Originally Posted by expatCanuck
> There's a good reason smaller frames come with smaller wheels.
Agreed. Foot clearance, for instance.
> What do you have against 26" wheels?
Well, I would be okay if my sister married one ... but all other things being equal (which they never are), I'd have thought that a bigger wheel would mean more potential power generation and a smoother ride.
- Richard
To fit 700C wheels on a smaller frame, there needs to be design comprimises in the geometry. The seat tube angle is usually steeper and the head tube angle is shallower. This affects the length of the other tubes as well. With smaller wheels on a smaller frame, the frame designer has more freedom to use a geometry closer to ideal. The whole thing is more likely to ride and fit better.
I don't think there's any power advantage to larger wheels that can't be made up for with taller gearing. If the 26" wheels seem at all rough, use fatter tires or lower pressure.
I think the wheel size should be driven by the frame design and size rather than the other way around.