world form athletes that ride smaller wheels to victory?" Y'all ask?
Well, I'one thousand glad you asked. You could listen to what Stacia has to say. She set the cycling speed record for the Seattle Danskin Triathlon.
You could take Lee's word for it (if you can catch up with her).
Peradventure y'all'd like to talk to Anna later on she won first place in her starting time Olympic distance triathlon.
No you haven't hear of these people, but if you're a petite cyclist, chances are you've seen them boot the shorts off of folks out there in the 'regular people' globe of cycling that we all live in. we've got thousands of customers out at that place like Nancy B. who thought 650c wheels would be irksome, but have discovered how fast they are.
Again, I'm non trying to say that smaller or bigger wheels are faster or slower, and I don't intendance what wheel size that yous want to ride. I ride 700c wheels on my road bikes, and 26" wheels on my tandems. I think that it'southward important though that you lot understand that choosing smaller wheels to make your bike fit will non make you lot slower.
Are smaller wheels but for the ladies? How well-nigh something for the guys? Are there any tall guys who choose to ride smaller wheels professionally? Aye! Some of the world's fastest bicycles were piloted by men and take really small wheels.
What the heck?
Obviously if bigger wheels were faster, 1 would expect to find bigger wheels, not smaller wheels, on record setting bicycles that are ridden at speeds of over 150mph. Yet, these guys chose really small wheels. Maybe they didn't talk to the guy at the shop.
Don't believe me? Ask these guys and gals
In September 2016, Todd Reichert rode the Aerovelo bicycle with no motorpace to 89.half dozen mph. He was also not towed to any speed. You lot may non be able so see from the pictures, merely this wheel uses 650c (26") wheels. The same size we use on our race bikes for petite riders. So other shops and magazines....Quit lying to your customers and readers!
Al Abbott sets the world record riding by 138 mph in 1973
Examples like these are piece of cake to notice, and number in the thousands. Again, I'thou non saying smaller wheels are faster, but simply that wheel size isn't determinant of speed.
Still accept some questions? email me, I've got plenty of testimonials and other articles on the bailiwick. I've got no incentive to push button either wheel size, and I own bicycles with both wheel sizes. I only hate to see people receive bad information and become a bicycle that doesn't control well and isn't comfy.
The Real Cause of "Slow"
One thing that everyone tin hold on is that discomfort, pain, and low confidence for controlling a wheel will always result in slower riding. This isn't even up for argue. Feeling comfortable and in control is the best way to speed up your ride. When the industry (or bike shop) is telling smaller riders "bigger wheels are faster", I call back what they mean to say is "make my job easier by compromising the comfort, fit, and confidence that taller riders feel."
The real truth is that Condolement and Confidence = Ameliorate Performance and Faster Speed.
Source: https://www.rodbikes.com/articles/650-speed.html
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