29" wheels and bus bike racks
#1
Center of the Universe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 4,374
Bikes: Bianchi San Remo, Norvara Intrepid MTB , Softride Solo 700
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
29" wheels and bus bike racks
I just bought a new Novara 29" steel framed MTB. I was planning on using it for comumting to work as well as off road fun. My commute is a combination of riding and bus. I picked it up from REI this afternoon and went to put it on the bus. The darn thing does not fit the arm will not go over the wheel. I know my 700cc tires work so it has to be the tire profile that is causing the problem. Have any of you experianced this and maybe know of a low profile tire that will fit on the bike rack?
__________________
Matthew 6
Matthew 6
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Vancouver,Washington
Posts: 2,280
Bikes: Old steel GT's, for touring and commuting
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 39 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I just bought a new Novara 29" steel framed MTB. I was planning on using it for comumting to work as well as off road fun. My commute is a combination of riding and bus. I picked it up from REI this afternoon and went to put it on the bus. The darn thing does not fit the arm will not go over the wheel. I know my 700cc tires work so it has to be the tire profile that is causing the problem. Have any of you experianced this and maybe know of a low profile tire that will fit on the bike rack?
I was worried when I got to downtown Seattle and transferred to a Metro bus, but the arm on this rack (exact same make/model I believe) extended further and I had no problems. I suspect the first rack was faulty or in need of repair, it really didn't seem to extend as far as they usually do.
If I was you, I'd be tempted to try it again on another bus. Sorry, I don't have any specific recommendations for 29er tires, none of our fleet of MTB's are that size. I'd be tempted to get some very low profile slicks for city duty and switch out to real knobbies for the off-road fun. No idea if they make them in 29er size, but the Continental Gatorskins in 26" are very low profile.
Last edited by Medic Zero; 09-08-13 at 02:53 AM.
#3
Center of the Universe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 4,374
Bikes: Bianchi San Remo, Norvara Intrepid MTB , Softride Solo 700
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Its possible it was just that buses rack. I was bringing home a new (to me) bike from a Craigslist seller in Tacoma recently and nearly panicked when at first I couldn't get the bus racks arm over the tire. This was a 26" wheel but it had a very fat tire on it. Eventually I was able to kind of scoot/scrape the arm over the tire and get it in place. Probably wouldn't have worked on something with a knobby tread though. Might've helped that the tires pressure was pretty low too, I suspect it gave a little.
__________________
Matthew 6
Matthew 6
#4
Full Member
I'd wager it's the rack that's at fault, and not the wheel. My local buses have racks that will easily accomodate a 29er wheel with 700x35 tires, and I've seen wider tires on them before. I think the only thing they couldn't deal with very well would be fenders, but even then I'd just be concerned about damage to the fenders moreso than the question of whether the rack's arm would fit over them.
#5
Just a person on bike
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,140
Bikes: 2015 Trek 1.1, 2021 Specialized Roubaix, 2022 Tern HSD S+
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 132 Post(s)
Liked 86 Times
in
56 Posts
I was worried when I got to downtown Seattle and transferred to a Metro bus, but the arm on this rack (exact same make/model I believe) extended further and I had no problems. I suspect the first rack was faulty or in need of repair, it really didn't seem to extend as far as they usually do.
The King County Metro website says that tyres up to 3 inches wide should fit on their rack. I believe Sound Transit uses the same rack. Not sure about Community Transit and Everett Transit, though.
__________________
The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
#6
Center of the Universe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 4,374
Bikes: Bianchi San Remo, Norvara Intrepid MTB , Softride Solo 700
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This was a Community Transit bus with an old rack and it was the arms that were not long enough. The driver even said they had issues with the 29" wheels. Since I ride on 4 different bus systems I need a wheel that will fit on all the racks. Problem solved though I just mounted a couple of 700cc tires and it is now good to go. The problem isn't the wheels it is the tires they have a taller profile that the old racks cannot accommodate. As I did with my Fuji 26" I used street tires for commuting and swapped to mountain tires for off road.
__________________
Matthew 6
Matthew 6
#7
Just a person on bike
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,140
Bikes: 2015 Trek 1.1, 2021 Specialized Roubaix, 2022 Tern HSD S+
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 132 Post(s)
Liked 86 Times
in
56 Posts
This was a Community Transit bus with an old rack and it was the arms that were not long enough. The driver even said they had issues with the 29" wheels. Since I ride on 4 different bus systems I need a wheel that will fit on all the racks. Problem solved though I just mounted a couple of 700cc tires and it is now good to go. The problem isn't the wheels it is the tires they have a taller profile that the old racks cannot accommodate. As I did with my Fuji 26" I used street tires for commuting and swapped to mountain tires for off road.
[EDIT] I meant 29" tyres, not 26". Fixed.
__________________
The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
Last edited by daihard; 09-09-13 at 08:43 AM.
#8
Center of the Universe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 4,374
Bikes: Bianchi San Remo, Norvara Intrepid MTB , Softride Solo 700
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
it is the 29" that is the same as the 700cc the profile is the height the tire sits off the wheel
__________________
Matthew 6
Matthew 6
#9
Just a person on bike
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,140
Bikes: 2015 Trek 1.1, 2021 Specialized Roubaix, 2022 Tern HSD S+
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 132 Post(s)
Liked 86 Times
in
56 Posts
So when you refer to the size of the tyre, is it usually the inner diameter? That makes sense because I'd assume it's the inner diameter of the tyre that needs to match the size (i.e. diameter) of the wheel.
__________________
The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Lancaster, PA, USA
Posts: 1,851
Bikes: 2012 Trek Allant, 2016 Bianchi Volpe Disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#11
Just a person on bike
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,140
Bikes: 2015 Trek 1.1, 2021 Specialized Roubaix, 2022 Tern HSD S+
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 132 Post(s)
Liked 86 Times
in
56 Posts
Thanks for pointing it out. I meant 29" but somehow typed wrong. I've fixed the original post as well.
__________________
The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
#12
Full Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 263
Bikes: 1984 Cannodale full touring bike, Giant full carbon dura ace, Belinsky frame Tandem
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
27" wheel is about 1/2" bigger in diameter than a 700c wheel. So a 29" wheel is 2 1/2" bigger than a 700c! Double O
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Lancaster, PA, USA
Posts: 1,851
Bikes: 2012 Trek Allant, 2016 Bianchi Volpe Disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#14
Senior Member
I don't think I ever commuted on my Fargo with the original 29er tires, I think they are 2.1" wide. I have 50 mm Schwalbe Supremes for commuting, on the same wheels, and don't have any trouble with bus racks, though I have to give retainer a good yank sometimes to extend it. and it won't go over my fender. I jam it in between my tire and fender. No problems so far.
#15
Banned
that's why people should use the ISO size to alleviate confusion. in essence, that's why they exist, is it not?
559mm is 26"/MTB (American but almost universal)
622mm is 700c (French), 29" (US), 28" (Germany)
559mm is 26"/MTB (American but almost universal)
622mm is 700c (French), 29" (US), 28" (Germany)
#16
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,621
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1663 Post(s)
Liked 1,818 Times
in
1,057 Posts
Well, people should use the entire ISO designation. While the bead seat diameter will be the same, an ISO56x622mm is going to have a significantly larger outer diameter than an ISO23x622mm.
#17
Banned