Road Bike Wheel Sizes Explained

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Road bike wheel sizes explained. Some older road bikes still have the 27 inch size. Refer to the diagram below and use a measuring tape to measure the inner rim. It s not used by modern manufacturers but because so many bikes were made for wheels and tires this size these tires are still readily available. But you also need to consider other factors such as tire sizes.

Some rims are also now marked according to iso with their bead diameter and internal section width where the tyre fits. The best wider road bike tire and wheel sizes 4. The 700c is an ideal wheel size as it is the standard wheel size for most road bikes. First is what will fit your bike and wheels and second is what best fits your riding style for comfort and speed.

Mountain tire sizes 26 twenty six inch is the most commonly used size for modern mountain bikes and is also used on many hybrid or utility bikes. 27 5in wheels are the same diameter as 650b the smaller wheel size you ll sometimes find on gravel bikes in place of 700c wheels. Generally speaking a width of 25mm will work. Sometimes very small adult road bike frames will use a smaller wheel size like 650b but it s more common even for small frames to use 700c wheels.

Sports cyclists using road bikes can find more specific guidance here. Because of the high pressure and desired low rolling resistance road tires come in narrow widths. But some manufacturers give the overall width instead. 23c 25c and 28c their width in mm.

These size labels come from an old french sizing standard which we ll cover in more detail in the french sizing section. And 29 inch wheels are the same size as 700c. Common road bike widths in millimeters come in sizes ranging from 18 to 23 with a typical road bike tire at 700 x 23. A 32c is a good compromise.

Often the rim width info isn t available so if you want to make sure you ll need to measure it yourself. Twenty seven inch was a size used on many older road bikes. 622 17 for the size usually fitted to touring and hybrid bikes. Most adult road bikes use 700c wheels whereas 26 is typically a mountain bike wheel size although in recent years mountain bikes are using larger wheels as well.

In terms of mountain bike wheels 650b is a standard 27 5 wheel and 700c is a standard 29 wheel. Road tires generally come in the size 700c which roughly equals 700 millimeters. Smaller tire sizes like the 25c is unforgiving on bad roads. Most rims are aluminium and generally cost less but carbon rims while expensive are both stiff and light both great attributes.

At 5 6 you re not quite in that very small frame category and it s completely reasonable for a frame suited to your height to use 700c. Some bikes especially triathlon bikes are available with wheel diameters of 650 or 650c. Subtract 6mm from overall width to estimate the rim section or simply measure the distance between the flanges. When it comes to choosing width there are two major factors at play.

How do i find out my rim width size. The letter at the end of a tire size is a throwback to an old french system when the letters a b and c designated different inner tire diameters it does not stand for cm. 29 the 29er another. If the rim is not marked with its bead diameter you can read this from the tyre it s the one dimension they have in common.