Originally Posted by
steve-in-kville
Thanks for the replies.
Now to make things complicated: If I go to a 26" wheelsize, should I order a frame that is a bit bigger? I've been riding a 43cm Tourist for the past 6+ years. If the wheels are smaller, my standover would be shorter.
Just for reference: our 4'11" daughter rides a 42 cm Long Haul Trucker, and our 5'5" daughter rides a 50 cm LHT. Both bike sizes only come with 26" wheels. I'd suggest trying to test ride the 46 cm bike.
Riding on 26" wheels has not slowed either of them down. As the other folks have said, speed has more to do with wheel weight and tires. Both of the 26" bikes are set up with a tough, relatively lightweight wheelset, and medium weight 32 mm (1.25") tires. My observation is that there is no disadvantage with 26" wheels. It is a little harder to find good narrow size road tires for 26" wheels, but that should not be a deal breaker.
The top tubes on Surly touring bikes tends to be a little on the long side relative to some other brands.