After riding folders for a few years I think I can finally say I've concluded that larger than 20" wheels are basically pointless.
Many are familiar with Tony Hadland's table of the advantages/disadvantages of small wheels:
However, almost all the "disadvantages" are either extremely myopic or are grasping at straws:
1. "wheel has less inertia" - there is no possible way this could be interpreted as a disadvantage. If it were a disadvantage then one could simply add lead weights, which would just be stupid.
2. "bumpier ride unless wider tires" - good quality wider tires are better (faster and more comfortable). The only problem that can be attributed to wider tires is that they are heavier, but that doesn't apply if you switch to a smaller wheel because it's canceled by the shorter circumference.
3. "reduced efficiency of rim brakes" - this isn't a disadvantage because you can switch to hub brakes, which would be regarded as superior except that pointlessly large wheels reduce their efficiency
4. "higher bearing friction" - has anyone here ever notice a significant difference by upgrading to lighter bearing grease?
5. "special tire construction needed" - you need good tires on large wheels too.
The only valid complaints are that the cables are longer, things wear a little faster, and they have more rolling resistance on soft ground. The first two are minor complaints compared to the long list of advantages and bicycles are never very good on soft ground anyway (even big wheeled ones), which is why they weren't invented/popularized until after the construction of modern roads.
I'm inclined to agree with
Xootr that there are really only two cases in which small wheels aren't the superior choice:
-Downhill mountain bike racing. Let's be clear. If you want to go near-vertically down the side of a mountain, you don't want to do that on a bike with 406mm rims. You want to be able to roll over huge boulders and clear giant felled trees. This isn't the bike for that job.
-USCF road racing. The Swift (nor any 406mm-wheeled bike) doesn't meet the precise technical standards of the Luddites in charge of most bicycle racing standards.