Originally Posted by
mack_turtle
don't bother trying to measure a tire or wheel in hopes of determining it's "size." as stated above, those numbers are NOMINAL sizes.
700c- road bikes, hybrid bikes, cyclocross, etc.
26"- mountain bikes, some urban bikes, down-hill mountain bikes, comfort bikes, cruisers, etc
29"- or 29er- bikes that use a 700c rim but take a much fatter "twenty-nine inch" tire. usually a cross-country mountain bike.
The numbers refer to wheel size and the corresponding tire. To lump each into a type of bike isn't accurate or helpful. I have 26 inch rims on my touring bike, which is a road bike. Or can I not ride it long distance and have to relegate it to an urban setting?