Originally Posted by
chrisx
26 in in all villages.
700 x 23 is in all cities where they have bicycle races.
27.5 is winning the mt bike wheel size change. Slowly 29 and 26 are going out. Slowly 27.5 is winning, expanding, all over the Americas.
At this time, 26 inch mt bikes are in all villages.
Above someone mentioned, a bus ride to the capital if you need a part. He failed to mention that it is 12 to 24 hours on a bus to get to the capital, where they sell 700 x 23 only. 700 x 40 is non existant, they do not have 700 touring tires.
If I go to Guatemala this winter, I will take my 1995 Mongoose Alta. It has canti brakes.
If I buy a new bike, it will have 27.5 mt bike wheels. Are 700 x 40 wheels about the same height as 27.5 x 2.3? Hmm, put the solid fork on for road rides, change to suspension for trails?
I'm curious to know what experience you're basing all of this on. A lot of what you're saying does no match my current experience on tour in Mexico and Central America. Care to add more details about the specific parts of the globe where you feel you can only find 700c tires in 23mm width?