Originally Posted by
brianinc-ville
Interesting ideas. In practice, do you notice a difference between 26" and 700c, with similar tire widths/treads? I've only ever ridden MTBs with fat knobbies and flat bars, so I can't quite imagine willingly going long distances on one.
I've grown to really like the ride of 26" tires. With smaller sizes and higher quality tires, they seem plenty speedy. If you're converting an older mtb, you're more likely to notice the difference in the laid back geometry and in weight of the overall bike due to the stouter tubing, both of which aren't really a detriment for loaded touring.
Schwalbe and Continental make some very nice touring and road tires in 26" sizes (1.25-2"+). It's also possible to get some cheap 26" road tires that work well (definitely much better than knobby tires). I've been running some Forte Metro 26x1.5" semi-slicks from Performance Bike and they're very light.
Another benefit for touring is that with the same number of spokes, the smaller diameter 26" wheels will be much stronger than a 700c or 27" wheel.