In the 26" v 29" debate as I understand it there are two primary areas of contention: 1) angle of attack. 26 is smaller, thus has a steeper angle to overcome when hitting a rock or stump. My personal experience is that on the trail I notice it is really easy to roll over things with 29ers v. what I remember of my 26" days (back when I was mid-teens). 2) acceleration rate and momentum efficiency. This seems to be to be a wash and what difference may remain utterly insignificant when copared with the 20% grade I'm attempting to climb or not go down too fast. Grin.
With abandon, Patrick On Saturday, March 1, 2014 6:33:19 AM UTC-7, Steve Palincsar wrote: > > What is meant by wheel efficiency in this Context? > > dougP <doug...@cox.net <javascript:>> wrote: >> >> "What about the 700c wheel efficiency Vs. the 26"wheel once they're >> rolling?" >> >> This is an interesting question. Before getting her mini-Lantis, my wife >> rode a 700c wheeled bike. Coasting downhill, she always drifted behind me >> on my 700c Atlantis. Her bike would only take 28 mm tires vs the 40ish >> widths I used (usually a pretty hefty touring tire). On her 26" wheeled 47 >> cm Atlantis she coasts as fast as I do downhill. Does this prove >> anything? She's got less frontal area than I do. Her Atlantis is only a >> pound or so different than her old bike. The old bike has 28 mm Paselas. >> We put 1.25" Panaracer Urban Max tires on her Atlantis when we got it, and >> it now has a 1.25" Pasela on the front and a 1.5" Compass on the back. No >> difference in coasting. >> >> Based on observation & experience, I couldn't suggest that there's any >> significant difference between 700 & 26 for touring o r general purpose >> riding. Maybe at the margins of racing, say for acceleration, or MTB >> manuverability, there may be something worth some small percentage >> advantage in one size or the other. >> >> Maybe that's where the "650B magic" comes in. When you get your Atlantis >> built up, we'll blind-fold you & have you ride around on each of your bikes >> to see if you can tell the difference in wheel size. Now that would be fun >> test! >> >> dougP >> >> On Thursday, February 27, 2014 12:52:08 PM UTC-8, hsmitham wrote: >>> >>> Doug, >>> >>> What about the 700c wheel efficiency Vs. the 26"wheel once they're >>> rolling? It's been my understanding one of the reasons many tour bikes are >>> using 26" size wheels is they are easier to get a heavy mass rolling? Seems >>> like that would be true. So as I see it there's always a compro mise in >>> choosing a wheel size. The 26" for carrying a load and it's maneuverability >>> off road are positive attributes and since your hauling stuff one would >>> inherently understand you won't be as quick as a race bike. Yet another >>> reason folks are always favoring multiple steeds and the N+1 factor as well. >>> >>> ~Hugh >>> >>> “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep >>> moving.” ― Albert Einstein >>> >>> http://velocipedemusings.blogspot.com/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 10:36 AM, dougP <doug...@cox.net> wrote: >>> >>>> "I've read numerous accounts that suggest 700c wheels rollover things >>>> better than 26" wheels..." >>>> >>>> True but in reality not a huge difference. A BQ article on tires >>>> contained a graphic comparing the angle of a 700 wheel vs a 26" against a >>>> block maybe 4" tall (?). The difference in the angle was surprisingly >>>> small & personally I doubt I'd notice the difference. >>>> >>>> Hugh, I look forward to comparing my 700 wheeled Atlantis to your 26". >>>> >>>> dougP >>>> >>>> >>>> On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 4:11:09 PM UTC-8, Chris Lampe 2 wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Keep in mind that I'm not a mountain biker and other than riding >>>>> gravel roads way back when, all my riding is on pavement. >>>>> >>>>> I can't say how much is the fat tires themselves. The difference >>>>> between my 40mm and my 55mm tires is far larger than the numbers would >>>>> suggest. I think it's that old volume thing....with the 55mm tires >>>>> having >>>>> a lot more. The closest I've come to riding a 700c fatter tire was a >>>>> short >>>>> test ride on a Surly Karate Monkey and it lacked something that both my >>>>> old >>>>> 820 and the new Troll I test rode have. >>>>> >>>>> I tend to ride like a little kid, meaning I don't ride from point A to >>>>> point B. My favorite place to ride (when it's not packed with >>>>> pedestrians) >>>>> is the walking path in our subdivision. This is a typical sidewalk on >>>>> gently rolling terrain and I don't think there is a true straight stretch >>>>> of sidewalk that is longer than a few yards. Tons of curves with some >>>>> twists and turns while speeding up and slowing down, according to the >>>>> path. >>>>> My experience is that the 26" wheels accelerate faster and are far more >>>>> maneuverable than 700c wheels. The entry I use to the walkway is a >>>>> gutter >>>>> that is at a 90 degree angle to the sidewalk with curb on either side so >>>>> there is no room for error when making that turn. It's a bit scary on >>>>> 700c >>>>> x 40mm tires but a breeze on 559 x 55mm tires. I think it boils down to >>>>> a >>>>> ride that is very nimble and quick while still being very smooth and >>>>> cushy. >>>>> >>>>> I've read numerous accounts that suggest 700c wheels rollover things >>>>> better than 26" wheels and that 700c wheels maintain their momentum >>>>> better >>>>> and the latter, at least, seems to be true in my experience (I never roll >>>>> over things so no experience with the first). Riding my 700c bike is >>>>> fun >>>>> but almost bordering on boring. Riding a 26" bike is both exhilarating >>>>> and >>>>> it literally makes me feel like a little kid again. For me, a long ride >>>>> is >>>>> 10 miles so the 26" wheels are a no-brainer. If I was more into >>>>> traveling >>>>> and riding longer distances, I'd have to do some soul-searching before >>>>> making a firm commitment to one or the other. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Wednesday, February 26, 2014 4:34:41 PM UTC-6, hsmitham wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Chris, >>>>>> >>>>>> I too have been lusting after fat tire Atlantis...I don't see that >>>>>> many. Here's one I like a lot. >>>>>> >>>>>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/37542512@N04/4815790104/in/ >>>>>> pool-rivendellatlantis/ >>>>>> >>>>>> and another >>>>>> >>>>>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/fireman483/8541167230/in/pool- >>>>>> rivendellatlantis >>>>>> >>>>>> But I am curious Chris what is it about the 26" wheel size that has >>>>>> you so smitten. It's especially interesting when there is so much talk >>>>>> of >>>>>> 29ers and 650b tires. Please elucidate. >>>>>> >>>>>> ~Hugh >>>>>> >>>>>> “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep >>>>>> moving.” ― Albert Einstein >>>>>> >>>>>> http://velocipedemusings.blogspot.com/ >>>>>> >>>>> > -- > Sent from my Android phone with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
