Originally Posted by
Cyclebum
Been an educational experience. Including learning about the limited availablity of 20 x 1 and 1/8, ISO 451 tires and tubes at the local bike shops. Or anywhere for that matter. If it don't say 451 on it, won't fit the front wheel of a TE. Why'd they put such an odd size wheel on that bike?
Tubes are easy. Almost all 20" tubes wit presta valves are marketed to be dual-size 406 and 451. That means they're really a 451 and must be folded to fit inside a 406 tire. What's hard is to find a 406-only presta-valved tube.
451 isn't an odd size. It's the road 20" size, the size our ROAD recumbents should be using (IMNSHO.) The real question is, why did recumbents standardize on using bmx wheels a decade ago? Tire availability would have followed the 451 size just as easily as it's followed the 406.