Originally Posted by
hiero
I remember seeing a British road/commuter bike with 28" wheels and rod activated brakes. That was an interesting sight.
But, sixty fiver, please illuminate us, if you can, as to WHY the 27" size took over in the UK? I'm not sure from your post if it was simply because Dunlop quit the bike market or something else.
Thanks, dude.
Some early 50's British bikes were fitted with 630 wheels and believe that riders discovered that they preferred the ride and performance of these over the 597 although the 597, when fitted with good quality tyres, is very fast and very comfortable and I have knocked down a sub hour 40 riding a vintage Raleigh equipped like this.
The 630 rim could be fitted with a narrower higher pressure tyre and also may have been another one of those attempts by the British and the Americans to have a standard that was not French.