Road Cycling - 700C wheel change to 650C possible?

I have a hybrid, but I've been doing things to the hybrid to make it seem more comparable to a road bike. Now I'm wondering if it's possible to change out my wheels 650 C tires. I figure at the very least, I'm shorter, and I wondered with the smaller wheels, would that make it easier for me? I also want skinnier tires than what I've got now (700X23). I'm thinking with the tire change to 650 C, I could also change the tires to a 700X 19.

Yeah, I know I could just get a new road bike. It's definitely in the works for a purchase for next year, when I get my cash flow up. In the meantime, I have to make do with what I've got.

Thoughts?

no you can't do it... the brake mounts won't allow the calipers to reach down low enough to grab the rim. it may be possible with a disk brake setup though. even if you could do it, it would look really akward, with a huge gap between the tire and the frame/fork

are you having problems with standover clearance with the700c wheels?

the reason 650c frames are reccomended for shorter riders is because you can make small frames without akward changes in frame geometry

I have a really short standover clearance- I barely clear one inch.

This is the smallest frame they could find for me when I got my bike. Some of my shorter girlfriends have shorter bikes, though, and their wheels are definitely smaller than mine.

I wonder why some of the guys I've encountered on bikes have the 650C tires instead of 700C. They are all definitely taller than me, but they have the smaller tires and larger bike frames.

:confused:

Thanks for the imput.

Koffee

1 inch is plenty of standover, as long as your cockpit length feels good.
I don't have ANY standover on my road bike, basically because i have short legs/long torso, and that's the only way i could get the top tube to fit me right.

those people you've seen with 650c wheels are probably multisport athletes, no? those are bikes made by people who belong to the camp that says 650c wheels offer a significant aero advantage over 700c, but this is one of those raging debates with no real consensus. those larged framed, small wheeled bikes were really popular in their day, but it seems these days that they're falling out of favor, as many manufacturers have willingly gone back to 700c for their larger frame sizes.

i do think though that with frames 50cm and below, it would be a good idea to switch to 650c wheels. but old habits die hard...

I would agree with you that putting 700c wheels on a small women's hybrid bike is barking mad. Why dont the large manufacturers make smaller models with 26" MTB wheels? like
http://www.orbit-cycles.co.uk/mer3.shtml
The range of available tyres for 650c is quite small. MTB tyres are available in 1" upwards, and cover the touring/utiltity range.

If you could get the brakes to work, you would lower the bottom bracket by 1" or so, which on most small bikes, is often a good thing. To really take advantage of the smaller diameter wheel, you should shorten the rear triangle, and bring the head-tube closer. Small cranks would help avoid any toe-clip overlap.

Alright, cool...

I'm thinking now I should just be patient and get my new road bike. I may just stick with the 700c wheels and just focus on getting rims for skinnier tires instead.

Thanks for the info.

Koffee

If you are running 700x23 you are running very skinny tires right now. I would just save the money and put towards your road bike. A good set of wheels are expensive, and if just replacing the rims you would also have to look at buying new spokes, having the LBS rebuild them so that is a decent amount towards your savings of a new road bike, it's almost impossible to find tires below 700x20 now and you won't notice a big difference.

That's what I figured, Kev.

I'm saving up my money- I'm so excited! I've decided to reward myself after a long and difficult year with a quick trip to Italy in early January, and I've decided on my new road bike- a Pinarello. I know I can get it here, but I can use the tax write off by going abroad. ;) I also will start taking my bike mechanics classes in October, and I'd like to have the frame specially made, but build the bike up myself.

This is just a wish list, of course.... I could go broke again and have to wait another year... :(

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

Koffee

Maybe you should just buy a Terry?

A Terry what?

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
A Terry what?

A Terry bicycle. They make bikes especially for women. Alot of them do use 650C wheels... at least in the front. I think some even use 24" wheels.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/Bikes/bikes.lasso

Nah. I have my heart set on a nice trip to Italy, culminating in the acquisition of a beautiful Pinarello frame. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

Koffee

Pinarello are nice bikes, but I dont think they are renouned for their smaller sizes. 48 seems to be their smallest, and it seems quite long for the size and I didnt see any 650c wheels on their website. Most are TIG welded aluminium, which is pretty harsh in the smaller sizes, but they do some neat carbon bits.
Terry have some wacky mixed wheel designs which are not ideal.
If you are looking for a really swish, lightweight well proportioned women's race bike there are better places to go.
I would also query the wisdom of buying a bike on short holiday. The time constraints can force a wrong decision, and its hard to put anything right once you leave. You also dont benefit from the goodwill you gain at your local shop from buying a bike. If it is an extended trip, that is another matter.

Actually, Terry bikes usually use a 600c front wheel. An aluminum frame in a small size will be very, very harsh. Hardly suited for touring, either.

I agree with Dave that small al frames are a harsh ride. If you want a harsh frame, I'll sell you my Cannondale R800. Cannondale was the first to come out with small frames for women. The frame was one of the stiffest al frame of its vintage and because it is so small I felt every bump, crack, etc. I even put a carbon fork on it and it still was a pretty stiff ride. I felt like I was running a jackhammer all day. It's a great trainer bike, though. Because of that frame I will never ride an al bike again.

And that's why I love my Aegis Swift (carbon fiber) so much. It was designed for smaller riders. It asorbs all the road shock and I can push it just as hard as I want and it performs just beautifully. It is also a great little climber and flys downhill. Weighs in around 18lbs. Besides, no one else around here has one.

The smaller Terry's have a 24" front wheel and a 700c back wheel. Although, I have noticed that the higher end bikes are now coming with 650's both front and back. Also, I've heard that different wheel sizes are unstable on the downhills and they are still heavy bikes.

Koffee, don't spend any money trying to upgrade. Save it for the new bike. I spent a lot of money on the Cannondale only to buy the Aegis a year or so later.

Just my .02 worth.

Kathi